MIAMI, FL. Raccoon Coffee on Biscayne Boulevard accumulated 11 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of September 11, the highest count among 15 Miami-Dade restaurants cited for serious food safety failures that week, with inspectors documenting that employees were not reporting symptoms of illness and that the facility had no written employee health policy.
The coffee shop's violations extended well beyond staffing and illness protocols. Inspectors found that parasite destruction procedures were not followed, food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and the facility was using time as a public health control without doing so correctly. There was no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and shell stock identification records were inadequate.
The Violations
Shorty's Bar-B-Que on South Dixie Highway drew seven high-severity violations, including two separate chemical storage citations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also found that parasite destruction procedures were not followed and that food was not cooked to the required minimum temperature. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal rounded out a lengthy inspection report.
Tran An on NE 82nd Street produced nine high-severity violations. Among the most serious: food from an unapproved or unknown source, meaning inspectors could not verify the supply chain for at least some of what the kitchen was preparing. The person in charge was not present or not performing duties, and employees were not reporting symptoms of illness.
Caffe Portofino on South Dixie Highway also drew nine high-severity citations. Inspectors found food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shell stock identification records, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. No written employee health policy was in place, and the person in charge was not present or not performing duties.
Arepa.Bar on NW 36th Street matched that nine-violation count. The facility had no person in charge present, no employee health policy, food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shell stock records, and parasite destruction procedures that were not followed. Time as a public health control was also not being used correctly.
Osteria Vecchio Piemonte on SW 72nd Street recorded eight high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning the physical infrastructure for proper hygiene was absent, not merely misused. Inspectors also cited food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Casola's Pizzeria and Sub Shop on SW 17th Avenue accumulated eight high-severity citations, including one that is rare in this week's data: no allergen awareness demonstrated. Food allergies affect 32 million Americans, and when staff cannot identify allergens in dishes, the consequences can be fatal. Employees were also not reporting symptoms of illness, and both chemical storage violations appeared on the report.
Ambassador Cafe on Brickell Bay Drive drew eight high-severity violations, including food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, and inadequate shell stock identification records. Toxic chemicals were improperly stored, and time as a public health control was not properly used.
Motek Brickell on South Miami Avenue also logged eight high-severity violations. Inspectors found food in poor condition or mislabeled, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and inadequate shell stock records.
Los Verdes Restaurant on SW 137th Avenue produced eight high-severity citations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, no person in charge present, and employees not reporting illness symptoms. Food was not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and time as a public health control was not properly used.
Casa Juan on NW 7th Street drew six high-severity violations, including food not cooked to minimum temperature, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, and both chemical storage citations. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal was also documented.
Canton Lee on SW 56th Street recorded seven high-severity violations, including no allergen awareness demonstrated, no written employee health policy, and employees not reporting illness symptoms. Single-use items were being improperly reused.
Managuita Restaurant on SW 211th Street drew three high-severity violations, among them required procedures for specialized processes not followed. That citation applies to operations like smoking, curing, fermenting, or reduced-oxygen packaging, processes that require precise controls to prevent dangerous bacterial growth.
Victory Restaurant and Lounge on NE 1st Avenue recorded three high-severity violations: improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Tutto Pasta on SW 3rd Avenue drew one high-severity violation for improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, alongside intermediate violations for improper sewage or wastewater disposal and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
What These Violations Mean
The illness-reporting failures at Raccoon Coffee, Tran An, Casola's Pizzeria, Motek Brickell, Los Verdes, and Canton Lee represent the most direct transmission risk in this week's data. When a food worker with Norovirus continues handling food without reporting symptoms, a single shift can expose dozens or hundreds of customers to a virus that spreads at extremely low infectious doses. The absence of a written employee health policy, cited at Raccoon Coffee, Caffe Portofino, Arepa.Bar, and Canton Lee, means there is no formal mechanism requiring workers to disclose illness in the first place.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, documented at Tran An, Caffe Portofino, Arepa.Bar, Osteria Vecchio Piemonte, and Los Verdes, removes the traceability that makes outbreak investigation possible. If a customer gets sick, inspectors cannot trace the food back through the supply chain to identify a contaminated batch or a compromised distributor. The food bypasses USDA and FDA inspection entirely.
The parasite destruction failures at Shorty's Bar-B-Que, Raccoon Coffee, Tran An, Arepa.Bar, Ambassador Cafe, and Casola's Pizzeria are a direct consequence of not following required freezing or cooking protocols for fish and certain meats. Parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork survive if those protocols are skipped. The risk is not theoretical: these organisms cause documented human illness.
Toxic chemical storage violations appeared at seven of the 15 facilities this week, including Shorty's Bar-B-Que, Casa Juan, Casola's Pizzeria, Osteria Vecchio Piemonte, Victory Restaurant, Ambassador Cafe, and Los Verdes. Chemicals stored near food or improperly labeled create a direct contamination pathway. Mislabeled containers are particularly dangerous because staff cannot identify what they are handling.
The Longer Record
Casola's Pizzeria and Sub Shop carries the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's data, with 45 prior inspections on record, and still drew eight high-severity violations. That is not a facility navigating new regulations or adjusting to recent ownership. That is a facility with a documented, extended relationship with state inspectors that has not translated into sustained compliance.
Managuita Restaurant, with 40 prior inspections, and Shorty's Bar-B-Que, with 38, also carry lengthy records. Shorty's seven high-severity violations this week, including dual chemical storage citations and food not cooked to minimum temperature, come after nearly four decades of inspection visits at that location.
Victory Restaurant and Lounge, with 32 prior inspections, and Ambassador Cafe, with 28, are mid-tenure facilities where this week's violations are not first-time stumbles. Raccoon Coffee, despite its 11-violation count, has 28 prior inspections, meaning the severity of this week's findings is not the result of inexperience with the inspection process.
At the newer end, Tran An and Motek Brickell each have only 15 prior inspections on record, yet both produced nine and eight high-severity violations respectively this week. Motek Brickell's citations for food in poor condition and employees not reporting illness are serious findings for a facility still early in its inspection history. Whether those numbers reflect growing pains or an established pattern is something only the next round of inspections will answer.
