HIALEAH, FL. A cafeteria on West Second Avenue was cited for eight high-severity health violations during an August inspection, including a finding that employees were not reporting illness symptoms before handling food, yet state inspectors left the restaurant open and serving customers.
The August 7 inspection of San Lazaro Cafeteria at 2400 W 2nd Ave produced eight high-priority violations and three intermediate violations, a tally that matches the worst inspection the facility has recorded in at least two years.
What Inspectors Found
The illness-reporting violation sits at the top of the list for a reason. Inspectors cited the cafeteria for employees failing to report symptoms of illness before working with food, a breakdown that state and federal health authorities consistently identify as the leading driver of multi-victim restaurant outbreaks.
Alongside that finding, inspectors documented that parasite destruction procedures were not being followed. Certain fish, pork, and wild game require specific freezing or cooking protocols to kill parasites such as Anisakis and Trichinella. When those procedures are skipped, customers eat food that can harbor live parasites.
The cafeteria also lacked adequate shell stock identification records. Oysters, clams, and mussels carry unique traceability requirements because they are often consumed raw or barely cooked. Without proper records, there is no way to trace the source of a shellfish if a customer becomes ill.
Inspectors further noted that food contact surfaces were not properly cleaned or sanitized, and that the facility was improperly using time as a public health control. When a restaurant uses time rather than refrigeration to keep food safe, it must track precisely when food entered the temperature danger zone. Inspectors found that system was not functioning correctly.
Two additional high-severity findings rounded out the list: no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, which means customers with health vulnerabilities had no warning, and toxic substances that were improperly identified, stored, or used, creating a direct chemical contamination risk.
What These Violations Mean
The illness-reporting failure is the violation with the most immediate public consequence. A food worker with norovirus who does not report symptoms and continues handling food can infect dozens of customers within a single shift. The cafeteria setting, with shared serving equipment and high customer turnover, amplifies that risk significantly.
The parasite destruction failure compounds the shellfish traceability problem. If the cafeteria is serving raw or lightly cooked shellfish without proper sourcing records, and without following parasite destruction protocols, customers are eating food that cannot be traced to its origin and may contain live parasites. Those two violations together represent a layered failure with no backstop.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, combined with improperly used wiping cloths, create conditions where bacteria transfer freely between surfaces and food. Wiping cloths that are not stored in sanitizing solution between uses pick up bacteria from one surface and deposit it on the next. Add utensils that inspectors separately cited for improper cleaning, and the cross-contamination pathways multiply.
The toxic substance violation is distinct from the others but no less serious. Chemicals stored or used improperly near food preparation areas can contaminate food directly. Unlike bacterial contamination, chemical contamination produces symptoms immediately and cannot be cooked away.
The Longer Record
The August 2026 inspection was not a first offense or an isolated bad day. State records show 24 inspections on file for San Lazaro Cafeteria, with 225 total violations accumulated across that history.
The pattern in recent years is particularly striking. The February 2026 inspection, just six months before this one, produced exactly the same tally: eight high-severity violations and three intermediate violations. The August 2022 inspection recorded three high-severity and three intermediate violations. The cafeteria has logged high-severity violations in every single inspection on record going back to at least 2022.
The facility has never been emergency-closed. Despite the volume of high-severity findings across 24 inspections, inspectors have not yet reached the threshold that triggers an emergency closure order.
Still Open
The August 7 inspection ended without a closure order. San Lazaro Cafeteria remained open to customers after inspectors documented eight high-severity violations, including findings that sick employees were not being reported and that parasite destruction procedures were being ignored.
The cafeteria's 24-inspection record now includes 225 total violations. The most recent two inspections in 2026 have each produced eight high-severity findings.
The doors stayed open.
