PANAMA CITY, FL. A state inspector visiting Holi Indian Grill at 3214 W 23rd St. on May 5, 2026 found that the restaurant had not followed proper parasite destruction procedures for fish, meaning customers who ordered fish dishes may have consumed food that could harbor live parasites, including Anisakis and tapeworm.
That was one of seven high-severity violations documented in a single visit. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The parasite violation is among the most direct food safety failures an inspector can document. Fish served without proper freezing or thorough cooking can carry parasites that survive into the final dish on a customer's plate.
Two separate chemical storage violations were also cited. Inspectors found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and separately documented that toxic substances were improperly identified, stored, or used. Both violations were rated high-severity. Chemicals stored near food or mislabeled create a risk of acute poisoning that is distinct from the biological hazards the other violations represent.
Food contact surfaces, including cutting boards and preparation equipment, were found not properly cleaned or sanitized. That category of violation is one of the most common vectors for bacterial transfer in commercial kitchens, carrying contamination from one food item to the next.
The inspector also found food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, and cited the restaurant for inadequate handwashing facilities. A consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods was absent, meaning customers with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, elderly diners, and young children had no posted warning about the risks of certain menu items.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure is not a paperwork problem. When fish is served without documented freezing to required temperatures or thorough cooking, parasites including Anisakis, a roundworm found in many ocean fish species, can survive and infect anyone who eats the dish. Symptoms range from severe abdominal pain to intestinal obstruction. The risk is highest for customers who ordered fish prepared at or below full cooking temperature.
The two toxic chemical violations compound that concern in a separate direction entirely. Improperly labeled or stored chemicals near food preparation areas can contaminate ingredients or finished dishes without any visible sign. A customer would have no way to know. The fact that inspectors cited this category twice, under two distinct violation codes, suggests the problem extended beyond a single misplaced bottle.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces at Holi Indian Grill mean that bacteria transferred from raw proteins to a cutting board, or from one dish to another, could reach a customer's plate. Combined with inadequate handwashing facilities, the kitchen lacked two of the most basic barriers against cross-contamination operating correctly at the same time.
The missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods matters most for the customers least able to protect themselves. A pregnant woman ordering a fish dish, or an elderly customer with a compromised immune system, relies on that posted notice to make an informed choice. It was not there.
The Longer Record
The May 2026 inspection was not an outlier. State records show Holi Indian Grill has been inspected 29 times, accumulating 158 total violations across its history. The pattern of high-severity citations runs consistently through the most recent years.
In October 2023, inspectors cited the restaurant for 8 high-severity violations in a single visit. A follow-up inspection that same month found zero high-severity violations, but three months into 2024 the high-severity citations returned. By November 2024, the restaurant had accumulated enough serious violations to trigger an emergency closure for rodent activity. It reopened the following day after a follow-up inspection showed compliance.
The closure did not end the pattern. In January 2025, inspectors returned and found 4 high-severity violations. In December 2025, another visit produced 3 high-severity and 4 intermediate violations. The May 2026 inspection, with 7 high-severity violations, is the highest single-visit high-severity count in the restaurant's recent documented history, exceeding even the October 2023 visit that preceded a period of temporary compliance.
Across eight inspections spanning roughly two and a half years, Holi Indian Grill passed with zero high-severity violations exactly twice. Both of those clean inspections came immediately after visits with multiple serious citations, suggesting the restaurant corrects violations under direct scrutiny and then accumulates them again.
Still Open
State inspectors have the authority to order an emergency closure when violations pose an immediate threat to public health. They exercised that authority at Holi Indian Grill once before, in November 2024, over rodent activity.
On May 5, 2026, with seven high-severity violations documented, including failures in parasite destruction, chemical storage, food contact surface sanitation, and handwashing infrastructure, the inspector left without ordering a closure.
The restaurant remained open.