MIAMI, FL. Two restaurants posted 12 high-severity violations each during the week of May 4, 2026, the worst individual tallies in a sweep that flagged 15 facilities across Miami-Dade and Broward counties and documented food from unapproved sources, employees working without illness-reporting policies, and shellfish that inspectors could not trace to a verified origin.
The Worst of the Week
Moshi Moshi Brickell on SW 3rd Avenue drew 12 high-severity citations, the most of any facility inspected this week. Among them: food sourced from unapproved or unknown origins, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing by food employees, and a failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish served raw or lightly cooked.
That last violation matters in a sushi context. Without documented freezing protocols, parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm can survive in raw fish served to customers.
Mama's Tacos on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach matched that 12-violation total. Inspectors cited the restaurant for no person in charge performing duties, employees not reporting illness symptoms, no written employee health policy, inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. Washington Avenue is one of Miami Beach's most heavily trafficked tourist corridors.
Mamacita's Mexican Bar and Grill on North Broadwalk in Hollywood posted 10 high-severity violations, the only Broward County facility in this week's top tier. Inspectors found food from unapproved sources, no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, shellfish without adequate identification records, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
Bonding on South Miami Avenue also drew 10 high-severity citations. The violations included food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, shellfish without proper traceability records, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and a failure to properly use time as a public health control. There was also no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods.
A Pattern Across the County
El Cantones Rest on SW 26th Street accumulated 9 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to minimum temperature.
Bahamas Fish Market and Restaurant No. 2 on SW 42nd Street drew 9 high-severity violations plus 5 intermediate citations, the highest intermediate count in the week's data. Inspectors documented toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled alongside food preparation areas, no employee health policy, food in poor condition, and improper use of time as a public health control.
Milanezza on Crandon Boulevard in Key Biscayne was cited for 9 high-severity violations, among them food from unapproved sources, no consumer advisory for raw foods, shellfish without traceability records, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot on West Flagler Street posted 9 high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, and shellfish without adequate identification records.
Le Pain Quotidien on Main Highway in Coconut Grove drew 9 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
Mojitos Cuban Cuisine on SW 8th Street received 9 high-severity citations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from unapproved sources, and shellfish without proper identification records.
Chelsea Restaurant on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach was cited for 9 high-severity violations: no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
Me Kong Chinese Restaurant on South Dixie Highway drew 6 high-severity violations and 3 intermediate citations, including toxic chemicals improperly stored near food, food from unapproved sources, improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and single-use items being reused.
New Canton on SW 8th Street posted 8 high-severity violations, among them food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Rusty Pelican on Rickenbacker Causeway in Key Biscayne and Kitchen Bistro on NW 25th Street each drew a single high-severity violation, both for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread violation this week was the absence of a written employee health policy, cited at Moshi Moshi Brickell, Mama's Tacos, El Cantones Rest, Bahamas Fish Market No. 2, KPOT, Le Pain Quotidien, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, and Chelsea Restaurant, among others. Without that policy, a worker who develops Norovirus symptoms has no documented requirement to report to a manager before handling food. Norovirus is responsible for roughly 20 million illnesses annually in the United States, and food workers are among its most efficient vectors.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources was documented at Moshi Moshi Brickell, Mamacita's, Bonding, Me Kong, Milanezza, KPOT, Le Pain Quotidien, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, and New Canton. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection, there is no audit trail. If a customer becomes sick, investigators cannot trace the food back to a processing facility, a harvest date, or a supplier, which makes outbreak investigation substantially harder.
Shellfish traceability failures appeared at Mamacita's, Bonding, Milanezza, KPOT, Le Pain Quotidien, Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, and Moshi Moshi Brickell. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently eaten raw or lightly cooked, and they filter large volumes of water, concentrating pathogens including Vibrio and hepatitis A. Shell stock tags are the only mechanism that allows public health officials to link a sick diner to a specific harvest lot. Without those records, that link is broken.
At Bahamas Fish Market No. 2 and Me Kong, inspectors also documented toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled near food preparation areas. New Canton had a similar citation for toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Chemical contamination of food does not require sustained exposure to cause harm. A single mislabeled container can result in acute poisoning.
The Longer Record
The data does not include prior inspection counts for the facilities in this week's sweep, which limits direct comparison of how long some of these patterns have persisted. What the violation categories themselves reveal, however, is that several facilities share identical failure clusters. Mojitos Cuban Cuisine, Chelsea Restaurant, Mama's Tacos, and El Cantones Rest all drew citations simultaneously for no person in charge, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness, and improper handwashing technique. That combination does not develop overnight. It reflects an absence of basic training infrastructure that typically accumulates over multiple inspection cycles.
The two Miami Beach locations, Mama's Tacos and Chelsea Restaurant, both on Washington Avenue, share several of the same high-severity violation categories despite operating as separate businesses. Washington Avenue draws heavy tourist traffic year-round, which means the potential exposure pool for any foodborne illness originating at either location extends well beyond local residents.
Le Pain Quotidien in Coconut Grove is a franchise location of a Belgian-founded international chain with locations across multiple countries. Its 9 high-severity violations this week, including food from unapproved sources and no consumer advisory for raw foods, are findings that corporate food safety programs are specifically designed to prevent at the unit level.
Rusty Pelican on Rickenbacker Causeway drew only one high-severity violation, for undercooking. The waterfront landmark has a long inspection history at that address, and a single high-severity citation stands in contrast to the double-digit tallies recorded elsewhere this week. Kitchen Bistro on NW 25th Street also drew just one high-severity violation, also for undercooking. Neither facility had intermediate violations recorded in this inspection cycle. At Me Kong on South Dixie Highway, the improper sewage or wastewater disposal citation recorded as an intermediate violation this week was the only such finding in the entire week's data across all 15 facilities.