MIAMI, FL. A food handler at a Miami grill was documented working while ill with a transmissible disease during the week of April 18, 2026, one of the most serious single findings state inspectors recorded across 15 flagged restaurants in Miami-Dade and Broward counties that week.
The Worst of the Week
El Gallito Grill on SW 8th Avenue in Miami drew 12 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations, the highest combined count among all 15 flagged facilities. Inspectors cited the restaurant for an employee working while ill with a transmissible disease, a direct public health threat under state code. The same inspection found no person in charge present or performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing by multiple food workers.
That combination of a sick employee on the line, absent management, and inadequate hand hygiene represents the conditions inspectors associate most closely with multi-victim foodborne illness outbreaks.
Crafty Crab Cajun Seafood Restaurant on Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami Beach recorded 11 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate violations. Inspectors cited no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and both inadequate handwashing and improper handwashing technique, a distinction that means workers were attempting to wash their hands but doing so incorrectly.
Management Failures Across Multiple Kitchens
The absence of a person in charge was among the most repeated findings of the week, appearing at six separate facilities. Candies Cabaret on NW 36th Street in Miami recorded 10 high-severity violations, including no manager present, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, and food sourced from an unapproved or unknown supplier. Food from unapproved sources bypasses federal safety inspections entirely.
Sports Grill Miami Lakes on NW 77th Court also reached 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper washing technique. That facility recorded zero intermediate violations alongside its 10 high-severity findings.
King and I Thai Restaurant on NW 77th Court in Miami Lakes, located near Sports Grill, drew 9 high-severity violations. The inspection found no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing, improper technique, and food in poor condition.
Shellfish, Sick Workers, and Chemical Storage
Three restaurants this week were cited for inadequate shellfish traceability records, a violation that prevents inspectors from identifying the source of oysters, clams, or mussels served raw or lightly cooked. Iron Sushi on NE 2nd Avenue in Miami Shores Village recorded 9 high-severity violations, including shellfish recordkeeping failures, food in poor condition, inadequate handwashing facilities, and employees not reporting illness.
In Coral Gables, two restaurants on opposite ends of Giralda Avenue and Alhambra Circle drew identical high-severity violation counts. Aromas del Peru of Coral Gables on Giralda Avenue was cited for 9 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, inadequate shellfish records, food in poor condition, improper handwashing, and unclean food contact surfaces. Globe Cafe and Bar on Alhambra Circle matched that count with 9 high-severity violations, adding a finding that food was not cooked to the required minimum temperature, a condition inspectors link directly to pathogen survival in poultry and ground meat.
El Encuentro Restaurant on NW 17th Avenue in Miami was cited for improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals and toxic substances stored near food, alongside unclean food contact surfaces and improper sewage disposal. Ming Yuan Restaurant on NW 2nd Avenue in Miami drew the same chemical storage violations, combined with no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and single-use items being reused.
Broward and the Remaining Miami-Dade Findings
The lone Broward County entry in this week's list was Grace Restaurant on West Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach, cited for 3 high-severity violations including food in poor condition and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked menu items.
Perl by Chef IP on NE 186th Street in Miami drew 6 high-severity violations, including inadequate shellfish traceability records, no consumer advisory for raw foods, unclean food contact surfaces, and employees not reporting illness symptoms. The restaurant has no intermediate violations on record from this inspection.
Palm Beach County had no facilities among the 15 flagged this week. Fourteen of the 15 restaurants cited were in Miami-Dade, and the ill employee documented working the line at El Gallito Grill remained the week's most serious individual finding.