MIAMI, FL. Workers at Citadel on NE 2nd Avenue were not properly following parasite destruction procedures when state inspectors arrived on August 7, meaning fish or pork on the menu could have reached customers with live parasites intact.
That was one of six high-severity violations inspectors documented that day. The facility was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The parasite destruction citation is among the most serious inspectors can issue at a restaurant serving fish or pork. Parasites including Anisakis and Trichinella are not killed by refrigeration alone, and without proper freezing protocols or thorough cooking, they can survive into a finished dish.
Inspectors also found that employees were not reporting illness symptoms, that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and that toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled. Any one of those would be a notable finding. All four appearing in the same inspection, alongside a missing or non-functioning person in charge, describes a kitchen operating without the basic controls that prevent people from getting sick.
The improper handwashing technique citation compounded the picture. Studies show that incomplete handwashing leaves pathogens on hands even when workers make the attempt. Combined with an employee illness reporting failure, the conditions for direct pathogen transfer from a sick worker to food were present.
Two intermediate violations rounded out the report: improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure is not a paperwork problem. Fish served without verified freezing or cooking protocols can carry Anisakis larvae, which embed in the gastrointestinal lining and cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Tapeworm larvae are a documented risk in improperly handled pork. There is no way for a customer to know, looking at a finished plate, whether those procedures were followed.
The employee illness reporting violation is the citation public health officials most consistently link to multi-victim outbreaks. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in restaurant settings, spreads through food when infected workers handle it without reporting symptoms. A single sick worker can expose dozens of customers before any illness is detected.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, including cutting boards and prep tables, transfer bacteria from raw proteins to ready-to-eat food. The chemical storage violation adds a separate and acute risk: mislabeled or misplaced cleaning agents stored near food can cause chemical poisoning if they contact ingredients or surfaces that touch food.
The sewage disposal citation carries its own category of danger. Improper wastewater handling can introduce fecal contamination throughout a facility, reaching surfaces, equipment, and food. That violation appeared alongside all six high-severity findings on the same inspection day.
The Longer Record
Citadel Inspection History, Selected Dates
Across 17 inspections on record, Citadel has accumulated 219 total violations. High-severity findings have appeared in every inspection in the dataset, with counts ranging from 3 to 13 in a single visit.
The two inspections immediately preceding August 7 were among the worst on record. In December 2025, inspectors documented 13 high-severity violations. In June 2026, just two months before the most recent visit, they found 10. The August inspection, with 6 high-severity violations, would be a serious finding at any restaurant. At Citadel, it represents a reduction from the prior two visits.
The facility has never been emergency-closed in its inspection history. No inspection has resulted in a closure order despite the sustained volume of high-severity citations across multiple years.
Still Open
The August 7 inspection did not result in an emergency closure. Citadel at 8300 NE 2nd Avenue was permitted to continue operating after inspectors documented parasite destruction failures, unsanitized food contact surfaces, improperly stored toxic chemicals, an employee illness reporting failure, and the absence of an active person in charge.
That is where the record stops.
