CLERMONT, FL. State inspectors ordered Cedar Grill Clermont on South Highway 27 closed on August 27 after finding roach activity inside the restaurant, the third time in two years the facility has been shut down for the same reason.
The closure order came the same day inspectors documented nine high-severity violations and five intermediate violations at the Clermont restaurant. A second inspection the same day recorded eight high-severity violations and three intermediate violations. The restaurant was allowed to reopen later that afternoon at 3:46 p.m.
What Inspectors Found
The nine high-severity violations cited on August 27 covered a wide range of risks. Inspectors found food sourced from an unapproved or unknown supplier, food in poor condition, and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. Improper hand-washing technique and an employee not reporting illness symptoms were also cited.
Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled. A separate citation noted toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and the restaurant lacked a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items on the menu.
The intermediate violations included multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, improper sanitizing solution or procedures, and single-use items being reused.
What These Violations Mean
Roach activity alone is sufficient grounds for an emergency closure under Florida law, and the reason is direct: roaches travel between sewage, trash, and food preparation surfaces, depositing bacteria including Salmonella and E. coli as they move. A single roach on a prep surface or inside a storage area can contaminate food that will be served within minutes.
The finding that an employee was not reporting illness symptoms compounds that risk. Food workers who fail to report symptoms of norovirus, Salmonella, or hepatitis A are the documented leading cause of multi-victim outbreaks. At Cedar Grill, that violation appeared alongside food sourced from an unapproved supplier, meaning there would be no traceability if a customer became ill and investigators needed to identify the origin of contaminated ingredients.
Food not cooked to the required minimum temperature is among the most direct paths to a foodborne illness. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. At a restaurant already cited for sourcing food from unknown suppliers, undercooking removes the last line of defense.
Improperly stored toxic chemicals next to food preparation areas create a separate category of risk entirely, one that is not biological but chemical. Mislabeled or misplaced cleaning agents can contaminate food directly, with effects that are immediate rather than delayed.
The Pattern
August 27 was not the first time Cedar Grill Clermont has been closed for roaches. On June 23, 2026, inspectors shut the restaurant down for the same reason. It reopened the following day, June 24, after two separate inspections on that date each found five high-severity violations. Before that, on March 20, 2024, the restaurant was emergency-closed again for roach activity and allowed to reopen on March 21.
Three emergency closures for roach activity in roughly 29 months at the same address.
The inspection record in the weeks surrounding each closure is consistent. On June 23, the day of the second closure, inspectors documented six high-severity violations and four intermediate violations. The inspections on June 24, the day it reopened, each found five high-severity violations. Two inspections in February 2026 found a combined seven high-severity violations and eight intermediate violations. An inspection in September 2025 found eight high-severity and six intermediate violations.
The Longer Record
Cedar Grill Clermont: Emergency Closure History
Cedar Grill Clermont has accumulated 365 violations across 31 inspections on record. That averages nearly 12 violations per inspection visit, a figure that holds even when accounting for follow-up inspections that typically show reduced counts after a closure.
The facility has now been emergency-closed three times, all for the same violation category. Each time, inspectors returned and documented additional high-severity violations on the reopening inspection itself, meaning the restaurant did not clear all concerns before being allowed to resume service.
The August 27 closure and same-day reopening means Cedar Grill Clermont was serving customers again by mid-afternoon. The inspection record shows 17 combined high-severity violations documented by inspectors on that single day across two separate visits.
