EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Name: EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Address: 2645 E GULF TO LAKE HWY, INVERNESS, FL, 34453, US
Rating: 20.7

2645 E GULF TO LAKE HWY, INVERNESS, FL 34453

License #1901059

🌮 Mexican/Latin ℹ️

20.7 Grade F / 100

Failing Health Score

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Latest inspection

May 7, 2026 · 0 findings · 0 critical

Routine - Food

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Critical

Highest-priority rows.

Major

Worth checking for repeats.

Minor

Usually lower-risk context.

Quick take

EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT in INVERNESS currently holds an InspectFL Health Score of 20.7 out of 100 — an F grade — a serious pattern of repeat or critical violations. This restaurant has been inspected 11 times from Florida DBPR, with the most recent inspection on May 7, 2026. Across those visits, inspectors documented 80 total violations — 32 critical, 11 major, 37 minor.

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Record snapshot

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Inspections on file

Clean inspections

Callback visits

Latest clean pass

May 7, 2026

The most recent inspection was clean, with no violations documented on May 7, 2026.

Official recordInspection data quality

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Official source: DBPR

Inspection coverage

91%

Inspector notes

Coverage note

Inspector notes linked where available

InspectFL turns public DBPR records into a scan-friendly timeline. Use the official DBPR link when you want to verify the newest inspection at the source. InspectFL reorganizes public DBPR inspection records into a page you can actually scan. When exact inspector notes are available, they appear inline. Otherwise, the page falls back to violation categories plus the official DBPR record.

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Community reaction

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Community pulse

Would you eat here?

EL RANCHITO MEXICAN RESTAURANT has a rough inspection history. Would you risk it?

F record

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*Scores are calculated by InspectFL based on public DBPR inspection data and are not official state ratings.

Inspection timeline

Inspection History

Read the newest inspection first, then scan for patterns. Repeated high-priority findings matter more than one isolated bad day.

Critical Major Minor

Inspector notes are being added across all restaurants. Some inspections may only show violation codes until notes are available.

Passed — No Violations

Disposition: Warning Issued
[22-20-5] Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Ice bin at the server area, mold like substance on top corners.
[12B-07-4] Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee drinks next to plates and single service, manager moved.
[08B-38-4] Food stored on floor. Oil jug on floor near back door, employee emoted off the floor.
[10-17-4] In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. At the server area, knife between table and ice bin, manager moved.
[21-04-4] In-use wet wiping cloth/towel used under cutting board. Multiple in use cutting board with wet wiping cloth underneath
[23-03-4] Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Walk-in cooler shelves with food residue and mold like substance.
[16-46-4] Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. Cleaned in use containers with multiple stickers and glue residue.
[12A-12-4] Employee switched from working with raw food to ready-to-eat food without washing hands. Male employee at the cook line handled raw chicken and immediately after cleaned plates and single service, Inspector addressed situation, employee stop and wash his hands.
[35A-02-7] Live, small flying insects found Two flying insects at the kitchen area.
[08A-20-5] Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. At the cook line, raw beef stored above raw shrimp, also above garnish, employee moved all items.
[01B-02-5] Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. At the cook line, Reheating for 4 hrs: rice 73F, cheese 118F, black beans 122F. Stop sale.
[03A-02-5] Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Reach-in cooler at the cook line (glass door cooler) raw shrimp 48F, raw beef 43F, birria soup 46F, beef 47F, pork 50F, employee moved items to freezer.
[03E-02-5] Time/temperature control for safety food reheated for hot holding not reaching 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds within 2 hours. At the cook line, Reheating for 4 hrs: rice 73F, cheese 118F, black beans 122F. Stop sale.
[41-10-4] Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Cabinet next to bathrooms, Glass cleaner and wood cleaner stored above drinks, Manager moved.
[12A-03-4] Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. Male employee washed hands in triple sink, inspector instructed to use handwash sink.
[31A-09-4] Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Handwash sink at the server area blocked by multiple containers and utensils being stored inside sink, employee moved all.
[53B-02-5] No proof of required state approved employee training provided for employee hired more than 60 days ago. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. For one female employee

Disposition: Warning Issued
[28-02-4] Condensation or other drainage not disposed of according to law. Vent above three compartment sink is dripping on clean food containers. Operator removed containers and washed them
[35B-01-4] Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside.
[36-73-4] Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Floor in kitchen and walk in cooler soiled.
[08B-38-4] Food stored on floor. Container of oil in floor in kitchen.
[23-03-4] Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Inside Walk in cooler, reach in coolers, reach in freezers soiled. Mop bucket outside soiled.
[25-32-4] Reuse of single-service or single-use articles. Salsa in soy sauce container in walk in cooler.
[08B-12-5] Stored food not covered. Cut onions and pico in walk in cooler not covered. Operator covered
[03D-02-5] Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 hours. Cooked pork prepared last night around 7:40 pm. No temperature monitoring was completed. See stop sale
[09-01-4] Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Kitchen employee touched tortillas with bare hand. Temperature of tortilla was 122. Discussed with manager who had employee wash hands and put gloves on.
[35A-02-6] Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Two flies in server station and four flies in the kitchen.
[02C-01-5] Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food marked with a date that exceeds 7 days after opening/ Tamale labeled 07/08/2024, operator stated it was made last night.
[01B-02-5] Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Pork, chile relleno, tamale
[03A-02-5] Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Reach in cooler by hot well- Chile Ralleno 57-see stop sale Tamale 57-see stop sale Sour cream 55-moved to cooler brought from walk in at 11 am. Moved to freezer. Sour cream not observed at the end of the inspection
[03B-01-6] Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Rice 114- reheated to 175. Beans 129
[41-15-5] Wiping cloth solution exceeding the maximum concentration allowed stored in a location that could result in the cross contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, single-service, or single-use articles. Strip turned black sanitizer bucket in kitchen.
[05-05-4] Ambient air thermometer in holding unit not accurate within plus or minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Ambient thermometer gauge broken on reach in cooler by back door Operator added new thermometer
[22-02-4] Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting board soiled and grooved

Disposition: Warning Issued
[36-32-5] Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Multiple tiles in kitchen area Multiple floor tiles in disrepair in kitchen area
[50-09-4] Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed.
[13-07-4] Employee wearing jewelry other than a plain ring on their hands/arms while preparing food. Employee preparing food in kitchen wearing bracelet
[24-08-4] Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Cups in beverage station
[05-09-4] No conspicuously located ambient air temperature thermometer in holding unit. Reach in cooler in cook line area next to microwave
[12B-13-4] Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Water bottle in glass door vertical cooler
[14-33-4] Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Pepsi cooler in kitchen
[21-09-4] Wet wiping cloths used for occasional spills on equipment food- and nonfood-contact surfaces not clean. Employee using soiled wet cloth to wipe food prep counter
[22-41-4] Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. 0ppm, operator has put in a service request with ecolab to have the machine repaired during inspection.
[08A-05-6] Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw shell eggs over butter in walk in cooler. Operator corrected shelves
[03A-02-5] Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. pico (46F - Cold Holding); shredded cheese (47F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (51F - Cold Holding); guacamole (51F - Cold Holding); sour cream (50F - Cold Holding); diced tomatoes (53F - Cold Holding); fried peppers (52F - Cold Holding) Recheck- Pico 42F shredded cheese 48F shredded lettuce 49F guacamole 43F sour cream 40F diced tomatoes 47F Operator states all items were placed in reach in cooler from walk in cooler at 11am. Operator does not have documented temperature monitoring. Operator placed items in ice bath to rapidly chill.