ORLANDO, FL. Uncle Julio's Mexican From Scratch on International Drive drew 10 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of October 1, the highest count of any Orlando restaurant reviewed that week, with inspectors finding no employee health policy, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and no documentation that parasite destruction procedures had been followed for fish or meat served on the menu.
That last violation carries particular weight at a restaurant where certain proteins require verified freezing protocols before service. Without records proving those steps were taken, there is no way to confirm parasites were eliminated.
The Week's Worst Offenders
Juicy Crab on International Drive accumulated 8 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations, a combination that included food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, no employee health policy, no person in charge performing duties, and improper handwashing technique. Inspectors also cited toxic substances improperly stored or used and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
The food sourcing violation at Juicy Crab stands out on a menu built around shellfish. Food from unapproved sources skips USDA and FDA safety inspections entirely, meaning there is no supply-chain record if a customer becomes sick.
YH Seafood Clubhouse on Turkey Lake Road was cited for 9 high-severity violations, including inadequate shell stock identification records, food from unapproved sources, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. The shell stock citation compounds the sourcing problem: without tags identifying where oysters, clams, or mussels were harvested, there is no traceback path if illness is reported.
El Palacio Buffet on South Orange Blossom Trail drew 8 high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and two separate toxic chemical violations. A buffet format, where food sits at serving temperature for extended periods, makes the absence of active management and temperature controls especially consequential.
Huong Viet Restaurant on West Colonial Drive was cited for 8 high-severity violations, among them food from unapproved sources, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, toxic substances improperly stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The allergen citation is rare in this week's data. Food allergies send 30,000 people to emergency rooms annually in the United States, and a kitchen without demonstrable allergen awareness cannot reliably protect a customer who discloses a life-threatening allergy.
KC Franchising LLC on Turkey Lake received 8 high-severity citations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, food from unapproved sources, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and time as a public health control not properly used. When a facility relies on time rather than temperature to keep food safe, precise logging is required. No proper time-control documentation means food is effectively unmonitored.
Rawsha Restaurant on Turkey Lake Road was cited for 8 high-severity violations, including both inadequate handwashing and improper handwashing technique as separate citations, food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. That last violation, covering smoking, curing, fermenting, or reduced-oxygen packaging, suggests Rawsha is using at least one advanced preparation method without the documented protocols those processes require.
Ahmed Indian Restaurant near UCF on University Boulevard drew 8 high-severity violations: no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. No person in charge was present or performing duties during the inspection.
Mordisco on International Drive was cited for 8 high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to required temperatures, no consumer advisory, toxic substances improperly stored, no allergen awareness, and employees not reporting illness symptoms.
Cantina Catrina on South Orange Blossom Trail received 8 high-severity citations, among them food from unapproved sources, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required temperatures, and two toxic chemical violations.
Jack and Mary's Restaurant on South Goldenrod Road was cited for 7 high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Amalfi on Avalon Lake Drive drew 7 high-severity violations: improper handwashing, inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, two toxic chemical citations, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
House of Pho Orlando on South John Young Parkway was cited for a single high-severity violation: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food. Sushi Yummy on South Orange Blossom Trail drew two high-severity citations, including time as a public health control not properly used and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, plus an intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal. Thai Thani on West Sandlake Road received two intermediate violations for improperly cleaned utensils and inadequate ventilation, with no high-severity citations.
What These Violations Mean
The most pervasive violation this week was the absence of an employee health policy, cited at Uncle Julio's, Juicy Crab, YH Seafood Clubhouse, El Palacio Buffet, Huong Viet, KC Franchising, Ahmed Indian Restaurant, Cantina Catrina, and Jack and Mary's. Without a written policy, sick workers have no formal instruction to stay home or report symptoms. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants, spreads through an infected worker touching food a single time.
The companion violation, employees not reporting illness symptoms, appeared at Uncle Julio's, Juicy Crab, El Palacio Buffet, Huong Viet, Ahmed Indian Restaurant, and Mordisco. These two citations together describe a kitchen where there is no system to catch a sick worker before they handle food, and no expectation that workers would self-report if they felt ill.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources was cited at Juicy Crab, YH Seafood Clubhouse, Huong Viet, KC Franchising, Rawsha, Mordisco, and Cantina Catrina. The risk is not abstract. When a customer gets sick and health investigators try to trace the source, they need invoices, supplier records, and lot numbers. Food from an unverified source leaves that investigation with nothing to follow.
The parasite destruction citations at Uncle Julio's, Rawsha, and Jack and Mary's describe a specific gap in preparation. Certain fish and meats require verified freezing at precise temperatures for set periods before service, or confirmed cooking to internal temperatures that kill parasites. Without documentation that either step occurred, the kitchen cannot confirm it happened.
The Longer Record
El Palacio Buffet has 60 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility in this week's data, and still drew 8 high-severity violations in October 2026. Sixty inspections represent years of regulatory contact. The violations cited this week, including no person in charge and employees not reporting illness, are foundational management failures, not obscure technical requirements.
Ahmed Indian Restaurant has 48 prior inspections on record and was again cited for no person in charge, no employee health policy, and employees not reporting illness. Huong Viet has 38 prior inspections and was cited for food from unapproved sources, improperly cleaned surfaces, and no allergen awareness. Juicy Crab has 37 prior inspections and still had no employee health policy in place.
Rawsha Restaurant has only 8 prior inspections on record, the fewest of any facility cited for high-severity violations this week, and already accumulated 8 high-severity citations including two separate handwashing violations and a specialized process failure. A facility that new, accumulating that volume of serious violations, has not established baseline food safety practices.
YH Seafood Clubhouse has 17 prior inspections and was cited for 9 high-severity violations this week, including the shell stock traceability failure that inspectors have the tools to check every visit. Whether that citation appeared in earlier inspections is a question the record does not answer here.
