JACKSONVILLE, FL. Tepeyolot Cerveceria on Kings Avenue accumulated seven high-severity violations during a single inspection the week of May 21, the highest count among 15 Jacksonville facilities cited for serious food safety failures in Duval County that week.
The brewery and restaurant drew citations for food sourced from unapproved suppliers, inadequate shellfish identification records, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and a complete absence of allergen awareness among staff. Inspectors also found that no person in charge was present or performing duties, and that at least one employee was using improper handwashing technique. A sewage or wastewater disposal violation rounded out the intermediate findings.
The Violations
Dough Show at 12681 Bartram Park Blvd drew six high-severity violations, including one that stands out: an employee was not reporting symptoms of illness, and food was sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers. Inspectors also cited the bakery for food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, inadequate shellfish identification records, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no person in charge on duty. Wastewater disposal and the reuse of single-use items added two intermediate violations.
Town Hall on San Marco Blvd also collected six high-severity citations, including toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly near food areas, food not cooked to required temperatures, and a failure to properly use time as a public health control. Inspectors found inadequate handwashing facilities and cited the restaurant for employees not reporting illness symptoms. A citation for inadequate shellfish traceability records completed the high-severity count.
Hiro Japanese Restaurant on Baymeadows Road was cited for six high-severity violations, including no person in charge present, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, inadequate shellfish records, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly. Two intermediate violations for unclean multi-use utensils and inadequate ventilation accompanied the findings.
China Moon on West Beaver Street drew citations for food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper handwashing technique, inadequate handwashing facilities, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Hibachi Express on University Blvd West was cited for inadequate handwashing by food employees, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Tulua Bistro on North Main Street was cited for five high-severity violations, two of which involved toxic substances: inspectors found chemicals both improperly stored or labeled and improperly identified or used. The bistro also drew citations for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Damaskino on Atlantic Blvd collected five high-severity violations with no intermediate citations at all. Among the findings: food from unapproved sources, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish records, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish or other raw proteins.
J Alexander's Restaurant on Bistro Drive was cited for four high-severity violations, including a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Deercreek Country Club on McLaurin Road drew four high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, inadequate handwashing by food employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, and no person in charge present.
El Sol de Mexico on Blanding Blvd was cited for four high-severity violations: no person in charge, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures.
La Catrina Tacos and Tequila Bar on Yellowbluff Road received four high-severity citations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
China Joy on Margaret Street was cited for three high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Dunkin and Baskin Robbins on University Blvd West drew three high-severity violations, including food in poor condition or adulterated, a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Fogo de Chao Churrascaria on Town Center Pkwy was the only facility among the 15 to record zero high-severity violations, drawing a single intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
What These Violations Mean
The illness-reporting failures documented at Dough Show, Town Hall, Tulua Bistro, and China Joy are among the most acute risks in any inspection report. Food workers infected with norovirus or Salmonella who continue working through symptoms can contaminate surfaces, utensils, and food directly. A single sick employee at a busy location can expose dozens or hundreds of diners before any illness is traced back to a kitchen.
The unapproved food source citations at Dough Show, China Moon, Hibachi Express, Damaskino, La Catrina, and China Joy represent a traceability gap. When food enters a kitchen through unregulated channels, it bypasses the inspection and documentation systems that allow health officials to identify the source of an outbreak. If a customer gets sick, investigators have no paper trail to follow.
Parasite destruction failures cited at Damaskino, J Alexander's, El Sol de Mexico, and Dunkin and Baskin Robbins involve a specific protocol: certain raw fish and proteins must be frozen to precise temperatures for defined periods to kill parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm. When that step is skipped, the risk transfers directly to the customer eating the dish. At a doughnut and ice cream franchise, the presence of a parasite destruction citation is unexpected and warrants scrutiny of what ingredients triggered it.
The allergen awareness failure at Tepeyolot Cerveceria is in a category of its own. Food allergies send roughly 30,000 Americans to emergency rooms each year. A kitchen where staff cannot identify allergens in dishes, or where no system exists to communicate allergen information to servers, has no reliable way to protect a customer with a severe allergy from a life-threatening reaction.
The Longer Record
El Sol de Mexico has the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's report, with 44 prior inspections on record. Four high-severity violations this week, including no person in charge and no employee health policy, suggest that accumulated oversight has not produced consistent compliance. A facility inspected that many times and still missing foundational management controls raises a straightforward question about what those prior inspections found.
Damaskino has 37 prior inspections on record, and China Joy has 35. Both drew high-severity violations this week in categories, including unapproved food sourcing and shellfish traceability, that are not new compliance challenges. These are well-documented, well-known requirements that inspectors have been enforcing in Florida kitchens for years.
Hiro Japanese Restaurant has 33 prior inspections and Deercreek Country Club has 30, yet both drew citations this week for inadequate handwashing facilities, a violation that reflects a physical infrastructure failure rather than a momentary lapse. Fixing a handwashing station is not a training problem. That it remains an issue across dozens of inspections at either location is a fact the records make plain.
Tulua Bistro, with only 9 prior inspections on record, is among the newest facilities in this week's group. Its five high-severity violations, including two separate toxic substance citations, represent a significant accumulation of serious findings early in its inspection history. Tepeyolot Cerveceria has 13 prior inspections and this week led all facilities with seven high-severity violations, including the allergen awareness failure that no other location in the group was cited for.
The Longer Pattern
Shellfish traceability failures appeared at seven of the 15 facilities this week: Dough Show, Tepeyolot Cerveceria, Town Hall, Hiro Japanese Restaurant, Hibachi Express, Damaskino, and La Catrina. That is the single most common high-severity violation category in this week's report. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are often consumed raw or lightly cooked, and without proper identification tags, there is no way to trace a contaminated batch if customers become ill.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces were cited at eight facilities: Tepeyolot Cerveceria, Hiro Japanese Restaurant, China Moon, Hibachi Express, Tulua Bistro, J Alexander's, La Catrina, China Joy, and Dunkin and Baskin Robbins. Cutting boards, prep surfaces, and equipment that are not properly sanitized between uses are one of the most reliable vectors for transferring bacteria from raw proteins to ready-to-eat food.
Toxic chemical storage violations appeared at Town Hall, Hiro Japanese Restaurant, China Moon, Hibachi Express, and Tulua Bistro, with Tulua drawing two separate chemical-related citations in the same inspection. Whether those chemicals were stored near food, mislabeled, or used improperly, the inspection record does not specify in the data available. What it does show is that five kitchens in a single week had chemicals in places or conditions that an inspector flagged as a serious risk.
Damaskino's parasite destruction failure, combined with its unapproved food source citation, means the restaurant was serving proteins that arrived through unverified channels and were not processed to eliminate parasites before reaching the plate.