CHARLOTTE COUNTY, FL. A Port Charlotte pho restaurant racked up seven high-severity violations in a single inspection last week, including food sourced from unapproved suppliers, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish, all in the same kitchen.
Healthy Pho on Cochran Boulevard led all 24 facilities inspected in Charlotte County during the week of July 20 through July 26, 2026, with a total of ten violations, seven of them high-severity. The restaurant also drew a citation for an employee not reporting illness symptoms and for improperly stored toxic chemicals near food preparation areas. Inspectors additionally found food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
That single location accounted for more high-severity violations than any other facility inspected in the county this week.
The Violations
Three restaurants tied for second place, each drawing five high-severity violations. Blue Heron Pizza Pub on Tamiami Trail was cited for serving food from an unapproved source, failing to cook food to minimum required temperatures, and storing toxic chemicals improperly. Inspectors also noted the absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked menu items and found improper handwashing technique among staff.
Finnegan's Grille and Pub on Tamiami Trail drew five high-severity violations as well, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly. The pub also lacked a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Little Guys Pizza and Subs on West Marion Street in Punta Gorda matched that count with five high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum required temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Red Lobster at 1331 Tamiami Trail drew four high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. That last citation is notable at a seafood chain where items like raw oysters are standard menu offerings.
Tasty Wok on Tamiami Trail was cited for four high-severity violations, including no written employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. That allergen citation is one of only two recorded across all 24 facilities this week.
Winesett House on West Marion Avenue in Punta Gorda drew four high-severity violations tied to food safety fundamentals: no written employee health policy, inadequate shellfish traceability records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food not cooked to minimum required temperature.
Enclave on Greenway Boulevard in Punta Gorda was cited for four high-severity violations including no person in charge present or performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and food found in poor condition or adulterated. Inspectors also noted inadequate cooling equipment and improperly maintained toilet facilities.
Ice House Pub on Tamiami Trail in Punta Gorda drew four high-severity violations: no written employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, and parasite destruction procedures not followed.
Both Wendy's locations inspected in Charlotte County this week drew three high-severity violations each. The Wendy's on Veterans Boulevard in Port Charlotte was cited for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
The Wendy's on Knights Drive in Punta Gorda drew the same violation count, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and a failure to follow required procedures for specialized processes.
Uyeesushi II on Cypress Parkway in Punta Gorda rounded out the worst performers with three high-severity violations: food from an unapproved source, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. At a sushi restaurant where raw fish is the primary product, the absence of a consumer advisory and unverified sourcing are particularly direct concerns.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity violation across Charlotte County this week was the failure to follow proper handwashing technique or to wash hands at all, cited at Healthy Pho, Blue Heron Pizza Pub, Finnegan's Grille and Pub, Little Guys Pizza and Subs, Tasty Wok, and Ice House Pub. Handwashing failures are not procedural technicalities. They are the primary route by which pathogens move from a worker's hands to a customer's plate.
Five facilities, including Healthy Pho, Finnegan's Grille and Pub, Little Guys Pizza and Subs, Enclave, and both Wendy's locations, were cited because employees were not reporting illness symptoms. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads most efficiently when a symptomatic worker continues to handle food. A single infected employee working a full shift can expose dozens of customers.
Food from unapproved sources appeared at Healthy Pho, Blue Heron Pizza Pub, Red Lobster, Ice House Pub, and Uyeesushi II. When food enters a kitchen from a supplier outside the regulated supply chain, there is no inspection record, no traceability, and no mechanism to issue a recall if a contamination event occurs. At Healthy Pho and Winesett House, inspectors also cited failures in shellfish traceability records and parasite destruction procedures, a combination that is acutely dangerous because shellfish are frequently consumed raw or only lightly cooked, and certain parasites survive in fish that has not been properly frozen before service.
The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, cited at Blue Heron Pizza Pub, Finnegan's Grille and Pub, Little Guys Pizza and Subs, Red Lobster, Tasty Wok, and Uyeesushi II, removes the only warning available to customers who are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised. These are the populations most likely to experience severe illness from pathogens that healthy adults might shake off in a day.
The Longer Record
Charlotte County inspectors conducted 27 inspections across 24 facilities during this single week, and 12 of those facilities accumulated two or more high-severity violations. That concentration, half the inspected facilities clearing the threshold for serious concern, reflects a county-wide pattern rather than isolated incidents at one or two outliers.
Healthy Pho's seven high-severity violations in a single inspection stand out not only for the count but for the combination. Food from an unapproved source, inadequate shellfish records, and parasite destruction failures together suggest a kitchen sourcing ingredients outside the regulated supply chain and not applying the cooking or freezing protocols designed to compensate for that risk. The simultaneous failure to sanitize food contact surfaces compounds the exposure.
Enclave's citation for no person in charge present or performing duties is worth noting in the context of the other violations found there. Inspectors have documented a direct correlation between absent managerial control and higher rates of critical violations. At Enclave, inspectors found food in poor condition, inadequate handwashing facilities, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms, all in a kitchen where no one in a supervisory role was actively overseeing operations.
Uyeesushi II and Winesett House, both in Punta Gorda, each drew violations specific to raw-protein service: unapproved sourcing and missing consumer advisories at the sushi restaurant, and shellfish traceability failures paired with parasite destruction noncompliance at Winesett House. Neither facility had a mechanism in place to warn customers who face the highest risk from underprepared seafood.
