MIAMI, FL. Raccoon Coffee on Biscayne Boulevard drew 11 high-severity violations in a single inspection this week, including findings that employees were not reporting illness symptoms and that no written employee health policy existed at the shop, leaving inspectors with no documented system to keep sick workers out of the kitchen.
The same visit documented failures in parasite destruction procedures, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and the absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items. Inspectors also cited inadequate shell stock identification records, a finding that raises questions about the sourcing of shellfish served at an address better known for coffee than raw bar fare.
On September 16, one day into the inspection week, state inspectors emergency-closed China Express at 5301 NE 2nd Avenue for roach and rodent activity.
The Week's Violations
Mitricolor on SW 152nd Street matched Raccoon Coffee's tally with 11 high-severity violations of its own. Inspectors there cited employees not reporting illness symptoms, no written health policy, inadequate shell stock records, parasite destruction failures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and the improper use of time as a public health control, a method that requires precise documentation inspectors say was absent.
New York/Roma Pizza and Pasta at 125 SE 2nd Avenue also drew 11 high-severity citations. Among the most serious: food from an unapproved or unknown source and food found in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated. Inspectors also documented employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, improper technique, and food not cooked to minimum required temperatures. The combination of an unknown food source and undercooked food at the same address compounds the risk considerably.
Old Cutler Inn on Old Cutler Road came in at 10 high-severity violations, including a finding that the person in charge was not present or not performing duties. Inspectors also documented inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning workers who wanted to wash their hands properly had no functional means to do so. Food cooked below required temperatures and the absence of a consumer advisory for raw items rounded out the visit.
Conch Heaven on NW 27th Avenue drew 9 high-severity violations and 7 intermediate citations, the highest intermediate count in this week's data. Inspectors found toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, parasite destruction failures, no employee health policy, and inadequate handwashing facilities alongside improper handwashing technique. That pairing, facilities that lack the infrastructure for proper handwashing and employees who are not doing it correctly anyway, appeared at multiple locations this week.
Don Criollito on SW 132nd Court also hit 9 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source and food in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated. Inspectors further cited inadequate shell stock records and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Arepa.Bar on NW 36th Street drew 9 high-severity violations, led by a finding that the person in charge was not present or not performing duties. Inspectors also flagged food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock records, parasite destruction failures, and the improper use of time as a public health control.
Shahs of Kabob at 48 SW 12th Street drew 9 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also documented both inadequate handwashing and improper technique, the same dual failure seen at Conch Heaven and Old Cutler Inn.
Shorty's Bar-B-Que on South Dixie Highway accumulated 7 high-severity violations, including two separate chemical hazard citations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also found parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to minimum required temperatures, and improper handwashing technique. The visit also produced a finding of improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Osteria Vecchio Piemonte on SW 72nd Street drew 8 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, food not cooked to required temperatures, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and a finding that the person in charge was not present. Inspectors also documented inadequate handwashing facilities and improper technique.
Casa Nane on SW 2nd Avenue drew 8 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required temperatures, the improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic chemicals stored incorrectly.
Miller's Doral Ale House on NW 87th Avenue drew 6 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, the improper use of time as a public health control, and two separate chemical storage citations. The dual toxic substance findings mirror what inspectors documented at Shorty's.
Sushi Sake on SW 42nd Street drew 3 high-severity violations, including no allergen awareness demonstrated, a citation that carries acute risk for diners with food allergies. The restaurant also lacked a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and had improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Tran An on NE 82nd Street drew 4 high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored and no consumer advisory for raw items.
Casola's Pizzeria and Sub Shop on SW 17th Avenue drew the fewest high-severity violations of the week, with 2, both for improperly cleaned food contact surfaces and the absence of a consumer advisory.
What These Violations Mean
The most dangerous cluster of violations this week involves sick workers and the absence of systems to keep them away from food. At Raccoon Coffee, Mitricolor, New York/Roma Pizza, Old Cutler Inn, Conch Heaven, Don Criollito, Arepa.Bar, and Casa Nane, inspectors cited either no written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, or both. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads directly from infected food workers to customers through contaminated food and surfaces. A facility without a written policy has no documented mechanism to identify, isolate, or exclude sick employees before service begins.
The food-from-unapproved-source violations at New York/Roma Pizza, Don Criollito, Arepa.Bar, Shahs of Kabob, Osteria Vecchio Piemonte, and Miller's Doral Ale House represent a different category of risk. Food purchased outside the licensed supply chain bypasses USDA and FDA safety inspections. If a customer becomes ill, investigators tracing the source of contamination have no records to follow. The shellfish traceability failures documented at Raccoon Coffee, Mitricolor, New York/Roma Pizza, Don Criollito, Arepa.Bar, Shahs of Kabob, and Miller's Doral Ale House compound this: oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently eaten raw, and without harvest tags, there is no way to link an illness to a specific harvest bed or recall a contaminated lot.
The parasite destruction failures at Shorty's, Raccoon Coffee, Mitricolor, Old Cutler Inn, Conch Heaven, Don Criollito, and Arepa.Bar are not procedural technicalities. Parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork survive unless food is cooked to required temperatures or frozen according to specific time-and-temperature protocols. When those protocols are not followed and no consumer advisory exists, customers have no way to make an informed choice about the risk they are accepting.
The Longer Record
The facility with the longest inspection history on this week's list is Casola's Pizzeria and Sub Shop, with 46 prior inspections on record. That history makes its 2 high-severity violations this week relatively contained. The facility with the second-longest record is Conch Heaven, with 42 prior inspections, and its 9 high-severity violations this week tell a different story. Forty-two inspections is a long institutional relationship with state regulators, and this week's findings, including toxic chemicals and no employee health policy, suggest the record has not produced consistent compliance.
Shorty's Bar-B-Que carries 38 prior inspections and drew 7 high-severity violations, including the sewage disposal citation. A facility with that inspection history accumulating a finding about sewage handling is a detail that stands apart from the rest of the week's data.
At the other end of the experience spectrum, Old Cutler Inn has only 4 prior inspections on record, making this week's 10 high-severity violations particularly striking. A facility that is relatively new to the inspection record and already drawing citations for no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, and food cooked below required temperatures is showing serious structural problems early. Casa Nane has 6 prior inspections and drew 8 high-severity violations, including the dual illness-reporting failures.
Raccoon Coffee has 28 inspections on record. Its 11 high-severity violations this week, including the shellfish traceability gap at a coffee-focused address, remain unexplained in the public record.
