JACKSONVILLE, FL. Rocking Crab Seafood and Bar on Blanding Boulevard drew nine high-severity citations during the week of May 4, including a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish and a finding that food on the premises was in poor condition or adulterated, records show.
The Rocking Crab citations did not stop there. Inspectors also found that the person in charge was not present or not performing duties, that at least one employee was not reporting illness symptoms, and that handwashing technique was inadequate. Shell stock identification records for shellfish, required so that oysters and clams can be traced if customers fall ill, were also found lacking. Toxic chemicals were improperly stored or labeled. The facility had 14 violations in total across high-severity and intermediate categories.
The Violations
Akels Deli and Grille at 1 Independent Drive matched Rocking Crab with nine high-severity citations of its own. Inspectors found no written employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, shell stock identification failures, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures. Food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, time as a public health control was not properly used, and there was no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
Denny's at 8409 Blanding Boulevard also accumulated nine high-severity violations. Among the most serious: food from an unapproved or unknown source, meaning that product bypassed federal safety inspections and could not be traced if a customer became ill. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for improperly stored toxic chemicals and for a separate finding of toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, two distinct chemical storage failures documented in the same visit.
Allusions Restaurant and Lounge on Soutel Drive drew eight high-severity citations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, no person in charge performing duties, no employee health policy, and improper handwashing technique. Toxic chemicals were improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods was posted.
Modu Ramen on Baymeadows Road also received eight high-severity citations. Inspectors found food in poor condition or adulterated, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and two separate chemical storage violations. The person in charge was not present or not performing duties.
Across Downtown and Beyond
River Club at 1 Independent Drive drew seven high-severity citations, including no employee health policy, parasite destruction failures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and two chemical storage violations. Inspectors also found time as a public health control was not properly used, meaning food was allowed to sit in the bacterial growth temperature range without adequate tracking.
D and G Deli and Grill at 233 East Bay Street received six high-severity citations. Among them: inadequate shell stock identification records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a finding that points to fecal contamination risk throughout the kitchen.
Sodexo at CSX HQ Dining on Water Street serves employees inside a corporate headquarters and still drew five high-severity violations. Inspectors found no employee health policy, food from an unapproved or unknown source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Improper sewage disposal and inadequate toilet facilities were also cited at the intermediate level.
Citri San Marco on Kings Avenue was cited for food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, improperly stored chemicals, and a failure to follow required procedures for specialized food processes such as smoking, curing, or reduced-oxygen packaging. Inspectors also found single-use items being reused and improper sewage disposal.
E B Lounge on East Bay Street drew a citation for no allergen awareness demonstrated, a finding that affects the roughly 32 million Americans with food allergies. The lounge also had no person in charge, improperly stored chemicals, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Improper sewage disposal and inadequate toilet facilities were cited at the intermediate level.
1928 Cuban Bistro 7 on Philips Highway was cited for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, inadequate shell stock identification records, and no allergen awareness. The facility had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
Trout River Grill at 370 Zoo Parkway received citations for improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Tipsy Bar and Grill on South Edgewood Avenue was cited for no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
Checkers at 7504 Atlantic Boulevard drew four high-severity violations with no intermediate citations at all: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved or unknown source, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures.
Albatross at 113 East Bay Street received three high-severity citations for no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing technique. Improper sewage disposal, single-use items being reused, and inadequate ventilation were cited at the intermediate level.
What These Violations Mean
The most recurring high-severity violation this week was the failure to ensure employees report illness symptoms, cited at Rocking Crab, Akels Deli, Denny's, Allusions, Modu Ramen, 1928 Cuban Bistro 7, Checkers, and Albatross. Food workers who do not report symptoms are the primary mechanism by which Norovirus, which causes an estimated 20 million illnesses in the United States each year, moves from a sick employee to a plate.
Shellfish traceability failures at Rocking Crab, Akels Deli, D and G Deli, and 1928 Cuban Bistro 7 represent a specific category of risk. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently consumed raw or lightly cooked, and without proper shell stock identification tags, there is no way to trace a product back to its harvest bed if customers become ill.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, documented at Denny's, Allusions, Sodexo at CSX HQ, and Checkers, means that product entered those kitchens without passing through USDA or FDA inspection. There is no chain of custody. If a customer gets sick, investigators have no starting point.
The chemical storage violations, found at nine of the fifteen facilities this week, carry an underappreciated acute risk. Improperly stored or unlabeled cleaning agents and toxic substances stored near food create a direct contamination pathway. At Denny's and Modu Ramen, inspectors documented two separate chemical violations each, suggesting the problem was not isolated to one storage area.
The Longer Record
Denny's on Blanding has the longest inspection history of any facility cited this week, with 45 prior inspections on record. Despite that history, inspectors this week found food from an unapproved source and two distinct chemical storage failures. A facility that has been inspected 45 times and still draws violations in foundational categories is not a facility that has been correcting problems.
D and G Deli and Grill has 28 prior inspections on record. Rocking Crab has 27, and Checkers on Atlantic Boulevard has 29. All three drew high-severity citations this week in categories, including shellfish traceability, handwashing, and unapproved food sources, that appear in inspection records across the industry as persistent, correctable problems.
Allusions Restaurant and Lounge stands out from the other direction. With only 7 prior inspections on record, it is one of the newest facilities in this week's data, and it already accumulated 8 high-severity violations in a single visit, including food from an unapproved source and no employee health policy. A facility that young with that violation load has not established basic food safety infrastructure.
Albatross on East Bay Street has 11 prior inspections on record and drew sewage disposal violations alongside the three high-severity citations. Whether the sewage finding at Albatross, or the same violation documented at D and G Deli, E B Lounge, Sodexo at CSX, and Citri San Marco, has been cited in prior inspections at those locations is not reflected in this week's records.