LAKE WORTH, FL. Back in March 2026, state inspectors ordered Brass Monkey Sports Bar and Grill on Lake Worth Road shut down after finding roach activity inside the restaurant, the second time in the facility's documented history that inspectors had pulled the plug for the same reason.
The closure was ordered on March 24, 2026. The bar and grill was given until March 25 to vacate, and records show it did reopen that same day.
What Inspectors Found
Brass Monkey: Recent Inspection Pattern
The March 24 inspection that triggered the closure documented three high-severity violations and three intermediate violations. The closure reason listed in state records is roach activity, the same finding that would bring inspectors back to order a second shutdown less than four weeks later.
The most recent inspection on record, from April 21, 2026, found a high-severity violation for improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals. That citation carries a specific risk: chemicals stored near food or mislabeled can cause acute poisoning if they contaminate a surface, a container, or a food item directly.
That same April 21 inspection also cited two intermediate violations, one for single-use items being improperly reused and one for inadequate ventilation and lighting. A separate inspection conducted the same day found one high-severity and one intermediate violation.
What These Violations Mean
Roach activity is one of the few findings that gives state inspectors the authority to order an immediate emergency closure, and the reason is direct. Cockroaches move between sewage, garbage, and food preparation surfaces. They carry pathogens associated with salmonella, E. coli, and dysentery, and their presence in a kitchen is not a cosmetic problem. It is an active contamination pathway.
The chemical storage violation cited in the most recent inspection adds a separate layer of concern. When cleaning agents, sanitizers, or pesticides are stored near food, improperly labeled, or placed above food prep surfaces, the margin for accidental contamination is narrow. A mislabeled bottle used by a staff member who does not recognize its contents can cause poisoning before anyone realizes what happened.
The single-use item violation is a quieter risk but not a minor one. Items designed for one use, including gloves, foil, and disposable containers, are manufactured without the durability to be cleaned and sanitized effectively. Reusing them creates cross-contamination opportunities that proper dishwashing and sanitizing protocols are specifically designed to prevent.
The Pattern
The March 2026 closure was not Brass Monkey's first. State records show the facility has been emergency-closed three times in its documented inspection history, with two of those closures occurring within a 27-day window in the spring of 2026.
The second closure came on April 20, 2026, again for roach activity. That inspection documented five high-severity violations and three intermediate violations, the most severe single-day finding in the recent record. The facility reopened on April 21.
Across 31 inspections on record, Brass Monkey has accumulated 164 total violations. High-severity findings have appeared in every inspection listed in the recent history, going back to at least March 2025. That is not a facility with an isolated bad day. It is a facility where inspectors have consistently found serious problems.
The Longer Record
Thirty-one inspections over the course of a facility's life can tell a story on their own. At Brass Monkey, 164 violations spread across that history works out to an average of more than five violations per visit. The recent inspection data shows high-severity findings at every documented visit, with counts ranging from one to five per inspection.
The two closures in March and April 2026 are worth reading together. The March closure was for roaches. The facility reopened within a day. Less than four weeks later, inspectors returned and found roach activity again, this time alongside five high-severity violations. That sequence suggests the underlying conditions driving the pest problem were not resolved between the two shutdowns.
Prior to the 2026 closures, the October 2025 inspection had already found two high-severity violations, and the March 2025 inspection had found two high-severity and three intermediate violations. The bar has not had a clean inspection in any visit reflected in the available record.
The April 21 inspection, the most recent on file, still showed a high-severity violation for improperly stored chemicals. Whether any follow-up inspection has since found the facility in full compliance is not reflected in the current record.