TAMPA, FL. Oxford Exchange on West Kennedy Boulevard drew six high-severity violations during the week of August 28, including citations for food from unapproved or unknown sources, no approved potable water supply, and food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, the most alarming single-facility finding in a week that saw 15 Tampa restaurants cited for high-severity health code violations.
The unapproved water supply citation at Oxford Exchange is among the most serious a food establishment can receive. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used. Two intermediate violations accompanied those findings: improper sewage or wastewater disposal, and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
The Violations
Wandee Asian Fusion on Memorial Highway also accumulated six high-severity violations, matching Oxford Exchange for the week's highest count. Inspectors cited inadequate handwashing facilities, improper food contact surface sanitation, no employee health policy, inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Kang's Garden on West Linebaugh Avenue drew six high-severity violations as well, including a citation for employees not reporting symptoms of illness and another for improper hand and arm washing technique. Inspectors also found inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Irish31 Westchase on Montague Street received five high-severity violations alongside five intermediate ones, the largest combined intermediate count of the week. The high-severity findings included no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Intermediate violations included improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate cooling or cold holding equipment.
Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II on East Fletcher Avenue was cited for five high-severity violations including a finding that no person in charge was present or performing duties. Inspectors also documented no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, and no consumer advisory. Intermediate violations included improper sewage disposal and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Ming Garden on North Tampa Street drew five high-severity citations, among them a parasite destruction violation. Without proper freezing or cooking protocols, parasites including Anisakis in fish and Trichinella in pork can survive to infect diners. Inspectors also cited improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, inadequate shell stock identification, improper handwashing technique, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Izakaya Tori on South Dale Mabry received five high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source alongside inadequate handwashing facilities and inadequate shell stock identification. Inspectors also documented improper handwashing technique and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings on East Fowler Avenue was cited for five high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source and a finding that time as a public health control was not properly used. Inspectors also documented improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
Ocean Prime on North Westshore Boulevard, an upscale steakhouse, drew five high-severity violations including food not cooked to required minimum temperature and time as a public health control not properly used. Employees not reporting symptoms of illness and improper handwashing technique were also cited, along with improperly cleaned food contact surfaces.
Rosenheim Cafe and Restaurant on North 22nd Street received five high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, inadequate shell stock identification, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Yumsem Eats on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard was cited for five high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source and time as a public health control not properly used. Inspectors also found no employee health policy, improper handwashing technique, and inadequate shell stock identification.
Oishi Sushi Bar on West Hillsborough Avenue drew five high-severity violations including parasite destruction procedures not followed and inadequate shell stock identification records, two findings of particular concern at a sushi establishment. Inspectors also cited improper handwashing technique, improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory.
Chili's #141 on North Dale Mabry Highway received four high-severity violations, including employees not reporting symptoms of illness, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, no consumer advisory, and toxic substances improperly identified, stored, or used.
El Oso Blanco Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue drew two high-severity violations: food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled. Two intermediate violations accompanied those findings.
Brandon Crossroads Bowl on Crater Lane was cited for two high-severity violations: no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
What These Violations Mean
The no-approved-potable-water citation at Oxford Exchange is the type of finding that stops health officials cold. Water used in food preparation that bypasses municipal or approved well systems can carry E. coli, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Legionella, organisms that cause illnesses ranging from severe gastrointestinal distress to life-threatening respiratory infection. That violation, combined with food from an unapproved or unknown source at the same location, and the same unapproved source finding at Izakaya Tori, Yumsem Eats, and Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings, means inspectors could not confirm those ingredients had passed USDA or FDA safety review. If a contaminated product sickens a customer, no supply chain record exists to trace it.
The shellfish traceability violations documented at nine facilities this week, including Wandee Asian Fusion, Kang's Garden, Ming Garden, Oishi Sushi Bar, Irish31 Westchase, Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II, Rosenheim Cafe, Izakaya Tori, and Yumsem Eats, carry the same traceability problem in a more concentrated form. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently consumed raw or barely cooked. Without harvest tags on file, a single contaminated shellfish shipment cannot be recalled or traced to a source after diners fall ill.
Improper handwashing technique, cited at ten facilities this week, is not a paperwork violation. Studies show that a rushed or incomplete handwashing attempt leaves enough pathogens on hands to contaminate the next surface touched. At Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II, that risk compounds: inspectors also found no person in charge present, a condition the CDC links to three times more critical violations in a single inspection.
The parasite destruction violations at Ming Garden and Oishi Sushi Bar are distinct from other findings on this list. Parasites including Anisakis in raw fish survive refrigeration. The required protocol, freezing fish to specific temperatures for specific durations, is the only reliable method to kill them before service. Neither restaurant had documentation that the protocol was followed.
The Longer Record
Ming Garden on North Tampa Street carries the longest inspection history of any facility flagged this week, with 36 prior inspections on record before this visit. Oxford Exchange follows with 35. Both facilities have been through enough inspection cycles that the findings this week, including a parasite destruction failure at Ming Garden and a no-potable-water citation at Oxford Exchange, cannot be attributed to unfamiliarity with the process.
Wandee Asian Fusion, with 33 prior inspections, and Ocean Prime, with 29, also have substantial histories. Irish31 Westchase and Chili's #141 each show 27 prior inspections, and Brandon Crossroads Bowl matches that count. Rosenheim Cafe has 26 inspections on record. A facility that has been inspected two dozen or more times and still receives citations for improper handwashing technique or improperly stored toxic chemicals is not encountering these standards for the first time.
The newest facilities on this week's list tell a different story. Yumsem Eats, with only 2 prior inspections on record, drew five high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source. El Oso Blanco Restaurant has just 4 prior inspections and received two high-severity citations. Charley's Cheesesteaks and Wings, with 7 prior inspections, accumulated five high-severity violations.
Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II has 9 prior inspections. It is not a new location, but it is not a long-tenured one either. The no-person-in-charge finding there, combined with no employee health policy and improper handwashing, describes a facility where the management infrastructure for food safety was not functioning on the day inspectors arrived. Whether it was functioning on other days is not something the inspection record for this week can answer.
