PALATKA, FL. Back in April 2026, state inspectors walked into China Wok at 223 Azalea Plaza Drive and documented toxic chemicals stored improperly near food, no written policy to keep sick workers out of the kitchen, and food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized. They found six high-severity violations in a single visit. The restaurant was not closed.
The April 17 inspection also turned up two intermediate violations, including improper use of wiping cloths and inadequate ventilation and lighting. In total, eight violations were documented that day.
What Inspectors Found
The chemical violations were the most immediately dangerous finding. Inspectors cited the restaurant twice over toxic substances, once for improper storage or labeling and once for improper identification, storage, or use. Both violations point to chemicals positioned or handled in ways that create a direct risk of contaminating food.
Inspectors also found that food contact surfaces, the cutting boards, prep tables, and utensils that touch food directly, had not been properly cleaned or sanitized. That finding appeared alongside a citation for improper handwashing technique, meaning employees were going through the motions of washing hands without actually eliminating pathogens.
The restaurant had no written employee health policy, meaning there was no formal mechanism to prevent a sick worker from handling food. There was also no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items, leaving customers with no way to make an informed decision about dishes that carry a higher risk of foodborne illness.
What These Violations Mean
The chemical storage violations are among the fastest-moving risks in a commercial kitchen. When cleaning agents, sanitizers, or pesticides are stored near food or left unlabeled, the path from a spilled container to a contaminated dish is short. Unlike bacterial illness, which typically takes hours or days to develop, chemical poisoning can produce symptoms within minutes of ingestion.
The absence of an employee health policy compounds every other risk in the building. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads easily when infected workers handle food without restrictions. A written health policy is the mechanism that keeps symptomatic employees off the line. Without one at China Wok, there was no documented standard governing when a sick worker should stay home.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces are a primary route for bacterial transfer between raw and cooked foods. When cutting boards and prep surfaces are not properly sanitized between uses, bacteria from raw proteins can move directly onto dishes that will not be cooked again. The wiping cloth violation reinforces that concern: cloths used across multiple surfaces without proper sanitizing solution become a mobile contamination vehicle.
The missing consumer advisory matters most for elderly customers, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with a compromised immune system. These groups face the highest risk from undercooked proteins, and the advisory is the only in-restaurant mechanism that flags that risk.
The Longer Record
The April 2026 inspection was not an aberration. State records show China Wok has been inspected 32 times and has accumulated 252 total violations over its documented history. Every inspection in the past two years with a substantive violation count has included high-severity findings.
The pattern is consistent and recent. In October 2025, inspectors cited 10 high-severity violations and 2 intermediate ones. In February 2025, the count was 8 high and 1 intermediate. The September 2024 inspection turned up 9 high-severity violations. The June 2024 visit found 7 high-severity violations. The only inspection in recent years that produced no high-severity violations was April 2024, a single clean visit bracketed on both sides by inspections with 7 or more high-priority citations.
The restaurant was emergency-closed once before, in December 2017, after inspectors found roach activity. It reopened the following day. That closure stands as the only time the state moved to shut the location down in its documented inspection history.
Still Open
Six high-severity violations in a single inspection, a record of 252 total violations across 32 inspections, and a prior emergency closure for pest activity. After the April 17, 2026 visit, China Wok remained open for business.