JACKSONVILLE, FL. Pizza Dynamo on N. Laura Street racked up 10 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of April 21, 2026, including citations for food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, food in poor or adulterated condition, inadequate shellfish traceability records, and failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish. No person in charge was present or performing duties when inspectors arrived.
The parasite destruction citation alone signals a significant gap. Serving fish without proper freezing or cooking protocols leaves customers exposed to parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm. Pizza Dynamo has only six prior inspections on record, making this week's tally its most consequential visit yet.
The Violations
Southern Grounds on Atlantic Boulevard also drew 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the coffee and brunch destination for food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish traceability, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items. An employee illness reporting failure and improper handwashing technique rounded out the list.
Fuji Buffet on Dunn Avenue matched that count with 10 high-severity violations of its own, including no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also cited the buffet for failing to properly use time as a public health control, a violation that means food sat in the bacterial growth zone, between 41 and 135 degrees, without adequate monitoring.
Dua Lounge on Baymeadows Road drew eight high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning the physical infrastructure for hand hygiene was either absent or nonfunctional. No consumer advisory was posted for raw or undercooked foods, and food was sourced from unapproved suppliers.
Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks on Dunn Avenue was cited for eight high-severity violations and seven intermediate ones, a combined total of 15. The high-severity list included food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to minimum required temperatures, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff.
Sara's of San Marco on Hendricks Avenue drew eight high-severity violations including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food in poor condition, inadequate shellfish traceability, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken on N. Main Street was cited for eight high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill on Timuquana Road drew eight high-severity violations including no person in charge present, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish traceability, and no consumer advisory posted.
Yardie Jamaican Cuisine on Bowden Road was cited for seven high-severity violations and seven intermediate ones. Inspectors documented an improper sewage or wastewater disposal violation, one of only three facilities this week to receive that citation.
DoubleTree by Hilton on Riverplace Boulevard drew seven high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. A downtown hotel kitchen serving guests around the clock received no passing marks on its most serious categories.
Sahara Cafe on Beach Boulevard drew seven high-severity violations including two separate chemical storage citations: improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. No consumer advisory was posted, and no employee health policy was in place.
El Mofongo Cuban Restaurant and Bakery on 103rd Street drew six high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum required temperatures, and an improper sewage or wastewater disposal citation.
Cowford Chophouse on E. Bay Street drew six high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing by food employees, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, improper use of time as a public health control, two separate chemical citations, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal and improperly cleaned multi-use utensils.
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse on Rivercoast Drive drew two high-severity violations: no person in charge present, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
Chelsea's Bar and Grille on Baymeadows Road was the lone facility this week with zero high-severity violations, drawing only a single intermediate citation for improperly reused single-use items.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Pizza Dynamo, Southern Grounds, Fuji Buffet, Dua Lounge, Hip Hop Fish and Chicken, and Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill, is not a paperwork problem. When food bypasses USDA and FDA inspection channels, there is no traceability if customers get sick. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli outbreaks have been traced directly to uninspected supply chains.
The absence of an employee health policy, documented at Pizza Dynamo, Fuji Buffet, Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks, Dua Lounge, Sara's of San Marco, Hip Hop Fish and Chicken, Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill, and Sahara Cafe, means there is no written protocol requiring sick workers to stay home or report symptoms to management. Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year, spreads most efficiently through food handlers who work while symptomatic.
Improper handwashing technique, cited at Pizza Dynamo, Southern Grounds, Fuji Buffet, Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks, Dua Lounge, Yardie Jamaican Cuisine, DoubleTree by Hilton, El Mofongo, and Cowford Chophouse, is distinct from not washing hands at all. Inspectors noted that the technique itself was flawed, meaning pathogens remain on hands even after a wash attempt. Combined with inadequate handwashing facilities at Dua Lounge, El Mofongo, and DoubleTree by Hilton, the infrastructure and the practice both failed in the same week.
The sewage and wastewater disposal violations at Yardie Jamaican Cuisine, El Mofongo, and Cowford Chophouse represent a direct fecal contamination pathway through the facility. Raw sewage carries E. coli, Hepatitis A, and Norovirus. It is among the most immediately dangerous structural failures an inspector can document.
The Longer Record
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse carries 51 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility in this week's data. Two high-severity violations at a location with that many documented visits is a different kind of finding than two violations at a new restaurant. The employee illness reporting failure in particular is a basic protocol that should be embedded in operations after five decades of inspections, let alone 51.
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken on N. Main Street has 34 prior inspections on record and drew eight high-severity violations this week, including food from unapproved sources and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Fuji Buffet on Dunn Avenue has 32 prior inspections and matched Pizza Dynamo's total of 10 high-severity citations. Both locations have been through enough inspections that the violations documented this week cannot be attributed to inexperience.
Sahara Cafe and Southern Grounds each carry 29 prior inspections. Both drew seven or more high-severity violations this week. Sara's of San Marco has 24 inspections on record and still had no consumer advisory posted for raw items and no written employee health policy in place.
Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks, Yardie Jamaican Cuisine, and Dua Lounge each have three, three, and seven prior inspections on record, respectively, making them among the newer locations in this week's data. Charleys drew 15 total violations including eight high-severity, and Yardie drew 14 total including an improper sewage disposal citation. Both locations are accumulating serious citations early in their inspection histories. Whether those patterns hold at the next visit is still an open question.