TAMPA, FL. Inspectors visiting Jerk Hut Island Grille and Beach Club on East Fowler Avenue the week of October 7 found no manager present, no written employee health policy, workers not reporting illness symptoms, shellfish with no traceability records, and food from sources that could not be verified as approved, all in a single visit that produced nine high-severity violations and four intermediate ones.
That tied for the highest single-facility count of the week. Beijing House on East Fletcher Avenue also drew nine high-severity violations, including inadequate handwashing facilities, food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish identification records, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
Fifteen Tampa restaurants were cited for high-severity violations between October 7 and October 13, 2026, generating a total of 97 high-severity citations across Hillsborough County.
The Violations
Honest Indian Vegetarian Restaurant on East Fowler Avenue drew eight high-severity violations, including no person in charge, an employee working while showing illness symptoms without reporting it, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and toxic substances improperly stored or identified.
The cooking temperature violation is among the most direct risks in this week's data. The state requires poultry to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit internally. Honest Indian's record does not indicate what temperature was measured or what food was involved, but the citation means an inspector determined the minimum threshold was not met.
Sushi Yama on East Adamo Drive accumulated seven high-severity violations, among them inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish identification records, and no consumer advisory for raw fish, a notable gap for a sushi restaurant. Inspectors also flagged improper sewage or wastewater disposal at the facility.
Shanghai Dumpling House on East Fowler Avenue was cited for food from unapproved or unknown sources, improper time-as-public-health-control procedures, and failure to follow required procedures for specialized food processes. Seven high-severity violations total.
Portico Cafe on North Florida Avenue had no person in charge during the inspection and drew a citation for failing to follow parasite destruction procedures, meaning fish served there may not have been properly frozen before preparation. Toxic substances were also improperly stored or identified at the location.
China Garden on North Dale Mabry Highway was cited for the same parasite destruction failure, alongside missing shellfish identification records, improper time controls, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Seven high-severity violations.
Chains in the Mix
Two IHOP locations appeared in this week's data. IHOP at 408 East Bearss Avenue drew six high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and two separate chemical storage violations, one for toxic substances and one for toxic chemicals. Inspectors also noted single-use items being reused and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
IHOP at 11111 North Dale Mabry drew a single high-severity violation, for failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, along with an intermediate citation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
Red Lobster at 11601 North Dale Mabry Highway drew six high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate shellfish identification records, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. For a restaurant whose menu centers on seafood, the unapproved-source and shellfish traceability citations are the most direct concerns.
Donatello's on North Dale Mabry had no person in charge during the inspection and was cited for improper time-as-public-health-control use, missing consumer advisory for raw foods, and toxic substances improperly stored. Six high-severity violations.
Angora Mediterranean Grill on East Fowler Avenue drew six high-severity violations, including food from unapproved sources, missing shellfish identification records, improperly stored toxic chemicals, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms. Inspectors also flagged single-use items being reused.
Mi Bandera Bar and Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue was cited for six high-severity violations with no intermediate violations, covering handwashing technique, shellfish traceability, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
3 Coins Diner on North Nebraska Avenue drew four high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature and improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, along with four intermediate violations covering sewage disposal, multi-use utensils, ventilation, and inadequate toilet facilities.
Beef O'Brady's Palma Ceia on South MacDill Avenue drew the fewest high-severity violations of the week, two, for food contact surfaces and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
What These Violations Mean
The food-from-unapproved-sources citation appeared at five facilities this week: Jerk Hut, Beijing House, Shanghai Dumpling House, Red Lobster, and Angora Mediterranean Grill. When food enters a kitchen from a source that has not been inspected and approved by state or federal regulators, there is no chain of custody. If a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the product back to a farm, processor, or distributor. That traceability gap is what turns a single case of food poisoning into an unresolvable outbreak.
The shellfish traceability violation, flagged at Jerk Hut, Beijing House, Sushi Yama, China Garden, Angora, Red Lobster, Donatello's, and Mi Bandera, carries a similar logic. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently eaten raw or barely cooked. State rules require shellstock tags to be retained for 90 days so that any illness can be traced to a specific harvest area and harvest date. Without those records, a contaminated batch cannot be recalled or identified.
The employee illness violations at Jerk Hut, Honest Indian, Sushi Yama, IHOP on Bearss, Angora, and Portico Cafe are among the most acute risks in the data. Norovirus, which causes the majority of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants, can be transmitted by a single food worker who handles food while symptomatic. A written employee health policy, which was missing at Jerk Hut, Beijing House, Honest Indian, Sushi Yama, Shanghai Dumpling House, China Garden, and Mi Bandera, is the mechanism that tells workers when they must report symptoms and when they must stay home. Without it, the decision is left to the individual worker, often under pressure to show up.
Parasite destruction failures at Portico Cafe, China Garden, and the North Dale Mabry IHOP mean that fish may have been served without the freezing step that kills Anisakis and other parasites. For sushi and sashimi, that step is not optional.
The Longer Record
Three Coins Diner has 48 prior inspections on record, the highest of any facility cited this week. That volume represents years of regulatory contact. This week's violations at 3 Coins, including food not reaching required cooking temperatures and improper sewage disposal, are not the kind of citations that appear only in a new kitchen still learning the codes.
Mi Bandera has 46 prior inspections on record and still drew six high-severity violations this week with no intermediate violations. Honest Indian Vegetarian Restaurant carries 43 prior inspections. Jerk Hut has 41. Shanghai Dumpling House has 40. These are not facilities on their first or second visit from a state inspector.
At the other end of the history spectrum, Angora Mediterranean Grill has just 12 prior inspections on record, the fewest of any facility in this week's data, and already accumulated six high-severity violations including food from unapproved sources and missing shellfish traceability records.
Portico Cafe, with 20 prior inspections, drew seven high-severity violations including a parasite destruction failure and improperly stored toxic substances. Its inspection history is shorter than most facilities on this list, but its violation severity matches the worst of them.
Beef O'Brady's Palma Ceia and IHOP on Bearss Avenue each have 29 prior inspections on record. The Bearss IHOP's two separate chemical storage violations this week, one for toxic substances and one for toxic chemicals flagged under a separate citation category, were unresolved in the inspection record as of the data available for this report.
