ORLANDO, FL. Inspectors ordered two Orlando restaurants closed on the same day last week, one after finding sewage backed up inside the facility and another after documenting rodent, roach, and fly activity throughout the building.
Two Closures, One Day
A&T Buffalo Wings LLC at 4473-4477 N. Pinehills Road was shut down July 9 after inspectors documented a sewage backup inside the restaurant. Raw sewage creates immediate risk of fecal contamination across food contact surfaces, prep areas, and any food left in the facility.
Grazie on Corrine Drive was closed the same day after inspectors found rodent, roach, and fly activity. The closure came despite the restaurant having only two high-severity violations on the inspection record, a reminder that pest activity triggers immediate action regardless of a facility's overall violation count.
Both closures happened on July 9. The two restaurants also share 23 and 31 prior inspections on record, respectively, meaning neither is new to the inspection process.
The Week's Worst Violation Records
Rico Chino Asian Cuisine at 6125 S. Semoran Blvd. led all facilities this week with 12 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food from an unapproved source, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock identification, and failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish.
No person in charge was present or performing duties during the visit. Three separate violations addressed the employee illness reporting system: no health policy, no reporting of symptoms, and inadequate policy. That is a complete breakdown of the basic disease-prevention framework at a single facility.
Pizzany's at 12062 Collegiate Way drew 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors found both inadequate handwashing by food employees and improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning workers were not washing hands at all in some instances and not washing correctly in others. The restaurant was also cited for food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Eskina Brazilian Restaurant on International Drive accumulated nine high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, meaning the physical infrastructure for proper hygiene was absent. Inspectors also found food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, a direct pathway for Salmonella survival in poultry.
Desi Bistro at 12058 Collegiate Way, just four addresses down from Pizzany's on the same street, also reached nine high-severity violations. The citation list included toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food, food in poor condition, and food from an unapproved source. No person in charge was present.
Avanti Palms Resort and Conference Center at 6515 International Drive drew nine high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. The resort was also cited for time as a public health control not properly used, which means food was left in the temperature danger zone without adequate documentation.
Tsuki Sushi and Grill on Narcoossee Road reached nine high-severity violations as well. A sushi restaurant with no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and no documentation of parasite destruction procedures is serving fish that customers cannot make an informed decision about eating.
Habanero's Cocina Mexicana at 12185 Collegiate Way, a third restaurant on that same Collegiate Way corridor, logged eight high-severity violations. Inspectors found parasite destruction procedures not followed, food in poor condition, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Three restaurants on the same street, Collegiate Way, each with eight or more high-severity violations in the same inspection week.
China Lee on S. Kirkman Road drew seven high-severity violations including no allergen awareness demonstrated. With food allergies affecting 32 million Americans and causing 30,000 emergency room visits annually, that citation at a sit-down restaurant is not a paperwork problem.
Embassy Suites Hotel at 5835 T.G. Lee Blvd. also reached seven high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the hotel kitchen for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. That last violation covers smoking, curing, fermenting, and reduced-oxygen packaging, all of which require precise process controls to prevent bacterial growth.
Gogi Hotpot and BBQ and Sushi on W. Colonial Drive drew seven high-severity violations alongside six intermediate violations, the highest combined intermediate count of any facility this week. Inspectors found parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal in the intermediate tier.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity violation this week was the cluster of employee illness failures: no health policy, no symptom reporting, and employees not restricted from working while sick. Pizzany's, Habanero's, Desi Bistro, China Lee, and Avanti Palms all drew at least one violation in this category. Food workers are the direct transmission route for Norovirus, which causes 20 million illnesses in the United States each year. A written health policy and a manager who enforces it are the only mechanism standing between a sick employee and a customer's meal.
Food from unapproved sources appeared at Rico Chino, Pizzany's, Eskina Brazilian, Desi Bistro, Avanti Palms, Tsuki Sushi, and Gogi Hotpot. The risk is traceability. When food enters a restaurant through an uninspected channel, there is no USDA or FDA inspection record attached to it. If a customer gets sick, investigators have no supply chain to trace.
Parasite destruction failures at Rico Chino, Habanero's, and Gogi Hotpot are specific to raw fish service. Proper freezing at specific temperatures for specific durations kills parasites including Anisakis, which can cause severe abdominal pain and require surgical removal. A sushi or hotpot restaurant that cannot document its freezing protocol is serving fish with no parasite safeguard in place.
Toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled appeared at Desi Bistro, Avanti Palms, Habanero's, Tsuki Sushi, World of Beer, and Gogi Hotpot. Six facilities in one week. Cleaning chemicals stored near or above food preparation surfaces can contaminate food directly through spills or mislabeled containers.
The Longer Record
China Lee on S. Kirkman Road has 72 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week. Seven high-severity violations at a restaurant that has been through 72 inspections is not a new operation learning the rules. It is a facility that has been through the inspection process more than twice as many times as most restaurants in this roundup and is still generating serious citations.
Habanero's Cocina Mexicana carries 45 prior inspections on record and produced eight high-severity violations this week. Rico Chino and Pizzany's each have 33 prior inspections, as does Spice Thai Restaurant, the only facility in this week's data with zero high-severity violations.
The contrast on Collegiate Way is notable. Desi Bistro has only four prior inspections on record and already has nine high-severity violations. It is one of the newest facilities in this roundup and one of the worst performers. Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana, with nine prior inspections, drew six high-severity violations including improper sewage disposal and no allergen awareness.
Eskina Brazilian Restaurant on International Drive has only six prior inspections on record, making this week's nine high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature and food from an unapproved source, its most serious inspection performance yet. Whether that trajectory improves or continues is the open question the record does not yet answer.
