NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL. Inspectors visiting Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill at 521 Flagler Ave. on September 18 found that the kitchen was not following parasite destruction procedures for fish, a lapse that can leave customers exposed to Anisakis and tapeworm in dishes they had no reason to believe were unsafe.

The restaurant was not closed. Despite eight high-severity violations documented in a single visit, Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill remained open for business.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHParasite destruction procedures not followedFish served without required freeze protocol
2HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum temperaturePathogen survival risk
3HIGHInadequate shell stock identification/recordsNo traceability for oysters, clams, or mussels
4HIGHEmployee not reporting illness symptomsDirect outbreak transmission risk
5HIGHFood contact surfaces not properly sanitizedCross-contamination vehicle
6HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsVulnerable diners not informed
7HIGHImproper handwashing techniquePathogens remain on hands after washing attempt
8HIGHPerson in charge not present or not performing dutiesManagement failure across all other violations

The parasite destruction citation was not the only finding that put diners directly at risk. Inspectors also documented that food was not being cooked to required minimum temperatures, meaning that whatever parasites or bacteria survived the preparation process were not being finished off by heat.

The shellfish records violation added another layer of risk. Without proper shell stock identification, there is no way to trace oysters, clams, or mussels back to their harvest source if a customer becomes ill.

Inspectors also cited the restaurant for having no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked menu items. That notice is the last line of protection for elderly diners, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system who might otherwise order a dish not knowing it carries elevated risk.

Four intermediate violations rounded out the inspection: improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, improper use of wiping cloths, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.

What These Violations Mean

The parasite destruction failure is worth pausing on. When fish is served raw or undercooked, state and federal rules require that it first be frozen at specific temperatures for specific lengths of time, a process that kills parasites including Anisakis, which can embed in the stomach lining and cause severe abdominal pain. At Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill in September, that process was not being followed.

The illness reporting violation is a different category of danger. When employees work through symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice without reporting to a manager, they can transmit norovirus and similar pathogens directly to food. Food workers are the leading source of multi-victim outbreaks, and a kitchen where no person in charge is actively performing oversight duties is a kitchen where that reporting is unlikely to happen.

Improperly sanitized food contact surfaces compound everything else. Cutting boards and prep tables that carry bacterial residue from one food item transfer it to the next, meaning a surface that touched raw poultry can contaminate the next dish regardless of how it is cooked. Combine that with undercooking, and the risk multiplies.

The sewage disposal violation is not minor. Improper wastewater handling creates pathways for fecal contamination to enter a kitchen environment. Paired with improperly cleaned utensils and wiping cloths used across multiple surfaces, the September 18 inspection described a facility where contamination had multiple routes to reach a customer's plate.

The Longer Record

Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill: Inspection Pattern, 2024-2026

Dec. 12, 2024: Emergency ClosureRodent activity. Reopened same day.
Oct. 14, 2025: 9 high-severity violationsThe highest single-visit high-severity count in the facility's recorded history.
Dec. 18, 2025: 4 high, 2 intermediateRepeat high-severity activity within two months of prior inspection.
May 6, 2026: 8 high, 6 intermediateFourteen total violations, including six intermediate, four months before the September inspection.
Sept. 18, 2026: 8 high, 4 intermediateTwelve violations, no closure ordered.

The September 18 inspection was not an outlier. State records show Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill has accumulated 165 violations across 17 inspections on file, and the facility has logged high-severity violations in seven of the eight most recent inspections.

The worst single visit on record came in October 2025, when inspectors documented nine high-severity violations. Four months later, in May 2026, the tally was eight high-severity and six intermediate, for a combined fourteen violations. The September 18 inspection reproduced that high-severity count almost exactly.

The facility was emergency-closed once, on December 12, 2024, for rodent activity. It reopened the same day. Two inspections conducted on February 20, 2025, showed zero high-severity and zero intermediate violations, the only clean record in the recent history. Every inspection since has returned high-severity findings.

Still Open

State rules allow inspectors to order an emergency closure when a facility presents an immediate threat to public health. The September 18 visit at Ocean Breeze Bar & Grill documented eight conditions that state law classifies as high-severity, including a failure to destroy parasites in fish, food cooked below required temperatures, and no illness reporting by staff.

The restaurant was not closed.