TAMPA, FL. Florida Cracker Fish Company on Ehrlich Road drew 7 high-severity violations in a single inspection this week, the highest total of any Tampa facility during the period of September 1 through September 7, 2026, with inspectors finding no person in charge present, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing, missing shellfish traceability records, parasite destruction procedures not followed, unclean food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items.
That is not a list of administrative oversights. Every item on it is a direct pathway to a foodborne illness outbreak.
The Violations
Taco Dirty on West Platt Street compiled 6 high-severity violations and 4 intermediate ones, a combined total that matched the highest intermediate count of any facility this week. Inspectors cited the absence of a person in charge, employees not reporting illness symptoms, improper handwashing technique, missing shellfish identification records, improper use of time as a public health control, and toxic substances improperly stored or used.
Funky Sweets on Citrus Park Drive drew 6 high-severity violations despite operating as a sweets shop rather than a full-service restaurant. Inspectors found food from an unapproved or unknown source, toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled, no consumer advisory for raw items, inadequate shell stock identification records, improper handwashing, and no allergen awareness demonstrated.
That last violation carries specific weight at a dessert counter. Allergen failures account for 30,000 emergency room visits annually in the United States, and a customer with a severe nut or dairy allergy has no way to make an informed choice if staff cannot identify what is in the food they are serving.
Sal y Mar on Midtown Drive accumulated 6 high-severity violations that included food not cooked to the required minimum temperature, no person in charge, no employee health policy, employees not reporting illness symptoms, and inadequate handwashing facilities. When the sink is broken or missing, proper hand hygiene is structurally impossible, not just neglected.
Wandee Asian Fusion on Memorial Highway was cited for 6 high-severity violations: no employee health policy, inadequate handwashing facilities, inadequate shell stock identification, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, no consumer advisory for raw items, and toxic chemicals improperly stored or labeled.
Kang's Garden on West Linebaugh Avenue also drew 6 high-severity violations, all without a single intermediate citation, a combination that means the most serious problems were present without any of the lesser issues that sometimes accompany them. Inspectors documented improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, unclean food contact surfaces, toxic chemicals improperly stored, failure to report illness symptoms, and no consumer advisory for raw foods.
Oishi Sushi Bar on West Hillsborough Avenue drew 5 high-severity violations that included parasite destruction procedures not followed, inadequate shell stock identification, improper handwashing, unclean food contact surfaces, and no consumer advisory. For a sushi operation, the parasite destruction citation is not a paperwork problem. Fish served raw that has not been properly frozen to required temperatures can harbor Anisakis and tapeworm larvae.
Irish31 Westchase on Montague Street was cited for 5 high-severity and 5 intermediate violations, the highest combined count outside of Taco Dirty. The intermediate citations included improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, and inadequate cooling and cold-holding equipment.
Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II on East Fletcher Avenue drew 5 high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, and no consumer advisory, alongside 4 intermediate violations that included improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation.
Woody's Greek Salads on South Dale Mabry was cited for both toxic chemicals improperly stored and toxic substances improperly identified or used, two distinct chemical safety violations in the same inspection. Inspectors also found no allergen awareness demonstrated and no consumer advisory for raw items.
Penthouse Club on North Westshore Boulevard received 5 high-severity violations, including food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, missing shellfish records, no consumer advisory, no allergen awareness, and employees not reporting illness symptoms. Intermediate citations included improper sewage disposal and inadequate toilet facilities.
Rosenheim Cafe and Restaurant on North 22nd Street was cited for improper handwashing, missing shellfish records, unclean food contact surfaces, no consumer advisory, and toxic chemicals improperly stored.
Yumsem Eats on Bruce B Downs Boulevard drew 5 high-severity violations including food from an unapproved or unknown source, time as a public health control not properly used, missing shellfish records, improper handwashing, and no employee health policy.
Brandon Crossroads Bowl on Crater Lane was cited for toxic chemicals improperly stored and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods.
Ocean Prime on North Westshore Boulevard drew the lowest violation count of any facility on the list, with one high-severity citation for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, alongside one intermediate violation for multi-use utensils not properly cleaned.
What These Violations Mean
The parasite destruction failure at Florida Cracker Fish Company and at Oishi Sushi Bar is among the most direct physical dangers in this week's data. Anisakis larvae survive in raw or lightly cooked fish and can penetrate the stomach lining, causing severe abdominal pain and requiring surgical removal in serious cases. Proper freezing kills those larvae. When a facility cannot document that the freezing protocol was followed, there is no way to know whether it was.
The employee illness reporting failures at Florida Cracker Fish Company, Taco Dirty, Sal y Mar, Kang's Garden, Woody's Greek Salads, and Penthouse Club represent a different kind of risk. Norovirus, the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States, spreads with remarkable efficiency from a single sick food handler to dozens of customers. A written health policy and a culture of reporting are the only mechanisms that interrupt that chain before it starts.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Funky Sweets and Yumsem Eats, is a traceability problem as much as a safety one. When a customer gets sick after eating at either location, inspectors trying to trace the source of the illness need supplier records. Without those records, the investigation stops before it starts.
The sewage disposal violations at Florida Cracker Fish Company, Irish31 Westchase, Adrianas Mexican Bar and Grill II, and Penthouse Club carry a specific contamination risk that is easy to underestimate. Improper wastewater handling introduces fecal bacteria into a kitchen environment, and that contamination does not stay contained to the area near the drain.
The Longer Record
Wandee Asian Fusion has 33 prior inspections on record, the longest history of any facility cited this week, and this inspection added 6 high-severity violations to that file. Brandon Crossroads Bowl has 27 prior inspections and Irish31 Westchase also carries 27, both accumulating citations over a substantial period of oversight.
Ocean Prime has 30 prior inspections on record and drew only 1 high-severity violation this week, the lightest finding among all 15 facilities. That history-to-violation ratio is the inverse of what inspectors found at Florida Cracker Fish Company, which has 25 prior inspections and produced 7 high-severity citations in a single visit.
The newest facilities on the list tell a different kind of story. Funky Sweets and Yumsem Eats each have only 2 prior inspections on record, meaning both are relatively new to the inspection cycle and both have already drawn 5 or more high-severity violations. Early inspection results tend to reflect baseline operating practices, not a temporary lapse.
Florida Cracker Fish Company has 25 prior inspections on file and this week's visit produced a parasite destruction failure and an improper sewage disposal citation alongside six other high-severity findings. Whether those prior 25 inspections show a pattern of similar violations is not reflected in the current data, but the volume of this week's findings at a facility with that inspection history is a fact the record cannot explain away.
