JACKSONVILLE, FL. Two restaurants were emergency-closed on the same day last week in Jacksonville, while inspectors cited 15 facilities across Duval County for high-severity violations ranging from unapproved food sources to improperly stored toxic chemicals, according to state records for the week of August 20 through August 26, 2026.
On August 21, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation ordered Cocos El Memo 5431 at 5624 Arlington Road shut down for sewage leaks. The same day, Panera Bread #776 at 4403 Roosevelt Boulevard was closed for fly activity.
The Closures
The sewage closure at Cocos El Memo is among the most serious categories of emergency action state inspectors can take. Active sewage leaks create direct fecal contamination pathways throughout a kitchen, and inspectors are trained to act immediately when they find them.
The fly activity that closed Panera Bread on Roosevelt Boulevard marks a notable moment for a national chain. Fly infestations at that level indicate food is exposed and attracting insects, which carry pathogens from surfaces outside the restaurant directly onto prep areas and finished food.
The Week's Highest Violation Counts
Three facilities tied for the most high-severity violations this week, each drawing 11. City Cafe at 4500 Salisbury Road was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shellfish traceability records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food in poor condition, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, among others. An inspector also found that no person in charge was present or performing duties, and that employees were not reporting illness symptoms.
La Nueva Nota at 3809 Southside Boulevard matched that count with its own set of serious findings: no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, food in poor condition, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. The facility also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
Tsunami Red Bowl at 12553 Bartram Park Boulevard rounded out the three-way tie with 11 high-severity violations of its own, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, food from an unapproved source, inadequate handwashing facilities, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Bono's BBQ at 5711 Bowden Road drew 10 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, parasite destruction procedures not followed, shellfish traceability failures, food in poor condition, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Taco Way at 1821 Parental Home Road was cited for 9 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, and shellfish traceability failures.
Waffle House #2083 at 11844 Lem Turner Road also drew 9 high-severity violations, a list that included food not cooked to required minimum temperature, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and food from an unapproved source.
The Rest of the Week's Findings
Pupuseria y Restaurante Maria at 4241 University Boulevard South was cited for 8 high-severity violations, including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food in poor condition, and shellfish traceability failures, alongside inadequate handwashing and no employee health policy.
Pepe's Hacienda and Restaurant at 9239 Merrill Road drew 8 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no person in charge.
Yan Sushi at 5711 Bowden Road was cited for 8 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Bono's Pit BBQ at 4907 Beach Boulevard drew 8 high-severity violations, among them two separate toxic substance violations: improperly stored or labeled chemicals, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. The facility also lacked a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Cajun Crab at 410 Commerce Center Drive was cited for 8 high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, shellfish traceability failures, and the same two toxic substance violations found at Bono's Pit BBQ.
Rosalia's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria at 14965 Old St. Augustine Road drew 8 high-severity violations, including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food from an unapproved source, no person in charge, no employee health policy, and no consumer advisory.
La Nopalera Mexican Restaurant at 8206 Philips Highway was cited for 7 high-severity violations, including an intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Aromas Cigar Bar at 4372 Southside Boulevard drew 7 high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. An intermediate violation for improperly cleaned multi-use utensils was also cited.
Wally's Gyros and Subs at 1543 Cesery Boulevard was cited for 7 high-severity violations, including three separate handwashing failures: inadequate handwashing by employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper hand and arm washing technique.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread violation across this week's 15 facilities was improper hand and arm washing technique, cited at 13 of them. This is not a paperwork issue. Studies show that even when employees attempt to wash their hands, incorrect technique leaves live pathogens on skin that transfer directly to food and surfaces. At facilities like Wally's Gyros, where inspectors cited three separate handwashing failures in a single visit, the compounding effect is significant.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at City Cafe, Tsunami Red Bowl, Bono's BBQ, Waffle House #2083, Pepe's Hacienda, and Rosalia's Italian Restaurant, carries a specific danger that temperature control cannot fix. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection, there is no traceability chain. If a customer gets sick, investigators cannot trace the product back to a distributor, a farm, or a recall notice.
Parasite destruction procedures not followed, found at City Cafe and Bono's BBQ, is a violation that applies specifically to raw or undercooked fish and pork. Without proper freezing to required temperatures for required time periods, parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork remain viable and can survive in a customer's digestive system.
The toxic chemical violations at Waffle House #2083, Pepe's Hacienda, Bono's Pit BBQ, Cajun Crab, La Nopalera, and Aromas Cigar Bar represent a category of risk that is immediate rather than cumulative. Cleaners, sanitizers, and pesticides stored near or above food can contaminate it directly, and mislabeled chemical containers have caused acute poisoning events in restaurant settings.
The Longer Record
The facility with the longest inspection history on this week's list is La Nopalera Mexican Restaurant, with 68 prior inspections on record. That volume of visits means inspectors have been inside that kitchen dozens of times, and this week's 7 high-severity violations, including sewage disposal and specialized process failures, appear against a backdrop of sustained regulatory attention.
Rosalia's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria carries 32 prior inspections, and Taco Way carries 33. Both drew 8 or more high-severity violations this week. Tsunami Red Bowl, with 29 prior inspections, and Aromas Cigar Bar and Wally's Gyros, each with 28, have all accumulated enough inspection history to suggest these are not first-time lapses.
Three facilities on this week's list are relatively new to the inspection record. Pepe's Hacienda and Restaurant has only 3 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Yan Sushi also carries just 3 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations, including no allergen awareness demonstrated, a citation that affects the 32 million Americans with diagnosed food allergies.
Pupuseria y Restaurante Maria has 13 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations this week, including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards. Whether the two emergency-closed restaurants, Cocos El Memo 5431 and Panera Bread #776, had prior high-severity violations before Thursday's closures is not reflected in the data for this week's report.
