TAMPA, FL. Inspectors visiting Zen Pho & Noodles on West Waters Avenue this week found seven high-severity violations in a single visit, including food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, toxic substances improperly stored or used, and an employee who had not reported symptoms of illness. It was the highest single-facility violation count among 14 Tampa restaurants cited for serious food safety failures during the week of June 10 through June 16, 2026.
The Zen Pho inspection also flagged the person in charge as absent or not performing duties, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no written employee health policy. An intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal rounded out the list.
The Violations
BT on South MacDill Avenue drew six high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification records, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors noted zero intermediate violations alongside those six high-severity citations.
The shell stock traceability problem at BT also surfaced at three other facilities this week. Agave Social on North Dale Mabry Highway, Tasty Mediterranean Grill on Gunn Highway, and Edison: Food & Drink Lab on West Kennedy Boulevard all received high-severity citations for inadequate shell stock identification or records.
Molly Malone's Irish Pub on East Davis Boulevard was cited for four high-severity violations, including no person in charge, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also documented improperly cleaned multi-use utensils and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.
Pho 813 LLC on Henderson Boulevard received four high-severity citations: no employee health policy, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. An intermediate violation for improperly cleaned multi-use utensils was also noted.
Yoko's Japanese Restaurant on South MacDill Avenue matched that count with four high-severity violations: no employee health policy, food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Salem's Gyro & Subs on North Nebraska Avenue accumulated the week's heaviest combined total across severity tiers, with three high-severity and five intermediate violations. High-severity citations included no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and no consumer advisory. Intermediate violations covered improperly cleaned multi-use utensils, inadequate cooling and cold-holding equipment, single-use items being reused, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and improperly maintained toilet facilities.
Rome & Fig on North Rome Avenue drew three high-severity violations: no employee health policy, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Spartaco's Kitchen on East Davis Boulevard was cited for no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing technique, all three at the high-severity level.
Agave Social received three high-severity violations: inadequate shell stock identification records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Ybor City Tap House on East 8th Avenue and Brother Trattoria on South MacDill Avenue each drew two high-severity violations. Ybor City Tap House was cited for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature and no consumer advisory. Brother Trattoria was cited for no employee health policy and improper handwashing technique.
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits on East Fletcher Avenue received two high-severity violations: no person in charge and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
What These Violations Mean
The "food from unapproved or unknown source" violation at Zen Pho and BT is among the most serious a food service establishment can receive. When food bypasses USDA or FDA inspection channels, there is no traceability if customers become ill. A contaminated batch of meat or produce purchased through an unregulated supplier cannot be recalled, and health investigators cannot trace an outbreak back to its origin.
The employee illness reporting failures at Zen Pho, Salem's Gyro & Subs, Spartaco's Kitchen, and Popeyes are a direct transmission risk. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, spreads person-to-person through contaminated food when sick workers handle it. A written health policy requiring employees to report symptoms and stay home is the first barrier against that transmission chain. All four of those facilities were found without one or with employees who were not following it.
The consumer advisory violations, cited at nine facilities this week including BT, Molly Malone's, Pho 813, Yoko's, Salem's Gyro, Edison, Agave Social, Rome & Fig, and Ybor City Tap House, matter most for specific groups. Elderly diners, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with a compromised immune system face significantly higher risk from undercooked proteins and raw shellfish. Without a posted advisory, those customers have no way to make an informed choice.
Toxic chemical storage violations at Pho 813, Yoko's, and Rome & Fig carry immediate risk. Cleaning agents stored near or above food preparation surfaces, or in unlabeled containers, can contaminate food directly. Mislabeled chemicals can also be mistaken for food-safe products by staff.
The Longer Record
Molly Malone's Irish Pub and Salem's Gyro & Subs each carry 36 prior inspections on record, the longest histories of any facility cited this week. That volume of inspections represents years of regulatory contact, and both facilities still produced multiple high-severity violations in June 2026. Salem's, in particular, accumulated eight total violations this week, including five at the intermediate level, suggesting problems that span basic operations, not just isolated lapses.
Yoko's Japanese Restaurant has 32 prior inspections on record. Edison: Food & Drink Lab has 31. Pho 813 has 29. All three received high-severity violations this week in categories, including undercooking and shell stock traceability, that indicate ongoing gaps in food handling fundamentals, not paperwork oversights.
BT on South MacDill has 21 prior inspections, the same count as Brother Trattoria on the same street. Both were cited this week for handwashing failures and missing employee health policies. BT's additional citations for unapproved food sourcing and inadequate shell stock records place it among the more concerning findings of the week given that inspection history.
Zen Pho & Noodles, which led all facilities with seven high-severity violations, has only 8 prior inspections on record, making it one of the newer establishments in this week's data. The breadth of its violations, spanning management absence, illness reporting failures, unknown food sourcing, chemical mishandling, and sewage disposal problems, is notable for a facility that has not yet accumulated an extensive inspection history.
Tasty Mediterranean Grill on Gunn Highway, with 14 prior inspections, and Rome & Fig on North Rome Avenue, with 12, are also relatively newer to the inspection record. Both drew three high-severity violations this week.
The Longer Record
The consumer advisory violation appeared at nine of the 14 flagged facilities this week. That figure, more than any single restaurant's violation count, describes the week's dominant pattern: establishments across Tampa serving raw or undercooked proteins and shellfish without telling customers they are doing so.
Zen Pho & Noodles, which opened with the fewest inspections on record among the week's worst performers, has not returned a follow-up inspection result in the public data as of this report.