The dining room at Mar-A-Lago (Photo: Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images)

Sure, the decor at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida could be described as “baroque,” if you’re being kind, and “tacky” if you’re The A.V. Club. But nouveau riche is still riche, right? Just look at that luxurious chocolate cake! Wrong. As with all things Trump, Mar-A-Lago’s cuisine is all surface flash, and when it comes to actual fine dining, you’d be better off—and safer—eating at your nearest Denny’s. That comes courtesy of The Miami Herald, which reports that the “luxury” resort set a new personal record for health-code violations just days before Japanese Prime Minister Shizo Abe stopped by for a visit.


That’s 13 violations, ranging from fish not receiving “proper parasite destruction” before being served raw to rusty shelves in the walk-in coolers. Most egregious were the improperly maintained coolers, which resulted in raw meat being stored at sickeningly high temperatures—raw chicken was measured at 49 degrees Fahrenheit, raw beef and duck at 50 degrees, and ham at 57 degrees, according to the Herald.

Interestingly, the club’s kitchen seems to have been on the decline ever since Trump announced his presidential bid. Mar-A-Lago received 11 health code violations in 2016, and two in 2015; before that, Trump was “often involved personally in the day-to-day operations” of the resort, and would frequently be found in the kitchen giving directions to staff. “At the time, Mar-a-Lago passed inspections with flying colors,” the Herald reports, “with one or two violations at most.” So while he may not be our greatest president—there’s those kind euphemisms again—he apparently was a pretty good kitchen manager.