MIAMI, FL. Tribute to Tobacco Road by Kush on South Miami Avenue racked up 14 high-severity violations during a single inspection this week, including food sourced from unapproved suppliers, no employee illness reporting policy, and documented failures in parasite destruction procedures for fish, making it the most cited facility in Miami-Dade during the week of May 7 through May 13, 2026.
The Brickell-area restaurant also drew citations for inadequate handwashing, improper hand and arm washing technique, missing shellfish traceability records, and a person in charge who was either absent or not performing required duties. That last finding matters: without active managerial oversight, state data shows establishments accumulate critical violations at three times the rate of supervised kitchens.
Inspectors documented 5 intermediate violations alongside the 14 high-severity ones, bringing the total to 19 citations from a single visit.
What Inspectors Found
Two blocks south of Tribute to Tobacco Road, Bonding at 638 S Miami Ave collected 10 high-severity violations of its own. Inspectors found food in poor condition, food sourced from unapproved suppliers, missing shellfish traceability records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, inadequate handwashing, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures.
Bonding also drew citations for improper use of time as a public health control and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked menu items. Customers ordering raw or lightly cooked dishes had no posted notice that those preparations carry elevated health risks.
Moshi Moshi Brickell at 1700 SW 3 Ave accumulated 7 high-severity violations, among them failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, food not cooked to minimum required temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. The restaurant also had no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, a notable gap for a sushi-focused concept where raw fish is central to the menu.
Multi-use utensils were also cited as not properly cleaned, which creates conditions for bacterial biofilm buildup on surfaces that come into direct contact with food.
Bahamas Fish Market and Restaurant #2 at 13399 SW 42 St drew 9 high-severity violations, including a person in charge not present or not performing duties, no employee health policy, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly. There was also no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods at a facility whose name signals raw seafood as a core offering.
Sticky Rice Lao Thai and Sushi at 12895 SW 42 St was cited for 9 high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, food in poor condition, inadequate handwashing, and improper technique even when handwashing was attempted. Inspectors also noted no person in charge and an employee illness reporting failure.
Mojitos Cuban Cuisine at 8000 SW 8th Street drew the same 9 high-severity count. Inspectors found no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. The citation for inadequate handwashing facilities is distinct from improper technique: it means the physical infrastructure for washing hands was insufficient, making compliance structurally impossible regardless of intent.
Ficelle Boulangerie and Patisserie / Le Bistro by Ficelle at 1440 NW N River Dr also reached 9 high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing, improper technique, food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper time-as-a-control use, and no consumer advisory. That is a bakery and bistro concept with shellfish traceability failures, meaning shellfish on the menu cannot be traced to its harvest source if someone becomes ill.
Me Kong Chinese Restaurant at 18073 S Dixie Hwy collected 6 high-severity violations plus an intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, one of the more acute structural findings of the week. Sewage violations create fecal contamination risk throughout a facility. The restaurant also drew citations for food from unapproved sources, improperly stored toxic chemicals, inadequate handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory.
Emergency Closures
Two locations operating under the name La Vaca Loca Farm were ordered closed on May 8. The location at 13941 SW 143 Ct Unit 1 was shut down for fly activity. The location at 17950 SW 177 Ave was closed for unlicensed activity, meaning it was operating without a valid food service license at the time of inspection.
Operating without a license means no routine inspections have been occurring, no compliance record exists, and the facility has been preparing or serving food outside the oversight system entirely.
What These Violations Mean
The employee illness reporting failures documented this week at Tribute to Tobacco Road by Kush, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, Sticky Rice Lao Thai and Sushi, and Delicias de Espana 2 represent a direct transmission pathway. Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses annually in the United States, spreads readily when infected food workers handle ready-to-eat items without restriction. A written health policy requiring workers to report symptoms and be excluded from food handling is the mechanism that breaks that chain. Without it, the chain stays open.
The parasite destruction failures at Tribute to Tobacco Road by Kush, Moshi Moshi Brickell, and Sticky Rice Lao Thai and Sushi are specific to raw fish service. Parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm survive in fish unless it has been properly frozen or cooked to required temperatures. Sushi and raw preparations that skip verified freezing protocols serve fish that has not been rendered safe.
The food-from-unapproved-source citations at Bonding, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, Me Kong, Ficelle, Rinconcito Dadeland Midtown at 7360 SW 90 St, New Canton at 1825 SW 8 St, Delicias de Espana 2 at 7384 SW 40 St, El Gallego Spanish Food at 7171 SW 8 St, and El Novillo Restaurant at 6830 SW 40 St carry a specific consequence: if a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the food back to its origin. USDA and FDA inspections exist to catch Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli at the source. Food that bypasses that system arrives with no verified safety history.
Toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, cited at Moshi Moshi Brickell, Bahamas Fish Market, Me Kong, Rinconcito Dadeland, New Canton, Delicias de Espana 2, Cayo Esquivel at 7725 SW 40 St, and El Novillo, represent an acute poisoning risk distinct from microbial hazards. Cleaning compounds stored near or above food preparation surfaces can contaminate ingredients directly. Mislabeled containers mean workers may use the wrong chemical on food contact surfaces without knowing it.
The Longer Record
El Cantones Rest at 11865 SW 26 St carries 29 prior inspections on record, the same count as Bonding. Both facilities returned this week with 9 and 10 high-severity violations respectively, suggesting the volume of prior inspections has not produced sustained improvement in the categories most directly tied to foodborne illness risk.
Me Kong Chinese Restaurant at 18073 S Dixie Hwy has 32 prior inspections on record, the highest count among facilities cited this week. This week's visit produced 6 high-severity violations and a sewage disposal citation. Thirty-two inspections is a long history. The sewage finding is not a paperwork issue.
Cayo Esquivel at 7725 SW 40 St has 35 prior inspections on record, the longest history in this week's data. Its 3 high-severity violations this week were fewer than most facilities on the list, but the 35-inspection record means this location has been under scrutiny longer than any other facility cited this week.
Rinconcito Dadeland Midtown and Delicias de Espana 2 each carry 31 prior inspections. Both returned this week with 8 high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources at Rinconcito and an employee illness reporting failure at Delicias de Espana 2.
Moshi Moshi Brickell and Ficelle Boulangerie each have only 14 prior inspections on record, among the shorter histories in this week's data. Both still produced 7 and 9 high-severity violations respectively. Ficelle's shellfish traceability failure, at a location with 14 inspections on record, is a finding that has not yet been corrected.
The La Vaca Loca Farm location closed for unlicensed activity at 17950 SW 177 Ave has no compliance record at all, because without a license, no routine inspection history exists.