MIAMI, FL. A state inspector visiting Snappers Fish and Chicken at 18312 NW 7 Ave on May 18, 2026 found food being served from unapproved or unknown sources, a violation that means the fish and chicken on customers' plates could not be traced back through any federal inspection system if someone got sick.
That was one of nine high-severity violations documented that day. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The handwashing picture alone was striking. Inspectors cited the restaurant on three separate handwashing violations in a single visit: employees not washing adequately, employees using improper technique, and the facility itself lacking adequate handwashing infrastructure. All three were flagged as high-severity.
The shellfish traceability citation adds a specific layer of concern for a restaurant whose name includes the word "fish." Without proper shell stock identification records, there is no way to trace where oysters, clams, or mussels came from if a customer falls ill. State and federal regulators require those records precisely because shellfish are frequently consumed raw or lightly cooked.
Toxic substances were also improperly identified, stored, or used, according to the inspection record. That citation, also high-severity, was listed alongside the food sourcing violation and the handwashing failures as part of a single day's findings.
What These Violations Mean
The food-from-unapproved-sources citation is not a paperwork problem. When a restaurant cannot document where its food came from, inspectors and public health officials have no way to pull that food from the supply chain if a contamination event is later identified. Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli outbreaks are traced and contained through exactly the kind of records Snappers was cited for not having.
The handwashing violations compound that risk directly. Three separate citations, covering the availability of handwashing facilities, whether employees actually washed their hands, and whether they used proper technique, describe a kitchen where basic contamination controls were not functioning. Improper handwashing is the single most common factor in spreading norovirus and other foodborne pathogens from food workers to customers.
The employee illness reporting violation makes the picture worse. When workers are not required or trained to report symptoms, a sick employee handling food is an undetected outbreak in progress. Norovirus, in particular, spreads through food contact from symptomatic workers and can sicken dozens of customers before any pattern is identified.
The consumer advisory citation matters most for the restaurant's most vulnerable customers. Pregnant women, elderly diners, and people with compromised immune systems face the highest risk from raw or undercooked seafood. Without a posted advisory, those customers have no way to make an informed choice.
The Longer Record
The May 18 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Snappers Fish and Chicken has been inspected 51 times, accumulating 792 total violations across that history, with zero emergency closures.
The eight most recent inspections tell a consistent story. In September 2025, inspectors found seven high-severity and four intermediate violations. In November 2025, three high and two intermediate. In July 2024, the restaurant was inspected on back-to-back days, July 15 and July 16, drawing seven high violations on the first day and three on the second. The same pattern repeated in April 2024, with inspections on consecutive days.
Back-to-back inspections typically follow a first visit where violations are serious enough to require a return check. Snappers has triggered that response at least twice in the past two years, in April 2024 and July 2024, yet the violation counts in subsequent inspections remained elevated.
The 792 cumulative violations across 51 inspections average out to more than 15 violations per inspection visit over the life of the record. The May 2026 visit, with 12 total violations including nine at the high-severity level, was among the worst single inspections in recent history.
Still Open
Florida's emergency closure authority is triggered when inspectors determine an imminent threat to public health exists. Nine high-severity violations at a seafood restaurant, including unapproved food sources, failed handwashing infrastructure, improperly stored toxic substances, and missing shellfish traceability records, did not meet that threshold on May 18, 2026.
Snappers Fish and Chicken remained open after the inspection.