ORLANDO, FL. Taverna Opa on International Drive drew the most serious inspection findings of any Orlando restaurant the week of April 27, accumulating 9 high-severity violations in a single visit, including evidence that food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures and that shellfish served to customers could not be traced to a licensed source.
The Greek restaurant at 9101 International Drive also had no person in charge present or performing duties during the inspection, no written employee health policy, and no system in place to ensure workers reporting illness symptoms are removed from food handling. Inspectors also found that handwashing technique was improper and that time was not being used correctly as a public health control, meaning food sat in the temperature danger zone without adequate tracking.
Taverna Opa was not the only restaurant on International Drive with serious problems this week.
What Inspectors Found
JoJo's Shake Bar, also on International Drive at Suite 1208, matched Taverna Opa's violation count at 8 high-severity findings. Inspectors cited the dessert bar for food in poor condition, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, improper handwashing technique, no employee health policy, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. Toxic substances were also found improperly identified, stored, or used.
Bachata Breeze Restaurant on Curry Ford Road also recorded 8 high-severity violations. The findings there included food from an unapproved or unknown source, food in poor condition or adulterated, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no employee health policy, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and inadequate handwashing. Inspectors also found that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
PRS Taco Palace on West Smith Street drew 7 high-severity violations, including food sourced from an unapproved supplier, improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and no person in charge present during the inspection. Toxic chemicals were improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods was posted.
Landmark Center / Omega Deli on Robinson Avenue recorded 7 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, parasite destruction procedures not followed for fish or meat, and toxic substances improperly stored. Improper sewage disposal was also cited as an intermediate violation.
Bento on North Alafaya Trail had 7 high-severity violations, among them inadequate shellfish identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and time as a public health control not properly used. Toxic chemicals were improperly stored. Inspectors also noted inadequate ventilation and lighting.
Kabsah on South Orange Blossom Trail was cited for 6 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals stored improperly. Inspectors also found improper sewage disposal and sanitizer solutions that were not at the correct concentration.
Corazon Cocina Mexicana on Visitors Circle drew 6 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, no allergen awareness, no consumer advisory, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. The facility also had improper sewage disposal and faulty sanitizing procedures.
Kizuna Asian Buffet and Sushi on South Apopka Vineland Road was cited for 6 high-severity violations, including inadequate shellfish identification records, no employee illness reporting system, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals stored improperly. Multi-use utensils were found not properly cleaned.
Orient Cafe on South Semoran Boulevard had 6 high-severity violations, including inadequate shellfish traceability records, no consumer advisory, improper handwashing technique, and toxic chemicals stored improperly. Single-use items were found being reused, and ventilation was cited as inadequate.
El Patron on South Apopka Vineland Road, located one block from Kizuna, was cited for 6 high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, food from an unapproved source, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Improper sewage disposal was also documented.
ATL Deli on West Colonial Drive drew 6 high-severity violations with no intermediate violations at all, a profile that reflects serious systemic failures rather than maintenance lapses. Inspectors cited parasite destruction procedures not followed, no allergen awareness, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
China Lee on South Kirkman Road had 5 high-severity violations alongside 5 intermediate violations. The intermediate findings included improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and single-use items being reused. Toxic chemicals were stored improperly, and food contact surfaces were not adequately sanitized.
Picanha's Restaurante Brasileiro on West Sand Lake Road had 5 high-severity violations and 6 intermediate violations, the highest intermediate count of any facility this week. Food was not cooked to required minimum temperatures, employees were not reporting illness symptoms, and no allergen awareness was demonstrated. Improper sewage disposal, improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, and faulty sanitizing procedures rounded out the intermediate findings.
Volcano Hot Pot and BBQ on International Drive had the lowest violation count of the 15 facilities, with 2 high-severity and 1 intermediate finding. No person in charge was present during the inspection, and toxic chemicals were stored improperly.
What These Violations Mean
The single most common high-severity violation across this week's 15 facilities was the absence of a written employee health policy. Twelve of the 15 restaurants lacked one. That document is not bureaucratic paperwork. It is the mechanism that tells a worker with Norovirus symptoms to stay home rather than handle the food going onto your plate. Without it, there is no formal system for keeping sick employees out of the kitchen.
Closely related is the employee illness reporting failure documented at Taverna Opa, Bachata Breeze, JoJo's Shake Bar, Landmark Center / Omega Deli, Kizuna Asian Buffet and Sushi, and Picanha's Restaurante Brasileiro. Food workers who do not report symptoms are the primary driver of multi-victim outbreaks. Norovirus can survive on surfaces for days and spreads through contact with even microscopic amounts of contaminated food.
Food from unapproved sources, documented at Bachata Breeze, PRS Taco Palace, Landmark Center / Omega Deli, Bento, Kabsah, Corazon Cocina Mexicana, and El Patron, represents a traceability gap. If a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the food back through the supply chain to identify a contaminated lot or issue a recall. The food bypasses USDA and FDA inspection checkpoints entirely.
Shellfish traceability failures at Taverna Opa, Bento, Kizuna, and Orient Cafe compound that risk. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently eaten raw or lightly cooked, and without harvest tags on file, there is no way to link a sick customer to a specific water source if a Vibrio or hepatitis A outbreak occurs.
The Longer Record
China Lee on South Kirkman Road has 67 prior inspections on record, the longest documented history of any facility cited this week. That number reflects years of regulatory contact, and this week's 10 violations, including improper sewage disposal and single-use items being reused, continue a pattern that shows no clear resolution.
Orient Cafe has 42 prior inspections on record. Kizuna Asian Buffet and Sushi has 41. Both were cited this week for inadequate shellfish traceability and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. When a facility has been inspected more than 40 times and continues to accumulate violations in the same categories, the inspection record is not a story of improvement.
Kabsah, with 36 prior inspections, and Picanha's Restaurante Brasileiro, with 34, both drew sewage disposal violations this week alongside food handling and sanitation failures. Bachata Breeze and PRS Taco Palace each have 32 prior inspections on record. Both were cited for food from unapproved sources this week, the same category that makes illness investigations nearly impossible to complete.
JoJo's Shake Bar, with only 9 prior inspections on record, is one of the newest facilities on this week's list. It drew 8 high-severity violations, including failure to demonstrate allergen awareness, a finding that carries immediate risk for the 32 million Americans with food allergies. Volcano Hot Pot and BBQ, with 10 prior inspections, had no person in charge present during its inspection. A facility that young, already missing basic management oversight, is one that inspectors will be watching closely in the weeks ahead.