TAMPA, FL. 3 Coins Diner on North Nebraska Avenue drew nine high-severity violations during the week of October 2, the most of any Tampa restaurant inspected that week, with inspectors citing the facility for inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and a failure to maintain proper shell stock identification records.
That is not a short list. And for a restaurant with 47 prior inspections on record, it is a long pattern.
The Violations
Beijing House on East Fletcher Avenue matched 3 Coins violation-for-violation at nine high-severity citations. Inspectors found food from an unapproved or unknown source, inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, no employee health policy, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
The unapproved food source citation is the one that stands out. Without documentation of where food originates, there is no way to trace it if a customer gets sick.
Senor Tequila Mexican Grill on Race Track Road followed with eight high-severity violations and zero intermediate ones. Inspectors cited the restaurant for food contaminated by chemical, physical, or biological hazards, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no person in charge present or performing duties, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Food contaminated by a chemical, physical, or biological hazard is one of the most direct citations an inspector can write. It does not describe a risk. It describes a condition already present.
Shanghai Dumpling House on East Fowler Avenue drew seven high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source and required procedures for specialized processes not followed. The specialized process citation, combined with improperly cleaned multi-use utensils noted at the intermediate level, raises particular concern for a restaurant whose menu centers on preparation-intensive dishes.
Charann's Tavern on Memorial Highway was cited for toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled alongside inadequate shell stock records, improper time-as-public-health-control use, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Inspectors also noted inadequate ventilation and improperly maintained toilet facilities at the intermediate level.
Red Lobster at 11601 North Dale Mabry Highway received six high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. For a national chain with corporate food safety protocols, a citation for sourcing food outside approved channels is a notable finding.
Donatello's on North Dale Mabry drew six high-severity violations including no person in charge, inadequate shell stock records, time-as-public-health-control not properly used, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
Mi Bandera Bar and Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue was cited for six high-severity violations: no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Pipo's Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue received six high-severity citations including an employee not reporting illness symptoms and time-as-public-health-control not properly used.
Beef 'O' Brady's Palma Ceia on South MacDill Avenue was cited for five high-severity violations and six intermediate ones, the highest combined intermediate count of any facility this week. Inspectors noted improper sewage or wastewater disposal at the intermediate level alongside no person in charge, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and toxic substances improperly identified or stored at the high-severity level.
Antojitos Latin Cravings on West Columbus Drive drew five high-severity violations including an employee not reporting illness symptoms and inadequate shell stock records, plus improperly maintained toilet facilities at the intermediate level.
Minerva Indian Restaurant on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was cited for five high-severity violations including no employee health policy, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized.
New York New York Pizza on North Dale Mabry Highway received four high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed and food not cooked to required minimum temperature, alongside four intermediate violations including inadequate cooling equipment and equipment in poor repair.
La Di Da on North Nebraska Avenue drew four high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. The allergen citation, uncommon in this week's data, is among the most acute risks for customers with known food allergies.
Zaky Zak's Authentic Shawarma on East Fowler Avenue was cited for four high-severity violations: no employee health policy, inadequate shell stock records, time-as-public-health-control not properly used, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
What These Violations Mean
The employee illness violations documented this week at 3 Coins Diner, Pipo's Restaurant, Beef 'O' Brady's Palma Ceia, and Antojitos Latin Cravings are not paperwork problems. When a food worker with Norovirus or Salmonella continues working without reporting symptoms, that worker becomes a direct transmission route to every customer served. Norovirus is responsible for 20 million illnesses annually in the United States, and food service workers are its primary vehicle. A written employee health policy is the mechanism that prevents a sick employee from deciding on their own whether to stay home.
Food from unapproved sources, cited at Beijing House, Shanghai Dumpling House, and Red Lobster, carries a specific consequence that differs from other violations. Every approved food supplier in Florida operates under USDA or FDA inspection. When food enters a kitchen from an unverified source, it has bypassed that entire chain of oversight. If a customer becomes ill, investigators have no supply chain to trace.
The "time as a public health control" violation, found at Shanghai Dumpling House, Charann's Tavern, Donatello's, Pipo's Restaurant, and Zaky Zak's, is one of the most misunderstood citations inspectors write. When temperature control is not feasible, Florida allows restaurants to track how long food has been in the temperature danger zone instead. The violation means those time logs were absent, incomplete, or not being followed, leaving food in the range where bacteria multiply rapidly with no record of how long it had been there.
Toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, documented at Charann's Tavern, Red Lobster, Mi Bandera, Minerva Indian Restaurant, and Zaky Zak's, represents a direct contamination risk. Cleaning agents stored near or above food preparation surfaces can transfer to food through spills or aerosol. Unlabeled chemical containers create the additional risk that an employee uses the wrong substance entirely.
The Longer Record
Two facilities in this week's data carry inspection histories that place their current violations in sharp relief. 3 Coins Diner has 47 prior inspections on record. Nine high-severity violations in a single week, across a history that long, is not a new restaurant finding its footing. Mi Bandera Bar and Restaurant has 46 prior inspections on its record and drew six high-severity violations this week including toxic chemical storage and no employee health policy.
Minerva Indian Restaurant, also with 46 prior inspections, was cited this week for five high-severity violations. Three facilities in the top tier of Tampa's inspection history, all drawing significant findings in the same seven-day window.
Shanghai Dumpling House and Beef 'O' Brady's Palma Ceia each have 40 prior inspections on record. Beef 'O' Brady's drew 11 total violations this week, the highest combined count of any facility, including an intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal. Pipo's Restaurant, with 37 prior inspections, was cited for an employee not reporting illness symptoms this week, a violation that appears repeatedly in its violation category across facilities with long inspection histories.
At the other end of the record sits Zaky Zak's Authentic Shawarma on East Fowler Avenue, with only 12 prior inspections on record. In those early visits, the restaurant has already accumulated citations for toxic chemical storage, improper time controls, and no employee health policy. Whether that trajectory changes is what future inspections will show.
