JACKSONVILLE, FL. Inspectors cited Mariscos El Pacifico on University Boulevard West for nine high-severity violations during the week of June 15, 2026, the highest single-facility count among 15 Jacksonville restaurants flagged for serious food safety failures that week.
The violations at Mariscos El Pacifico were sweeping. Inspectors found no person in charge present or performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved or unknown sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
That is every major category of management and food handling failure in a single visit.
What Inspectors Found
Casa Bonita Mexican Bar and Grill on University Boulevard West drew eight high-severity violations, including food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food from unapproved sources, and no shell stock identification records for shellfish. Inspectors also found no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
La Nopalera Mexican Restaurant on Philips Highway matched that count with eight high-severity violations of its own. Among the most serious: food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, food from unapproved sources, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Toxic substances were also improperly stored or used.
Casa Dora Italian Cafe on East Forsyth Street accumulated seven high-severity violations, including employees not reporting illness symptoms, food contaminated by chemical or biological hazards, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, alongside a finding that multi-use utensils were not properly cleaned.
China Wok on Deerwood Lake Parkway drew seven high-severity violations with no intermediate violations at all. Inspectors flagged parasite destruction procedures not followed, no allergen awareness demonstrated, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Uncle Willies Southern Bistro on Dunn Avenue was cited for six high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and single-use items improperly reused. No person in charge was present or performing duties at the time of inspection.
Celenos Bistro on Southside Boulevard also drew six high-severity violations, including food in poor condition or adulterated, no shell stock identification records, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors additionally found inadequate toilet facilities and improper sanitizing solution or procedures.
Further down the list, McDonald's on Lem Turner Road was cited for five high-severity violations, including no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inadequate cooling equipment was among the intermediate violations.
Woody's Bar BQ on Powers Avenue drew five high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal. A barbecue restaurant failing to follow required procedures for specialized cooking processes is a direct concern given the low-and-slow methods the food depends on.
Tunis on Soutel Drive was cited for five high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, improper handwashing technique, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inadequate ventilation and lighting rounded out the intermediate findings.
Scramblers on University Boulevard West drew five high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, no shell stock identification records, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. China 99 Chinese Restaurant on University Boulevard West was also cited for five high-severity violations, with inspectors noting time as a public health control not properly used, a violation that allows food to remain in the bacterial growth temperature range without any safety mechanism in place.
Mojo Bar B Que on West University Boulevard rounded out the five-violation tier, with inspectors finding no person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and no consumer advisory. Bagels R Us No. 2 on San Jose Boulevard drew five high-severity violations and five intermediate violations, the highest combined intermediate count of the week, including multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, improper sanitizing solution, and single-use items improperly reused.
Island Wing Company on Beach Boulevard drew just one high-severity violation, for employees not reporting illness symptoms, and one intermediate violation for single-use items improperly reused.
What These Violations Mean
The food-from-unapproved-sources citation, which appeared at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, La Nopalera, Uncle Willies, Celenos Bistro, Woody's Bar BQ, and Tunis, carries a specific danger that goes beyond the food itself. When a restaurant sources food outside licensed, inspected suppliers, there is no traceability if a customer gets sick. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli outbreaks are traced through distribution records, and unapproved sourcing severs that chain entirely.
The cluster of illness-reporting failures across this week's inspections is equally serious. No employee health policy and employees not reporting symptoms were cited at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, Casa Dora, Uncle Willies, Tunis, McDonald's on Lem Turner Road, Mojo Bar B Que, Bagels R Us, and Island Wing Company. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads most effectively when a sick worker continues handling food without restriction.
Parasite destruction failures, cited at Mariscos El Pacifico, China Wok, Scramblers, and Mojo Bar B Que, are a particular concern at restaurants serving fish or meat that may be offered raw or undercooked. Without documented freezing to required temperatures, parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork remain viable and can cause serious illness. The absence of a consumer advisory, cited at Casa Bonita, La Nopalera, Casa Dora, China Wok, Celenos Bistro, Woody's Bar BQ, Scramblers, China 99, and Mojo Bar B Que, compounds the problem: customers who might otherwise choose to avoid raw preparations have no warning.
The management failure citations, covering no person in charge or a person in charge not performing duties, appeared at Mariscos El Pacifico, Casa Bonita, La Nopalera, Uncle Willies, McDonald's on Lem Turner Road, China 99, and Mojo Bar B Que. CDC data links absent managerial control directly to elevated rates of critical violations, because the person in charge is responsible for monitoring handwashing, food temperatures, and employee health in real time. When that function is absent, every other safety layer weakens.
The Longer Record
La Nopalera Mexican Restaurant carries 67 prior inspections on record, the deepest history of any facility cited this week, and still drew eight high-severity violations in June 2026. That volume of prior inspections represents years of regulatory contact without the violations category improving to a clean result.
Casa Dora Italian Cafe has 64 prior inspections on record. Tunis has 57. Mariscos El Pacifico, the week's top offender, has 42. These are not restaurants encountering inspectors for the first time or working through early compliance issues. They are facilities with long, documented histories of state oversight that continued to accumulate serious citations.
Woody's Bar BQ and Uncle Willies each have 33 prior inspections on record. China 99 has 32, China Wok has 30, and Casa Bonita has 24. All drew five or more high-severity violations this week despite inspection histories that span multiple years of state contact.
Celenos Bistro and Scramblers each have just 8 prior inspections on record, making them among the newest facilities in this week's findings. Both drew six and five high-severity violations respectively. Island Wing Company has only 3 prior inspections on record and drew one high-severity violation. Whether Celenos and Scramblers correct course in their next inspections, or continue accumulating serious citations as newer facilities, remains to be seen.