Flies, roaches, rodents. Pests close down 6 Orlando-area restaurants

Six Orlando-area restaurants were shut down by state health inspectors for problems with flies, roaches and rodents, including a Gator’s Dockside restaurant and a downtown gastro bar.

Gator’s Dockside in Clermont at 601 Cagan Park Blvd. was closed temporarily Nov. 8 after an inspector from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation found small flies in the dish area and on buckets of honey and barbecue sauce.

State health inspectors have been stepping up violations against restaurants that have fruit flies in kitchens. Several restaurants in the past few months have been closed with fruit flies, a violation that rarely garnered that action in the past.

Gator’s Dockside manager Paul Brown said the restaurant brought in its pest control company to eliminate fruit flies in the kitchen and it reopened the next day. It has been open since.

Downtown Orlando’s Avenue Gastrobar was shut down Oct. 29 for violations including roaches under the cookline ovens and burners and under the ice machine. It reopened two days later after failing a follow-up inspection Oct. 30.

China Kitchen at 7985 State Road 35 in Groveland was closed Oct. 24 because of roaches in the kitchen area. It reopened the following