TAMARAC, FL. Food from unapproved or unknown sources was among the violations state inspectors documented at Chow Time Grill and Buffet at 6997 W. Commercial Blvd. on September 21, 2026, a finding that means some of what customers ate that day had never passed through a USDA or FDA inspection checkpoint.
The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The September 21 inspection produced 10 high-severity violations and 6 intermediate violations, a total of 16 citations from a single visit. Among the high-severity findings: toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled near food, food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and employees were not reporting symptoms of illness.
Inspectors also cited the facility for inadequate handwashing facilities and improper hand and arm washing technique, a pairing that means employees had neither the infrastructure nor the training to clean their hands correctly. The restaurant was additionally cited for inadequate shell stock identification records, meaning shellfish served to customers could not be traced back to a licensed harvester if someone became sick.
No person in charge was present or performing duties at the time of the inspection.
On the intermediate level, inspectors found improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, inadequate cooling and cold-holding equipment, single-use items being reused, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.
What These Violations Mean
Food from an unapproved or unknown source is not a paperwork problem. It means inspectors could not confirm that what was being served had passed through any federal safety checkpoint, and it means that if a customer became ill, investigators would have no supply chain to trace. That traceability gap is why unapproved sourcing is classified as a high-severity violation.
The combination of no illness reporting, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique creates a direct transmission route for pathogens like norovirus and Salmonella. A sick employee who cannot properly wash their hands, at a sink that does not meet code, in a kitchen with no manager present, represents exactly the conditions health researchers associate with multi-victim outbreaks.
The toxic chemical storage violation adds a separate category of risk. Chemicals stored or labeled incorrectly near food preparation areas can contaminate food through spills, mislabeling, or proximity to surfaces where food is handled. This is not a theoretical hazard.
The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods is acutely dangerous in a buffet setting. Elderly diners, pregnant women, and customers with compromised immune systems rely on those disclosures to make informed choices. Without one, they have no warning.
The Longer Record
Chow Time Grill and Buffet: Recent Inspection History
Chow Time Grill and Buffet has 31 inspections on record and 249 total violations. That history shows a facility that has cycled through serious citations repeatedly, not one that stumbled on an isolated bad day.
The most recent stretch is particularly dense. Inspectors found 8 high-severity violations in May 2026, then 10 in September 2026, then returned the following day and still found 4 high-severity violations and 5 intermediate ones. In the year prior, the restaurant logged high-severity violations on four separate inspection dates between February and September 2025.
The facility has never been emergency-closed. A clean inspection in April 2025 broke the pattern briefly, but high-severity violations returned the following month.
Still Open
State inspectors left Chow Time Grill and Buffet open on September 21, 2026, after documenting food from an unapproved source, improperly stored toxic chemicals, employees not reporting illness symptoms, no manager on duty, and no way to trace the shellfish being served to customers.
The buffet continued operating that day.
