DELAND, FL. A state inspector walked into Murph's Patio Bar and Grill on September 10 and found food that had not been cooked to the required minimum temperature, a violation that means pathogens capable of causing serious illness were potentially served to customers sitting at the tables that day.
That was one of eight high-severity violations documented at Murph's Patio Bar and Grill at 1431 Orange Camp Road in DeLand. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The eight high-severity violations documented that day covered nearly every critical control point in a food service operation. Inspectors cited the restaurant for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized, improper handwashing technique, and toxic chemicals stored or labeled improperly near food.
Three of the violations pointed directly at the restaurant's management structure. There was no person in charge present or performing duties. There was no employee health policy, written or otherwise. And employees were not reporting symptoms of illness.
That last combination is particularly significant. Without a policy requiring sick employees to stay home, and without a manager present to enforce any such policy, there is no mechanism to stop a sick food worker from continuing to prepare and serve food.
The inspector also cited the restaurant for failing to post a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked menu items. That notice is required specifically to warn customers who face elevated health risks, including elderly diners, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system, that certain items may not have been fully cooked.
What These Violations Mean
The undercooked food violation is the one that most directly threatened customers on September 10. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. A burger or pork dish pulled too early can harbor E. coli or other pathogens that cause serious illness, particularly in vulnerable populations. The absence of a consumer advisory compounded this risk because customers had no information to weigh before ordering.
The employee illness violations work together in a way that makes each one worse. A written health policy is the baseline requirement that tells workers they must report symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice before their shift. Without that policy, employees may not know they are required to report. Without a person in charge present to enforce it, even a policy that exists on paper has no one to implement it. Norovirus, which causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year, spreads directly through this route.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces and multi-use utensils that are not properly cleaned create a separate contamination pathway. Bacterial biofilms form on surfaces within 24 hours of inadequate cleaning. Those biofilms resist standard sanitizers and transfer bacteria to every item that contacts the surface afterward.
Toxic chemicals stored near food or without proper labels represent a different category of risk entirely. Mislabeled chemicals have been mistaken for cooking ingredients. Improperly stored cleaners can contaminate food through splash or vapor contact. These are not theoretical risks. They are documented causes of acute poisoning in food service settings.
The Longer Record
The September 10 inspection was not an aberration. State records show Murph's Patio Bar and Grill has been inspected 32 times and has accumulated 331 total violations across its inspection history.
The pattern over the past two years is consistent. Inspectors found 10 high-severity violations in January 2025, 7 high-severity violations in both July and October of 2025, and 8 high-severity violations on September 10 of this year. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed.
A follow-up inspection on September 18, eight days after the visit that produced 8 high-severity violations, found 2 high-severity violations and 1 intermediate. That is an improvement in raw numbers, but it also means high-severity violations were still present after the restaurant had been put on notice.
The July 2024 inspection found zero high-severity violations, which stands as the only clean high-severity record in the recent history. Every inspection before and after it has produced multiple serious citations.
Still Open
State regulations give inspectors the authority to order an emergency closure when conditions pose an immediate threat to public health. On September 10, inspectors documented a restaurant operating without a person in charge, without an employee illness policy, with food cooked below safe temperatures, and with toxic chemicals stored improperly. They issued violations and left.
Murph's Patio Bar and Grill remained open for service that day, and the days that followed.
