ORLANDO, FL. Spicy Girl on International Drive drew 12 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of August 7, the highest total among 15 Orlando-area restaurants flagged by state inspectors for serious food safety failures.
Among the violations at Spicy Girl: inspectors found no person in charge present or performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, and shell stock records so inadequate that shellfish could not be traced in the event of an outbreak. Improper handwashing technique and unsanitized food contact surfaces rounded out a list that also included time being used improperly as a public health control.
Two restaurants did not make it through the week open. Juicy Crab at 7308 International Drive was emergency-closed August 7 for roach and fly activity. Jersey Mike's Subs at 6700 Conroy Road was also shut down the same day for roach activity.
The Violations
Sickies Burgers and Brews at 11701 International Drive accumulated 10 high-severity violations, including a citation for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish, pork, or wild game. Inspectors also found food from unapproved sources, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food not cooked to minimum required temperatures, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked items.
Pesaro's Pizza at 3464 Avalon Park East Boulevard drew 9 high-severity violations. No person in charge was present or performing duties. Inspectors cited improper handwashing, food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and no consumer advisory for raw items.
Made in Puerto Rico Latin Cuisine and Sports Bar at 6651 South Semoran Boulevard received 8 high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled alongside food preparation areas, no person in charge, food from unapproved sources, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures.
Moa Kai Diner at 2217 East Colonial Drive also drew 8 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, time not properly used as a public health control, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. No consumer advisory was posted for raw or undercooked foods.
Jack and Mary's Restaurant at 2323 South Goldenrod Road matched that total with 8 high-severity violations, including a citation for no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also found inadequate shell stock records, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and food from unapproved sources.
Rock and Brews at 6897 South Semoran Boulevard drew 5 high-severity violations alongside a citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, one of three facilities this week where inspectors flagged sewage handling as a concern.
Hop Bo Chinese Restaurant at 4420 Curry Ford Road, Azteca D'Oro Lake Nona at 10783 Narcoossee Road, D Flats at 12490 Apopka Vineland Road, TGI Friday's at 5933 Caravan Court, Yummi at 1937 South Alafaya Trail, Hong Kong Alley Kitchen at 10663 East Colonial Drive, and Muzzarella at 7780 Lake Underhill Road each drew 7 high-severity violations.
Hong Kong Alley Kitchen's list included food described as in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, alongside parasite destruction failures, no allergen awareness, and single-use items being reused. D Flats was also cited for no allergen awareness and single-use items improperly reused. TGI Friday's drew two separate handwashing violations: employees not washing adequately, and those who did wash using improper technique.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity violation across this week's inspections was employees not reporting illness symptoms, cited at Spicy Girl, Sickies Burgers and Brews, Pesaro's Pizza, Made in Puerto Rico, Jack and Mary's, Azteca D'Oro, Yummi, and Muzzarella. A food worker who comes in sick and handles ready-to-eat food is a direct transmission route for Norovirus, which causes 20 million illnesses in the United States each year. The problem is not theoretical: most multi-victim restaurant outbreaks are traced back to a single ill employee who kept working.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Spicy Girl, Sickies Burgers and Brews, Pesaro's Pizza, Made in Puerto Rico, Moa Kai Diner, Jack and Mary's, Rock and Brews, and Azteca D'Oro, means inspectors could not verify where the food came from. If a customer gets sick, investigators need a supply chain to trace. Without documentation, that chain disappears.
Shellfish traceability failures, documented at Spicy Girl, Moa Kai Diner, Jack and Mary's, Hop Bo, D Flats, and TGI Friday's, carry a specific danger. Oysters, clams, and mussels are often eaten raw or lightly cooked, and without proper shell stock tags, there is no way to identify the harvest source if diners become ill from Vibrio or hepatitis A.
Parasite destruction failures at Sickies Burgers and Brews, Moa Kai Diner, Hong Kong Alley Kitchen, and Muzzarella signal that fish, pork, or game served at those locations may not have been frozen or cooked to the temperatures required to kill Anisakis worms or Trichinella. These are not conditions that can be detected by taste or appearance.
The Longer Record
Hong Kong Alley Kitchen on East Colonial Drive has 42 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week, and still drew 7 high-severity violations including adulterated food and no allergen awareness. A 42-inspection record is not a new restaurant finding its footing.
Rock and Brews on South Semoran carries 39 prior inspections. Juicy Crab on International Drive, Made in Puerto Rico, and Jack and Mary's each show 35 prior inspections. All three were cited for multiple high-severity violations this week, and Juicy Crab was emergency-closed.
Pesaro's Pizza and TGI Friday's on Caravan Court each have 33 prior inspections on record. Both drew 7 or more high-severity violations this week, with Pesaro's reaching 9. Moa Kai Diner and Yummi each carry 32 prior inspections and were cited for 8 and 7 high-severity violations respectively.
The two newest facilities on the list are Sickies Burgers and Brews with 13 prior inspections and Spicy Girl with 22. Sickies drew 10 high-severity violations, including parasite destruction failures and food not cooked to minimum temperature. A restaurant with 13 inspections on record accumulating that kind of list is not a new-location adjustment period.
Two Closures, One Day
Both emergency closures in Orlando this week happened on the same day. Juicy Crab on International Drive and Jersey Mike's Subs on Conroy Road were each ordered shut August 7 for roach activity. Juicy Crab's inspection also produced 4 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations, including improper sewage disposal and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Juicy Crab has 35 prior inspections on record. Whether roach activity appeared in any of those prior visits is not reflected in the data provided this week.
