Click the slideshow button to see more photos from our Dirty Dining Investigation
CLEARWATER, FL -- Primo's Pasta and Ribs Restaurant on Ulmerton Road in Clearwater advertises an early bird dinner special.
But state inspectors found something else not on the menu during their latest visit.
"We wanted to find out if you were aware of the problems and if you've cleaned things up? It looks like they wrote you up with quite a few violations just in the last year and half," said ABC Action News Anchor Wendy Ryan.
"Actually I just came over here from another location, so I'm not familiar with the inspection reports that came over here," answered the manager, Pam.
Pam had no idea that in July, inspectors found too many roaches to count in the kitchen and warned Primo's they'd seen live roaches the year before too.
And inspectors discovered raw seafood stored over cheese, a cross contamination issue.
"In July, dead roaches, the inspector wrote too many to count, hole in the wall, manager not certified, cross contamination. Does any of this sound familiar to you?" asked Ryan.
"I'm only here for this evening but I'll be more than happy to address this with the owner of the company," Pam said.
"So you're not the normal manager?" asked Ryan.
"No, I'm not," Pam responded.
Primo's has accumulated 100 critical violations over the last year and a half.
And on December 10, 2008 inspectors issued a stop sale on three pounds of cheese because it was sitting at 60 degrees in the cooler.
State food code says all cold food should be held at 41 degrees or below.
"Just got off the phone and I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave. If you're not buying anything, then we have a business to run to try and get it back on track again," said Pam.
"Can you give me the name of the owner, if he wants to make a statement?" asked Ryan.
"I'd rather not disclose that. If he wants to, he'll contact you guys," answered Pam.
