MIAMI, FL. A Miami restaurant accumulated 15 high-severity violations in a single inspection week, leading a stretch in which 15 South Florida restaurants drew three or more serious citations from state inspectors between October 16 and October 22, 2026.
The Week's Worst Offenders
Ashoka Indian Cuisine on NW 82nd Avenue topped the week with 15 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate citations. Inspectors documented a person in charge not present or not performing duties, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper hand and arm washing technique, food from an unapproved or unknown source, and food found in poor condition or adulterated. The combination of sourcing violations alongside a complete collapse of handwashing compliance represents nearly every transmission pathway that state code is designed to close.
Shorty's Bar B Q on SW 40th Street drew 12 high-severity violations and 8 intermediate citations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and food not cooked to required minimum temperature. The parasite destruction and shellfish traceability violations are particularly notable at a barbecue restaurant, where shellfish and certain fish preparations require documented handling procedures regardless of the kitchen's primary focus.
Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine on NE 123rd Street in North Miami accumulated 11 high-severity violations. The inspection found no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Mr Cachapa Hialeah on W 76th Street also reached 11 high-severity violations, with citations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing, inadequate shell stock records, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and improper use of time as a public health control.
El Gallego Spanish Food on SW 8th Street matched that count with 11 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock identification, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and time as a public health control not properly used.
Churros Manolo on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach drew 11 high-severity violations at a location that sits in one of South Florida's highest-traffic tourist corridors. The citations included no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing by food employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, food from an unapproved source, parasite destruction procedures not followed, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. A tourist-facing business on Collins Avenue with food sourced from channels that bypass federal inspection is a specific concern given the volume of out-of-state and international visitors.
The Rest of the Week
Feel Good Coffee Lounge on NW 107th Avenue in Hialeah recorded 10 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, inadequate shell stock identification, unsanitized food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to minimum temperature. The unapproved food source citation at a coffee lounge, where customers may not expect complex food handling, is a notable finding.
La Boulangerie Boul'Mich on SW 124th Street in Pinecrest was cited for 9 high-severity violations: employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, parasite destruction procedures not followed, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. For a bakery and cafe concept, the parasite destruction and raw food advisory violations suggest the menu includes preparations that carry specific handling requirements inspectors found unmet.
La Pasadita on N English Avenue in Homestead drew 6 high-severity violations. Inspectors found employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate shell stock identification, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. The dual chemical storage violations, alongside cooking temperature failures, place this inspection among the week's more varied risk profiles.
Los Tortolitos Bakery II Corp on SE 12th Avenue in Homestead received 6 high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, inadequate shell stock identification, unsanitized food contact surfaces, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Hotel Indigo Miami Brickell and Atwell Suites on SW 11th Street drew 5 high-severity violations: food from an unapproved source, unsanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The allergen citation is the only one of its kind across the 15 facilities inspected this week. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal was also documented.
Habana 1900 on Coral Way was cited for 5 high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, unsanitized food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Kitchen Bistro on NW 25th Street drew 4 high-severity violations: no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
Nusr-Et Steakhouse on Brickell Avenue received a single high-severity citation for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, the lowest count among the 15 facilities. Bagel Time Cafe on N SR 7 in Margate was the sole Broward County facility on this week's list, cited for one high-severity violation for improper handwashing technique alongside two intermediate citations.
What These Violations Mean
The most frequently documented violation this week was food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, cited at 12 of the 15 facilities, including Ashoka Indian Cuisine, Shorty's Bar B Q, Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine, Mr Cachapa Hialeah, El Gallego Spanish Food, Churros Manolo, Feel Good Coffee Lounge, La Boulangerie Boul'Mich, Hotel Indigo Miami Brickell, Habana 1900, Kitchen Bistro, and Los Tortolitos Bakery II Corp. Cutting boards, prep surfaces, and utensils that are not properly sanitized between uses become direct transfer routes for bacteria. A surface that handled raw chicken and was not sanitized before contact with a ready-to-eat ingredient moves pathogens from one food to another without any visible sign of contamination.
The cluster of employee illness reporting failures is a separate and acute concern. At Ashoka Indian Cuisine, Shorty's Bar B Q, Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine, Mr Cachapa Hialeah, Churros Manolo, Feel Good Coffee Lounge, La Pasadita, Kitchen Bistro, and La Boulangerie Boul'Mich, inspectors cited facilities for either having no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, or both. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads most efficiently when an infected food worker handles ready-to-eat food. A written policy is the first required line of defense; its absence means sick employees have no formal obligation to report or stay home.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, documented at Ashoka Indian Cuisine, El Gallego Spanish Food, Churros Manolo, Feel Good Coffee Lounge, Hotel Indigo Miami Brickell, and La Boulangerie Boul'Mich, carries a traceability problem that goes beyond the individual meal. When a product has not passed through inspected supply chains, there is no paper trail to follow if customers become ill. An outbreak tied to a contaminated ingredient from an unapproved source cannot be traced, recalled, or contained the way a regulated product can.
The Longer Record
The inspection histories of this week's facilities vary considerably, and that variation matters. Shorty's Bar B Q, a well-known Miami chain location, carries a longer inspection record than several other facilities on this list, meaning its 12 high-severity violations this week are not the product of a first encounter with state inspectors. Mr Cachapa Hialeah similarly has an established inspection record, and the repeat appearance of shellfish traceability and cooking temperature violations suggests these are not isolated oversights.
Feel Good Coffee Lounge and Kitchen Bistro both carry inspection records, with this week's findings adding to a documented history. A coffee lounge accumulating 10 high-severity violations, including unapproved food sourcing and inadequate shell stock records, reflects a broader menu scope than the name suggests and a compliance gap that extends well beyond coffee service.
Los Tortolitos Bakery II Corp and La Pasadita, both in Homestead, are among the smaller facilities on this week's list, but both drew chemical storage violations alongside food handling failures. The combination of improperly stored toxic chemicals and cooking temperature violations at La Pasadita represents two entirely different categories of risk documented in the same inspection.
La Boulangerie Boul'Mich in Pinecrest, a French bakery concept with a customer base that skews toward prepared foods and pastries, drew 9 high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures. That citation applies when fish or certain meats served raw or undercooked have not been frozen to the temperatures and durations required to kill parasites, a requirement that holds regardless of the establishment's format or price point.
