MIAMI, FL. Inspectors visiting Casa Juan at 5755 NW 7th St. on September 15, 2026 found food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, a violation that means pathogens like Salmonella can survive and reach a customer's plate. The restaurant was not closed.
That single finding was one of six high-severity violations documented that day, along with four intermediate violations. State records show the facility has accumulated 476 total violations across 27 inspections and was emergency-closed once before, in 2015.
What Inspectors Found
The undercooking violation was not the only finding with direct consequences for customers. Inspectors also cited two separate violations involving toxic chemicals: one for improper storage or labeling, and a second for improper identification, storage, or use of toxic substances. That pair of citations means chemicals capable of causing acute poisoning were present in conditions that could allow them to reach food or food-preparation surfaces.
Inspectors also found that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, a condition that creates a direct transfer route for bacteria between one food item and the next. Cutting boards and prep surfaces in this state do not have to look dirty to carry dangerous contamination.
The hand-washing violation was not simply that employees skipped washing. Inspectors cited improper technique, meaning employees went through the motion of washing without eliminating the pathogens the act is designed to remove.
On the intermediate side, inspectors documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a condition that introduces fecal contamination into a facility's environment. Multi-use utensils were also flagged as improperly cleaned, and single-use items were found to be reused. Inadequate ventilation and lighting rounded out the intermediate findings.
What These Violations Mean
The undercooking violation carries a specific and well-documented risk. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. A customer who received undercooked food at Casa Juan on or around September 15 had no way of knowing the food had not reached a safe internal temperature, and no consumer advisory was posted to alert them that any menu items were served raw or undercooked.
The consumer advisory violation compounds the undercooking finding in a specific way. Elderly customers, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with a compromised immune system face the highest risk from undercooking. Without an advisory, those customers cannot make an informed choice about what they order.
The two chemical violations together describe a facility where toxic substances were neither properly identified nor properly separated from food preparation areas. Mislabeled or improperly stored chemicals can contaminate food directly, or can be mistaken for food-safe substances by kitchen staff. Both citations at Casa Juan point to a systemic failure in how the facility handles non-food substances.
The sewage violation is the kind of finding that can affect an entire kitchen. Improper wastewater disposal creates conditions for fecal contamination to spread beyond the point of origin. Combined with improperly cleaned utensils and reused single-use items, the September 15 inspection documented multiple overlapping routes by which contamination could move from surfaces to food to customers.
The Longer Record
The September 15 inspection did not occur in isolation. The day before, on September 14, inspectors had visited Casa Juan and found 11 high-severity violations and 5 intermediate violations, a total of 16 citations in a single visit. A follow-up on September 25 found 3 high and 3 intermediate violations, suggesting the facility had addressed some issues but not eliminated them.
The pattern extends back years. In February 2025, inspectors found 12 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations at Casa Juan, the highest single-visit count in the recent history provided. In September 2025, the facility drew 9 high-severity violations. In September 2024, inspectors visited on consecutive days, finding 10 high and 6 intermediate violations on September 10, followed by 4 high and 3 intermediate the next day.
Across 27 inspections on record, Casa Juan has accumulated 476 total violations. That figure averages to more than 17 violations per inspection visit.
The facility was emergency-closed once, in February 2015, after inspectors found roach activity. It reopened the following day. In the years since that closure, the inspection record shows repeated high-severity citation counts without a second emergency closure.
Open for Business
After the September 15, 2026 inspection, with six high-severity violations documented including undercooking, two separate chemical hazard citations, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, flawed hand-washing technique, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, Casa Juan remained open.
State records do not indicate that the facility was ordered closed that day. Customers who visited on September 15 or in the days immediately following had no notice posted on the door.
