MIAMI, FL. State inspectors emergency-closed Q'Onda Taqueria on SW 109 Court on September 3 after finding roach and fly activity at the restaurant, one of 15 Miami-Dade facilities cited for high-severity violations during the week of September 2 through September 8, 2026.
Q'Onda's closure came alongside eight high-severity violations in a single inspection. Those included food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked items. Inspectors also found no person in charge present or performing duties, no written employee health policy, and improper handwashing technique.
That last detail matters. A facility with no manager on duty, no health policy, and staff not washing their hands correctly was also receiving food from sources that bypass federal safety inspections.
The Worst of the Week
Surry Hills Coffee on NE 2nd Avenue drew the week's highest single-facility count, with 11 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improper use of time as a public health control, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, improper handwashing technique, no employee health policy, and an employee not reporting symptoms of illness.
That combination is particularly serious at a coffee shop that also handles shellfish and fish. Without parasite destruction records and shell stock tags, there is no way to trace the source of a raw seafood product if a customer becomes ill.
El Turco at 140 NE 39th Street followed with 10 high-severity violations. The inspection documented no person in charge present, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not sanitized, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. No employee health policy was on file.
IHOP at 12755 SW 88th Street also drew 10 high-severity violations. Among them: food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, food from unapproved or unknown sources, inadequate shell stock records, no consumer advisory, inadequate handwashing facilities, and no person in charge present. For a chain restaurant with 26 prior inspections on record, the volume of food safety fundamentals missing from a single visit is notable.
All You Need at 3301 NE 1st Avenue collected nine high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Q-Ban Cafe on SW 184th Street also reached nine high-severity violations. Inspectors found an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, no employee health policy, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, food contact surfaces not sanitized, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory posted.
More Facilities, More Findings
Primo's Restaurant and Lounge at 1717 N Bayshore Drive drew eight high-severity violations, including no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not sanitized, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Amor di Pasta on NE 2nd Avenue was cited for seven high-severity violations: no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, improper handwashing, food contact surfaces not sanitized, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Mayoral Sunset on SW 72nd Street drew seven high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not sanitized, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory.
Sushi Sake at 900 Biscayne Boulevard was cited for seven high-severity violations, among them no person in charge, an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, inadequate handwashing by food employees, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. For a sushi restaurant, the combination of missing shell stock records and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods describes a facility serving raw fish without the traceability or disclosure the state requires.
Dumplings Mi Amor at 119 SE 2nd Avenue also drew seven high-severity violations with no intermediate violations alongside them: inadequate handwashing by employees, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored.
El Tambo Restaurant on SW North Kendall Drive was cited for seven high-severity violations including an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, food from unapproved sources, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, toxic substances improperly identified or stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Bagel Express at 11616 SW 88th Street drew four high-severity violations alongside five intermediate ones. The high-severity findings included no employee health policy, food contact surfaces not sanitized, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Intermediate violations included improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, improper sanitizing solution or procedures, and single-use items improperly reused.
Dona Neli Restaurant 2 on SW 184th Street was cited for three high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition or adulterated, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Sergio's Restaurant at 8807 SW 107th Avenue drew three high-severity violations including an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and toxic chemicals improperly stored, along with improper sewage or wastewater disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity finding across this week's inspections was improper handwashing, cited in some form at nearly every facility on this list. That single failure is the most direct route from a sick food worker to a sick customer. At Q-Ban Cafe and Surry Hills Coffee, inspectors documented both no employee health policy and an employee not reporting symptoms of illness. Those two violations together describe a workplace where a worker with Norovirus has no written obligation to stay home and no documented expectation to disclose illness to management.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources appeared at Q'Onda Taqueria, IHOP, All You Need, Q-Ban Cafe, Mayoral Sunset, El Tambo, and Dumplings Mi Amor. The hazard is traceability. When food enters a kitchen from a supplier that has not been inspected or approved by state or federal regulators, there is no chain of documentation if a customer reports illness. Investigators cannot pull recall records, lot numbers, or supplier contact information because none exist.
Parasite destruction procedures were not followed at Surry Hills Coffee, All You Need, Primo's Restaurant and Lounge, and Dumplings Mi Amor. For restaurants serving raw or undercooked fish, this is not a paperwork problem. Parasites including Anisakis survive in fish that has not been frozen to the required temperature for the required duration. The state requires documentation that this freezing occurred. None of these four facilities could produce it.
The absence of consumer advisories, cited at Q'Onda Taqueria, El Turco, IHOP, All You Need, Q-Ban Cafe, Bagel Express, Mayoral Sunset, Sushi Sake, and El Tambo, means that diners with compromised immune systems, pregnant women, the elderly, and young children had no notice that items on the menu were served raw or undercooked.
The Longer Record
Several facilities on this week's list are not new to state inspectors. Sergio's Restaurant has 33 prior inspections on record, the most of any facility cited this week, and still drew violations for an employee not reporting illness and improperly stored chemicals. Primo's Restaurant and Lounge has 32 prior inspections behind it and produced eight high-severity violations in a single visit, including missing parasite destruction records and no person in charge.
Bagel Express has 30 prior inspections on record. This week it drew violations for improper sewage disposal and single-use items being reused alongside four high-severity findings. Mayoral Sunset has 29 prior inspections and this week was cited for food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, and time as a public health control not properly used.
All You Need has 28 prior inspections and drew nine high-severity violations this week. Dumplings Mi Amor and Q'Onda Taqueria each have 28 and 27 prior inspections respectively. Q'Onda's prior record did not prevent an emergency closure on September 3.
At the newer end of the list, Surry Hills Coffee has only 15 prior inspections on record and already produced the week's single highest violation count at 11 high-severity findings. El Turco has 11 prior inspections and drew 10 high-severity violations. Both facilities are relatively early in their inspection histories and already accumulating serious citations in food safety fundamentals.
Q'Onda Taqueria was permitted to close and reopen after corrective action, but as of the inspection record for the week of September 8, the facility's 27-inspection history includes the emergency closure of September 3, with roach and fly activity as the documented cause.
