MIAMI, FL. Two restaurants in Miami-Dade County each accumulated 12 high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of September 13, 2026, placing them at the top of a troubled list that stretched across 15 facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The Worst of the Week
Sams Country Kitchen on North Krome Avenue in Homestead drew 12 high-severity citations, including no person in charge present or performing duties, no written employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inadequate shell stock identification records and for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, meaning fish or shellfish on the menu may have been served without the freezing or cooking steps required to kill parasites.
Taqueria y Pupuseria Lupita on West 12th Avenue in Hialeah matched that count with its own 12 high-severity violations. Among the most serious: food from an unapproved or unknown source, food in poor condition or adulterated, no employee health policy, and employees not reporting symptoms of illness. Inspectors also found inadequate handwashing facilities and improper technique, meaning the physical infrastructure for basic hygiene was absent alongside the procedural failures.
New York/Roma Pizza and Pasta on Southeast 2nd Avenue in downtown Miami logged 11 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, and employees neither reporting illness symptoms nor washing hands adequately. The restaurant also drew a citation for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature.
Rio Grande Churrascaria on West 46th Street in Hialeah also reached 11 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge, no employee health policy, food from unapproved sources, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, and improper use of time as a public health control.
Mitricolor on SW 152nd Street in Miami drew 11 high-severity citations, including no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate shell stock records, parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Raccoon Coffee on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami also reached 11 high-severity violations, a notable tally for a coffee-focused establishment. Inspectors cited the location for no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, parasite destruction failures, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, improper use of time as a public health control, and no consumer advisory.
High-Profile and Tourist-Area Locations
Old Cutler Inn on Old Cutler Road in Miami accumulated 10 high-severity violations. The list included no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, inadequate handwashing by food employees, inadequate handwashing facilities, parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw items.
Lido Bayside Grill on Island Avenue in Miami Beach, a waterfront location that draws tourists and hotel guests, drew four high-severity violations: parasite destruction failures, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and improperly stored toxic substances.
Hallyu Korean BBQ on North University Drive in Tamarac, one of two Broward County facilities on this week's list, accumulated 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors found no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, inadequate shell stock records, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, and food not cooked to minimum temperature.
Shorty's Bar-B-Que on South Dixie Highway in Miami, a long-established barbecue destination, drew seven high-severity violations including parasite destruction failures, food not cooked to minimum temperature, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and improperly identified toxic substances. Inspectors also cited an intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Casa Juan on NW 7th Street in Miami drew six high-severity violations, including food not cooked to minimum temperature, improperly stored toxic chemicals, improperly identified toxic substances, and no consumer advisory. An intermediate citation for improper sewage disposal was also recorded.
Miller's Ale House on Oakwood Boulevard in Hollywood, the second Broward location, drew four high-severity violations: parasite destruction failures, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces, food not cooked to minimum temperature, and improperly stored toxic substances. An intermediate citation noted inadequate cooling and cold holding equipment.
Mmabes Frutas Frescas y Cafe on NE 8th Street in Homestead drew two high-severity violations, food not cooked to minimum temperature and improper use of time as a public health control, alongside an intermediate citation for improper sewage disposal.
Keik Bakeshop on NW 87th Avenue in Doral drew two high-severity violations, improperly sanitized food contact surfaces and no allergen awareness demonstrated by staff. The allergen citation is notable: without demonstrated allergen awareness, a customer with a serious food allergy has no reliable protection.
Restaurante Universal Maria's on Opa-locka Boulevard in Opa-locka drew one high-severity violation, for improper use of time as a public health control.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread serious violation this week was food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, cited at Sams Country Kitchen, Taqueria Lupita, New York/Roma Pizza, Rio Grande Churrascaria, Mitricolor, Raccoon Coffee, Shorty's Bar-B-Que, Casa Juan, Hallyu Korean BBQ, Lido Bayside Grill, and Miller's Ale House. When cutting boards, prep surfaces, and utensils are not properly sanitized between uses, bacteria from one food item transfer directly to the next, with no cooking step to kill them. The risk is highest when surfaces used for raw meat or fish come into contact with ready-to-eat foods.
Several facilities this week were cited for employees not reporting illness symptoms, including Taqueria Lupita, New York/Roma Pizza, Mitricolor, Raccoon Coffee, Old Cutler Inn, and Hallyu Korean BBQ. A single food worker with Norovirus who handles ready-to-eat food can infect dozens of customers in a single shift. Without a written employee health policy, which was also absent at Sams Country Kitchen, Rio Grande Churrascaria, Raccoon Coffee, Old Cutler Inn, and Hallyu Korean BBQ, there is no formal mechanism requiring workers to report illness or stay home.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources was cited at Taqueria Lupita, New York/Roma Pizza, and Rio Grande Churrascaria. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection, there is no traceability if a customer becomes sick. Investigators cannot trace the product back to a farm, processor, or distributor, which means an outbreak linked to that food may go unresolved.
Parasite destruction failures at Sams Country Kitchen, Taqueria Lupita, Mitricolor, Raccoon Coffee, Shorty's Bar-B-Que, Old Cutler Inn, Lido Bayside Grill, and Miller's Ale House represent a distinct category of risk. Parasites in fish, including Anisakis and tapeworm species, survive in undercooked or improperly frozen seafood. Serving raw or lightly cooked fish without the required freezing protocol, typically 168 hours at negative four degrees Fahrenheit, leaves that hazard entirely intact.
The Longer Record
The data does not include prior inspection counts for most facilities in this week's report, which limits direct comparison. What the current inspection records do show is a concentration of systemic failures at several locations, rather than isolated single violations. Sams Country Kitchen's 12 high-severity citations span management, employee health, food sourcing, parasite control, and consumer disclosure, categories that represent every layer of a food safety system. A facility with failures at that many independent checkpoints is not experiencing a bad week in one area.
Rio Grande Churrascaria and New York/Roma Pizza each reached 11 high-severity violations with overlapping patterns: no person in charge or inadequate handwashing alongside unapproved food sources and shellfish traceability failures. The combination of management absence and unverifiable food sourcing is particularly significant. When no one in charge is present and the origin of the food cannot be documented, inspectors have no way to assess either the chain of custody for ingredients or the decisions being made on the floor.
Raccoon Coffee's 11 high-severity violations stand out given its format. A coffee shop with inadequate shell stock records and parasite destruction failures is either serving more food than its category suggests or has accumulated violations across categories that do not reflect its primary business. Either way, the volume of serious citations is not typical for a cafe-format establishment.
Old Cutler Inn drew 10 high-severity violations including both inadequate handwashing facilities and inadequate handwashing by employees. That pairing matters: the physical infrastructure was missing and the behavior was failing. Fixing technique alone would not resolve the problem.
