FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. State inspectors found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled alongside food at Wings & More on West Davie Boulevard last week, one of eight high-severity violations documented at the restaurant during a single inspection that also flagged employees not reporting illness symptoms, two separate handwashing failures, and no consumer advisory warning customers about raw or undercooked food.
Fourteen Fort Lauderdale restaurants drew high-severity citations during the week of September 18 through September 24, 2026. Wings & More logged the most, with eight high-priority findings and one intermediate violation.
The handwashing problems at Wings & More went beyond a missing sign. Inspectors cited the restaurant for both inadequate handwashing by food employees and improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning employees were attempting to wash hands but not doing it correctly. The restaurant was also cited for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, a requirement that applies to fish and other proteins served raw or undercooked, and for inadequate shell stock identification records on shellfish.
What Inspectors Found Across the City
J. Alexander's Restaurant on North Federal Highway drew five high-severity violations, the second-highest total of the week. Inspectors found no person in charge present or performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and time being used improperly as a public health control. Four intermediate violations accompanied those findings, including multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, single-use items being reused, and improper use of wiping cloths.
Shooters Waterfront Cafe on NE 32nd Avenue collected four high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the waterfront restaurant for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, shell stock identification failures, and improper use of time as a public health control.
Casa Calabria on Galt Ocean Drive was cited for three high-severity violations including improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also found improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a violation that carries the risk of fecal contamination spreading through the kitchen.
Sushi Sake on SW 1st Avenue drew a citation that stands apart from most of the week's findings: food from an unapproved or unknown source. Inspectors also found improper handwashing technique and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized at the downtown location.
The Parrot on Sunrise Lane was cited for the same unapproved food source violation, alongside inadequate handwashing facilities and improper handwashing technique. Both handwashing citations at the same location, one for infrastructure and one for technique, means neither the physical setup nor the employee practice met standards.
Subway 409 on Davie Boulevard was cited for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, a notable finding at a sandwich chain where fish products are on the menu. Inspectors also found an employee not reporting illness symptoms and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Katherine on East Broward Boulevard drew three high-severity citations including no employee health policy or an inadequate one, improper handwashing technique, and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
McDonald's No. 10784 on Weston Road was cited for no person in charge present, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate shell stock identification records. The shell stock citation at a McDonald's is unusual; the chain's menu does not prominently feature shellfish, making the traceability gap harder to explain.
Casa Sensei on East Las Olas Boulevard was cited for improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. The Las Olas restaurant shares that chemical storage citation with Wings & More, the only two facilities in this week's data with that finding.
Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Banquet Kitchen and Cafe on SE 17th Street drew two high-severity violations for an employee not reporting illness symptoms and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also found improper sewage or wastewater disposal, the same intermediate violation documented at Casa Calabria this week.
Craft Fort Lauderdale on North Federal Highway was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. That combination, unverified sourcing and no disclosure to customers about preparation methods, was documented in the same inspection.
Hollywood's Smoked Meat on North Federal Highway drew citations for an employee not reporting illness symptoms and food from an unapproved or unknown source.
Wilder on East Broward Boulevard was cited for improper handwashing technique and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
What These Violations Mean
The illness reporting failures documented at Wings & More, J. Alexander's, Shooters Waterfront Cafe, Subway 409, McDonald's No. 10784, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, and Hollywood's Smoked Meat represent the most direct route from a sick employee to a sick customer. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads through exactly this mechanism: a worker with active symptoms handles food or surfaces, and the pathogen moves to customers within hours. A written health policy, which Katherine was cited for lacking, is the foundational document that tells employees what to do when they feel ill before a shift.
The handwashing violations recorded across more than half the facilities this week divide into two distinct problems. At The Parrot and Shooters Waterfront Cafe, the physical infrastructure was inadequate, meaning employees did not have proper access to functioning handwashing stations. At Wings & More, J. Alexander's, Casa Calabria, Sushi Sake, Katherine, Casa Sensei, and Wilder, the technique was wrong. Studies show that improper technique leaves pathogens on hands even after a washing attempt, making the act of washing hands functionally useless as a contamination barrier.
The unapproved food source violations at Sushi Sake, The Parrot, Craft Fort Lauderdale, and Hollywood's Smoked Meat carry a specific public health consequence that most diners would not anticipate. Food that bypasses USDA or FDA inspection has no traceability, which means that if a customer becomes ill after eating at one of those restaurants, investigators cannot trace the protein or produce back through the supply chain to identify a contaminated lot. At Sushi Sake specifically, where raw fish is central to the menu, unverified sourcing compounds the parasite and pathogen risk that proper inspections are designed to catch.
The shell stock identification failures at Wings & More, J. Alexander's, Shooters Waterfront Cafe, Casa Calabria, and McDonald's No. 10784 follow the same logic. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are frequently consumed raw or lightly cooked, and they filter water as they grow, concentrating whatever pathogens or toxins are present in that water. The identification tags that inspectors require are the only mechanism for tracing a contaminated batch back to its harvest bed if diners become ill.
The Longer Record
Casa Sensei on Las Olas Boulevard has the deepest inspection history of any facility cited this week, with 55 prior inspections on record. That volume of oversight context makes this week's three high-severity citations, including improperly stored chemicals and no consumer advisory, harder to attribute to inexperience with the inspection process.
Wings & More, which led the week with eight high-severity violations, has 39 prior inspections on record. Shooters Waterfront Cafe has 38. Craft Fort Lauderdale, with 36 prior inspections, was still cited for sourcing food from an unapproved supplier and failing to post a consumer advisory. These are not facilities encountering state inspectors for the first time.
Wilder, by contrast, has only 13 prior inspections on record, the fewest of any facility cited this week. Its two high-severity violations this week, including the handwashing technique failure and the missing consumer advisory, are early entries in what may become a longer compliance record.
Hollywood's Smoked Meat, with 28 prior inspections, was cited for both illness reporting failures and food from an unapproved source. That combination, a workforce without proper illness protocols and ingredients with no verified origin, was present in the same inspection at the same facility.
The unapproved food source violation at The Parrot, which has 25 prior inspections on record, remains unresolved in this week's data. The source of that food has not been publicly identified.
