TAMPA, FL. Oxford Exchange on West Kennedy Boulevard was cited for six high-severity violations during the week of August 27, including no approved potable water supply, food from an unapproved or unknown source, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no records to trace the shellfish served at the landmark restaurant, state inspection records show.
That combination, water source and food sourcing failures stacked on top of undercooking and missing traceability, made Oxford Exchange the most cited facility in a week that saw 15 Tampa restaurants accumulate high-severity violations.
The Violations
Wandee Asian Fusion on Memorial Highway matched Oxford Exchange's six high-severity count. Inspectors cited the restaurant for inadequate handwashing facilities, no employee health policy, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and missing shellfish traceability records.
The missing handwashing facilities citation is notable. Without functional handwashing infrastructure, the other hygiene violations become nearly impossible to correct in the field.
Kang's Garden on West Linebaugh Avenue also drew six high-severity violations, including an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish identification records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored. Kang's was the only facility among the top three to receive zero intermediate violations alongside its six high-severity citations.
Irish 31 Westchase on Montague Street accumulated five high-severity violations and five intermediate violations, the highest combined total of any facility this week. The high-severity list included no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. On the intermediate side, inspectors cited improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate cooling and cold-holding equipment.
Adriana's Mexican Bar and Grill II on East Fletcher Avenue drew a citation that the others did not: no person in charge present or performing duties during the inspection. The remaining four high-severity violations included no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, and no consumer advisory.
Ming Garden on North Tampa Street was cited for parasite destruction procedures not followed, in addition to improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Parasite destruction requires that fish intended to be served raw or undercooked be frozen to specific temperatures for specific periods. The record does not show that Ming Garden met that requirement.
Oishi Sushi Bar on West Hillsborough Avenue drew the same parasite destruction citation as Ming Garden, alongside missing shellfish traceability records, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no consumer advisory. Both sushi restaurants serving raw fish were flagged for the same parasite-control failure in the same week.
Ocean Prime on North Westshore Boulevard was cited for an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, time as a public health control not properly used, improper handwashing technique, and food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Ocean Prime is a national upscale chain. Its five high-severity violations this week included both a cooking temperature failure and a time-control failure, two of the most direct pathways to foodborne illness.
Yumsem Eats on Bruce B Downs Boulevard was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, missing shellfish records, no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and time as a public health control not properly used. The food sourcing citation means inspectors could not verify where at least some of the food being served originated.
Izakaya Tori on South Dale Mabry was cited for inadequate handwashing facilities, improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved or unknown source, missing shellfish records, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Like Wandee Asian Fusion, Izakaya Tori had both the infrastructure failure (no adequate handwashing facilities) and the technique failure (improper handwashing) documented in the same inspection.
Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings on East Fowler Avenue was cited for food from an unapproved or unknown source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, time as a public health control not properly used, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
Rosenheim Cafe and Restaurant on North 22nd Street drew five high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
West Tampa Sandwich Shop on North Armenia Avenue was cited for no employee health policy, an employee not reporting symptoms of illness, improper handwashing technique, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. All five violations were high-severity. None were intermediate.
El Oso Blanco Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue drew two high-severity violations, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and toxic chemicals improperly stored, alongside two intermediate violations.
Brandon Crossroads Bowl on Crater Lane was cited for no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, both high-severity, plus one intermediate violation for inadequate ventilation and lighting.
What These Violations Mean
The shellfish traceability failure was the single most common high-severity citation this week, appearing at Oxford Exchange, Wandee Asian Fusion, Kang's Garden, Irish 31 Westchase, Adriana's Mexican Bar and Grill II, Ming Garden, Oishi Sushi Bar, Rosenheim Cafe, Yumsem Eats, Izakaya Tori, and Ocean Prime. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, are consumed raw or lightly cooked and carry elevated risk of Vibrio, Norovirus, and hepatitis A. The tag records on shellfish shipments are the only way to trace an outbreak back to a specific harvest location. Without those records, if a customer gets sick, investigators cannot identify where the contaminated shellfish came from or how many others may have been exposed.
The food from an unapproved or unknown source citation, documented at Oxford Exchange, Yumsem Eats, Izakaya Tori, and Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings, carries similar traceability consequences. Food purchased outside of licensed, inspected suppliers bypasses USDA and FDA safety checks entirely. If that food is contaminated with Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli, there is no supply chain record to follow.
The no potable water supply citation at Oxford Exchange stands apart from the rest of this week's findings. Non-potable water used in a food establishment can carry E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Legionella. It touches every surface, every utensil, every food item washed or rinsed in the kitchen.
The employee illness reporting failures at Kang's Garden, West Tampa Sandwich Shop, Ocean Prime, and Irish 31 Westchase, combined with no written health policies at Wandee Asian Fusion, Adriana's Mexican Bar and Grill II, Yumsem Eats, West Tampa Sandwich Shop, and Irish 31 Westchase, create the conditions for an outbreak. A sick worker with no policy requiring them to report symptoms and no supervisor enforcing one is the most direct transmission route for Norovirus and hepatitis A in a restaurant setting.
The Longer Record
Ming Garden, with 36 prior inspections on record, has the longest inspection history of any facility cited this week. Oxford Exchange follows with 35, and Wandee Asian Fusion with 33. These are not new restaurants encountering health code requirements for the first time. Ming Garden's parasite destruction failure and food contact surface citation this week are serious violations at a location that inspectors have visited more than three dozen times.
Ocean Prime's 29 prior inspections and Irish 31 Westchase's 27 place them in similar territory. West Tampa Sandwich Shop and Brandon Crossroads Bowl each carry 27 prior inspections as well. Rosenheim Cafe has 26, Kang's Garden 25, and Izakaya Tori 25. None of these are facilities that can claim unfamiliarity with inspection standards.
Three facilities in this week's data are relatively new to the inspection record. Yumsem Eats has only 2 prior inspections and was already cited for five high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source. El Oso Blanco Restaurant has 4 prior inspections. Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings has 7. All three drew high-severity citations in what are still early inspections for their locations.
Adriana's Mexican Bar and Grill II, with 9 prior inspections, was cited for the absence of a person in charge during the inspection. That violation, combined with no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish records, and no consumer advisory, raises the question of whether adequate managerial oversight was in place at any point during the visit, not just at the moment inspectors arrived. The inspection record does not answer that question.
