YULEE, FL. Food from unapproved or unknown sources was among seven high-severity violations documented at a Nassau County Mexican restaurant on September 29, a finding that means inspectors could not verify whether ingredients served to customers had ever passed a federal safety inspection.
Mexican Grill and Cantina Don Patron at 96098 Lofton Square Ct. accumulated 7 high-severity and 4 intermediate violations during that single inspection. State records show the restaurant was emergency-closed the same day for roach activity, then cleared to reopen the following morning.
Despite the closure, the seven high-severity violations remained on the record.
What Inspectors Found
The food sourcing violation is one of the most consequential an inspector can document. When a restaurant cannot demonstrate that its ingredients came from a USDA or FDA-approved supplier, there is no paper trail if a customer gets sick. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli outbreaks traced back to contaminated supply chains depend on that documentation to identify the source and stop further exposure.
The cooking temperature violation compounds that risk directly. Poultry served below 165 degrees Fahrenheit can carry live Salmonella. Ground beef below 155 degrees can harbor E. coli. When food arrives from an unverified source and is then undercooked, there is no safety net at either end of the process.
Two separate chemical violations, one for improper storage and labeling and one for improper identification and use, were also cited. Chemicals stored near food or in unlabeled containers can contaminate a meal without any visible sign. A customer would have no way to know.
Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique, which is distinct from employees skipping handwashing entirely. Even when workers go through the motion of washing, incorrect technique leaves pathogens on hands that then transfer directly to food and surfaces.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of violations documented on September 29 is not a collection of paperwork problems. Food from an unknown source, undercooked to an unsafe temperature, prepared by employees whose handwashing technique was flagged as inadequate, served without a consumer advisory for anyone who might be pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised: each of those failures is serious on its own.
Together, they describe a kitchen where the basic checkpoints that prevent a customer from getting seriously ill were not functioning.
The single-use item reuse citation adds another layer. Single-use gloves, cups, and utensils are designed to prevent cross-contamination between tasks. Reusing them transfers whatever was on the item from one surface, one food, or one person's hands to the next.
Multi-use utensils that are not properly cleaned develop bacterial biofilms, which are layers of bacteria that standard rinsing does not remove and that continue to contaminate food that contacts the surface. The inadequate toilet facilities violation matters because it directly affects whether employees can maintain the hygiene routine that handwashing citations are already showing broke down.
The Longer Record
The September 29 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show 44 inspections on file for Don Patron, with 333 total violations documented across that history.
The pattern in recent years is consistent. On November 24, 2025, inspectors cited 9 high-severity and 7 intermediate violations. The restaurant cleared a follow-up on December 5. On February 18, 2025, it drew 8 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations, then cleared a follow-up nine days later. On May 6, 2026, it was hit with 10 high-severity and 4 intermediate violations, cleared again the next day.
September 29, 2026 brought 7 high-severity violations and a same-day emergency closure for roach activity.
Three Closures, One Restaurant
This was not the first time Don Patron was emergency-closed. State records show two prior closures for rodent activity, one on July 2, 2020, and one on January 19, 2021. Both times the restaurant was cleared to reopen within 24 hours. The September 29 closure for roach activity followed the same arc: closed one day, open the next.
The roach closure triggered a same-day follow-up inspection. That follow-up, on September 30, showed zero high-severity and zero intermediate violations, which is the threshold for reopening.
The seven high-severity violations from the September 29 inspection, including food from an unapproved source, undercooking, two chemical hazards, and improper handwashing technique, were on the record when the doors opened again the following morning.
