JACKSONVILLE, FL. Famous Amos at 11565 N Main St. led all Jacksonville restaurants inspected the week of October 14 with 12 high-severity violations, including no person in charge present or performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate handwashing facilities, all documented in a single visit.
Inspectors also cited the location for improper hand and arm washing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, inadequate shell stock identification, and misuse of time as a public health control. That is eight distinct categories of high-severity failure at one address, in one week.
The Violations
Two Beach Boulevard restaurants followed Famous Amos with nine high-severity violations each. Tacos Dona Maria 2 at 12192 Beach Blvd. was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source and food in poor condition or adulterated, on top of no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Thai Orchid at 12620 Beach Blvd. drew citations for two separate chemical violations, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, alongside no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, misuse of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory.
The Marriott-branded hotel restaurants on Lenoir Avenue both appeared on the list. Courtyard Jacksonville Butler Blvd. at 4670 Lenoir Ave. S was cited for eight high-severity violations, including food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and failure to follow required procedures for specialized processes.
TownePlace Suites at 4801 Lenoir Ave., less than a mile away, drew six high-severity violations of its own, including no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing by food employees, improper technique, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal and inadequate ventilation as intermediate violations.
La Michocana de Tocumbo at 4329 University Blvd. S was cited for eight high-severity violations, among them parasite destruction procedures not followed, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, and no consumer advisory, alongside three management and hygiene failures.
Subway at 4375 Southside Blvd. accumulated eight high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no allergen awareness demonstrated, toxic chemicals improperly stored, inadequate handwashing, improper technique, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory.
Yashi Sushi at 4820 Deer Lake Drive West was cited for seven high-severity violations. A sushi restaurant serving raw fish was found with parasite destruction procedures not followed, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored, improper handwashing technique, and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh at 8015 Merrill Rd. drew seven high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, parasite destruction procedures not followed, inadequate shell stock records, toxic substances improperly identified or used, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and improper technique.
Marie Family Restaurant at 5947 Merrill Rd. was cited for six high-severity violations: no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no allergen awareness.
Purple Roots at 4549 Southside Blvd. was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, food in poor condition or adulterated, parasite destruction procedures not followed, inadequate shell stock records, no allergen awareness, and employees not reporting illness, along with improper sewage disposal as an intermediate violation.
Captain D's #3372 at 5640 W University Ave. drew six high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and employees not reporting illness. Inspectors also noted improper sewage disposal.
Starving Like Marvin #2 at 311 W Ashley St. was cited for inadequate handwashing facilities, improper technique, no consumer advisory, no allergen awareness, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and employees not reporting illness. Inspectors additionally noted inadequate ventilation and inadequate toilet facilities.
Jimmy John's 2174 at 11616 San Jose Blvd. drew six high-severity violations: employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no allergen awareness.
Hardee's at 11191 San Jose Blvd. was the lone facility among those inspected this week to record zero high-severity violations, drawing only a single intermediate citation for improperly reused single-use items.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity violation this week, appearing at 11 of the 15 cited facilities, was employees not reporting symptoms of illness. This is not a paperwork problem. A food worker who continues handling food while ill with Norovirus, Salmonella, or Hepatitis A is a direct transmission route to every customer served that shift. Famous Amos, Tacos Dona Maria 2, Courtyard Jacksonville Butler Blvd., La Michocana de Tocumbo, and TownePlace Suites were among those cited for both no employee health policy and employees not reporting illness, meaning there was neither the written framework nor the actual practice in place to catch a sick worker before they reached the food line.
The food sourcing violations at Tacos Dona Maria 2 and Purple Roots carry a specific danger that goes beyond the food itself. When a restaurant obtains food from an unapproved or unknown source, that product has bypassed USDA and FDA inspection. If someone gets sick, there is no supply chain record to trace. Investigators cannot identify the origin, cannot issue a recall, and cannot determine how many other customers were exposed.
Parasite destruction failures at Yashi Sushi, Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh, La Michocana de Tocumbo, Purple Roots, Captain D's, and Jimmy John's represent a different kind of risk. Raw or undercooked fish that has not been properly frozen to kill parasites can harbor Anisakis worms or tapeworm larvae. At a sushi restaurant like Yashi Sushi, where raw fish consumption is the entire premise, the absence of documented parasite destruction procedures is among the most direct food safety failures possible.
The dual chemical violations at Thai Orchid, where inspectors cited both improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals and improperly identified or used toxic substances, point to a kitchen where cleaning agents and food occupy the same uncontrolled space. Chemical contamination from mislabeled or improperly stored cleaners can cause acute poisoning with no warning and no visible sign in the food.
The Longer Record
Famous Amos on N Main has 31 prior inspections on record, the longest inspection history of any facility cited this week. Twelve high-severity violations at a location that has been through the inspection process three dozen times is not a new operation finding its footing. It is a facility with an established relationship with state inspectors that produced the week's worst result.
Yashi Sushi carries 30 prior inspections and Jax Fish and Chicken Always Fresh carries 29, the same count as Thai Orchid and Hardee's. Thai Orchid's nine high-severity violations across a 29-inspection history, including the dual chemical storage failures, suggest the facility has not resolved core compliance issues over time. Hardee's, with the same inspection count, recorded zero high-severity violations this week.
La Michocana de Tocumbo at 4329 University Blvd. S stands apart from the rest of the list. It has only 3 prior inspections on record, making it among the newest facilities in this week's data. Eight high-severity violations at a location that has barely been through the inspection cycle is a steep early record, particularly given the parasite destruction failure and the absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
The two Lenoir Avenue hotel restaurants, Courtyard Jacksonville Butler Blvd. and TownePlace Suites, each carry 23 and 15 prior inspections respectively. Both drew high-severity violations this week in overlapping categories, including no employee health policy and employees not reporting illness. They operate less than a mile apart under different Marriott brands, and both failed on illness reporting in the same inspection week.
Jimmy John's 2174 on San Jose Blvd. has 25 prior inspections on record. Among its six high-severity violations this week was no allergen awareness demonstrated. For a sandwich chain where customers with food allergies routinely rely on staff knowledge to navigate menu choices safely, that citation at a location with two dozen prior inspections remains unresolved in this week's records.
