ORLANDO, FL. Chi Kin on N. Mills Avenue sourced food from unapproved or unknown suppliers, lacked documentation that fish had been frozen long enough to kill parasites, and stored toxic chemicals improperly, all in a single inspection during the week of September 23. It was one of 15 Orlando-area restaurants that state inspectors flagged for high-severity violations, and one of at least five where inspectors could not confirm that the food on the menu had ever passed a federal safety check.
The Week's Worst Offenders
Catrinas Mexican Fusion on N. Semoran Boulevard led the week with 10 high-severity violations, the most of any facility inspected. Inspectors found no person in charge present or performing duties, no written employee health policy, and food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers. The restaurant also lacked shellfish traceability records and had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked items.
The situation at Catrinas compounded quickly. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique, unclean food contact surfaces, and a failure to properly use time as a public health control, meaning food sat in the temperature danger zone longer than the facility's own written procedures allowed.
Oh Que Bueno Restaurant Grill and Bar on S. Semoran drew nine high-severity citations, including two that stood out: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Those are separate violations, meaning inspectors found chemical hazards in more than one form at the same facility. Food from unapproved sources and missing shellfish records rounded out the list.
Pho Vinh on N. Primrose Drive had eight high-severity violations, including one that inspectors flag as among the most acute risks in any food service setting: an employee not reporting symptoms of illness. Inspectors also found no person in charge on duty, food from unapproved sources, and no documentation that parasite-destruction procedures had been followed for fish on the menu.
Amalfi on Avalon Lake Drive drew eight high-severity citations as well, including inadequate shellfish traceability records, no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff, and the same dual chemical-storage failures found at Oh Que Bueno. Inspectors also noted that employees were not reporting illness symptoms.
Elixir Bar Room and Hash House on W. Washington Street was cited for food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, missing shellfish records, improperly stored toxic substances, and a failure to follow required procedures for specialized cooking processes. Eight high-severity violations total.
Amma's Kitchen on International Drive, one of the city's tourist-corridor restaurants, also reached eight high-severity violations. Inspectors flagged food not cooked to minimum temperature, parasite-destruction failures, improperly stored chemicals, and unclean food contact surfaces, all at a location that sits within blocks of major hotel and convention traffic.
Closures and the Rest of the List
One facility did not make it through the week open. The Hot Dog Guy at 929 W. Michigan Street was emergency-closed by the state on September 24 after inspectors found no potable water on the premises. No potable water means no handwashing, no sanitizing, and no safe food preparation of any kind.
La Perrada De Chalos Corp on S. Orange Blossom Trail drew seven high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, missing allergen awareness, improperly stored chemicals, and a failure to follow procedures for specialized cooking processes. Multi-use utensils were also flagged as improperly cleaned.
China Lee on S. Kirkman Road had six high-severity violations, including an intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal, which inspectors flag as a fecal contamination risk throughout the facility. No employee health policy and no allergen awareness were also among the findings.
Relax Grill at Lake Eola on Eola Parkway had six high-severity violations including no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, food not cooked to minimum temperatures, and improper sewage disposal. The lakeside location draws a consistent public crowd.
Kalalou Caraibbean Bar and Grill on S. John Young Parkway was cited for both inadequate handwashing by food employees and improper handwashing technique, two distinct violations that together indicate inspectors observed workers who neither washed their hands enough nor washed them correctly when they did. Food not cooked to minimum temperature and improper sewage disposal were also cited.
Tomasino's Pizza on E. Colonial Drive had six high-severity violations including parasite-destruction failures, food from unapproved sources, and single-use items being reused, a practice inspectors flag as a contamination risk because items designed for one use are not built to withstand the cleaning needed to make them safe again.
Marita's Latin Bites on E. Colonial Drive was cited for no person in charge, no employee health policy, inadequate shellfish records, parasite-destruction failures, and single-use items improperly reused. Six high-severity violations.
Libra and Bar Libra on S. Orange Avenue drew four high-severity violations, the lowest count among the week's flagged facilities, but the list included food not cooked to required minimum temperatures and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. No consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items was also cited.
Crowne Plaza Downtown Orlando on W. Colonial Drive had three high-severity violations: food from an unapproved source, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity violation across this week's inspections was improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, cited at ten of the fifteen facilities. Cutting boards, prep tables, and slicers that are not properly sanitized between uses transfer bacteria directly onto the next food that touches them. The risk is not theoretical: cross-contamination from unclean surfaces is one of the primary mechanisms by which pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli reach a customer's plate.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Catrinas, Oh Que Bueno, Pho Vinh, Chi Kin, Relax Grill, Tomasino's, and Kalalou, carries a specific public health consequence that goes beyond the food itself. When a supplier is not licensed or traceable, there is no chain of custody if someone gets sick. Investigators cannot pull records, cannot identify other affected customers, and cannot stop additional distribution. The food may be fine. The problem is that no one can verify it.
Parasite-destruction failures, cited at Pho Vinh, Amma's Kitchen, Chi Kin, Tomasino's, and Marita's Latin Bites, are particularly relevant at restaurants serving raw or lightly cooked fish. Without documentation that fish was frozen at the required temperature for the required duration, parasites including Anisakis, which causes severe abdominal pain and can require surgical removal, remain viable in the food.
The dual chemical-storage violations at Oh Que Bueno and Amalfi, and similar citations at Pho Vinh, Amma's Kitchen, Tomasino's, Relax Grill, Chi Kin, and the Crowne Plaza, point to a different category of risk entirely. Cleaning chemicals stored near or above food preparation areas can contaminate food through spills, aerosols, or mislabeled containers. Acute chemical poisoning from restaurant food is rare but documented, and it produces symptoms that often mimic foodborne illness, which means it can go unreported.
The Longer Record
The facility with the longest inspection history on this week's list is China Lee, with 77 prior inspections on record. That is not unusual for a long-operating restaurant, but six high-severity violations at inspection 77 or later, including missing employee health policies and improper sewage disposal, suggests the record has not produced consistent improvement.
Elixir Bar Room and Hash House has 47 prior inspections on record, the second-longest history in this week's group, and still drew eight high-severity citations. Relax Grill at Lake Eola has 51 prior inspections and drew six high-severity violations including an employee not reporting illness symptoms and improper sewage disposal.
Kalalou Caraibbean Bar and Grill has 46 prior inspections and still produced both handwashing-frequency and handwashing-technique violations in the same visit. Those are not the same citation: one means workers did not wash their hands, the other means workers washed their hands incorrectly. Both showing up together at a facility with 46 inspections on record is a pattern, not an anomaly.
Catrinas Mexican Fusion, the week's highest-violation facility, has only 19 prior inspections on record, making it one of the newer establishments in this group. Ten high-severity violations at inspection 19 is a steep count for a facility still early in its inspection history. Amma's Kitchen also has 19 prior inspections and drew eight high-severity violations, including cooking temperature failures and parasite-destruction gaps at a high-traffic International Drive address.
As of the end of the inspection week, the Hot Dog Guy at 929 W. Michigan Street remained closed, with no potable water documented at the time of the September 24 emergency order.
