JACKSONVILLE, FL. State inspectors emergency-closed two Jacksonville restaurants on the same day last week, shuttering Fuji 3 on San Jose Boulevard for roach activity and Kazu Sushi Burrito on West Adams Street for rodent, roach, and fly activity, both on October 13. Across Duval County that same week, 15 facilities drew high-severity violations, led by Famous Amos on North Main Street, which accumulated 12 high-severity citations in a single inspection.
The Closures
Fuji 3 drew 10 high-severity violations in addition to the roach activity that triggered its closure, including citations for food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shell stock identification, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. The restaurant also had no person in charge present and employees were not reporting symptoms of illness.
Kazu Sushi Burrito's closure for rodent, roach, and fly activity stands out for a different reason. The facility's inspection record shows only one intermediate violation this week, the reuse of single-use items, meaning the pest conditions that forced the closure were severe enough to act on without an accompanying cascade of food-handling failures. The facility has 44 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any restaurant cited this week.
What Inspectors Found
Famous Amos on North Main led the week by volume. Its 12 high-severity violations included the absence of a person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and the improper use of time as a public health control. That last citation means food was held in the temperature danger zone, between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, without documentation of when the clock started, making it impossible to verify whether the food was still safe.
Thai Orchid on Beach Boulevard drew nine high-severity violations, including two that are rarely cited together: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Both were cited at the same inspection, alongside inadequate shell stock records, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
La Michocana de Tocumbo on University Boulevard South was cited for eight high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed and food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, along with no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. The facility also had no person in charge and no employee health policy.
Subway on Southside Boulevard drew eight high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no allergen awareness demonstrated, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and inadequate handwashing by food employees. A national sandwich chain with 15 prior inspections on record in this location's file, it was among the busiest facilities cited this week by severity count.
Yashi Sushi on Deer Lake Drive West was cited for parasite destruction procedures not followed alongside toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also noted multi-use utensils not properly cleaned as an intermediate violation.
Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh on Merrill Road drew seven high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Employees were also cited for not reporting illness symptoms and for both inadequate handwashing and improper technique.
Captain D's on West University Avenue accumulated six high-severity violations, including parasite destruction procedures not followed, food in poor condition, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The facility also had improper sewage or wastewater disposal cited as an intermediate violation.
Purple Roots on Southside Boulevard was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Improper sewage disposal was also cited as an intermediate violation.
Starving Like Marvin No. 2 on West Ashley Street drew six high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, no consumer advisory, no allergen awareness, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also cited inadequate toilet facilities as an intermediate violation.
Jimmy John's on San Jose Boulevard was cited for six high-severity violations, including food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
TownePlace Suites on Lenoir Avenue drew six high-severity violations including no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness. Improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation were both cited as intermediate violations.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity citation this week, appearing at 11 of the 15 facilities, was either inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, or both. At Famous Amos, Fuji 3, Starving Like Marvin No. 2, and TownePlace Suites, inspectors documented both inadequate handwashing facilities and improper technique. That combination matters because the first violation means the physical infrastructure for washing hands is missing or broken, and the second means employees are not washing correctly even when they try. Together, they describe a facility where contaminated hands move freely between raw food, surfaces, and finished plates.
The employee illness violations, cited at Famous Amos, Fuji 3, La Michocana de Tocumbo, Yashi Sushi, Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh, Captain D's, Purple Roots, Starving Like Marvin No. 2, Jimmy John's, and TownePlace Suites, represent the most direct transmission route from a sick worker to a customer's meal. Norovirus can be shed before symptoms appear and survive on surfaces for days. A written employee health policy is the first line of defense, and this week it was absent at Famous Amos, La Michocana de Tocumbo, Thai Orchid, and TownePlace Suites.
Parasite destruction failures, cited at La Michocana de Tocumbo, Yashi Sushi, Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh, Captain D's, Purple Roots, and Jimmy John's, mean that fish or other proteins subject to parasite risk were not frozen to the required temperature and duration before serving. At sushi restaurants, this is a direct pathway for Anisakis larvae to survive into a finished dish.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Fuji 3 and Purple Roots, removes the traceability that makes outbreak investigations possible. If a customer becomes ill, inspectors need to trace the food back through a licensed supplier. Without that chain of custody, the source of contamination cannot be identified and other customers cannot be warned.
The Longer Record
Kazu Sushi Burrito's 44 prior inspections make it the most-inspected facility on this week's list, and its emergency closure for rodent, roach, and fly activity on October 13 is the most severe outcome in the data. A facility with that many inspections on record has had ample opportunity for problems to be identified and corrected. The pest conditions documented this week were sufficient, on their own, to close the restaurant.
Fuji 3 carries 38 prior inspections and was also emergency-closed this week for roach activity, on top of 10 high-severity violations. Yashi Sushi has 30 prior inspections, Famous Amos has 31, and Thai Orchid has 29. None of those histories prevented the volume of high-severity citations documented this week.
La Michocana de Tocumbo is the newest facility in this week's data, with only 2 prior inspections on record. It drew 8 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction failures, food in poor condition, and no consumer advisory. A facility that is still in its earliest inspections and already accumulating violations at that rate is a different kind of concern than a longtime offender.
Jax Fish Shrimp and Chicken on Edgewood Avenue drew only one high-severity violation this week, for no person in charge, but its intermediate citation was for improper sewage or wastewater disposal. The facility has 28 prior inspections on record. Improper sewage disposal was also cited this week at Captain D's, Purple Roots, and TownePlace Suites, four separate facilities across the city with the same intermediate violation in the same seven-day window.
La Michocana de Tocumbo's parasite destruction failure, cited on just its second inspection, remains unresolved in the public record.
