OCALA, FL. A state inspector visiting Cody's Original Roadhouse on SW Highway 200 on September 28 found that the kitchen was not following parasite destruction procedures for fish — meaning customers who ordered seafood that day may have consumed fish that had not been properly frozen or cooked to kill Anisakis worms or tapeworm larvae. The restaurant was not closed.
That single violation was one of eight high-severity citations the inspector documented during the visit, along with four intermediate violations. State records show the restaurant remained open after the inspection.
What Inspectors Found
The inspector also cited the restaurant for inadequate shell stock identification records. Shellfish — oysters, clams, mussels — require documentation that traces them back to their harvest source. Without those records, there is no way to identify where contaminated shellfish came from if customers become ill.
Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Cutting boards and prep surfaces that carry bacteria from one food to the next represent one of the most direct routes for cross-contamination in any kitchen.
Two separate chemical violations were recorded: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Both citations on the same inspection visit point to a kitchen where hazardous materials were not segregated from food preparation areas.
The inspector found food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Undercooked poultry can harbor Salmonella; undercooked ground beef can carry E. coli O157:H7. The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted to warn customers about the risks of ordering raw or undercooked items.
The restaurant had no written employee health policy, or an inadequate one. The four intermediate violations covered single-use items being reused, inadequate ventilation and lighting, toilet facilities in poor condition, and equipment in poor repair.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction violation is not a paperwork problem. When fish is served without proper freezing protocols or verified cooking temperatures, parasites including Anisakis roundworms and tapeworm larvae can survive and infect the person eating the meal. Symptoms range from severe abdominal pain to intestinal blockage. The risk is highest with raw or lightly cooked preparations, but improperly handled cooked fish carries risk too if cooking temperatures were not verified.
The undercooked food violation compounds that picture. A kitchen that is not hitting required temperatures for fish is also, according to this inspection record, not hitting required temperatures for other foods. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. A single serving of undercooked chicken is enough to cause serious illness.
The two chemical violations together are the most immediately dangerous citations on the sheet. Cleaning agents and sanitizers stored near or mislabeled among food items can contaminate food directly. Acute chemical poisoning from ingesting cleaning solution does not require a large dose.
The absence of an employee health policy means there is no formal mechanism requiring sick workers to stay out of the kitchen. Norovirus, one of the most contagious foodborne pathogens, spreads through exactly this route: an ill food handler who has no policy telling them to stay home.
The Longer Record
The September 28 inspection was the 18th on record for Cody's Original Roadhouse. Across those inspections, the facility has accumulated 127 total violations. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed.
The pattern in the recent history is difficult to explain as an anomaly. On January 28 of this year, inspectors cited the restaurant for nine high-severity violations and two intermediate ones. On August 26, 2025, the count was eight high-severity and four intermediate — the same totals as the September 28 inspection. On July 22, 2024, the restaurant logged eleven high-severity violations and five intermediate ones, its worst single inspection on record.
In between those heavy inspection results, the restaurant twice passed with zero high-severity or intermediate violations: once in March 2024 and once in December 2023. Those clean inspections make the pattern harder to dismiss as a facility that simply cannot meet standards. The record suggests a kitchen that can pass when it chooses to, and repeatedly does not.
Three of the last four inspections have each produced eight or more high-severity violations. The violations are not identical from visit to visit, but the severity level is consistent. Parasite procedures, chemical storage, food temperatures, and shellfish traceability are not obscure regulatory requirements. They are the core of what a commercial kitchen is required to do.
Still Open
State inspectors documented eight high-severity violations at Cody's Original Roadhouse on September 28, 2026. The restaurant served customers that day, and it remained open after the inspector left.
