FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. Wings & More on West Davie Boulevard drew eight high-severity violations during a single inspection the week of September 23, more than any other restaurant state inspectors visited in Fort Lauderdale that week. Among those violations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and documented failures in both handwashing frequency and handwashing technique by food employees. The facility also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items.
The week's inspections covered 12 facilities in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. Every one of them drew at least two high-severity citations.
The Violations
Wings & More also drew citations for parasite destruction procedures not followed and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors noted an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, which sits alongside the handwashing failures as the most direct contamination pathway documented at the location this week.
Three facilities on the list each drew five high-severity violations. Bayview Diner on East Oakland Park Boulevard was cited for no person in charge present or performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also found multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and single-use items being reused.
One block east, Las Vegas Restaurant #5 on East Oakland Park Boulevard drew an identical set of five high-severity violations: no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish records, and no consumer advisory. Two facilities on the same boulevard, cited for the same five violations in the same week.
Wilton Wings & Pizza on Northeast 4th Avenue added a violation that the other five-citation facilities did not: food from an unapproved or unknown source. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning the physical infrastructure for hand hygiene was itself deficient, not just the technique. An employee illness reporting failure and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces rounded out the five high-severity citations.
DaVinci's Pizzeria on North Ocean Boulevard drew four high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory. Inspectors also cited the location for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, an intermediate violation that carries its own contamination risk.
Chains and Hotels on the List
Subway 409 on Davie Boulevard was cited for three high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also flagged multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Olive Garden 1061 on Federal Highway drew three high-severity violations, including food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. Undercooking is among the most direct routes to foodborne illness, particularly for poultry, where Salmonella survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The location was also cited for inadequate shellfish records and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
McDonald's #10784 on Weston Road drew three high-severity violations: no person in charge present or performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate shellfish identification records. A McDonald's location being cited for shellfish traceability is notable, since shellfish is not a standard menu item at the chain.
The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Banquet Kitchen and Cafe on Southeast 17th Street drew two high-severity violations, including food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. Inspectors also cited the facility for improper sewage or wastewater disposal and equipment in poor repair.
Chipotle Mexican Grill 1860 on North Federal Highway drew two high-severity violations: inadequate shellfish records and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. An intermediate citation for inadequate cooling or cold-holding equipment was also noted, meaning the physical equipment used to keep food cold was itself failing to maintain required temperatures.
Katherine on East Broward Boulevard was cited for no written employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Without a written health policy, inspectors have documented there is no formal system in place to prevent sick workers from handling food.
LaSpada's Original Hoagies on Southeast 17th Street drew three high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, and inadequate shellfish records. Inspectors also cited the location for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and improper use of wiping cloths.
What These Violations Mean
The single most common high-severity violation across this week's inspections was an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, cited at Wings & More, Bayview Diner, Las Vegas Restaurant #5, Wilton Wings & Pizza, LaSpada's Original Hoagies, Subway 409, McDonald's #10784, and the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, spreads primarily through infected food workers who handle food while symptomatic. A sick employee at a busy Fort Lauderdale location during a single lunch shift can expose dozens of customers before any symptom is reported.
Improper handwashing technique, cited at Wings & More, Bayview Diner, Las Vegas Restaurant #5, Wilton Wings & Pizza, LaSpada's Original Hoagies, and Katherine, is a distinct violation from simply failing to wash hands at all. It means inspectors observed workers going through the motions of handwashing without completing the steps that actually remove pathogens. The distinction matters because the facility may believe it is compliant while the contamination pathway remains open.
Shellfish traceability failures appeared at Wings & More, Bayview Diner, Las Vegas Restaurant #5, LaSpada's Original Hoagies, Olive Garden, McDonald's, and Chipotle. When a diner gets sick from raw or undercooked oysters, clams, or mussels, the shellfish tag is the only document that allows investigators to trace the product back to its harvest bed and identify other affected consumers. Without it, an outbreak investigation stalls.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Wilton Wings & Pizza and DaVinci's Pizzeria, means product entered those kitchens without passing through the USDA or FDA inspection system. There is no way to verify the cold chain, the processing conditions, or the pathogen testing status of that food. If a customer gets sick, there is also no paper trail.
The Longer Record
Wilton Wings & Pizza: 51 Inspections on Record
Wilton Wings & Pizza carries the longest inspection history of any facility on this week's list, with 51 total inspections on record. That volume of oversight did not prevent five high-severity citations this week, including the food-from-unapproved-sources violation that suggests a supply chain problem, not a one-time lapse.
Wings & More has 39 prior inspections on record and drew the week's highest single-visit violation count at eight high-severity citations. Bayview Diner, with 31 prior inspections, and Las Vegas Restaurant #5, with 29, both drew five high-severity violations. Those three facilities together account for 99 prior inspections and still produced 18 high-severity citations in a single week.
LaSpada's Original Hoagies, with only 12 prior inspections on record, is among the newest locations on this list. It still drew three high-severity violations, including the shellfish traceability failure that appeared at seven other facilities this week. DaVinci's Pizzeria, with 20 prior inspections, drew the sewage disposal intermediate violation alongside its four high-severity citations, a combination that suggests infrastructure problems beyond staff training.
The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Banquet Kitchen, with 26 prior inspections, drew a citation for equipment in poor repair alongside its sewage disposal violation. Equipment condition violations at a banquet facility serving large event groups carry different stakes than the same citation at a small counter-service shop. The record does not show whether either issue was addressed before the next event was served.
