MIAMI, FL. A Miami restaurant on NW 7th Street accumulated 11 high-severity violations in a single inspection this week, the highest count among 15 South Florida restaurants cited for three or more serious violations between September 10 and September 16, 2026.
The Week's Worst
Casa Juan on NW 7th Street drew citations for no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shellstock identification records, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to the required minimum temperature. That is eight distinct categories of high-severity failure in a single visit, plus five intermediate violations.
Hallyu Korean BBQ on N University Drive in Tamarac was cited for 10 high-severity violations, including food found in poor condition or adulterated, shellstock records missing, food contact surfaces not properly sanitized, and food not cooked to minimum temperature. Inspectors also noted no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, and improper handwashing technique.
Pincho on W 12th Avenue in Hialeah reached 10 high-severity violations as well. Inspectors documented employees not reporting illness symptoms, inadequate handwashing by food employees, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, shellstock traceability failures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and time used improperly as a public health control.
Across the Tri-County
Eleven of the 15 flagged restaurants were in Miami-Dade County. Broward County accounted for four, concentrated in Hollywood, Tamarac, Coral Springs, and Pompano Beach. No Palm Beach County facilities appeared in this week's high-severity threshold list.
Sicilian Oven Wood Fired Pizza on W Sample Road in Coral Springs was cited for nine high-severity violations, including no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, shellstock record failures, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and time abuse as a public health control.
Miller's Ale House on Oakwood Boulevard in Hollywood carried nine high-severity violations and stood out for two citations not seen at most other facilities this week: parasite destruction procedures not followed, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Inspectors also cited no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and no person in charge.
Victory Restaurant and Lounge on NE 1st Avenue in Miami drew nine high-severity citations including parasite destruction procedures not followed, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no consumer advisory for raw foods, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to minimum temperature.
Caffe Portofino on S Dixie Highway in Miami was cited for nine high-severity violations including food from an unapproved or unknown source, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, no person in charge, no employee health policy, and improper handwashing technique.
Paraiso Tropical Pizzeria Restaurant y Heladeria on W 16th Avenue in Hialeah also reached nine high-severity violations. The citation for food from an unapproved or unknown source appeared alongside no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time abuse, and no consumer advisory.
The remaining facilities each drew eight high-severity violations. North Italia at the Dadeland-area address on SW 88th Street was cited for food from an unapproved source, inadequate handwashing facilities, shellstock traceability failures, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no consumer advisory, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to minimum temperature.
Tutto Pasta on SW 3rd Avenue in Miami accumulated eight high-severity violations including two separate chemical storage citations: toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Nelson's Diner on S Cypress Road in Pompano Beach was cited for eight high-severity violations including required procedures for specialized processes not followed, no consumer advisory, shellstock record failures, inadequate handwashing facilities, and no person in charge.
Mario the Baker Downtown on W Flagler Street in Miami drew eight high-severity violations including no allergen awareness demonstrated, toxic chemicals improperly stored, no consumer advisory, time abuse as a public health control, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Motek Brickell on S Miami Avenue in the Brickell neighborhood was cited for eight high-severity violations including food in poor condition, shellstock traceability failures, food not cooked to minimum temperature, time abuse, no consumer advisory, and toxic substances improperly identified or used.
Wah Hen Restaurant on NW 122nd Street in Hialeah Gardens drew eight high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Managuita Restaurant on SW 211th Street in Miami rounded out the week with eight high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, required procedures for specialized processes not followed, toxic chemicals improperly stored, time abuse, and improper handwashing technique.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread single violation this week was improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, cited at 13 of the 15 facilities, including Casa Juan, Hallyu Korean BBQ, Pincho, and Wah Hen Restaurant. Cutting boards, prep tables, and slicers that are not properly sanitized between uses transfer bacteria directly from one food to the next, and from raw proteins to ready-to-eat items. There is no cooking step afterward to kill what gets transferred.
The employee illness cluster, appearing at Casa Juan, Hallyu Korean BBQ, Pincho, Paraiso Tropical, Nelson's Diner, Wah Hen Restaurant, Managuita Restaurant, and seven other facilities, is among the most acutely dangerous categories inspectors track. Norovirus is shed in large quantities before a worker feels sick, and a single ill employee can infect dozens of customers through food they handle. A written health policy that requires workers to report symptoms is the mechanism that stops that chain. Without one, it does not get stopped.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Caffe Portofino, Paraiso Tropical, North Italia, Tutto Pasta, and Managuita Restaurant, carries a specific risk that goes beyond the food itself: if someone gets sick, there is no supply chain record to trace. USDA and FDA inspections exist to catch Listeria, Salmonella, and other pathogens before food reaches a kitchen. Food that bypasses those inspections arrives with no documentation and no accountability.
The parasite destruction citations at Miller's Ale House and Victory Restaurant and Lounge are worth specific attention. Fish served raw or undercooked, including sushi-style preparations, must be frozen to specific temperatures before service to kill parasites such as Anisakis. Without that step, parasites survive into the finished dish. Neither facility had a consumer advisory posted to inform diners they were eating food that carried that risk.
The Longer Record
The data does not include prior inspection counts for the facilities listed this week, which limits the ability to place this week's findings against a documented cumulative history. What the violation patterns themselves show is a set of facilities where foundational controls, not edge-case technical requirements, were missing. No person in charge was cited at six facilities. No employee health policy was cited at ten. These are not obscure code provisions. They are the first things inspectors look for.
Miller's Ale House in Hollywood is part of a regional chain with locations across Florida, which makes the nine high-severity violations, including parasite destruction failures and chemical storage problems, a notable finding for a brand with institutional food safety infrastructure. North Italia on SW 88th Street is a national chain restaurant in a high-traffic retail corridor, and it drew eight high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source.
Motek Brickell sits in one of Miami's densest tourist and business dining corridors. The Brickell address draws lunch and dinner crowds from the surrounding financial district and hotel guests from nearby properties. Eight high-severity violations, including food in poor condition and toxic substances improperly stored, were documented there during the same week.
Mario the Baker Downtown on W Flagler Street, in the heart of downtown Miami's pedestrian core, was the only facility this week cited for no allergen awareness demonstrated. That citation means staff could not identify allergens in the food they were serving.
