KEY LARGO, FL. Back in April 2026, state inspectors walked into Big Chill Restaurant & Bar at 104000 Overseas Highway and documented food from unapproved or unknown sources being served to customers, a violation that means there is no way to trace where that food came from if someone gets sick.

That was one of ten high-severity violations cited during the April 15 inspection. The restaurant was not closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHFood from unapproved or unknown sourceNo traceability
2HIGHInadequate shell stock identification/recordsShellfish untracked
3HIGHNo employee health policyNo written policy
4HIGHEmployee not reporting illness symptomsOutbreak risk
5HIGHNo allergen awareness demonstrated32M Americans at risk
6HIGHToxic substances improperly stored/usedChemical contamination
7HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsVulnerable diners uninformed
8HIGHTime as public health control not properly usedTemperature abuse window
9HIGHInadequate handwashing facilitiesHygiene infrastructure failure
10HIGHPerson in charge not present or not performing dutiesManagement failure
11INTMulti-use utensils not properly cleanedBiofilm risk
12INTInadequate ventilation and lightingAir quality failure
13INTImproper use of wiping clothsCross-contamination risk

The shellfish citation compounded the sourcing problem. Inspectors found inadequate shell stock identification records, meaning oysters, clams, or mussels served at the restaurant, foods often eaten raw or lightly cooked, could not be traced to a licensed harvester or certified dealer.

The person in charge was either absent or not performing supervisory duties during the visit. Inspectors also found no written employee health policy and documented that employees were not reporting illness symptoms.

Toxic substances were improperly identified, stored, or used. There was no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. Handwashing facilities were inadequate. The restaurant had no demonstrated allergen awareness, meaning staff could not reliably identify or communicate which menu items contain common allergens.

Time as a public health control was not being properly applied. That means food was being held in the temperature danger zone, between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, without the documented time tracking required to make that practice safe.

Three intermediate violations accompanied the ten high-severity citations: multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and improper use of wiping cloths.

What These Violations Mean

The food-from-unapproved-sources violation is not a paperwork problem. When food enters a restaurant through channels that bypass USDA or FDA oversight, there is no inspection record, no chain of custody, and no way for health officials to identify the source if customers become ill with Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. At a waterfront restaurant on the Overseas Highway that serves seafood, that gap is acute.

The shellfish records violation makes the sourcing problem worse. Shell stock tags, required by state law, document exactly where oysters and clams were harvested and when. Without them, a Norovirus or Vibrio outbreak traced to Big Chill's shellfish would have no paper trail to follow.

The employee illness violations are a separate and direct transmission risk. Without a written health policy, sick workers have no formal instruction to stay home or avoid handling food. Without a reporting requirement, a worker with Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States annually, has no mechanism that compels disclosure. The person-in-charge absence makes enforcement of any informal standard impossible.

The allergen citation carries its own weight. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans and cause an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits each year. A kitchen that cannot demonstrate allergen awareness is one where a customer with a severe peanut or shellfish allergy has no reliable protection.

The Longer Record

Big Chill Restaurant & Bar: Recent Inspection History

April 202610 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations. Facility remained open.
December 20257 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations.
April 20259 high-severity, 0 intermediate violations.
December 20243 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations.
March 20248 high-severity violations on March 27, followed by a follow-up with 1 high-severity on March 28.
August 20239 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations.
November 20227 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations.

The April 2026 inspection was not an outlier. State records show Big Chill has accumulated 452 total violations across 32 inspections on record, and the pattern of high-severity citations goes back years.

In August 2023, inspectors cited nine high-severity and three intermediate violations. In April 2025, nine high-severity violations. In December 2025, seven high-severity violations. The April 2026 total of ten high-severity citations is the highest single-inspection count in the recent record, but it sits at the top of a consistent pattern, not at the beginning of one.

The restaurant has never been emergency-closed in its inspection history.

Still Open

State inspectors documented ten high-severity violations at Big Chill on April 15, 2026, including food from an unknown source, shellfish with no traceable records, no employee illness policy, no allergen awareness, and improperly stored toxic substances. They left, and the restaurant remained open for business.