Three Pembroke Pines restaurants hit with high-priority violations, inspectors say
This holiday season, some Pembroke Pines restaurants served quality meals while others were served with health code violations.
Three local eateries racked up the highest amount of serious infractions during their December inspections while two returned squeaky-clean results, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Those that missed the mark include an Indian restaurant, an American comfort food chain and an upscale Mexican spot with locations across the southeast United States.
All three were categorized under “Follow Up Inspection Required,” meaning they didn’t pass their inspection, but weren’t considered enough of a threat to customers to temporarily shut down.
High-priority violations include any practices that “could contribute directly to a foodborne illness or injury,” according to DBPR. This covers live flying insects, improper sanitation techniques, contamination of raw food with cooked food and other offenses that bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria thrive on.
The two restaurants with spotless records had no critical or noncritical issues and met the state’s standards during their assessments.
Here are the Pembroke Pines eateries that underperformed during their December 2025 inspections.
The Mughal, 2100 N. University Drive
Routine inspection, nine total violations, seven high-priority violations
Bowls of raw ground beef and chicken were spotted stored above ready-to-eat peas and chicken at this Indian restaurant nestled in eastern Pembroke Pines.
That earned The Mughal a cross-contamination citation from DBPR, as did a container of uncooked chicken stacked on top of an open box of sliced steak meat.
Several prepared meats — goat and chicken — were not properly chilled within “time/temperature control safety” measures, which the Florida Department of Health says prevents “disease-causing organisms (pathogens) [from multiplying] more rapidly.”
Inspectors also noted uncooked meats bagged in plastic grocery totes instead of food-grade bags and a severe adminsitrative violation: operating without a valid Division of Hotels and Restaurants license.
A follow-up inspection two days later saw the eatery bring in no citations from inspectors.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, 16020 Pines Blvd.
Routine inspection, six total violations, four high-priority violations
Without changing gloves, an employee handled raw salmon and “then grabbed clean serving utensils” to assemble another customer’s order at this American comfort food chain that boasts 4.2 stars and over 1,500 reviews on Google.
Inspectors noted the worker discarded the used gloves and washed their hands when corrected, according to DBPR.
Spinach dip, garlic butter, sour cream, onions and refrigerated, cooked chicken sausages were prevented from being sold due to being held above the cold-holding temperature — 41 degrees Farenheit — needed to prevent bacteria growth and keep food safe to eat.
A dishmachine failed three times to generate enough heat to properly sanitize dinnerware, leaving the eatery to manually clean dishes.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen’s follow-up inspection the next returned infraction-free results.
Agave Bandido, 14531 SW Fifth St.
Routine insepction, 16 total violations, four high-priority violations
Ready-to-eat fruit purée and raw steak were spotted too close for food safety at this upscale Mexican restaurant and tequila bar with sister locations in Central Florida and Georgia.
Salsa and diced tomatoes were held at too-high temperatures while baked beans and vegetable stock were chilled to unsafe degrees.
The concentration of sanitizer for a broken dismachine was substandard, meaning workers would have to manually wash its dishware. Inspectors noted the chemical test kit employees are required to verify the chlorine strength with was unused and issued a warning.
Among Agave Bandido’s less severe infractions, DBPR logged, were no soap at a handwash sink, a salsa-serving scoop standing in room temperature water, missing hood filters to capture grease and condensation and an “accumulation of black/green mold-like substance” inside two ice machines.
Eight days later, when inspectors revisited for a follow-up assessment, the restaurant passed with flying colors.
Infraction-free restaurants
Here are the local restaurants that aced their December 2025 inspections:
- Hi Pot, 620 N. University Drive
- AMC Theaters Pembroke Lakes 9, 12085 Pines Blvd.
