JACKSONVILLE, FL. Morton's The Steakhouse at 225 E Coastline Drive drew 10 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of May 7, 2026, the highest count among 15 Duval County restaurants cited for serious food safety failures.
State inspectors found that Morton's had no written employee health policy, that at least one employee was not reporting illness symptoms, and that the restaurant was sourcing food from unapproved or unknown suppliers. Shellfish traceability records were inadequate, meaning inspectors could not verify the origin of raw or lightly cooked shellfish served to customers. Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
The handwashing failures at Morton's were documented on three separate counts: employees not washing hands adequately, handwashing facilities found to be inadequate, and improper hand and arm washing technique observed during the inspection. That combination, three distinct failures in the same category, is the kind of layered breakdown that puts every dish leaving a kitchen at risk.
The Violations
Element Bistro, Bar and Lounge and Myth Nightclub at 333 E Bay Street recorded six high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Inspectors also cited the venue for reusing single-use items, a practice that turns disposable materials into contamination vehicles.
Rainbow Sushi at 12620 Beach Boulevard drew five high-severity violations, among them a failure to maintain adequate shellfish traceability records and a finding that no allergen awareness was demonstrated. At a sushi restaurant, where raw fish is central to the menu and cross-contact with allergens is a constant risk, those two violations together are particularly pointed.
Citri San Marco at 1842 Kings Avenue was cited for five high-severity violations, including food found in poor condition or mislabeled, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and a failure to follow required procedures for specialized food processes. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal on the premises.
Sodexo at CSX HQ Dining, 500 Water Street, the corporate cafeteria serving the railroad company's headquarters, was cited for five high-severity violations. Among them: food from unapproved or unknown sources, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The facility also had improper sewage or wastewater disposal and inadequate toilet facilities noted as intermediate violations.
Splitz at 6155 Youngerman Circle had four high-severity violations, including food not cooked to the required minimum temperature and two separate chemical storage failures: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also found improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
E B Lounge at 333 E Bay Street, Suite 103, operating in the same building as Element Bistro, drew four high-severity violations of its own. A person in charge was not present or not performing duties during the inspection. Inspectors also found no allergen awareness demonstrated and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Trout River Grill at 370 Zoo Parkway was cited for four high-severity violations, including improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Toxic substances were found improperly identified, stored, or used.
Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill at 5672-5676 Timuquana Road had four high-severity violations: no employee health policy, food from unapproved or unknown sources, food in poor condition or mislabeled, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Seasons 52 at 5096 Big Island Drive drew four high-severity violations, including no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and dual chemical violations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Albatross at 113 East Bay Street had three high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms and no person in charge present or performing duties during the inspection. Inspectors also noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
El Botanero Cantina at 5745 Beney Road was cited for two high-severity violations: inadequate handwashing by food employees and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature.
Jollibee No. 47 at 11884 Atlantic Boulevard drew two high-severity violations, including inadequate shellfish traceability records, a finding that raises questions given that shellfish is not a standard menu item at the Filipino fast-food chain.
Avenue Grill at 818 A Philip Randolph Boulevard was cited for food from unapproved or unknown sources and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Riverside Presbyterian House at 2020 Park Street had two high-severity violations: food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
What These Violations Mean
The most alarming cluster this week involves employee illness and handwashing failures, and they appeared together at Morton's in a way that compounds the risk. When a facility has no written employee health policy and inspectors simultaneously observe an employee not reporting illness symptoms, those are not two separate problems. They are one system that has broken down entirely. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants, spreads through exactly this failure: a sick worker with no policy requiring disclosure, touching food or surfaces without adequate hand hygiene.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources was cited at Morton's, Sodexo at CSX HQ, Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill, and Avenue Grill. The core danger here is traceability. When food enters a kitchen through channels that bypass USDA or FDA inspection, there is no paper trail if a customer becomes ill. Investigators cannot identify the source, cannot issue a recall, and cannot determine how many other facilities received the same product.
The shellfish traceability failures at Morton's, Rainbow Sushi, and Jollibee carry a specific and acute risk. Shellfish are filter feeders that concentrate pathogens from the water around them. They are frequently eaten raw or lightly cooked, which means bacterial and viral loads are not reduced by heat. Without proper identification tags and receiving records, there is no way to determine where shellfish came from or whether it was harvested from waters approved for human consumption.
Improperly stored toxic chemicals appeared at nine of the fifteen facilities cited this week, including Morton's, Element Bistro, Rainbow Sushi, Citri San Marco, Sodexo at CSX HQ, Splitz, E B Lounge, Seasons 52, Avenue Grill, and Riverside Presbyterian House. Cleaning chemicals stored near food or improperly labeled can contaminate food directly or be mistaken for food-safe products. Chemical poisoning from this type of cross-contamination can cause symptoms within minutes and does not require consumption of large quantities.
The Longer Record
Rainbow Sushi carries the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's roundup, with 29 prior inspections on record. That volume alone is not a violation, but 29 inspections means state inspectors have been visiting this Beach Boulevard location for years, and the facility arrived at this week's inspection still unable to demonstrate allergen awareness or maintain shellfish traceability records. Those are not procedural technicalities. They are foundational food safety requirements.
Jollibee No. 47 and Avenue Grill each have 26 prior inspections on record, as does Seasons 52. Element Bistro and Myth Nightclub have 24 prior inspections, and Sodexo at CSX HQ has 23. Morton's, despite leading this week's list with 10 high-severity violations, has 22 prior inspections. None of these are new operations encountering the inspection process for the first time.
At the opposite end of the history spectrum, El Botanero Cantina has only 7 prior inspections on record, and Riverside Presbyterian House has 7 as well. Albatross has 12. These are relatively newer entrants to the inspection record, and all three already carry high-severity violations.
Citri San Marco, Seven Wonders Bakery and Grill, and Splitz each have 19 prior inspections. Citri San Marco's finding of improper sewage or wastewater disposal this week is notable: that is not a violation that appears because of oversight on a busy service day. It reflects a physical or procedural condition in the facility that persists across inspections.
The Longer Record
The 333 E Bay Street address in downtown Jacksonville produced violations from two separate licensed operations this week. E B Lounge, operating out of Suite 103, and Element Bistro, Bar and Lounge and Myth Nightclub share the same building and both drew high-severity citations. E B Lounge had no person in charge present during the inspection. That violation, according to CDC data, correlates with three times the rate of critical violations at a facility, because without active managerial oversight, every other standard is harder to enforce.
Morton's The Steakhouse, a national upscale chain, has 22 inspections on record in Jacksonville. Its 10 high-severity violations this week include food from unapproved sources at a restaurant where a single entree can cost $60 or more. The gap between the price point and the sourcing violation is a fact the record leaves unresolved.