MIAMI, FL. Surry Hills Coffee on NE 2nd Avenue drew 11 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of September 4, the highest single-facility total among 15 Miami restaurants flagged for serious violations that week, state records show.
The violations at Surry Hills covered nearly every layer of food safety: no written employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, missing shellfish traceability records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, and time used as a public health control without proper documentation. The facility has 15 prior inspections on record.
The Violations
El Turco at 140 NE 39th Street was cited for 10 high-severity violations, including no person in charge performing duties, no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, food in poor condition, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. That last violation matters in a restaurant where customers may order dishes served raw or lightly cooked without knowing the risks.
Salumeria 104 on NE 1st Avenue drew 9 high-severity violations, including food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, missing shellfish traceability records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals stored improperly. No person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
Primo's Restaurant and Lounge on North Bayshore Drive was cited for 8 high-severity violations, among them inadequate handwashing facilities, parasite destruction procedures not followed, missing shellfish traceability records, and time used improperly as a public health control. No person in charge was present.
Sabor Venezolano Kendall on SW 88th Street also drew 8 high-severity violations. Inspectors found an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and toxic substances improperly stored. No person in charge was present or performing duties.
Narbona at CocoWalk on Grand Avenue accumulated 8 high-severity violations with no intermediate violations at all, a combination that reflects concentrated serious risk rather than scattered minor deficiencies. Inspectors found food from an unapproved or unknown source, missing shellfish traceability records, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed.
Sushi Sake on Biscayne Boulevard was cited for 7 high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, food in poor condition, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals stored improperly. A raw fish restaurant with no consumer advisory and an employee working through symptoms represents a direct transmission risk to every table served that shift.
Fuddruckers on South Dixie Highway also drew 7 high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish traceability records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, time used improperly as a public health control, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also noted single-use items being reused.
Tap 42 on NE 1st Avenue was flagged for food from an unapproved or unknown source alongside food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also found improper sewage or wastewater disposal, a violation that creates fecal contamination risk throughout a facility.
Olga Express Sub and Pasta on SW 56th Street drew 6 high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Baires Grill on South Miami Avenue was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored chemicals. Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
CA by Cafe Americano on South Miami Avenue drew 6 high-severity violations: no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, food from an unapproved or unknown source, missing shellfish traceability records, and time used improperly as a public health control.
Titanic Brewing and Restaurant on Ponce de Leon Boulevard was cited for 3 high-severity violations, including improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Q' Onda Taqueria on SW 109th Court drew 2 high-severity violations, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces and improperly stored toxic chemicals, alongside intermediate violations for improper sewage disposal and inadequate sanitizing procedures.
Maman at 140 NE 39th Street drew 2 high-severity violations: improperly cleaned food contact surfaces and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
What These Violations Mean
The most alarming cluster this week involves sick workers. Surry Hills Coffee had both no employee health policy and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. CA by Cafe Americano and Sushi Sake also had an employee not reporting symptoms. Food workers shedding Norovirus before they feel sick, or while symptomatic, can infect dozens of customers through a single shift of food handling. Without a written health policy, there is no mechanism to send that worker home.
The absence of a person in charge was documented at El Turco, Salumeria 104, Primo's, and Sabor Venezolano Kendall. That violation is not just a paperwork problem. CDC data shows that facilities without active managerial oversight during service accumulate three times more critical violations than those that maintain it. When no one is responsible, handwashing stops, temperatures drift, and chemicals end up next to food.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources appeared at Narbona at CocoWalk, Tap 42, Baires Grill, and CA by Cafe Americano. This violation means the food bypassed USDA and FDA inspections entirely. If someone gets sick, there is no supplier chain to trace, no lot number to pull, and no recall to issue. The source simply cannot be identified.
Shellfish traceability records were missing at Surry Hills Coffee, Salumeria 104, Primo's, Sushi Sake, Fuddruckers, and Olga Express. Shellfish are consumed raw or barely cooked and are among the highest-risk foods for Vibrio, Hepatitis A, and Norovirus. Without the required identification tags, inspectors and health officials cannot determine where a contaminated batch came from if customers fall ill.
The Longer Record
Fuddruckers on South Dixie Highway has 34 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week. It was flagged this week for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, an issue that has clear and direct consequences in a burger restaurant. Primo's on North Bayshore Drive carries 32 prior inspections. Both facilities have accumulated substantial inspection histories without resolving recurring serious violations.
Salumeria 104 and Baires Grill each have 25 prior inspections on record. Q' Onda Taqueria and Titanic Brewing and Restaurant each have 28. Sushi Sake has 27, Tap 42 and Olga Express each have 26. That is a group of facilities with dozens of documented inspection contacts that still produced high-severity violations this week.
Narbona at CocoWalk has only 12 prior inspections on record, and CA by Cafe Americano has 10. Both are relatively new to the inspection record and both drew 8 and 6 high-severity violations respectively this week, including food from unapproved sources at each location.
Surry Hills Coffee, the facility with the highest single-week total, has 15 prior inspections on record. An employee not reporting illness symptoms was among those 11 high-severity violations. Whether that employee was working the floor during the inspection week is not reflected in the public record.
