PALM COAST, FL. Food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures at Cinco de Mayo Authentic Mexican Restaurant on East Highway 100 when a state inspector walked through on September 2, 2026 — a violation that means pathogens like Salmonella can survive in poultry and reach a customer's plate. The restaurant was not closed.
Inspectors documented eight high-severity violations and three intermediate violations during that visit. The facility remained open throughout.
What Inspectors Found
Two of the eight high-severity citations involved toxic chemicals. Inspectors cited the restaurant both for improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals and for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Those are two distinct violations, both flagged on the same visit, meaning chemical products were present near food preparation in ways that created immediate contamination risk.
Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Cutting boards, prep tables, and other surfaces that touch food directly are a primary vehicle for bacterial transfer when sanitation fails.
Employees were not reporting illness symptoms, according to the inspection record. An inspector also documented improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning that even when handwashing was attempted, it was not done in a way that removes pathogens. No person in charge was present or performing supervisory duties.
The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, leaving customers with no notice that certain menu items carried elevated risk. Single-use items were being reused, wiping cloths were improperly used, and ventilation was inadequate.
What These Violations Mean
Undercooked food is not a paperwork problem. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When a restaurant fails to reach required minimum cooking temperatures, that bacterium can travel from the kitchen to a customer's digestive system intact. Anyone who ate poultry or other temperature-sensitive items at Cinco de Mayo on or around September 2 had no way of knowing that standard was not being met.
The two chemical violations compound the risk in a different direction. When toxic substances are improperly stored near food or improperly labeled, a mislabeled container or an accidental spill can contaminate food directly. Chemical poisoning from this kind of failure is acute, not gradual.
The illness-reporting and handwashing violations together describe a direct transmission route. Food workers who do not report symptoms and who do not wash their hands correctly are the primary mechanism by which norovirus and other pathogens move from a sick employee to a customer's meal. CDC data links this combination to multi-victim outbreaks.
The absence of a person in charge during the inspection is significant on its own. Establishments without active managerial control on the floor show three times the rate of critical violations, according to CDC research. On September 2, no one in a supervisory role was present or functioning in that capacity at Cinco de Mayo.
The Longer Record
This inspection did not represent an isolated bad day. State records show 24 inspections on file for Cinco de Mayo, with 214 total violations accumulated across that history.
The pattern in the most recent inspections is consistent. On March 17, 2025, inspectors cited 11 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations. A follow-up three days later showed zero. On October 7, 2025, the count was 9 high-severity violations and 3 intermediate violations. A follow-up the next day again showed zero. On March 18, 2026, inspectors found 9 high-severity violations and 2 intermediate violations. A follow-up five days later again showed zero.
The cycle is clear: a high-severity inspection triggers a follow-up, the follow-up shows compliance, and then months later the violations return in similar volume. The September 2 inspection, with 8 high-severity violations, fits that pattern exactly. A follow-up on September 8 found 4 high-severity violations and 2 intermediate violations, meaning serious violations persisted even after the restaurant had been put on notice.
Cinco de Mayo has never been emergency-closed in its inspection history, despite accumulating violations in the double digits on multiple occasions.
Still Open
State inspectors documented eight high-severity violations at Cinco de Mayo on September 2, 2026, including undercooked food, two separate chemical storage failures, unsanitized food contact surfaces, employees not reporting illness, and no supervisory presence. The restaurant served customers that day and continued operating.
A follow-up inspection six days later still found four high-severity violations on the books.
