ORLANDO, FL. Uncle Julio's Mexican From Scratch on International Drive drew the week's highest single-facility violation count, with 10 high-severity citations that included food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, parasite destruction procedures not followed for fish, and no employee health policy in place.
The restaurant had no person in charge present or performing duties at the time of inspection. That absence, combined with employees not reporting illness symptoms and no written health policy on file, created what inspectors documented as a triple failure of basic disease-prevention management.
The Violations
Juicy Crab on International Drive finished the week with 8 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations, the highest combined count of any facility inspected. Among the high-severity findings: food from an unapproved or unknown source, toxic substances improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked menu items. Inspectors also documented improper handwashing technique, meaning employees were making handwashing attempts that still left pathogens on their hands.
Kolombia Cafe on W. Crystal Lake accumulated 9 high-severity violations including inadequate shell stock identification records, food in poor condition or adulterated, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. Shellfish traceability records are required precisely because oysters, clams, and mussels are often consumed raw, and without those records there is no way to trace the origin of a product if a customer gets sick.
Mariachi Mexican Restaurant on S. Orange Blossom Trail was cited for food from an unapproved source, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and no person in charge present. Inspectors also found employees not using proper handwashing technique and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures.
El Palacio Buffet, also on S. Orange Blossom Trail, drew two separate toxic-substance citations in the same inspection: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Inspectors also found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not washing hands properly, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned.
Huong Viet Restaurant on W. Colonial Drive was cited for food from an unapproved source, toxic substances improperly stored, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. That last citation means staff could not identify which menu items contained common allergens, a gap that the data shows sends 30,000 Americans to emergency rooms annually.
KC Franchising LLC on Turkey Lake Road was cited for food from an unapproved source, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Improper use of time as a control means food was held in the bacterial growth temperature range, between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit, without the documentation or procedures required to make that practice safe.
Cantina Catrina at S. Orange Blossom Trail drew two toxic-substance citations alongside food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures. No consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items was also cited.
Cecil's Texas Style Bar-B-Q on S. Orange Ave was cited for food in poor condition or adulterated, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors found no person in charge and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Jack and Mary's Restaurant on S. Goldenrod Road was cited for parasite destruction procedures not followed, time as a public health control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Inspectors also found no employee health policy and improper handwashing technique.
Amalfi on Avalon Lake Drive drew citations for inadequate shell stock identification records, no allergen awareness demonstrated, and two separate toxic-substance violations. Inspectors also found food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, the combination that allows bacterial biofilms to develop on surfaces between service periods.
Narita Sushi on S. Orange Blossom Trail was cited for food from an unapproved source, food in poor condition or adulterated, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned. Employees not reporting illness symptoms and no employee health policy were also documented.
Mordisco on International Drive drew citations for food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock identification records, no allergen awareness demonstrated, and toxic substances improperly stored. A citation for employees not reporting illness symptoms was also on record.
Eddie V's Restaurant on W. Sand Lake Road finished the week with 7 high-severity violations and zero intermediate violations. The high-severity list included parasite destruction procedures not followed, time as a public health control not properly used, and no allergen awareness demonstrated alongside toxic substances improperly stored.
Ahmed Indian Restaurant near UCF on University Boulevard drew the week's lowest high-severity count at 3 citations, including food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread violation this week was the absence of an employee health policy, cited at Uncle Julio's, Juicy Crab, Kolombia Cafe, Mariachi, El Palacio Buffet, Huong Viet, KC Franchising, Cantina Catrina, Jack and Mary's, and Narita Sushi. A written health policy is the mechanism that requires employees to report symptoms before they handle food. Without it, a worker with Norovirus has no formal instruction to stay home, and Norovirus spreads through fewer than 20 viral particles, an amount invisible on a hand and transferable in seconds.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Juicy Crab, Mariachi, Huong Viet, KC Franchising, Cantina Catrina, Narita Sushi, and Mordisco, is a traceability problem first and a contamination problem second. When a supplier is unapproved, it has not been inspected by USDA or FDA, meaning there is no paper trail to follow if multiple customers report illness. An outbreak that might otherwise be traced and contained within days instead becomes unresolvable.
Parasite destruction procedures were not followed at Uncle Julio's, Jack and Mary's, and Eddie V's. This violation applies specifically to fish, pork, and wild game served raw or undercooked. Without documented freezing at required temperatures or cooking to required internal temperatures, parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork remain viable in the finished dish.
Toxic chemical violations appeared at more than half the facilities cited this week, including two separate toxic-substance citations each at El Palacio Buffet and Cantina Catrina. Chemicals stored near or above food preparation surfaces can contaminate food directly through spillage or mislabeling, and the risk is acute rather than cumulative. A customer who ingests a cleaning chemical does not get sick over time; the reaction is immediate.
The Longer Record
El Palacio Buffet carries the longest inspection history of any facility in this week's roundup, with 60 prior inspections on record. That number means inspectors have visited and documented conditions at that address dozens of times over the life of the establishment, and this week's findings, including dual toxic-chemical citations and no person in charge, are part of a record that stretches back further than almost any other restaurant in the city.
Ahmed Indian Restaurant near UCF has 49 prior inspections on record and drew only 3 high-severity citations this week, the lowest count in the group. Huong Viet on W. Colonial Drive has 38 inspections on record; Juicy Crab has 37. Both drew 8 high-severity violations this week, suggesting that inspection frequency has not produced consistent compliance at either address.
Kolombia Cafe on W. Crystal Lake has only 6 prior inspections on record, the fewest of any facility cited this week, yet it accumulated 9 high-severity violations including shell stock traceability failures and adulterated food. A new or relatively new establishment reaching that violation count early in its inspection history is a pattern inspectors watch closely.
Jack and Mary's on S. Goldenrod Road has 36 prior inspections on record. This week's citation for parasite destruction procedures not followed at a facility with that inspection history means the violation is appearing at an address that has been examined regularly for years. Whether that specific violation has appeared in prior records at that address is not resolved by this week's inspection report alone.
