JACKSONVILLE, FL. Pizza Dynamo at 61A N. Laura Street drew 10 high-severity violations during an April inspection, including citations for food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Inspectors also found no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, and no person in charge performing duties. It was among the worst inspection results in Duval County for the week of April 22 through April 28, 2026.
The Violations
Southern Grounds at 1671 Atlantic Boulevard matched Pizza Dynamo's high-severity count, also drawing 10 citations. Inspectors cited the coffee-and-brunch spot for food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock records, food not cooked to minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, improper handwashing technique, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. No person in charge was performing duties during the visit.
Bo Sushi at 13820 Old St. Augustine Road collected 9 high-severity violations, including citations for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, time not properly used as a public health control, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items. Inspectors also flagged food from unapproved sources and inadequate shell stock records.
Poke Cafe at 14866 Old Saint Augustine Road drew 9 high-severity violations of its own. Among them: inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required temperatures, time not properly used as a public health control, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Food from unapproved sources was also cited.
Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks at 1401 Dunn Avenue had 8 high-severity violations and 7 intermediate ones, the highest combined intermediate count of the week. Inspectors found no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required temperatures, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Broskii Fish and Chicken at 7404 Lem Turner Road was cited for 8 high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock records, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no allergen awareness, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed.
Dua Lounge at 8532 Baymeadows Road had 8 high-severity violations covering an unusually broad range: no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, food not cooked to required temperatures, and no consumer advisory.
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken at 6610 N. Main Street drew 8 high-severity citations including food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill at 5672 Timuquana Road received 8 high-severity violations: no person in charge performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory.
Sara's of San Marco at 1562 Hendricks Avenue was cited for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored, among 8 high-severity violations total.
Jax Spice at 5016 Gate Parkway drew 7 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required temperatures, time not properly used as a public health control, no consumer advisory, toxic substances improperly identified or stored, and no person in charge performing duties.
DoubleTree by Hilton at 1201 Riverplace Boulevard collected 7 high-severity violations: no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also noted single-use items being improperly reused.
Sahara Cafe at 10771 Beach Boulevard drew 7 high-severity violations including two separate chemical storage citations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored or used. Inspectors also found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned.
Cowford Chophouse at 101 E. Bay Street received 6 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required temperatures, time not properly used as a public health control, two separate toxic substance citations, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse at 10206 Rivercoast Drive had the lowest high-severity count of the 15 flagged facilities, with 2 citations: no person in charge performing duties, and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Pizza Dynamo, Southern Grounds, Bo Sushi, Poke Cafe, Broskii Fish and Chicken, Dua Lounge, Hip Hop Fish and Chicken, Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill, and Jax Spice, removes the traceability chain entirely. If a customer gets sick, investigators cannot identify where the food originated, which supplier was involved, or how many other restaurants received the same product. That is not a paperwork problem. It is the reason outbreak investigations stall.
The employee illness violations at Charleys Wings, Dua Lounge, Hip Hop Fish, Seven Wonders, Sara's of San Marco, Sahara Cafe, Jax Spice, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse represent a direct transmission route. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, spreads person to person through contaminated hands. A sick employee with no reporting obligation and no health policy in place can infect dozens of customers before anyone connects the cases.
Temperature and time control violations, documented at Pizza Dynamo, Poke Cafe, Jax Spice, Dua Lounge, Bo Sushi, and Cowford Chophouse, are the conditions under which bacteria multiply. Salmonella can double in population every 20 minutes in the temperature danger zone between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Food left there long enough does not look or smell different. It just makes people sick.
The allergen citations at Charleys Wings, Broskii Fish and Chicken, and Cowford Chophouse carry a distinct danger. Allergic reactions to undisclosed ingredients cause roughly 30,000 emergency room visits in the United States each year. A restaurant where staff cannot identify allergens in the food they are serving has no way to warn the customers most at risk.
The Longer Record
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse has 51 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week. Two high-severity violations after more than five dozen inspector visits is a different picture than a newer location still finding its footing, but the persistence of employee illness reporting failures across that many inspections is a pattern worth noting.
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken on N. Main Street has 34 prior inspections on record and drew 8 high-severity violations this week, including food from unapproved sources and food in poor condition. Sara's of San Marco on Hendricks Avenue has 24 inspections on record and this week's findings included food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, a violation that signals a more acute risk than most administrative citations.
Bo Sushi and Sahara Cafe each carry 29 or more prior inspections. Both were cited this week for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and for consumer advisory failures. Southern Grounds, with 29 inspections on record, drew 10 high-severity violations including toxic chemical storage failures and food sourcing problems.
Pizza Dynamo, by contrast, has only 6 prior inspections on record. It is among the newest facilities in this week's data and already leads the week in high-severity violation count, tied with Southern Grounds. Charleys Wings Cheesesteaks has just 3 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity and 7 intermediate violations. Dua Lounge has 8 prior inspections. These are not facilities with long records of marginal compliance. They are locations accumulating serious citations early, and the inspection record for Pizza Dynamo still does not show whether the food sourcing and parasite destruction violations have been resolved.