ST. JOHNS, FL. A state inspector walked into Anejo Cocina Mexicana on Fountains Way on June 1 and documented that the restaurant was not following parasite destruction procedures for fish and other proteins, a failure that can leave live parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm in food served to customers.
That was one of seven high-severity violations cited that day. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The parasite violation was not the only finding that put customers at direct risk. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for failing to cook food to required minimum temperatures, meaning Salmonella in poultry and other pathogens present in undercooked proteins could survive and reach a diner's plate.
Employees were not properly reporting illness symptoms, according to the inspection record. That violation sits alongside an improper handwashing technique citation, meaning that even when workers attempted to wash their hands, the technique was insufficient to remove pathogens.
Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Toxic substances were improperly identified, stored, or used, creating a chemical contamination risk alongside the biological ones.
The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked items, leaving customers with compromised immune systems, elderly diners, pregnant women, and young children without the information needed to make an informed choice about what they ordered.
Four intermediate violations accompanied the seven high-severity ones. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned, sanitizing solution or procedures were improper, single-use items were being reused, and ventilation and lighting were inadequate.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure is among the most direct risks documented in this inspection. When restaurants serve fish such as ceviche or lightly cooked seafood without following required freezing or cooking protocols, parasites including Anisakis can survive and cause severe gastrointestinal illness in anyone who eats the dish. The violation means those protocols were not being followed on June 1.
The employee illness reporting failure compounds every other risk on the list. Foodborne illness outbreaks are most commonly traced to a sick food worker who continued handling food. When a restaurant does not have a functioning system for workers to report symptoms, the kitchen has no mechanism to remove an infectious person from food preparation before customers are exposed. Norovirus, which spreads through exactly this route, can sicken dozens of people from a single infected worker.
The combination of improper handwashing technique and unsanitized food contact surfaces means that even routine kitchen activity, such as moving between raw and cooked proteins, becomes a cross-contamination event. Cutting boards, prep surfaces, and utensils that carry bacteria from one food to another are a primary vehicle for Salmonella and E. coli transfer.
The toxic substance violation adds a separate category of risk. Improperly stored or unlabeled chemicals near food preparation areas can contaminate food through direct contact or mislabeling, a hazard that has nothing to do with bacteria and everything to do with what was sitting next to what in the kitchen.
The Longer Record
Anejo Cocina Mexicana: Inspection History
June 1 was not an anomaly. State records show Anejo Cocina Mexicana has accumulated 89 total violations across 8 inspections. Four of those inspections produced seven or more high-severity violations each.
The December 2024 inspection was the worst on record, with 10 high-severity violations and 3 intermediate ones. The May 2025 inspection followed with 9 high-severity violations and 6 intermediate ones. The June 2026 inspection, with 7 high-severity violations, fits a pattern that has now repeated across three consecutive non-routine inspections.
The restaurant has never been emergency-closed. Clean inspections in June 2024 and June 2026 follow the high-violation inspections each time, suggesting the kitchen can meet standards when inspectors return for a follow-up. Whether those corrections hold between visits is a question the inspection record cannot answer.
The June 1 inspection found parasite destruction failures, undercooked food, an employee illness reporting breakdown, improperly sanitized surfaces, and toxic substances stored incorrectly. Anejo Cocina Mexicana served customers that day.