MIAMI, FL. A Homestead restaurant racked up 13 high-severity violations in a single inspection the week of July 11, 2026, including food from unapproved sources, no employee health policy, and shellfish with no traceability records — the worst single-facility tally across all three South Florida counties that week.
The Worst of the Week
Mayamex Restaurant at 886-892 N Krome Ave in Homestead drew 13 high-severity violations and 5 intermediate citations. Inspectors documented food from an unapproved or unknown source, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food in poor condition or adulterated, inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized. The person in charge was not present or not performing duties during the inspection.
One block south on the same street, Big Crazy Taco at 436 N Krome Ave added 4 high-severity violations of its own, including inadequate handwashing by food employees, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
The week's second-highest total came from Broward County. Cilantro Asian Bistro at 11590 W SR 84 in Davie recorded 12 high-severity violations, including three separate handwashing failures: inadequate handwashing by employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improper hand and arm washing technique. Inspectors also cited the person in charge as absent or not performing duties, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate shell stock identification records, and parasite destruction procedures not followed.
Sushi Sake at 14627-14629 SW 42nd St in Miami posted 11 high-severity violations. The record there included food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate handwashing by employees, improper hand and arm washing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, time as a public health control not properly used, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and the person in charge absent or not performing duties.
Across the Tri-County Area
Fiore Caffe at 228 SE 1st St in Miami accumulated 10 high-severity violations, including food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, inadequate handwashing by employees, and inadequate handwashing facilities.
On the 79th Street Causeway in North Bay Village, a dual-concept venue drew significant scrutiny. Happy's Stork Lounge and Rasoi Indian Kitchen at 1624 79th St Cswy recorded 10 high-severity violations, among them the person in charge absent or not performing duties, no employee health policy, three separate handwashing failures, food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate shell stock identification records, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature.
Maman at 2008 Biscayne Blvd in Miami drew 9 high-severity violations including the person in charge absent or not performing duties, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
On Key Biscayne, a tourist-area bakery and bistro did not fare better. D'Lite Bistro and Bakery at 180 Crandon Blvd posted 9 high-severity violations, including the person in charge absent or not performing duties, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper hand and arm washing technique, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock identification records, and parasite destruction procedures not followed.
Bonsai Sushi Bar Restaurant at 10832 NW 58th St in Doral recorded 9 high-severity violations: the person in charge absent or not performing duties, no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper hand and arm washing technique, food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Palm Beach County's lone entry on this week's list was Flavor of India Restaurant at 1516 N Dixie Hwy in Lake Worth, which drew 9 high-severity violations including no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper hand and arm washing technique, inadequate shell stock identification records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
El Fogon Dreams at 3215 Davie Blvd in Fort Lauderdale drew 4 high-severity violations including no employee health policy, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory. Inspectors also noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal among three intermediate violations.
Cuba Lives Restaurant at 4590 W 12th Ave in Hialeah was cited for 4 high-severity violations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, no employee health policy, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned.
Porto Alegre Brazilian Grill Restaurant at 795 E 8th Ave in Hialeah drew one high-severity violation for the person in charge being absent or not performing duties, along with intermediate citations for improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation.
Two Broward County locations posted minimal violations. Quarterdeck Seafood Bar and Neighborhood Grill at 1035 SE 17th St in Fort Lauderdale received one high-severity violation for an employee not reporting illness symptoms, plus one intermediate for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
La Granja Chicken Steak and Seafood at 8570 Stirling Road in Davie drew one high-severity violation for no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and one intermediate for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
What These Violations Mean
The volume of employee illness violations this week is notable on its own. Mayamex, Cilantro Asian Bistro, Sushi Sake, Maman, D'Lite Bistro, Flavor of India, Quarterdeck, and El Fogon Dreams all drew violations tied to employees either not having a health policy or not reporting illness symptoms, or both. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads directly from infected food workers to customers through food handling. A written health policy is not paperwork; it is the mechanism that keeps a sick cook off the line.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Mayamex, Sushi Sake, Happy's Stork Lounge, Maman, and Bonsai Sushi Bar, means exactly what it sounds like. If a diner gets sick, investigators trace the illness back through the supply chain. Food purchased outside licensed, inspected channels has no chain of custody. There is no record of where it came from, how it was stored, or whether it passed any safety inspection.
The shellfish traceability violations at Mayamex, Cilantro Asian Bistro, Fiore Caffe, Happy's Stork Lounge, Maman, D'Lite Bistro, Bonsai Sushi Bar, and Flavor of India represent a specific and acute risk. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently eaten raw or lightly cooked. They are also one of the most common vehicles for Vibrio and hepatitis A. Shell stock tags are the only way to identify the harvest location if an outbreak occurs, and without them, a contaminated batch cannot be recalled.
The cooking temperature violations at Fiore Caffe, Happy's Stork Lounge, El Fogon Dreams, Maman, and Flavor of India describe a direct and documented hazard. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Undercooking is among the leading causes of confirmed foodborne illness outbreaks nationally, and it is entirely preventable with a thermometer and a procedure.
The Longer Record
The data does not include prior inspection counts for the facilities listed this week, which means this article cannot place each facility's record in a longer numerical context. What the violation counts alone establish is a pattern: ten of the fifteen flagged facilities this week drew nine or more high-severity violations, and five of those ten are sushi, seafood, or shellfish-serving venues where raw or lightly cooked items are central to the menu.
The geographic concentration also stands out. Both Homestead facilities, Mayamex and Big Crazy Taco, sit within a block of each other on N Krome Ave, and both drew violations in the same categories: parasite destruction, food contact surface sanitation, and handwashing. That is not coincidence; it is a pattern that warrants closer attention in that corridor.
D'Lite Bistro and Bakery on Crandon Boulevard in Key Biscayne operates in one of Miami-Dade's highest-traffic tourist areas, steps from the beach. Nine high-severity violations at that location, including an absent person in charge and employees not reporting illness symptoms, represent a risk concentrated in a location where the customer base includes out-of-town visitors who are less likely to follow up with local health authorities if they get sick.
Mayamex Restaurant's 13 high-severity violations this week included food sourcing that bypassed federal inspection, shellfish with no traceability records, and no one present to oversee any of it.
