JACKSONVILLE, FL. State inspectors cited Mariscos El Pacifico on University Boulevard West with 9 high-severity violations during the week of June 11, 2026, the highest single-facility count among 15 Jacksonville restaurants flagged that week, with inspectors documenting that the seafood restaurant had no employee health policy, no parasite destruction procedures for its fish, food from unapproved or unknown sources, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
That combination, food of unknown origin, no documented process to kill parasites, and inadequate handwashing at multiple levels, represents a cascade of failures at a restaurant whose menu centers on raw and lightly cooked seafood.
What Inspectors Found
Casa Bonita Mexican Bar and Grill on University Boulevard West drew 8 high-severity violations, including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food from unapproved sources, and no shellfish traceability records. The restaurant also lacked a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Casa Dora Italian Cafe on East Forsyth Street recorded 7 high-severity violations, among them improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled incorrectly. Inspectors also noted food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Panera Bread #943 on Town Crossing Drive also reached 7 high-severity violations. The findings at a national chain known for food safety branding included no parasite destruction procedures, no shellfish traceability records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Celenos Bistro on Southside Boulevard was cited for 6 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, food in poor condition or adulterated, no shellfish identification records, and improper chemical storage.
Chili's on Yankee Clipper Drive drew 6 high-severity violations. Inspectors documented that food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures, handwashing facilities were inadequate, and the restaurant obtained food from unapproved or unknown sources. No consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods was posted.
Woody's Bar BQ on Powers Avenue was cited for 5 high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. For a barbecue operation, that last citation carries particular weight: smoking and slow-cooking require precise temperature controls that standard cooking does not.
Island Wing Company on Beach Boulevard was cited for food not cooked to required minimum temperature alongside no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. At a restaurant whose primary product is poultry, undercooking is a direct Salmonella risk.
Southern Grounds and Co. on St. Johns Avenue received 5 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required temperature, food from an unapproved source, and no consumer advisory. Fusion Sushi on University Boulevard West was cited for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, alongside inadequate handwashing facilities.
McDonald's at 11130 Lem Turner Road drew 5 high-severity violations, including no person in charge performing duties, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. J Lemon Pepper on West Beaver Street was cited for parasite destruction procedures not followed, inadequate shellfish records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned.
Bagels R Us #2 on San Jose Boulevard accumulated 5 high-severity and 5 intermediate violations, including improper handwashing technique, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and shellfish records not maintained. Noura Cafe on University Boulevard received 3 high-severity violations: no person in charge present, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned.
China Kitchen on Collins Road received a single high-severity citation, for an employee not reporting symptoms of illness.
What These Violations Mean
The food sourcing violations at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, Chili's, Woody's Bar BQ, Celenos Bistro, and Southern Grounds and Co. are not paperwork problems. When a restaurant cannot document where its food came from, there is no traceability if a customer becomes ill. A Listeria or Salmonella outbreak traced to an uninspected supplier cannot be stopped at the source if inspectors cannot identify that source.
The parasite destruction failures at Mariscos El Pacifico, Panera Bread, and J Lemon Pepper are specific to fish and seafood. Anisakis and tapeworm larvae survive in raw or lightly cooked fish unless the product has been frozen to precise temperatures for a required period. A sushi restaurant, a seafood counter, and a neighborhood seafood spot each serving fish without documented parasite controls are serving customers a product with no verified safety step between the ocean and the plate.
The pattern of employees not reporting illness symptoms, cited at 11 of the 15 facilities this week, is the violation most directly connected to mass outbreaks. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads from a single infected food worker to dozens of customers through contaminated food surfaces. A written employee health policy, cited as absent at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, and Casa Dora, is the mechanism that gives a sick worker a reason to stay home.
The "no person in charge" violation, documented at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, Panera Bread, Chili's, Noura Cafe, Island Wing Company, Fusion Sushi, and McDonald's on Lem Turner, is not simply a staffing gap. CDC research shows facilities without active managerial control accumulate critical violations at three times the rate of supervised kitchens. Eight of the 15 flagged restaurants this week operated, at least at the time of inspection, without that control in place.
The Longer Record
Casa Dora Italian Cafe has 64 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility in this week's data. Seven high-severity violations after 64 documented visits suggests that inspections alone have not resolved the underlying compliance problems at that address.
Mariscos El Pacifico has 41 prior inspections on record. Nine high-severity violations in a single week, at a restaurant with that volume of inspection history, means the core issues, food sourcing, illness reporting, handwashing, are not new discoveries.
Casa Dora and Mariscos El Pacifico are not alone in their history. J Lemon Pepper has 36 prior inspections. Fusion Sushi and Panera Bread #943 each have 35. Noura Cafe and Woody's Bar BQ each have 33. These are not first-time inspections at unfamiliar locations.
Three facilities on this week's list have thin histories. Island Wing Company on Beach Boulevard has 2 prior inspections on record and already drew 5 high-severity violations, including food not cooked to temperature and no consumer advisory for undercooked poultry. Chili's on Yankee Clipper Drive has 5 prior inspections and reached 6 high-severity violations, including undercooking and unapproved food sourcing. Celenos Bistro on Southside Boulevard has 8 prior inspections and was already flagged for adulterated food, unapproved sourcing, and broken shellfish traceability.
Island Wing Company's consumer advisory violation remains unresolved in the record as of this inspection: customers ordering undercooked or raw items at that location had no posted notice that the food carried an elevated health risk.