FORT MYERS, FL. China Xpress on Altamont Avenue racked up seven high-severity violations during the week of May 18, more than any other facility inspected in Fort Myers that week, including citations for improper sewage disposal, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and food described by inspectors as being in poor condition or adulterated.
The citations also included a failure to follow required procedures for specialized food processes, inadequate shell stock identification, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, and improper handwashing technique. That is a list that touches nearly every critical category inspectors use to evaluate a food service operation.
The Violations
Pollo Tropical #133 on Dani Drive was cited for six high-severity violations, including food sourced from an unapproved or unknown supplier, inadequate handwashing facilities, toxic substances improperly identified or stored, shell stock identification failures, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
The food sourcing citation is particularly serious. When a restaurant cannot verify where its food came from, there is no traceability if a customer gets sick.
Metro Deli and Cafe on Metro Parkway drew four high-severity citations, including no written employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no person in charge present or performing required duties during the inspection.
That last citation matters because inspectors consistently find more critical violations at facilities where no one is actively supervising food handling at the time of the visit.
Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast on Interstate Commerce Drive also received four high-severity citations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, shell stock identification failures, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff.
The allergen awareness citation is notable for a full-service hotel restaurant. Inspectors use this citation when staff cannot demonstrate basic knowledge of common food allergens, which affects customers with life-threatening sensitivities.
Taco Works on Hendry Street was cited for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. All three are high-severity.
Bahama Bar on Canal Grande Drive received citations for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature and no person in charge present or performing duties. Two intermediate violations were also noted: multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and inadequate toilet facilities.
Courtyard by Marriott on Gulf Center Drive was cited for improper handwashing technique and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The hotel property also had a citation for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Arborwood Preserve Community Property Owners Association on Arborwood Preserve Drive received two high-severity citations: no written employee health policy and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Texas Roadhouse on Dani Drive was cited for an employee not reporting illness symptoms and inadequate shell stock identification records.
What These Violations Mean
The single most common high-severity citation across this week's nine facilities was an employee not reporting illness symptoms, which appeared at China Xpress, Pollo Tropical, Metro Deli and Cafe, Crowne Plaza, and Texas Roadhouse. Norovirus spreads person-to-person through contaminated food handled by sick workers. A single infected employee preparing food for hundreds of customers can trigger a multi-victim outbreak, and it is among the most preventable transmission routes in a commercial kitchen.
Closely related is the failure to maintain a written employee health policy, cited at Metro Deli and Cafe and Arborwood Preserve. Without a formal policy, there is no mechanism to tell workers they must report symptoms before showing up to handle food. The policy is not just paperwork; it is the documented agreement between management and staff that defines when someone is too sick to work.
The food from an unapproved or unknown source citation at Pollo Tropical carries a different kind of risk. When food bypasses USDA or FDA-inspected supply chains, there is no paper trail to follow if customers become ill. Investigators cannot trace the contamination to a farm, processor, or distributor, which means the exposure window stays open longer.
Shell stock identification failures appeared at China Xpress, Pollo Tropical, Crowne Plaza, and Texas Roadhouse. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are often consumed raw or barely cooked. Without the required tags identifying harvest location and date, there is no way to pull a contaminated product if a public health alert is issued.
The Longer Record
Crowne Plaza Ft. Myers Gulf Coast has the longest inspection history of any facility cited this week, with 45 prior inspections on record. That volume of inspections means this property has been visited regularly for years, and this week's four high-severity citations, including the allergen awareness failure and the missing consumer advisory, are not the findings of a newly opened kitchen still learning the rules.
China Xpress has 39 prior inspections on record and still produced the week's highest violation count at seven high-severity citations. A facility inspected that many times and still cited for sewage disposal, toxic chemical storage, and adulterated food is not struggling with obscure regulatory details.
Texas Roadhouse has 28 prior inspections on record, and Pollo Tropical has 32. Both were cited this week for shell stock identification failures, a documentation requirement that has been standard in Florida food service regulations for years. Metro Deli and Cafe, with 27 inspections on record, was cited for having no employee health policy at all, a foundational requirement that predates most of the other rules inspectors enforce.
Taco Works is comparatively new to the inspection record, with only 7 prior inspections logged. It is already drawing citations for undercooking food and failing to post consumer advisories for raw items, two violations with direct pathogen risk to customers. Bahama Bar, with 10 inspections on record, was cited for the same undercooking violation alongside a missing person in charge.
Texas Roadhouse on Dani Drive and Pollo Tropical #133 sit less than a half-mile apart on the same road, and both were cited this week for shell stock identification failures. Whether either facility has corrected that documentation gap has not been confirmed in the public record.