JACKSONVILLE, FL. Salsas Mexican Restaurant on West Beaver Street drew 13 high-severity violations during the week of July 27, the most of any facility inspected in Jacksonville that week, with inspectors citing everything from food sourced from unapproved suppliers to employees not reporting illness symptoms and a person in charge absent or failing to perform required duties.
The 13 high-severity citations at Salsas were accompanied by 6 intermediate violations. Inspectors flagged inadequate handwashing facilities, improper hand and arm washing technique, inadequate handwashing by employees, no written employee health policy, and food in poor condition or adulterated. That is eight distinct high-severity categories at a single location in a single visit.
Five other Jacksonville restaurants were emergency-closed during the same seven-day stretch.
Five Closures in Seven Days
Cruz Mexican Grille at 13423 Beach Blvd was ordered closed on July 31 for roach activity. That same day, Mod Pizza at 12547 Bartram Park Blvd was shut down for fly activity.
Soul Bowl Bistro at 6132 Merrill Road lost its operating status on July 30 after inspectors found no potable water on site. A restaurant without a functioning water supply cannot wash hands, sanitize surfaces, or safely prepare food.
Hooters at 8938 San Jose Blvd was closed July 28 for combined rodent and fly activity. Captain D's #3380 at 2062 North Main Street was also closed July 28, for rodent activity.
What Inspectors Found Across the City
Galaxy Burgers Bar and Grill on Beach Boulevard recorded 10 high-severity violations, including inadequate shell stock identification and records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. For a burger-focused restaurant, the shellfish traceability and parasite citations stand out.
Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken on Dunn Avenue also reached 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited food from unapproved or unknown sources, inadequate shell stock records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, alongside no written employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Bowl of Pho on Old Baymeadows Road drew 9 high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. A pho restaurant serving fish and shellfish without parasite destruction protocols or traceable sourcing records is a direct public health concern.
Dunkin' on Atlantic Boulevard also reached 9 high-severity violations. Among the citations: no written employee health policy, inadequate handwashing by food employees, improper hand and arm washing technique, food from unapproved sources, and time as a public health control not properly used. The shell stock and parasite citations at a donut-and-coffee chain raise questions about what food products triggered those specific flags.
Tala Bay Seafood and Grill on US 301 accumulated 8 high-severity violations and 7 intermediate violations, the highest intermediate count of any facility this week. Inspectors found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, alongside no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing facilities, and food in poor condition.
Okinawa Japanese Grillhouse and Sushi Bar on Roosevelt Boulevard drew 8 high-severity violations, with parasite destruction procedures not followed cited at a sushi restaurant. Inspectors also found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no person in charge present or performing duties.
Mr. Gordo's Tacos and Cantina on West University Avenue reached 8 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Inspectors also cited inadequate handwashing facilities, no person in charge, and toxic substances improperly stored or used.
Heavenly Cafe on Lenox Avenue drew 8 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, toxic substances improperly stored or used, no consumer advisory, and no person in charge present.
Deercreek Country Club on McLaurin Road recorded 7 high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, toxic chemicals improperly stored, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a rare citation that appeared in no other facility this week.
5th Element Indian Restaurant on Buckhead Branch Drive drew 7 high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Beirut Restaurant and Spirit on Baymeadows Road was the lone standout in the other direction, recording zero high-severity violations and a single intermediate citation for single-use items improperly reused.
What These Violations Mean
The cluster of employee illness reporting failures across Salsas, Galaxy Burgers, Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken, Bowl of Pho, Tala Bay, Mr. Gordo's, Heavenly Cafe, 5th Element, and Crazy Chopsticks is not a paperwork problem. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads directly from an infected food worker's hands to prepared food within minutes. A sick employee who is not required to report symptoms and does not know they must stay home is the single most efficient transmission route in a food service setting.
The unapproved food source citations at Salsas, Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken, Bowl of Pho, Dunkin', and 5th Element carry a specific consequence that most diners do not consider. When food enters a restaurant outside the licensed supply chain, there is no record of where it came from. If someone gets sick, investigators cannot trace the contaminated product, cannot issue a recall, and cannot determine how many other restaurants or consumers received the same batch.
The parasite destruction citations at Galaxy Burgers, Bowl of Pho, Dunkin', Heavenly Cafe, and Okinawa Japanese Grillhouse are acutely serious at facilities serving raw or lightly cooked fish. Parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm survive in underprocessed fish and require either proper freezing protocols or verified cooking temperatures to be destroyed. At a sushi bar like Okinawa, the absence of documented parasite destruction procedures means customers eating raw fish have no assurance those protocols were followed.
The dual toxic chemical citations at Tala Bay, Okinawa, Deercreek Country Club, 5th Element, and Seven Wonder Bakery represent a separate category of risk entirely. Cleaning chemicals stored near or above food preparation surfaces can contaminate food through spills or aerosol contact. Mislabeled chemical containers create the additional hazard that an employee uses the wrong substance on a food contact surface.
The Longer Record
Bowl of Pho has 48 prior inspections on record, the most of any facility cited this week. Nine high-severity violations on the 48th visit suggests the inspection history has not produced sustained correction. Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken has 42 prior inspections and still drew 10 high-severity citations, including the same food sourcing and shellfish traceability failures that appear across other seafood-focused locations this week.
Okinawa Japanese Grillhouse and Sushi Bar has 41 prior inspections on record. Parasite destruction procedures not followed at a sushi restaurant with that inspection history is a different kind of finding than the same citation at a new location.
Seven Wonder Bakery and Catering on University Boulevard has 35 prior inspections and drew citations for food in poor condition, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Deercreek Country Club has 33 inspections on record and this week added sewage disposal to a list that already included temperature and chemical storage violations.
At the other end of the experience spectrum, 5th Element Indian Restaurant has only 9 prior inspections and already carries 7 high-severity citations this week, including unapproved food sources and improperly stored chemicals. Mr. Gordo's Tacos and Cantina has 10 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations, including undercooked food and specialized process failures.
The sewage disposal violation at Deercreek Country Club, a private club on McLaurin Road with 33 inspections behind it, had not been resolved in the public record as of the close of the inspection week.
