MIAMI, FL. A restaurant on SW 137th Avenue in Miami racked up 14 high-severity violations in a single inspection week, the highest count among 15 Miami-Dade establishments flagged by state inspectors between August 21 and August 27, 2026.
Rinconcito Miami 2 at 15956 SW 137 Ave. drew citations that touched nearly every layer of food safety: no person in charge performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food pulled from unapproved or unknown sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique and food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized.
The week's second-highest violation count came from a Midtown Miami restaurant with a national brand behind it.
The Violations
100 Montaditos Midtown at 3252 NE 1 Ave. in Miami's Midtown district drew 12 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the absence of any written employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification records, food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, and food not cooked to minimum required temperatures.
Rinconcito Latino Mixto at 2502 NW 10th Ave. also reached 12 high-severity citations. That facility's record included three separate handwashing failures: inadequate handwashing by employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper handwashing technique. Food from unapproved sources and unsanitized food contact surfaces were also cited.
Two high-profile dining destinations landed in the week's upper tier.
Fontana Restaurant, located at 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables inside the Biltmore Hotel, drew 11 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required temperatures, no person in charge performing duties, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Toro Toro at 100 Chopin Plaza, a steakhouse inside the InterContinental Miami in the heart of the downtown waterfront, also drew 11 high-severity violations. Those included food in poor condition or adulterated, food from unapproved sources, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required temperatures, inadequate shellfish identification records, and food contact surfaces not properly sanitized.
Three restaurants tied at 10 high-severity violations each.
Budare Bistro at 1832 SW 3 Ave. in Miami was cited for no person in charge performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, both inadequate handwashing and improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to required temperatures, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
Las Columnas Restaurant at 1657 NW 79 Ave. in Doral drew 10 high-severity citations including inadequate handwashing facilities, no employee health policy, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and inadequate shellfish traceability records.
Friends Market and Bistro at 31 SE 6 St. in downtown Miami reached 10 high-severity violations, with inspectors citing food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shellfish records, food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, food not cooked to required temperatures, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
Across the Rest of Miami-Dade
Cafe Panisse at 7310 SW 57 Ave. drew 9 high-severity violations including toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shellfish records, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and no person in charge performing duties.
Tani Thai by Rin at 12269 S Dixie Hwy in Pinecrest drew 8 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited parasite destruction procedures not followed, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no allergen awareness demonstrated, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and required procedures for specialized food processes not followed.
Di Napoli at 11755 S Dixie Hwy in Miami drew 5 high-severity violations: food from unapproved sources, food not cooked to required temperatures, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Five Spice Vietnamese Pho and Sushi Bar at 1801 NE 8 St. in Homestead drew 5 high-severity violations, among them parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required temperatures, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Panaderia Colombiana Mi Cali at 2350 W 60 St. in Hialeah drew 5 high-severity violations, two of them chemical-related: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Food contact surfaces not properly sanitized and no employee health policy were also cited.
Nueva San Salvador Restaurant #4 at 1147 NW 22 Ave. in Miami drew 4 high-severity violations including no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing by employees, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Tap42 at 11735 Sherry Ln. in Kendall drew the week's lowest high-severity count at 2, though inspectors cited toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used alongside food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, and noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal as an intermediate violation.
What These Violations Mean
The most common high-severity violation this week, appearing at Rinconcito Miami 2, 100 Montaditos Midtown, Fontana Restaurant, Budare Bistro, Las Columnas Restaurant, and Friends Market and Bistro, was food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. A cutting board, a prep table, or a slicer blade that is not sanitized between uses becomes a transfer vehicle: whatever pathogen was on the last food item, whether Salmonella from raw chicken or Listeria from deli meat, moves directly onto the next food that touches that surface.
Eight facilities were cited for some form of handwashing failure this week. At Rinconcito Latino Mixto, inspectors flagged all three layers simultaneously: the physical facilities were inadequate, employees were not washing properly, and their technique was wrong. That combination means proper hand hygiene was structurally impossible at that location during the inspection period.
Parasite destruction failures at Fontana Restaurant, Toro Toro, Las Columnas Restaurant, Five Spice Vietnamese Pho and Sushi Bar, and Tani Thai by Rin are acutely relevant for any restaurant serving raw or lightly cooked fish. When fish is not frozen to the required temperature for the required duration before being served raw, parasites including Anisakis survive. The consumer advisory violations at Di Napoli, Five Spice, Tani Thai by Rin, and Budare Bistro compound that risk: customers with weakened immune systems, elderly diners, and pregnant women have no warning that a dish may contain undercooked protein.
Chemical storage violations at Cafe Panisse, Di Napoli, Tani Thai by Rin, Panaderia Colombiana Mi Cali, and Nueva San Salvador Restaurant #4 represent a different category of danger entirely. When cleaning chemicals or pesticides are stored near or above food and food contact surfaces, a single mislabeled bottle or an accidental spill can contaminate an entire food prep area, with no visible sign and no taste indicator.
The Longer Record
Two of the week's highest-count locations sit inside Miami's most recognizable tourist and business corridors, which puts their records in sharper relief. Toro Toro operates inside the InterContinental Miami at Chopin Plaza, a hotel that draws convention and leisure visitors year-round. Fontana Restaurant operates inside the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. Both drew 11 high-severity violations, both were cited for parasite destruction failures and food from unapproved sources, and neither had a person in charge performing duties at Fontana during the inspection.
The two Rinconcito-branded locations drew a combined 26 high-severity violations between them. Rinconcito Miami 2 at 15956 SW 137 Ave. led the entire week's count at 14. Rinconcito Latino Mixto at 2502 NW 10th Ave. followed at 12. The violations at the two locations overlapped heavily: both drew citations for food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish records, and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Friends Market and Bistro in downtown Miami drew 10 high-severity violations at a location at 31 SE 6 St., a street-level unit in a building that serves the Brickell and financial district foot traffic. The facility was cited for food in poor condition or adulterated alongside inadequate shellfish traceability records, meaning inspectors found both the quality and the sourcing documentation of seafood products to be deficient in the same visit.
Tap42 in Kendall drew the lowest high-severity count of any facility on this week's list at 2, but the sewage or wastewater disposal citation it received as an intermediate violation is one inspectors treat as a structural concern. Improper sewage handling introduces fecal contamination risk throughout a facility, and it is not a violation that resolves without physical repair or correction of plumbing systems.
