PALM BAY, FL. When state inspectors walked into Sushi Ramen Bobba Tea at 2150 Harris Ave NE on August 13, they found food from unapproved or unknown sources being used at a restaurant that serves raw fish to the public. Despite that citation and eight other high-severity violations, the restaurant was not closed.
The inspection logged 9 high-severity violations and 3 intermediate violations. It is among the worst single-visit records the facility has produced in more than four years of documented inspections, and it was not enough to trigger an emergency shutdown.
What Inspectors Found
The food sourcing violation is particularly significant at a sushi restaurant. Food from unapproved sources has not passed USDA or FDA safety inspections, meaning there is no verified chain of custody if a customer gets sick. At a facility serving raw fish, that gap is not theoretical.
Inspectors also cited inadequate shell stock identification and records. Shellfish, including oysters, clams and mussels, are high-risk foods frequently consumed raw. Without proper tags and records, there is no way to trace a contaminated batch back to its harvest source if an illness is reported.
Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled. That citation, alongside a food sourcing violation and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, describes a kitchen where multiple categories of contamination risk existed at the same time.
The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, meaning customers who are pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised or otherwise vulnerable had no warning that certain menu items carry elevated risk.
What These Violations Mean
The combination of no employee health policy and employees not reporting illness symptoms is what state and federal health officials describe as an outbreak-enabling condition. Norovirus, the most common cause of foodborne illness in the United States, spreads almost entirely through infected food workers who handle food while symptomatic. A written health policy and mandatory symptom reporting are the primary line of defense. Sushi Ramen Bobba Tea had neither in place on August 13.
Improper handwashing technique compounds that risk. A worker who attempts to wash their hands but uses incorrect technique, such as insufficient duration or skipping certain surfaces, can still transfer pathogens directly to food. At a sushi restaurant where much of the food is handled and served with minimal or no cooking, that pathway from worker to customer is short.
The food temperature violation adds another layer. Undercooking is a leading cause of foodborne illness, and at a restaurant that also serves cooked items, a temperature failure means pathogens that should have been destroyed by heat were not. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, the citation for surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, are a primary mechanism for cross-contamination. Cutting boards, prep tables and utensils that carry residue from one food item to the next can transfer bacteria between raw proteins and ready-to-eat foods. At a facility serving both raw fish and cooked dishes, that risk runs in multiple directions.
The Longer Record
The August 13 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Sushi Ramen Bobba Tea has been inspected 21 times, accumulating 183 total violations across that history. The facility has never been emergency-closed.
The prior eight inspections with documented violation counts tell a consistent story. The April 2026 visit logged 5 high-severity and 1 intermediate violation. The December 2025 visit logged 5 high and 1 intermediate. In October 2024, inspectors found 6 high and 2 intermediate violations. The pattern holds across 2023 and 2022 as well, with high-severity counts ranging from 4 to 7 on every recorded visit.
The May 2023 inspection was the previous high point: 7 high-severity and 6 intermediate violations. August 2026 exceeded it with 9 high-severity citations.
Several violation categories recur across multiple visits. Food sourcing and shellfish traceability concerns, employee illness and handwashing failures, and food contact surface sanitation are not new discoveries at this location. They are documented repeatedly, across inspections spanning at least four years.
The restaurant has never triggered an emergency closure across 21 inspections and 183 recorded violations. After the August 13 visit, it remained open.
