JACKSONVILLE, FL. State inspectors cited Juicy Crab on Blanding Boulevard for 11 high-severity violations during the week of June 2, including food from unapproved or unknown sources, inadequate shell stock identification records, and a finding that no person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
The Blanding Boulevard location was the most-cited facility in Duval County for the week. Among the violations: employees were not reporting symptoms of illness, handwashing facilities were inadequate, and food was documented as being in poor condition or adulterated. For a seafood restaurant serving shellfish, the absence of shell stock records is a direct traceability problem.
The Week's Violations
Keke's Breakfast Cafe on San Jose Boulevard drew 7 high-severity violations, including a finding that parasite destruction procedures were not followed for fish service, toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled, and no allergen awareness was demonstrated. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal as an intermediate violation.
Sugar Factory American Brasserie on Big Island Drive matched Keke's at 7 high-severity violations. Inspectors found food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Improper sewage disposal appeared here as well.
Chow's Country Buffet on Southside Boulevard produced 6 high-severity violations, two of them involving toxic substances. Inspectors cited both improper chemical storage and labeling and a separate violation for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. The buffet also drew citations for food from unapproved sources and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
PF Chang's on Midtown Parkway was cited for 6 high-severity violations, including the same dual toxic-substance pattern found at Chow's. Inspectors also noted food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory, and improper handwashing technique. An intermediate violation flagged inadequate toilet facilities.
Lingjuan Weng on Riverside Avenue, a sushi operation, was cited for 6 high-severity violations including no allergen awareness, no consumer advisory for raw foods, improperly stored chemicals, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. For a restaurant serving raw fish, the absence of an allergen awareness program and a missing consumer advisory represent compounding risks for vulnerable diners.
H&H Bagels on San Jose Boulevard drew 5 high-severity violations including both inadequate handwashing by food employees and improper handwashing technique cited as separate findings. Food from unapproved sources and missing shell stock identification records also appeared.
Mocharitas Deli on Philips Highway was cited for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards alongside parasite destruction procedures not followed, missing shell stock records, no employee health policy, and no person in charge present. That combination, contaminated food and no active management oversight, drew 5 high-severity violations.
Hibachi Express on University Boulevard West was cited for time not properly used as a public health control, food contact surfaces not cleaned, food from unapproved sources, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored chemicals. All 5 violations were high-severity with no intermediate citations.
Krystal on North Main Street, Royale Cafe on State Street, Bono's BBQ on San Jose Boulevard, Sam's Southern Restaurant on Lane Avenue South, Mambo's Cuban Cafe on Beach Boulevard, and Tequila's Mexican Restaurant on Baymeadows Road each drew between 2 and 4 high-severity violations. Improper handwashing technique, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and improperly stored toxic chemicals were the most frequently repeated citations across all six.
What These Violations Mean
The most pervasive violation this week was improper handwashing technique, cited at Juicy Crab, Keke's Breakfast Cafe, Chow's Country Buffet, PF Chang's, Lingjuan Weng, H&H Bagels, Krystal, Bono's BBQ, and Sam's Southern Restaurant. This is not a paperwork failure. Pathogens including Norovirus and Salmonella survive on hands even when an employee makes a washing attempt, if the technique is wrong. Nine facilities in a single week sharing the same deficiency means a large number of meals were prepared by workers whose hands were not reliably clean.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Juicy Crab, Sugar Factory, Chow's Country Buffet, H&H Bagels, and Hibachi Express, is a traceability problem first. When a supplier has not been approved through USDA or FDA channels, there is no inspection record, no recall mechanism, and no way to trace an outbreak back to the source if customers fall ill. The food may look and smell normal.
The absence of shell stock identification records at Juicy Crab, Keke's Breakfast Cafe, H&H Bagels, and Mocharitas Deli carries a specific and serious risk. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are frequently consumed raw or lightly cooked. They filter large volumes of water and concentrate whatever pathogens are present. Without the harvest tags that trace shellfish to a specific bed on a specific date, a Vibrio or hepatitis A outbreak cannot be contained.
Toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled appeared at Keke's Breakfast Cafe, Chow's Country Buffet, PF Chang's, Lingjuan Weng, Hibachi Express, Krystal, Royale Cafe, Bono's BBQ, and Tequila's Mexican Restaurant. Nine facilities. Chemical contamination of food can cause acute poisoning within minutes of ingestion, and mislabeled containers mean even a careful employee cannot distinguish a sanitizer from a food-safe product.
The Longer Record
Juicy Crab on Blanding Boulevard has accumulated 40 prior inspections on record. Eleven high-severity violations in a single week at a facility with that inspection history is not a new problem surfacing. The shellfish traceability failure and the food-from-unapproved-sources citation are among the most serious categories in the state's inspection framework, and both appeared at a location that has been inspected dozens of times.
Tequila's Mexican Restaurant on Baymeadows Road and Mambo's Cuban Cafe on Beach Boulevard each have 43 prior inspections on record, the longest histories of any facilities cited this week. Tequila's drew violations for no person in charge, no employee health policy, and employees not reporting illness symptoms, a management-layer failure at a restaurant that has been under inspection scrutiny longer than almost any other on this list.
Chow's Country Buffet has 36 prior inspections on record. Sam's Southern Restaurant has 32. Royale Cafe has 31. All three were cited this week for violations in categories, handwashing, food contact surfaces, and chemicals, that appear repeatedly across Jacksonville's inspection records and are not new compliance challenges for experienced operators.
H&H Bagels on San Jose Boulevard has only 8 prior inspections on record, the shortest history among this week's cited facilities. It still drew 5 high-severity violations, including both a failure to wash hands adequately and a separate citation for doing so with improper technique.
Krystal on North Main Street has only 2 prior inspections on record. Both toxic-substance violations and the food contact surface citation appeared in what is essentially the restaurant's earliest encounters with state inspectors.