TITUSVILLE, FL. Inspectors visiting Durangos Steakhouse on Helen Hauser Boulevard on April 28 found food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, toxic chemicals stored improperly near food areas, and employees washing their hands incorrectly, or not at all. The state logged eight high-severity violations and four intermediate violations. The restaurant was not closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum tempHigh severity
2HIGHToxic chemicals improperly stored or labeledHigh severity
3HIGHInadequate handwashing by food employeesHigh severity
4HIGHImproper hand and arm washing techniqueHigh severity
5HIGHFood contact surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitizedHigh severity
6HIGHNo employee health policyHigh severity
7HIGHPerson in charge not present or not performing dutiesHigh severity
8HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsHigh severity
9INTImproper sewage or wastewater disposalIntermediate
10INTImproper use of wiping clothsIntermediate
11INTInadequate ventilation and lightingIntermediate
12INTInadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilitiesIntermediate

The food temperature violation at a steakhouse carries a specific weight. Undercooking is among the leading causes of foodborne illness, and at a restaurant whose menu centers on meat, failing to reach required minimum cooking temperatures means pathogens including Salmonella survive on the plate and reach the customer.

Toxic chemicals stored improperly near food preparation areas compound the danger. Mislabeled or misplaced chemicals near food contact surfaces create a direct contamination pathway, one that can cause acute poisoning before anyone traces the source.

The handwashing findings were documented twice, separately. Inspectors cited inadequate handwashing by food employees and, as a distinct violation, improper hand and arm washing technique. Both were flagged as high severity. That means employees were either skipping handwashing or going through the motions without actually removing pathogens from their hands.

Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. No written employee health policy was in place, meaning the restaurant had no formal mechanism to keep sick workers out of the kitchen. And no person in charge was present or performing supervisory duties during the inspection.

The intermediate violations added sewage or wastewater disposal problems, inadequate ventilation and lighting, improper use of wiping cloths, and inadequate toilet facilities to the list.

What These Violations Mean

The combination of no person in charge and no employee health policy is not a paperwork problem. CDC data links the absence of active managerial control to three times as many critical violations in food service settings. When no one is responsible for oversight, violations compound. At Durangos on April 28, that dynamic appears to have played out across nearly every category inspectors examined.

The handwashing citations matter because improper handwashing is the single most documented factor in spreading foodborne illness. Two separate violations for handwashing, one for inadequate practice and one for incorrect technique, suggest the problem is not occasional. Norovirus, which sickens roughly 20 million Americans annually, spreads primarily through food handled by infected workers who have not properly washed their hands.

The sewage and wastewater disposal violation introduces fecal contamination risk throughout the facility. That violation, combined with inadequate toilet facilities, creates conditions that make proper employee hygiene structurally difficult, not just a matter of individual behavior.

No consumer advisory was posted for raw or undercooked foods. At a steakhouse where customers may order steaks cooked rare or medium-rare, that notice is specifically required to inform people with compromised immune systems, the elderly, pregnant women, and children that they are accepting additional risk. Without it, they cannot make that choice.

The Longer Record

Durangos Steakhouse: Recent Inspection History

April 28, 20268 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations. Restaurant remained open.
January 14, 202612 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations.
August 8, 202513 high-severity, 5 intermediate violations.
May 1, 20256 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations.
September 12, 20240 high, 0 intermediate violations.
July 30, 20245 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations.
July 29, 20249 high-severity, 5 intermediate violations.
February 14, 20247 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations.
February 13, 202410 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations.

The April 28 inspection was not an aberration. State records show 28 inspections on file for Durangos Steakhouse, with 365 total violations across that history.

The three most recent inspections before April 28 produced 13 high-severity violations in August 2025, 12 in January 2026, and 8 in April 2026. High-severity counts have not dropped below six in any inspection since May 2025. The categories repeat: management failures, food handling, sanitation.

There is one exception in the recent record. A September 2024 inspection found zero high-severity violations and zero intermediate violations. That inspection stands alone. The visit the previous July had produced nine high-severity violations, and the visits that followed returned to double-digit high-severity counts within months.

The restaurant has never been emergency-closed in its inspection history on record.

Still Open

Eight high-severity violations documented in a single inspection. Food not reaching required cooking temperatures. Toxic chemicals stored near food. Two separate handwashing failures. Sewage disposal problems. No manager on duty.

Durangos Steakhouse on Helen Hauser Boulevard was not closed after the April 28 inspection. It remained open.