ORLANDO, FL. Ford's Garage at 4971 International Drive drew nine high-severity violations during the week of May 6, 2026, the highest single-facility count among 15 Orlando restaurants cited for serious food safety failures in that seven-day stretch, with inspectors flagging everything from improperly stored toxic substances to missing shellfish traceability records and no documentation that parasite destruction procedures were being followed for fish on the menu.
The violations at Ford's Garage were not isolated lapses. Inspectors also found no person in charge present or performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and food contact surfaces that had not been properly cleaned or sanitized. The restaurant had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
The Violations
A Aki Sushi and Steakhouse at 1400 W Sand Lake Road was second on the list with eight high-severity violations, including food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique and a failure to properly use time as a public health control, meaning food was left in the temperature danger zone without adequate tracking.
Mariscos Los Pulpos Restaurant at 2332 W Oak Ridge Road drew seven high-severity violations, among them food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish traceability records, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal. No person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
Bulgogi House III at 1400 W Oak Ridge Road also collected seven high-severity violations. Inspectors found no written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing by food employees, food from unapproved sources, and improper sewage disposal alongside missing shellfish records.
Maroush Shawrma and Grill at 783 N Alafaya Trail received seven high-severity citations including food described as being in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulterated, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, and improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals. Inspectors also cited improper sewage disposal at the facility.
IHOP #36-225 at 7344 West Colonial Drive drew seven high-severity violations, including food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled.
The Closure
Thai Island Orlando Restaurant at 2522 S Semoran Boulevard was the only facility emergency-closed during the week, shut down on May 7 for roach activity. The closure came despite Thai Island carrying the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's data, with 52 prior inspections on record. Inspectors also cited improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation and lighting during the same visit.
The remaining facilities cited this week each drew five or six high-severity violations. Adega Gaucha at 8204 Crystal Clear Lane was cited for food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish records, time as a public health control not properly used, improperly stored toxic substances, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, along with improper sewage disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Mangia at 3831 Avalon Park Boulevard East drew six high-severity violations, including no person in charge present, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, unclean food contact surfaces, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Improper sewage disposal and improperly cleaned multi-use utensils were also cited.
Portillo's at 7715 Palm Parkway received six high-severity citations, among them parasite destruction procedures not followed, improper handwashing technique, unclean food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also found inadequate toilet facilities and improper sewage disposal.
Tijuana Flats Burrito Company at 1024 Avalon Park Boulevard was cited for no written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, unclean food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals. Improper waste disposal was also documented.
Baku Asian Fusion Bar at 8204 Crystal Lake Lane drew five high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish records, improper handwashing technique, and unclean food contact surfaces. Inspectors also found single-use items being reused and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Russells on Ivanhoe at 1414 N Orange Avenue was cited for no written employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, unclean food contact surfaces, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals.
Azteca d'Oro at 7320 W Colonial Drive received five high-severity violations including no employee health policy, missing shellfish records, food not cooked to minimum temperature, unclean food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Dubsdread Golf Course Restaurant at 549 W Par Street drew five high-severity violations, two of them involving toxic substances, with inspectors citing both improper identification and storage of toxic substances and improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals as separate violations. No person in charge was present, and food from unapproved sources was also documented.
What These Violations Mean
The single most common high-severity violation across this week's 15 facilities was improperly cleaned or unsanitized food contact surfaces, cited at Ford's Garage, A Aki Sushi, Mariscos Los Pulpos, Bulgogi House III, Maroush Shawrma, IHOP, Mangia, Portillo's, Tijuana Flats, Baku, Russells, Azteca d'Oro, and others. Cutting boards, prep tables, and slicing equipment that are not properly sanitized between uses carry bacteria from one food item to the next, and they do so invisibly. A surface that looks clean can still transfer Salmonella or E. coli directly onto ready-to-eat food.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at A Aki Sushi, Mariscos Los Pulpos, Bulgogi House III, Adega Gaucha, Baku, and Dubsdread Golf Course, means those restaurants were serving food that bypassed USDA or FDA inspection at some point in the supply chain. If a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the food back to its origin. There is no lot number, no supplier record, no path back to the source.
Missing shellfish traceability records, cited at Ford's Garage, Mariscos Los Pulpos, Bulgogi House III, Maroush Shawrma, Adega Gaucha, Baku, and Azteca d'Oro, compound that same problem for one of the highest-risk food categories. Oysters, clams, and mussels are often consumed raw or barely cooked, and they concentrate whatever pathogens were present in the water where they were harvested. Without a shellfish tag on file, a restaurant cannot tell regulators where those shellfish came from or when they were harvested if a customer reports getting sick.
No employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms, cited across Bulgogi House III, Tijuana Flats, Russells, Azteca d'Oro, Ford's Garage, A Aki Sushi, Adega Gaucha, Mangia, Portillo's, and Baku, represent the most direct transmission route from a sick worker to a customer's plate. Norovirus, which causes more foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States than any other pathogen, spreads primarily through infected food handlers. A written health policy and a culture of reporting symptoms are the only barriers between a sick employee and an outbreak.
The Longer Record
Thai Island Orlando, the one facility emergency-closed this week, has 52 prior inspections on record, the most of any facility in this roundup. That history makes the roach closure on May 7 harder to dismiss as a first-time failure. The facility has been inspected more times than any other restaurant in this week's data, and inspectors still found active pest activity severe enough to order the doors shut.
A Aki Sushi and Steakhouse carries 45 prior inspections, Mariscos Los Pulpos 44. Both facilities were cited for food from unapproved sources this week, meaning that after dozens of inspections, neither has resolved a violation that goes to the most basic question in food safety: where did this food come from.
Bulgogi House III has 34 prior inspections on record and was cited this week for sewage disposal problems alongside its seven high-severity violations. Adega Gaucha has 29 prior inspections; Mangia, 31; Tijuana Flats, 33. All five were cited this week for violations in categories they have had ample opportunity to address across their inspection histories.
Baku Asian Fusion Bar stands out at the opposite end of the spectrum. With only seven prior inspections on record, it is one of the newest facilities in this week's data and it drew five high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources and single-use items being reused. Whether those numbers reflect early growing pains or a pattern still forming is something the next inspection will answer.