JACKSONVILLE, FL. Chow's Country Buffet on Southside Boulevard and Salsas Mexican Restaurant on City Center Boulevard each accumulated 10 high-severity violations during the week of September 28, the highest totals among 15 Jacksonville facilities cited for serious food safety failures in Duval County inspection records.
Chow's violations included food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, inadequate shellfish traceability records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and food found in poor condition. Inspectors also cited the buffet for having no written employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique.
That combination, an unverified food supply, contaminated prep surfaces, and workers who may be sick and washing their hands incorrectly, is among the most dangerous clusters an inspector can document in a single visit.
The Violations
Salsas drew its 10 violations despite also lacking a person in charge present or performing duties during the inspection. Inspectors documented inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish traceability records, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. The absence of a responsible manager on site, paired with undercooking violations, is a combination that state health data consistently links to elevated outbreak risk.
Saigon Coffee and Sandwiches on Beach Boulevard also reached 10 high-severity violations. The shop had no person in charge present, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique. Inspectors additionally cited the location for food from unapproved sources, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Ya Habibi Slice and Spice on St. Augustine Road drew nine high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, toxic substances improperly identified or used, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and improper use of time as a public health control. Inspectors also found no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Senor Loco Tacos and Tequila on Southside Boulevard matched Ya Habibi's count with nine high-severity violations. The list included food in poor condition, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also found no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique.
Tunis Seafood Wings and Subs on Normandy Boulevard received eight high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish traceability, unsanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The allergen finding is notable at a seafood establishment, where cross-contact with shellfish can be fatal for customers with crustacean allergies.
Purple Roots on Southside Boulevard, in the same shopping corridor as Senor Loco, also drew eight high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge present, no employee health policy, food in poor condition, parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Max's Restaurant Jacksonville on University Boulevard North drew eight high-severity violations as well, including no person in charge present, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellfish traceability, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, toxic substances improperly stored or used, and improper use of time as a public health control.
Delicias Colombianas on Blanding Boulevard was cited for seven high-severity violations, among them food from unapproved sources, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness. Inspectors also flagged improper sewage or wastewater disposal, one of the more acute contamination risks in the week's records.
Cucinellas Brick Oven Pizza on Old Kings Road South drew seven high-severity violations including no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate shellfish traceability, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no allergen awareness, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Baran Cafe on St. Johns Bluff Road South also reached seven high-severity violations. Inspectors cited food in poor condition, parasite destruction failures, unsanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. Multi-use utensils were also found not properly cleaned.
Sake House on Riverplace Boulevard drew seven high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, unsanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Multi-use utensils were also cited as improperly cleaned, a significant concern at a sushi-oriented establishment where raw fish handling is central to the menu.
Cross Creek on South Lane Avenue drew two high-severity violations: an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Super Tienda Latina y Restaurante on Toledo Road received one high-severity violation, for an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
Hong Kong Station on Beach Boulevard drew one intermediate violation for improperly reusing single-use items.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved sources, cited this week at Chow's Country Buffet, Salsas, Saigon Coffee and Sandwiches, Tunis Seafood Wings and Subs, Delicias Colombianas, and Sake House, means inspectors could not verify that the food in those kitchens passed through any licensed, inspected supply chain. If a customer becomes ill after eating at one of those restaurants, investigators have no reliable trail to trace the contamination back to its origin.
The handwashing pattern is the week's most consistent finding. Improper handwashing technique was cited at 11 of the 15 facilities. Inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning the physical infrastructure for washing hands was compromised or absent, appeared at five locations including Chow's, Salsas, Saigon, Senor Loco, and Sake House. Handwashing failures matter because they are the primary mechanism by which a sick employee transmits Norovirus or bacteria directly to food. The technique violation means workers attempted to wash their hands and still left pathogens behind.
The employee illness reporting failures, documented at 12 of the 15 facilities this week, compound every other violation on the list. A worker with Norovirus who does not report symptoms, washes their hands incorrectly, and handles food on unsanitized surfaces creates a direct transmission chain to customers. Norovirus causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year, and food workers are a primary vector.
Improper sewage or wastewater disposal, flagged at both Delicias Colombianas and Cucinellas Brick Oven Pizza, introduces a category of risk separate from food handling. Raw sewage contains E. coli, Hepatitis A, and other pathogens. When wastewater is not properly contained, contamination can reach food prep surfaces, equipment, and food itself through splash or runoff.
The Longer Record
The two facilities with the most prior inspections on record, Chow's Country Buffet and Cross Creek, each show 38 prior inspections. Chow's drew 10 high-severity violations this week. Cross Creek drew two. The volume of prior visits at Chow's means inspectors have been through that kitchen repeatedly, and the findings this week, including unapproved food sources and no employee health policy, are not the kind of violations that emerge from misreading a new regulation.
Cucinellas Brick Oven Pizza carries 32 prior inspections, and Baran Cafe carries 36. Both drew seven high-severity violations this week, including sewage disposal failures at Cucinellas and parasite destruction failures at Baran. Delicias Colombianas has 30 prior inspections and drew seven high-severity violations including both a sewage citation and no allergen awareness. Ya Habibi Slice and Spice has 29 prior inspections, as does Sake House and Super Tienda Latina y Restaurante.
Max's Restaurant Jacksonville stands out at the other end of the history spectrum. With only six prior inspections on record, Max's drew eight high-severity violations this week, including no person in charge present, toxic substances improperly stored, and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. A facility accumulating that volume of serious violations that early in its inspection history is a different kind of concern than a long-tenured establishment.
Saigon Coffee and Sandwiches has 10 prior inspections and drew 10 high-severity violations this week, the same count as Chow's and Salsas. Whether Saigon's inspection history shows improvement or a pattern of recurring failures in the same categories is a question the full prior record would answer.
