Pembroke Pines buffet hit with 13 health code violations, state inspectors say
Chow Time Grill & Buffet, a self-serve Pan-Asian and American buffet at 12375 Pembroke Road in Pembroke Pines, received 13 violations after a Sept. 30 health inspection by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation.
Five of the 13 violations were high priority, resulting in an administrative complaint recommendation and a follow-up inspection visit.
Inspection results
Inspectors documented five high-priority violations, one intermediate violation and seven basic violations. Though none of the violations were deemed an immediate threat to public health, officials flagged several repeat issues.
Among the high-priority violations, two involved hygiene, two involved time and temperature control, and one involved bugs.
Inspectors observed employees handling clean equipment and unwrapped single-use items without first washing their hands. Another employee washed hands without using soap.
Live small flying insects were found at a prep station.
Temperature issues included macaroni and cheese held at 45 degrees in a reach-in cooler instead of the required 41 or below; it was transferred to the walk-in cooler for corrective action.
A whole meat roast was found held at 92 degrees instead of the required 135 or above.
The intermediate violation involved ready-to-eat foods in the walk-in cooler without proper date marking. According to the operator, sauces made the previous day had been stored longer than 24 hours.
Basic violations included black mold-like buildup inside the ice machine, food stored on the freezer floor, and uncovered cut lettuce in the walk-in cooler. Inspectors also noted a single-use container being incorrectly used to dispense rice.
Several of the violations were repeat offenses.
Restaurant Overview
Located in Flamingo Market Place, Chow Time Grill & Buffet holds a 4.3-star rating on Google based on over 6,000 reviews.
The restaurant offers a $10-$20 price range and is open from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., except for Fridays and Saturdays, when it closes at 11 p.m.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 4:38 PM.
