TAMPA, FL. 3 Coins Diner on North Nebraska Avenue racked up 9 high-severity violations during the week of October 5, including a citation for food not cooked to the required minimum temperature and a finding that employees were not reporting symptoms of illness, making it the single most-cited facility in Tampa's inspection sweep that week.
The diner at 7410 N Nebraska Ave also drew citations for inadequate handwashing, improper handwashing technique, no employee health policy, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Inspectors further noted missing shellfish identification records and a person in charge who was either absent or not performing required oversight duties.
That is 9 high-severity violations in a single visit, across nearly every critical control point a kitchen operates.
What Inspectors Found Across Tampa
Beijing House on East Fletcher Avenue tied 3 Coins Diner with 9 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for obtaining food from unapproved or unknown sources, a finding that sits alongside citations for no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate handwashing facilities, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Beijing House was also cited for failing to use time as a public health control properly, missing shellfish traceability records, and providing no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. That last violation matters specifically because customers who are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised cannot make an informed choice about what they are eating.
Shanghai Dumpling House on East Fowler Avenue drew 7 high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, failure to follow required procedures for specialized processes, and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces. Multi-use utensils were also found not properly cleaned, a condition that allows bacterial biofilms to establish on surfaces that contact food on every subsequent use.
Portico Cafe on North Florida Avenue produced one of the week's more unusual violation combinations: parasite destruction procedures not followed, toxic substances improperly stored, a missing consumer advisory, and no person in charge present. Inspectors also noted inadequate cooling and cold holding equipment, meaning the facility lacked the physical infrastructure to maintain safe temperatures even if staff attempted to do so.
International House of Pancakes at 11111 N Dale Mabry was cited for two separate chemical storage violations, both toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. The location also drew citations for parasite destruction procedures not followed, no employee health policy, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Angora Mediterranean Grill on East Fowler Avenue was cited for sourcing food from unapproved or unknown sources, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and single-use items being reused. The facility also lacked shellfish identification records and had improperly stored chemicals.
Red Lobster at 11601 N Dale Mabry drew 6 high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources, no shellfish traceability records, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. For a chain location that regularly serves raw shellfish and undercooked seafood options, the absence of both a sourcing paper trail and a consumer advisory is a notable combination.
Charann's Tavern on Memorial Highway was cited for improper use of time as a public health control, improperly stored chemicals, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, and inadequate toilet facilities. Donatello's on North Dale Mabry drew the same shellfish and consumer advisory citations alongside a finding that no person in charge was present and toxic substances were improperly stored.
Mi Bandera Bar and Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue collected 6 high-severity violations with no intermediate violations, including improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Pipo's Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue also drew 6 high-severity violations and 0 intermediate, with citations for employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, time as a public health control not properly used, and no consumer advisory.
Beef 'O' Brady's Palma Ceia on South MacDill Avenue was cited for no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic substances improperly stored. Inspectors also noted improper sewage disposal and inadequate cooling equipment at the same location.
Antojitos Latin Cravings on West Columbus Drive drew citations for employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, missing shellfish records, and no consumer advisory, along with inadequate toilet facilities. La Di Da on North Nebraska Avenue was cited for no person in charge, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, and no allergen awareness demonstrated, a violation that affects the roughly 32 million Americans with diagnosed food allergies.
Zaky Zak's Authentic Shawarma on East Fowler Avenue drew 4 high-severity violations including time as a public health control not properly used, missing shellfish identification records, no employee health policy, and toxic chemicals improperly stored, alongside a citation for equipment in poor repair.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity finding this week was improper handwashing technique, cited at 3 Coins Diner, Beijing House, Shanghai Dumpling House, Portico Cafe, Angora Mediterranean Grill, Red Lobster, Charann's Tavern, Donatello's, Mi Bandera, Pipo's, Antojitos Latin Cravings, and La Di Da. This is not a paperwork violation. Studies show that even a partial handwashing attempt, without soap, adequate time, or proper technique, leaves enough pathogen load on hands to transfer illness to food. At facilities like 3 Coins Diner, where employees were also cited for not reporting illness symptoms, the two violations compound: a sick worker who also washes hands incorrectly is an unbroken transmission chain.
The food from unapproved sources citation at Beijing House, Shanghai Dumpling House, Angora Mediterranean Grill, and Red Lobster carries a specific consequence that most diners do not consider. Food purchased outside of licensed, inspected suppliers has no traceability. If a customer gets sick after eating at one of these locations, investigators have no paper trail to follow back to the source, and no way to determine whether other customers at other restaurants bought from the same supplier.
Shellfish traceability failures appeared at 3 Coins Diner, Beijing House, Angora Mediterranean Grill, Red Lobster, Charann's Tavern, Donatello's, Mi Bandera, Pipo's, Antojitos Latin Cravings, and Zaky Zak's. Oysters, clams, and mussels are consumed raw or lightly cooked, and shellfish harvested from contaminated waters can carry Vibrio bacteria or norovirus. The tag system exists precisely because shellfish outbreaks move fast and tracing the harvest bed is the only way to stop them. Ten facilities in a single week without that documentation is a significant gap.
Toxic chemical storage violations at IHOP, Angora Mediterranean Grill, Red Lobster, Charann's Tavern, Mi Bandera, Beef 'O' Brady's, and Zaky Zak's represent an immediate risk that is distinct from bacterial contamination. Mislabeled or improperly stored chemicals placed near food prep areas can cause acute poisoning through direct contact or accidental mixing. This is not a slow-onset foodborne illness. Symptoms appear within minutes.
The Longer Record
The inspection histories for this week's facilities tell a story that the violation counts alone do not. 3 Coins Diner has now accumulated 47 prior inspections on record, and this week's visit produced 9 high-severity citations including undercooking and illness reporting failures. Mi Bandera Bar and Restaurant has 46 prior inspections on record and drew 6 high-severity violations this week with zero intermediate violations, meaning every citation inspectors wrote was at the most serious level. A facility that has been inspected 46 times and is still generating that kind of finding is not a facility that missed a training session.
Pipo's Restaurant carries 37 prior inspections and this week produced 6 high-severity violations. Antojitos Latin Cravings has 39 prior inspections on record. Shanghai Dumpling House has 40, as does Beef 'O' Brady's Palma Ceia. The repeat categories across all of these longer-history facilities are consistent: handwashing, food contact surface sanitation, shellfish records, and consumer advisories. These are not obscure regulatory requirements that change year to year. They are foundational.
Angora Mediterranean Grill and Zaky Zak's Authentic Shawarma each have only 12 prior inspections on record, making them among the newer facilities in this week's group. Both drew high-severity violations on food sourcing, chemical storage, and illness policies. A facility with 12 inspections generating those findings is already establishing a pattern.
La Di Da on North Nebraska Avenue has 26 prior inspections and this week produced a violation for no allergen awareness demonstrated, a citation that does not appear at any other facility in the week's data. That citation has not been resolved in the public record reviewed for this article.
