TAMPA, FL. Florida Cracker Fish Company on Ehrlich Road drew seven high-severity violations in a single inspection during the week of August 30, the highest count among 15 Tampa-area restaurants cited for serious violations by state inspectors.
The violations at the Ehrlich Road seafood restaurant touched nearly every layer of food safety: no person in charge present to direct operations, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish identification records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. Inspectors also documented an intermediate violation for improper sewage or wastewater disposal.
The Worst of the Week
Four restaurants tied for second place with six high-severity violations each. Taco Dirty on West Platt Street was among them, cited for no person in charge, employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic substances improperly stored or used. Inspectors also noted inadequate cold-holding equipment and multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
Funky Sweets at Citrus Park Drive accumulated six high-severity violations despite being among the newest facilities in this week's data. Inspectors cited food from an unapproved or unknown source, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish identification records, no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, toxic chemicals improperly stored, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Equipment in poor repair and inadequate toilet facilities rounded out the list.
Sal Y Mar on Midtown Drive drew six high-severity violations that together describe a kitchen with almost no functioning safety infrastructure. No person in charge was present. There was no employee health policy, employees were not reporting illness symptoms, handwashing facilities were inadequate, handwashing technique was improper, and food was not cooked to required minimum internal temperatures. Inspectors also cited multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and inadequate toilet facilities.
Wandee Asian Fusion on Memorial Highway was cited for six high-severity violations including no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, missing shellfish identification records, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Kang's Garden on West Linebaugh Avenue drew the same six-violation count, with citations for employees not reporting illness, improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, unsanitized food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals.
More Facilities, More Violations
Irish 31 Westchase on Montague Street drew five high-severity violations, including no employee health policy, improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Inspectors also documented improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate cold-holding equipment.
Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II on East Fletcher Avenue was cited for five high-severity violations, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, and no consumer advisory. Inspectors added four intermediate violations: improper sewage disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
Penthouse Club on North Westshore Boulevard drew five high-severity citations: employees not reporting illness, missing shellfish records, food contact surfaces not sanitized, no consumer advisory, and no allergen awareness demonstrated. Inspectors also noted improper sewage disposal and inadequate toilet facilities.
Ming Garden on North Tampa Street was cited for five high-severity violations including improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and improperly stored toxic chemicals. Multi-use utensils not properly cleaned and improper use of wiping cloths were noted as intermediate violations.
Woody's Greek Salads on South Dale Mabry drew five high-severity violations: employees not reporting illness, no consumer advisory, toxic chemicals improperly stored, toxic substances improperly identified or used, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
Yumsem Eats on Bruce B Downs Boulevard was cited for five high-severity violations including no employee health policy, improper handwashing, food from an unapproved or unknown source, missing shellfish records, and time as a public health control not properly used.
El Oso Blanco Restaurant on West Hillsborough Avenue drew two high-severity violations, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned and toxic chemicals improperly stored, along with improper sanitizing procedures and inadequate ventilation.
Oxford Exchange on West Kennedy Boulevard was cited for one high-severity violation, toxic substances improperly identified or used, alongside improper sewage disposal and improper sanitizing procedures.
Brandon Crossroads Bowl on Crater Lane drew two high-severity violations: no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure at Florida Cracker Fish Company and Ming Garden is among the most direct food safety risks in this week's data. Fish served raw or undercooked, including many sushi and ceviche preparations, must be frozen to specific temperatures for specific time periods to kill parasites such as Anisakis roundworm and tapeworm larvae. When that step is skipped or undocumented, there is no barrier between a live parasite in the fish and the customer eating it.
The missing shellfish identification records cited at nine facilities this week, including Florida Cracker Fish Company, Taco Dirty, Funky Sweets, Wandee Asian Fusion, Kang's Garden, Irish 31 Westchase, Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II, Penthouse Club, and Ming Garden, represent a traceability collapse. Oysters, clams, and mussels are legally required to arrive with tags identifying their harvest location and date. Without those records, there is no way to trace a shellfish-linked illness back to its source or pull contaminated product from other restaurants that received the same batch.
Food from an unapproved source, cited at Funky Sweets and Yumsem Eats, means those facilities were serving food that bypassed federal and state safety inspections entirely. There is no chain of custody, no documentation that the food was handled safely, and no way to identify a supplier if someone becomes ill.
The no-employee-health-policy violations at Sal Y Mar, Wandee Asian Fusion, Irish 31 Westchase, Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II, and Yumsem Eats are not paperwork failures. A written policy is the mechanism by which a sick employee is legally required to stay home or be restricted from food handling. Without one, a worker with norovirus has no documented obligation to report symptoms, and the kitchen has no protocol to act on the information if they do.
The Longer Record
Oxford Exchange and Ming Garden each carry 36 prior inspections on record, the longest histories in this week's data. Oxford Exchange's single high-severity violation this week is modest by comparison to other facilities, but 36 inspections across its operating history means inspectors have had ample opportunity to identify and document problems. Ming Garden's 36-inspection record alongside five high-severity violations this week, including parasite destruction failures and unsanitized food contact surfaces, tells a different story.
Wandee Asian Fusion has 33 prior inspections on record and returned six high-severity violations this week, including the absence of adequate handwashing facilities. That is not a new citation category for an establishment with that inspection volume. Kang's Garden and Florida Cracker Fish Company each have 25 prior inspections on record.
The facilities with the fewest inspections on record drew some of the most serious violations. Funky Sweets had only two prior inspections before this week's six-high-severity citation, including food from an unapproved source and no allergen awareness. Yumsem Eats also had two prior inspections and was cited for five high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source and no employee health policy. Both facilities are early in their inspection histories and already accumulating citations in categories that indicate foundational safety gaps, not isolated errors.
Sal Y Mar, with 18 inspections on record, was cited this week for food not cooked to required minimum temperature alongside a management absence and no handwashing infrastructure. Whether the temperature violation was corrected on-site or left unresolved at the time of the inspection is not reflected in the data available.
