FORT MYERS, FL. Kelly Greens Golf and Country Club on Kelly Green Boulevard accumulated nine high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of September 28, including improperly stored toxic chemicals, shellfish with no traceability records, and food held under a time-as-public-health-control system that inspectors found was not being properly managed.
No qualified person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection, a failure that state records link to cascading breakdowns across every other category. The club has 29 prior inspections on record.
The Violations
Eight Ball Lounge on South US 41 drew eight high-severity citations, the second-highest total of the week. Inspectors cited the bar and eatery for food sourced from an unapproved or unknown supplier, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and no approved potable water supply on the premises.
The potable water violation is among the most serious in the lounge's file. Without a verified potable water source, every item prepared with water, from ice to sauces to dishwashing rinse water, carries potential contamination risk.
Whiskey Creek Dining Room on Whiskey Creek Drive was cited for seven high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, no approved potable water supply, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored. Inspectors also noted that the time-as-public-health-control system was not being properly used, and no consumer advisory was posted for raw or undercooked menu items. Multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned.
El Cheyo Mariscos, Botanas, y Tacos on McGregor Boulevard drew seven high-severity citations as well. Inspectors found food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and inadequate shellfish identification records. The restaurant had no written employee health policy, and handwashing technique by food employees was cited as improper.
Dona Juana Guatemalan Restaurant 2 on South Tamiami Trail also received seven high-severity violations, but its profile is distinct from the others. Inspectors found that no employee health policy was in place, that employees were not reporting symptoms of illness, and that the person in charge was not present or performing duties. Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and food from an unapproved source was documented. This location has only two prior inspections on record.
Fiddlesticks Country Club on Canongate Drive was cited for six high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, toxic substances improperly identified or stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. No employee health policy was on file.
Sweet Melissa's Restaurant on Summerlin Road received five high-severity citations: no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, inadequate shellfish identification records, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures.
3 Pepper Burrito on College Parkway drew four high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal and inadequate toilet facilities.
Sensaciones Restaurant on South Cleveland Avenue was cited for four high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, toxic substances improperly identified or stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Single-use items were documented as being improperly reused.
Mr. Tequila Mexican Restaurant on Colonial Boulevard received four high-severity citations: improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, inadequate shellfish identification records, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored. Inspectors also flagged improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Clam Bake on South Tamiami Trail was cited for three high-severity violations, including employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors documented improper sewage disposal, improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, and inadequate toilet facilities.
Haney's Cafe on South Tamiami Trail drew three high-severity violations: food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored. Inspectors also noted improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation.
Busters Sports Tavern and Family Eatery on McGregor Boulevard received one high-severity citation for food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated. Burntwood Tavern on South Cleveland Avenue was cited for one high-severity violation involving food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Jet's Pizza on Reflections Parkway drew one high-severity citation for no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, alongside an intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity category this week was food from an unapproved or unknown source, documented at Eight Ball Lounge, Whiskey Creek Dining Room, El Cheyo Mariscos, Dona Juana Guatemalan Restaurant 2, Fiddlesticks Country Club, Sweet Melissa's Restaurant, Sensaciones Restaurant, and Mr. Tequila Mexican Restaurant. When a restaurant cannot document where its food came from, there is no chain of traceability if a customer gets sick. Contaminated product cannot be recalled, linked to an outbreak, or traced back to a distributor.
Shellfish traceability failures, cited at Kelly Greens, Whiskey Creek Dining Room, El Cheyo Mariscos, Sweet Melissa's, and Mr. Tequila, carry a specific risk that goes beyond general sourcing. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently consumed raw or barely cooked, and without harvest tags and dealer records, there is no way to determine whether shellfish came from a tested, approved growing area.
The employee illness violations at Dona Juana Guatemalan Restaurant 2, 3 Pepper Burrito, and Clam Bake represent a direct transmission pathway for Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year. A worker who handles food while symptomatic can contaminate dozens of meals before a single customer reports feeling sick. The absence of a written health policy, documented at seven facilities this week, means there is no formal mechanism requiring employees to disclose symptoms before they begin a shift.
Toxic chemical and substance violations appeared at Kelly Greens, Eight Ball Lounge, Whiskey Creek Dining Room, Fiddlesticks Country Club, 3 Pepper Burrito, Sensaciones Restaurant, Mr. Tequila, and Haney's Cafe. Cleaning chemicals stored near food or in unlabeled containers can cause acute poisoning with no warning. The risk is not theoretical: mislabeled chemical containers have been the source of mass illness events in food service settings.
The Longer Record
Sensaciones Restaurant has 34 prior inspections on record, the highest count among facilities cited this week, and still drew four high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source and no allergen awareness. Busters Sports Tavern follows with 35 prior inspections and a high-severity citation for adulterated or mislabeled food. The volume of prior inspections at both locations places this week's findings in a context that a single visit cannot.
Whiskey Creek Dining Room has 33 prior inspections on record and was cited this week for seven high-severity violations, including both a potable water failure and food from an unapproved source. Kelly Greens Golf and Country Club carries 29 prior inspections and still had no qualified person in charge present during this week's visit.
The starkest contrast belongs to Dona Juana Guatemalan Restaurant 2. With only two prior inspections on record, the location has already accumulated seven high-severity violations, including employees not reporting illness symptoms and no person in charge on duty. Mr. Tequila Mexican Restaurant has five prior inspections and drew four high-severity citations this week, including improper sewage disposal.
Fiddlesticks Country Club, with 30 prior inspections, was cited this week for parasite destruction procedures not followed and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Parasite destruction requires specific freezing protocols for certain raw fish, and allergen awareness failures put the roughly 32 million Americans with food allergies at risk every time a menu item is prepared without staff knowledge of its ingredients. Fiddlesticks has had enough inspections that neither citation should be appearing for the first time.
