SARASOTA COUNTY, FL. An Englewood restaurant accumulated 8 high-severity violations in a single inspection last week, a tally that included food from unapproved sources, no demonstrated allergen awareness, inadequate shellfish records, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature, all documented at one address in a single visit.
State inspectors conducted 45 inspections across 44 facilities in Sarasota County during the week of May 13 through May 19, 2026. Twelve of those facilities drew two or more high-severity citations. The problems were not confined to one part of the county or one type of establishment.
The Worst of the Week
Artur's Restaurant at 70 N Indiana Ave in Englewood led the county with 8 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved or unknown sources, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shellfish identification records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no demonstrated allergen awareness.
That last citation carries particular weight. Allergen failures mean staff cannot reliably identify which dishes contain the top nine allergens, leaving customers with life-threatening allergies to make decisions without accurate information.
Cafe Venice at 101 W Venice Ave drew 6 high-severity violations. Among them: an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time not properly used as a public health control, and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. Inspectors also cited improperly cleaned multi-use utensils at the intermediate level.
Taco Jalisco at 6895 S Tamiami Trail in Sarasota matched Cafe Venice with 6 high-severity violations. The list included improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, undercooking, improper use of time as a public health control, and failure to follow required procedures for specialized processes.
Crows Nest Marina and Restaurant at 1968 Tarpon Center Dr in Venice was cited for 5 high-severity violations: no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and improper use of time as a public health control. Inspectors also noted inadequate cooling and cold holding equipment, single-use items being reused, and inadequate ventilation.
Cabo Breeze Mexican Grill and Tiki Bar at 648 Tamiami Trail S in Venice also drew 5 high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
F.L.A. Deli at 2805 Proctor Rd in Sarasota was cited for 4 high-severity violations including food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors additionally cited improper sewage or wastewater disposal at the intermediate level.
Art Garden Cafe at 390 Nokomis Ave in Venice drew 4 high-severity violations, one of which was no approved potable water supply. The others were no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and inadequate shellfish identification records.
Red Clasico at 1341 Main St in Sarasota was cited for 4 high-severity violations including inadequate handwashing facilities, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification records, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Three more facilities drew between 3 high-severity violations each. Ichiban Restaurant at 2724 Stickney Pointe Rd was cited for improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Venice Yacht Club at 1330 Tarpon Center Rd was cited for food from unapproved sources, undercooking, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Bushido Sushi at 125 W Venice Ave was cited for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
One facility stood apart from the rest. Daiquiri Deck Raw Bar at 325 John Ringling Blvd drew zero high-severity violations, with a single intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
What These Violations Mean
Food from unapproved or unknown sources appeared at six facilities this week: Artur's Restaurant, Cafe Venice, Taco Jalisco, Crows Nest Marina and Restaurant, Ichiban Restaurant, and Venice Yacht Club. The problem is not simply a paperwork issue. When food bypasses USDA and FDA inspection channels, there is no chain of custody if someone gets sick. An outbreak traced to uninspected product can take investigators weeks longer to source, during which more people may be exposed.
Improper handwashing technique, cited at Artur's Restaurant, Taco Jalisco, Crows Nest, Cabo Breeze, Art Garden Cafe, and Ichiban, is distinct from not washing hands at all. An employee who goes through the motions but uses incorrect technique, too brief a wash, skipping soap, or not reaching all surfaces, still leaves pathogens on their hands. Those pathogens then transfer directly to food or surfaces.
The employee illness citations at Cafe Venice and Bushido Sushi represent a different category of risk. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, can be shed by a worker who feels only mildly unwell. A single sick employee who continues working a full shift can expose hundreds of customers. Without a formal health policy in place, as cited at Crows Nest, Cabo Breeze, and Art Garden Cafe, there is no mechanism requiring workers to report symptoms before they begin a shift.
Shellfish traceability failures at Artur's Restaurant, Art Garden Cafe, and Red Clasico carry a specific consequence. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently consumed raw or barely cooked. If a contaminated batch causes illness, shellfish harvest tags are the primary tool investigators use to identify the source and pull product from other restaurants. Without those records, that chain breaks entirely.
The Longer Record
The data does not include prior inspection counts for the facilities featured this week, which limits the ability to place individual performances in long-term context. What the current week's record does show is a pattern of overlapping failures at several addresses.
Artur's Restaurant accumulated violations across eight distinct high-severity categories in a single visit. That breadth, spanning food sourcing, cooking temperatures, surface sanitation, shellfish records, allergen awareness, and consumer disclosures, suggests systemic gaps rather than isolated oversights.
Crows Nest Marina and Restaurant and Cabo Breeze both drew five high-severity violations each, and both were cited for the same pair of failures: no employee health policy and improper handwashing technique. Those two violations together describe a kitchen where illness prevention is not formalized and the most basic hygiene practice is not being executed correctly.
Venice Yacht Club and Bushido Sushi, both on the Venice waterfront corridor, each drew consumer advisory violations for raw or undercooked foods alongside food sourcing or illness-reporting failures. Both serve raw or undercooked seafood as core menu items. Neither had the required advisory in place.