CLEARWATER, FL. State inspectors visited Delhi Palace at 25000 US Highway 19 North on May 20 and documented that the restaurant had no approved potable water supply, meaning food was being prepared and dishes were being washed with water that inspectors could not verify was safe to drink.

That was one of ten high-severity violations cited that day. The restaurant was not closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHNo approved potable water supplyWater contamination risk
2HIGHFood from unapproved or unknown sourceNo safety inspection trail
3HIGHEmployee not reporting illness symptomsOutbreak enabler
4HIGHNo employee health policyNo illness reporting framework
5HIGHImproper handwashing techniquePathogens remain on hands
6HIGHInadequate handwashing facilitiesHygiene infrastructure failure
7HIGHFood in poor condition or adulteratedDirect illness risk
8HIGHToxic chemicals improperly storedAcute poisoning risk
9HIGHInadequate shellfish ID recordsNo traceability if illness occurs
10HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw foodsVulnerable customers uninformed
11INTImproper sewage or wastewater disposalFecal contamination risk
12INTInadequate toilet facilitiesHygiene infrastructure
13INTInadequate ventilation and lightingAir quality hazard

Beyond the water supply, inspectors found that food at the restaurant came from unapproved or unknown sources. That means some ingredients arriving in the kitchen had never passed through a USDA or FDA inspection point, with no paper trail connecting them to a licensed supplier.

Inspectors also cited the restaurant for having no employee health policy and for employees not reporting symptoms of illness. Both violations were listed as high severity. Together, they describe a kitchen where a worker showing signs of Norovirus or another contagious illness had no formal obligation to report it and no written policy telling them to stay home.

The handwashing record was equally specific. Inspectors found both inadequate handwashing facilities and improper handwashing technique, meaning the infrastructure for basic hygiene was insufficient and the technique being used would not have removed pathogens even when attempted.

Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also noted food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, and cited the restaurant for inadequate shellfish identification records, which means there was no way to trace shellfish back to their harvest source if a customer became ill. A missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods rounded out the ten high-severity citations.

Three intermediate violations covered improper sewage or wastewater disposal, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.

What These Violations Mean

The combination of no potable water supply and food from unapproved sources creates a layered contamination problem that inspectors rarely document together. Non-potable water can carry E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Legionella. When that water is used to rinse produce, cook food, or wash dishes, every item leaving the kitchen carries that risk. Food from unapproved sources adds a second layer: there is no inspection record, no lot number, and no supplier contact if someone gets sick and investigators need to trace the source.

The illness reporting violations are particularly acute. Food workers are the primary transmission route for Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million infections in the United States each year. Without a written health policy and without employees required to report symptoms, a sick worker has no formal reason to stay away from the prep line. The improper sewage disposal citation compounds this: raw sewage contains the same pathogens that make hand hygiene critical, and if wastewater is not being properly removed from the facility, fecal contamination can spread to surfaces throughout the kitchen.

The shellfish traceability violation matters most when something goes wrong. Oysters, clams, and mussels are high-risk foods often consumed raw. State law requires restaurants to keep shellfish tags identifying the harvest location and date. Without those records, a cluster of illnesses cannot be traced to a specific harvest lot, and a contaminated batch stays in circulation longer.

The Longer Record

Delhi Palace: Selected Inspection History

2026-05-2010 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations. Restaurant remained open.
2025-09-244 high, 2 intermediate violations.
2025-07-235 high, 2 intermediate violations.
2024-11-12 through 2024-11-19Six consecutive inspections, each citing 3 high and 3 intermediate violations.
2024-11-06Emergency closure: roach activity.
2024-08-27Emergency closure: rodent, roach, and fly activity. Reopened 2024-08-28.
2024-07-23Emergency closure: rodent activity. Reopened 2024-07-24.

The May 2026 inspection was not an outlier. Delhi Palace has 76 inspections on record and 1,066 total violations. The restaurant has been emergency-closed six times, three of them in a five-month window between July and November 2024, all for pest activity including rodents, roaches, and flies.

The six consecutive inspections between November 12 and November 19, 2024 each produced the same result: three high-severity violations and three intermediate violations. That run of inspections followed the November 6 roach closure. The pattern suggests that the restaurant was repeatedly re-inspected after that closure and continued to draw high-severity citations at every visit.

The May 2026 inspection produced more than three times as many high-severity violations as any of the eight most recent prior visits on record.

Delhi Palace remained open after the May 20 inspection.