ORLANDO, FL. China Lee on South Kirkman Road was ordered shut on September 22 after inspectors documented roach activity inside the restaurant, the same day the inspection week opened and the same address that inspectors would return to before the week was out.
That closure was one of two emergency shutdowns in Orlando between September 22 and September 28, 2026. The other came two days later, on September 24, when Hot Dog Guy at 929 W Michigan Street was closed after inspectors found no potable water on the premises.
China Lee's closure was not its only problem. State records show inspectors also cited the restaurant for six high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no demonstrated allergen awareness. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal was also documented.
The Week's Worst Findings
China Garden on Conroy Windermere Road led all facilities this week with 11 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for food from unapproved or unknown sources, inadequate shell stock identification records, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, improper use of time as a public health control, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing technique.
Food from an unapproved source and untracked shellfish in the same kitchen is a serious combination. If a customer became ill, investigators would have no chain of custody to trace either the fish or the shellfish back to a supplier.
Catrinas Mexican Fusion on North Semoran Boulevard drew 10 high-severity violations. The person in charge was either absent or not performing duties, and the facility had no employee health policy, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shell stock records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Citrus Club on South Orange Avenue also reached 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors found the person in charge absent or not fulfilling duties, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Old Cuban Cafe on North Goldenrod Road was cited for nine high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, improperly stored or used toxic substances, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. The absence of functioning handwashing infrastructure makes every other food safety practice harder to execute.
Oh Que Bueno Restaurant Grill and Bar on South Semoran also drew nine high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for food from unapproved sources, improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals, and two separate chemical storage violations alongside the standard shellfish, handwashing, and food contact surface failures.
Pho Vinh on North Primrose Drive was cited for eight high-severity violations, including an absent or non-performing person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, and improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals. A Vietnamese restaurant serving fish dishes without verified parasite destruction protocols is a direct risk to anyone eating raw or lightly prepared seafood.
Amalfi on Avalon Lake Drive, Elixir Bar Room and Hash House on West Washington Street, and Ammas Kitchen on International Drive each drew eight high-severity violations. Elixir was also cited for failure to follow required procedures for specialized processes, a violation that applies to techniques like curing, smoking, or reduced-oxygen packaging. Ammas Kitchen on International Drive, which sits in one of Orlando's heaviest tourist corridors, was cited for food not cooked to required minimum temperature alongside inadequate shell stock records and improperly stored chemicals.
Los Ameca's Restaurante y Taqueria on South Orange Avenue drew seven high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and an absent or non-performing person in charge. Inspectors also cited improperly stored chemicals and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Negril Jamaican Restaurant on Silver Star Road also reached seven high-severity violations. An intermediate citation for inadequate cooling or cold holding equipment accompanied the high-severity findings, meaning the facility lacked the physical capacity to keep food at safe temperatures.
Libra and Bar Libra on South Orange Avenue drew four high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no allergen awareness, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Crowne Plaza Downtown Orlando on West Colonial Drive drew three high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source. Flyers Wings and Grill on West Colonial Drive also drew three high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity violation this week was the absence of an employee health policy, cited at China Garden, China Lee, Catrinas Mexican Fusion, Citrus Club, Old Cuban Cafe, Oh Que Bueno, Ammas Kitchen, and Negril Jamaican Restaurant. A written policy is what legally obligates employees to report symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea before handling food. Without it, a sick cook has no formal directive to stay home, and the kitchen has no documented procedure for removing them from service.
The related violation, employees not reporting illness symptoms, appeared at China Garden, Citrus Club, Old Cuban Cafe, Pho Vinh, Amalfi, Elixir, Los Ameca's, and Negril. These two violations together mean that at multiple facilities this week, there was neither a rule requiring workers to report illness nor evidence that workers were actually doing so. Norovirus, which spreads through contaminated food prepared by an infected worker, causes roughly 20 million illnesses per year in the United States.
Several facilities were cited for food from unapproved or unknown sources, including China Garden, Catrinas Mexican Fusion, Oh Que Bueno, Pho Vinh, and Crowne Plaza. When food enters a kitchen without a documented, inspected supplier, there is no way to trace it if someone gets sick. Shellfish traceability violations compounded this risk at China Garden, China Lee, Catrinas, Citrus Club, Old Cuban Cafe, Oh Que Bueno, Pho Vinh, Amalfi, Elixir, Ammas Kitchen, Los Ameca's, and Negril. Shellfish are consumed raw or lightly cooked, meaning they carry Vibrio, Norovirus, and hepatitis A directly to the table without the buffer of heat.
Toxic chemical violations appeared at Oh Que Bueno, Pho Vinh, Amalfi, Elixir, Ammas Kitchen, Los Ameca's, Negril, and Crowne Plaza. Cleaning chemicals stored near or above food preparation surfaces can contaminate food through drips, spills, or mislabeled containers. These are not paperwork violations. They are acute poisoning risks.
The Longer Record
China Lee's 77 prior inspections on record make it the most-inspected facility in this week's group by a significant margin. The roach activity that triggered this week's emergency closure was documented at a restaurant with a longer inspection history than any other facility cited this week. That volume of prior inspections does not indicate a clean record; it indicates a facility that has been scrutinized repeatedly over time.
Elixir Bar Room and Hash House on West Washington Street carries 47 prior inspections on record, the second-highest count in this week's data. This week's eight high-severity violations, including the specialized process failure, come against that extended history.
Libra and Bar Libra has 38 prior inspections on record. China Garden and Citrus Club each show 30, as do Negril Jamaican Restaurant and Crowne Plaza. Old Cuban Cafe and Los Ameca's Restaurante y Taqueria each show 29, and Oh Que Bueno shows 27.
Catrinas Mexican Fusion and Ammas Kitchen each show only 19 prior inspections on record, making them among the newer facilities in this week's group. Catrinas drew 10 high-severity violations in what appears to be a relatively early stage of its inspection history. Ammas Kitchen on International Drive, serving a tourist-heavy area, drew eight high-severity violations including an undercooked food citation with the same limited inspection record. A short history is not an excuse. For these two, it is the story.
China Lee's closure for roach activity was resolved and the restaurant was permitted to reopen. As of the records available for this report, the underlying violations that accompanied the closure, including the improper sewage disposal citation, had not been publicly resolved.
