ORLANDO, FL. The Hilton Garden Inn on Millenia Place Drive drew 11 high-severity violations during a single inspection last week, the highest count of any facility in Orange County during the period of August 19 through August 25, 2026, with inspectors documenting failures that touched nearly every layer of food safety: no person in charge performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature.
It was not alone.
The Closures
Two Orlando restaurants were emergency-closed during the week. Havana Bistro and Cafe at 7975 S Orange Blossom Trail was shut down on August 21 for rodent activity. Temak House Sushi Fusion on International Drive was ordered closed two days earlier, on August 19, for roach activity.
Temak House is a notable case. The sushi restaurant carried only one intermediate violation on the inspection that triggered its closure, a citation for reusing single-use items, but the roach activity was sufficient grounds to pull its license. It had 41 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility in this week's data.
What Inspectors Found
Thunder Burger on International Drive drew 10 high-severity violations, second only to the Hilton Garden Inn. Among the citations: no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and time used as a public health control without proper documentation.
The food sourcing violation at Thunder Burger is the kind that investigators treat as structurally serious. Food from unapproved sources bypasses federal inspection entirely, meaning there is no traceability if a customer gets sick.
Las Cazuelas Mexican Restaurant on Lake Underhill Road was cited for eight high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also documented no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Two chemical storage violations in a single inspection at the same facility is uncommon and points to a systemic failure in how the kitchen handles hazardous materials.
Chens on Curry Ford Road also accumulated eight high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, and time as a public health control not properly used, alongside no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, unsanitized food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory.
Hungry Howies on East Colonial Drive drew eight high-severity violations as well, including inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The facility also lacked a person in charge, had no employee health policy, and food contact surfaces were not properly sanitized.
Shell stock identification is a traceability requirement for shellfish served raw or lightly cooked. Without those records, there is no way to trace an oyster or clam back to its harvest bed if a customer becomes ill.
Talkin Tacos on Orange Avenue collected eight high-severity violations: no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Fonzies Pizza Shop on South Orange Avenue was cited for seven high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, time as a public health control not properly used, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Kabsah on South Orange Blossom Trail drew seven high-severity violations, among them food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique and no employee health policy.
June on East Washington Street was cited for seven high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Courtyard Marriott Lake Buena Vista in the Marriott Village on Vineland Avenue drew seven high-severity violations: employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, unsanitized food contact surfaces, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Bambuu Asian Eatery on Strategy Boulevard was cited for three high-severity violations, including employees not reporting illness symptoms, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
IHOP on Gateway Village Circle drew three high-severity violations: inadequate handwashing by food employees, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. Inspectors also noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal as an intermediate violation.
Cask and Larder at Orlando International Airport was cited for two high-severity violations, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and no allergen awareness demonstrated, along with improper sewage disposal and improper use of wiping cloths.
Denny's on East Colonial Drive drew two high-severity violations: food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity violation this week was improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, cited at 11 of the 15 facilities, including Thunder Burger, Las Cazuelas, Chens, Hungry Howies, Talkin Tacos, Fonzies, Kabsah, the Hilton Garden Inn, Bambuu Asian Eatery, IHOP, and Cask and Larder. Cutting boards, prep tables, and slicers that are not properly sanitized between uses become direct transfer points for bacteria such as Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. The surface looks clean. The pathogen load is not visible.
Employees not reporting illness symptoms was cited at seven facilities this week, including the Hilton Garden Inn, Thunder Burger, Las Cazuelas, Bambuu Asian Eatery, Talkin Tacos, the Courtyard Marriott, and June. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads through a single sick employee handling food. A written employee health policy, absent at Thunder Burger, Chens, Hungry Howies, Fonzies, Kabsah, and June, is what creates the documented expectation that employees must report symptoms before they enter the kitchen.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Thunder Burger, Chens, Talkin Tacos, and Fonzies, is a traceability failure as much as a safety failure. When a product has not passed through a licensed, inspected supply chain, there is no paper trail connecting it to a producer if a customer becomes ill. Federal outbreak investigations depend on that trail.
Allergen awareness failures at Las Cazuelas, Cask and Larder, and the Courtyard Marriott carry acute risk for the 32 million Americans with food allergies. A customer with a severe allergy who does not receive accurate information about what is in their food can go into anaphylactic shock. The violation means staff could not demonstrate they understood what allergens were present in the dishes they were serving.
The Longer Record
Temak House Sushi Fusion, which was emergency-closed for roach activity on August 19, has 41 prior inspections on record, the most of any facility in this week's data. That history did not prevent a closure-level pest problem.
Las Cazuelas on Lake Underhill Road has 35 prior inspections on record and drew eight high-severity violations this week, including two separate chemical storage citations. Bambuu Asian Eatery has 34 prior inspections on record and was still cited for toxic chemical storage alongside a food contact surface failure and an illness reporting gap. Chens on Curry Ford Road has 33 prior inspections behind it and produced eight high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources.
Kabsah on South Orange Blossom Trail has 39 prior inspections on record. This week's citation for food in poor condition or adulterated, combined with shell stock traceability failures and improper chemical storage, suggests the facility's history has not translated into consistent compliance.
The Hilton Garden Inn on Millenia Place Drive had only 11 prior inspections on record before this week, the second-lowest count among facilities with the most serious violations. It produced the week's highest single-facility high-severity count, 11, on what is a relatively short inspection history. Whether this week's findings represent a new pattern or an isolated breakdown is a question the record cannot yet answer.
