HOLLYWOOD, FL. A state inspector walked into AKI E Restaurant Bar on Harrison Street on July 21 and documented that the restaurant had no verified procedures to destroy parasites in fish it was serving to customers.
That single violation, buried among eight other high-severity citations on the same inspection report, means that anyone who ordered raw or lightly prepared fish that day may have consumed a dish with no documented protection against Anisakis or tapeworm. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The July 21 inspection produced 12 violations in total: 9 high-severity and 3 intermediate. The high-severity list included inadequate shell stock identification records, no written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no person in charge present or performing duties.
The shellfish traceability failure is particularly consequential for a restaurant that serves raw or lightly cooked seafood. Without shell stock identification tags, there is no way to trace oysters, clams, or mussels back to their harvest location if a customer becomes ill.
Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate ventilation and lighting among the intermediate violations.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of no employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms represents a direct transmission pathway for Norovirus, which accounts for roughly 20 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States each year. A sick food worker with no reporting obligation and no written policy governing when to stay home is, in practical terms, a vector with no check on it.
The parasite destruction failure compounds the risk for anyone who ordered fish. Proper freezing protocols exist specifically to kill Anisakis and tapeworm larvae before they reach a plate. Without documented compliance with those protocols, there is no confirmation that the step was taken.
Improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals near food prep areas introduce a separate and acute risk: chemical contamination that can cause poisoning with no warning signs visible to a customer. The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods means that elderly diners, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system had no information to weigh before ordering.
The sewage disposal violation is not a paperwork issue. Improper wastewater handling creates fecal contamination risk throughout a facility. Combined with food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized, the July 21 inspection at AKI E describes a kitchen where multiple contamination pathways were simultaneously active.
The Longer Record
The July 21 inspection is not an anomaly. State records show AKI E Restaurant Bar has accumulated 116 violations across 13 inspections on file, a volume that places the July findings in a pattern rather than an isolated event.
The most recent prior inspection, on July 22, the day after this report, found 2 high-severity and 2 intermediate violations, suggesting the facility addressed some issues but not all. Before that, a December 4, 2025 inspection produced 7 high-severity and 2 intermediate violations, followed by a December 5 callback with 3 high-severity citations still on record.
The restaurant was emergency-closed once before, on January 13, 2025, for roach activity. It was allowed to reopen the following day. The January 13 inspection that preceded the closure showed 3 high-severity and 4 intermediate violations. A second inspection the same day showed the facility met state standards, and the closure was lifted.
High-severity violations have appeared in every inspection on record going back through the data. The July 2025 inspection found 5 high-severity violations. The March 2025 inspection found 4 high-severity and 4 intermediate. The facility has not had a clean high-severity record in any inspection cycle documented here.
Open for Business
State inspectors documented 9 high-severity violations at AKI E Restaurant Bar on July 21, including failures in shellfish traceability, parasite destruction, employee illness reporting, handwashing, chemical storage, and surface sanitation. A person in charge was either absent or not performing duties when the inspector arrived.
The restaurant was not emergency-closed.
