Florida Man Caught Harboring An 80-Pound Iguana In His Restaurant Freezer

Because why wouldn't a Florida man keep an 80-pound iguana in his restaurant freezer? It wasn't even the same freezer where he kept the rest of the food! Restaurant inspectors can be so persnickety.

The restaurant in question is called Pizza Mambo. It is in West Palm Beach. After the discovery of the iguana, not to mention a carpet of rat droppings and dead roaches, some moldy food in the fridge, and an expired license, it shut down for a day to get its shit together. The iguana found its final home in the trash.

But, you are wondering, why was the iguana in the freezer in the first place? A reporter from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel with the glorious name Wells Dusenbury attempted to get to the bottom of the mystery. "While the store owner couldn't be reached for comment," he reports, "a Pizza Mambo employee told the South Florida Sun Sentinel the iguana was given to the owner as a personal gift for later consumption."

Iguanas are considered a delicacy by some people in South Florida, at least according to another Sun-Sentinel investigation. I lived in South Florida for several years and never met any of these people, but in all fairness, it was a long time ago and I didn't get out much. So I can't tell you if it was a tragedy that this iguana ended up in the dumpster. But if anybody has any thoughts about iguana meat, I would love to know.