JACKSONVILLE, FL. Dick's Wings & Grill on Old St. Augustine Road drew eight high-severity citations in a single inspection last week, including findings that no employee health policy existed, that workers were not reporting illness symptoms, and that allergen awareness was absent from the operation entirely.
Those three violations, stacked together, describe a kitchen where a sick employee could prepare food for a customer with a severe allergy and no policy would stop either outcome. State inspectors also cited the restaurant for improperly stored toxic chemicals, improperly identified toxic substances, and food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized. Dick's Wings & Grill has 32 prior inspections on record.
What Inspectors Found
JJ Wing & Burger on Duval Station Road matched Dick's Wings with eight high-severity violations, and its record includes a finding that the restaurant was serving food from an unapproved or unknown source. That citation sits alongside failures to report illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and two separate toxic chemical violations.
Banh Mi and Pho Express on Saint John Bluff Road South drew seven high-severity citations, including a finding that parasite destruction procedures were not followed. The restaurant also drew a citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a finding that places fecal contamination risk throughout the facility.
Food found to be in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated was cited there as well, alongside inadequate shell stock identification and improperly stored chemicals.
Secret Garden Cafe on Beach Boulevard was cited for seven high-severity violations, and inspectors noted that no person in charge was present or performing duties during the visit. That finding accompanied citations for no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, allergen awareness failures, and improper sewage disposal.
Twin Peaks Restaurant on Atlantic Boulevard drew seven high-severity violations including a citation for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards. Inspectors also found inadequate handwashing by food employees, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Flame Sushi Japanese Grill and Ramen on Beach Boulevard was cited for seven high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source and food found to be in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated. The restaurant, which serves raw fish preparations, also drew a citation for no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, meaning customers who are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised had no notice of the risk.
McDonald's on North Main Street drew seven high-severity violations, a tally that included parasite destruction procedures not followed and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The location was also cited for inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and two separate toxic substance violations.
JVille Seafood & More on Blanding Boulevard drew six high-severity violations and seven intermediate citations, the highest intermediate count of any facility inspected this week. Inspectors cited improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and food found to be in poor condition alongside employee illness reporting failures and allergen awareness gaps.
St. James Cafe on West Duval Street drew six high-severity violations, including findings that single-use items were being improperly reused and that wiping cloths were not being properly used. Both practices are documented contamination vectors that spread pathogens across surfaces inspectors had already found were not being properly sanitized.
Super Wings & Philly on Wilson Boulevard was cited for six high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures, inadequate shell stock identification, and a finding that required procedures for specialized processes were not being followed. Inspectors also noted inadequate cooling and cold holding equipment on site.
Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant on Beach Boulevard drew six high-severity violations. No person in charge was present during the inspection, and inspectors found no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, parasite destruction failures, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Margaritas Mexican Grill 1 on San Jose Boulevard drew five high-severity and six intermediate violations, including improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and single-use items being reused.
Jason's Deli on Southside Boulevard drew five high-severity violations including no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing, and two toxic substance citations. Inspectors also found improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and single-use items being improperly reused.
JJ Sharks Fish and Chicken on St. Johns Bluff Road South drew five high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Equipment found to be in poor repair was also cited, a finding that compounds sanitation problems because cracked and corroded surfaces cannot be effectively cleaned.
Empanada's Factory on Philips Highway drew one high-severity violation, for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity finding this week, cited at Dick's Wings & Grill, Secret Garden Cafe, Twin Peaks Restaurant, and eight other locations, was that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized. That citation describes cutting boards, prep tables, and equipment surfaces that transfer bacteria directly to the next food item placed on them. It is one of the most direct contamination pathways in any kitchen.
The failure to report illness symptoms, cited at Dick's Wings & Grill, JJ Wing & Burger, Secret Garden Cafe, Twin Peaks Restaurant, Flame Sushi, JVille Seafood & More, St. James Cafe, Margaritas Mexican Grill 1, and JJ Sharks Fish and Chicken, is the single most consistent finding in multi-victim outbreak investigations. Norovirus spreads from an infected food worker to dozens of customers through a single meal service. A written employee health policy, absent at Dick's Wings & Grill, Secret Garden Cafe, Banh Mi and Pho Express, Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant, Twin Peaks Restaurant, and Jason's Deli, is the first line of defense against that chain of events.
The food-from-unapproved-source citations at JJ Wing & Burger and Flame Sushi carry a different kind of risk. When food enters a restaurant through an uninspected supplier, there is no traceability if a customer becomes ill. Investigators cannot pull records, cannot identify the batch, and cannot issue a recall. The supply chain is invisible.
Parasite destruction failures, documented at Banh Mi and Pho Express, McDonald's on North Main Street, Super Wings & Philly, Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant, and JJ Sharks Fish and Chicken, mean that fish or other proteins were not frozen or cooked to the standards required to kill Anisakis and similar parasites. For restaurants serving raw or lightly cooked preparations, that failure is not theoretical.
The Longer Record
The inspection histories behind this week's findings vary widely, and that variation matters. Margaritas Mexican Grill 1 on San Jose Boulevard has 47 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week. Eleven high violations across five high-severity and six intermediate citations, at a location inspectors have visited nearly fifty times, describes a pattern rather than an anomaly.
Super Wings & Philly on Wilson Boulevard and Twin Peaks Restaurant on Atlantic Boulevard each carry 39 prior inspections. Both drew seven or six high-severity violations this week. Banh Mi and Pho Express on Saint John Bluff Road South has 35 prior inspections, and Empanada's Factory on Philips Highway has 37. JJ Sharks Fish and Chicken on St. Johns Bluff Road South also shows 37 prior inspections alongside this week's five high-severity citations.
The contrast at the newer end of the list is notable. JJ Wing & Burger on Duval Station Road has only four prior inspections on record, making this week's eight high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source and food not cooked to required minimum temperature, a significant finding for a location that is still early in its inspection history. JVille Seafood & More on Blanding Boulevard has eight prior inspections and drew six high-severity violations alongside seven intermediate citations this week.
Dick's Wings & Grill, with 32 prior inspections and eight high-severity violations this week, drew the same number of serious citations as JJ Wing & Burger despite having eight times the inspection history. Whether that record shows improvement over time is a question the prior inspection files would answer.
