ST. PETERSBURG, FL. Inspectors visiting Umami Endless Sushi and Bar on Tyrone Boulevard on September 15 found the restaurant serving food from unapproved or unknown sources, a violation that means customers had no way of knowing whether the fish on their plates had ever passed a federal safety inspection.
That was one of eight high-severity violations documented at the all-you-can-eat sushi spot at 3942 Tyrone Blvd N. The restaurant was not closed.
What Inspectors Found
The full violation list on September 15 included improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized, food not cooked to required minimum temperatures, and toxic substances stored or used improperly. Inspectors also cited employees for not reporting illness symptoms and noted no person in charge was present or performing duties.
Four intermediate violations accompanied the eight high-severity ones: improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, single-use items being reused, and inadequate ventilation and lighting.
Eight high-severity violations is not a marginal inspection. It is the kind of total that, in other Pinellas County cases, has triggered emergency closure orders.
What These Violations Mean
The food from unapproved sources violation is the one that should concern anyone who ate at Umami on or before September 15. When a restaurant cannot document where its food came from, there is no chain of custody. If someone gets sick, investigators cannot trace the product back to a supplier, a lot number, or a farm. At a sushi restaurant, where raw fish is the core offering, that gap is not a paperwork problem.
The undercooking violation compounds the sourcing problem. Fish and other proteins that come from unknown suppliers and are then served below required minimum temperatures represent a compounded failure. Salmonella, Listeria, and Vibrio, a bacteria found specifically in raw seafood, survive at temperatures below the state's required thresholds.
The employee illness reporting violation is a direct transmission risk. Norovirus, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings, spreads person-to-person when infected food handlers continue working without reporting symptoms. A sushi bar, where staff handle food repeatedly and often without barriers between prep and service, is a high-exposure environment for exactly that kind of spread.
Toxic substances stored or used improperly in a food preparation environment is a different category of risk. Chemical contamination of food does not require a pathogen to cause harm and does not show up in routine food safety testing.
The Longer Record
The September 15 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show Umami Endless Sushi and Bar has been inspected 42 times and has accumulated 516 violations over its history on file with the state.
The restaurant was emergency-closed three times before this inspection. Inspectors shut it down in July 2021 for fly activity, again in September 2021 for rodent and fly activity, and a third time in July 2023 for roach and fly activity. Each time, the restaurant reopened within two days.
The violation pattern in the years since the 2023 closure has not improved. A February 2025 inspection produced nine high-severity violations and three intermediate ones. A July 2024 inspection produced nine high-severity violations and four intermediate ones. The November 2025 inspection produced eight high-severity violations. The September 15 inspection produced eight high-severity violations.
That is four inspections across roughly 19 months, each producing eight or nine high-severity citations.
A follow-up inspection on September 23, eight days after the visit that is the focus of this article, found five high-severity violations and two intermediate ones. The restaurant remained open after that inspection as well.
Still Open
Florida's emergency closure authority exists for situations where inspectors determine that conditions pose an immediate threat to public health. Three times, state inspectors made that determination at Umami Endless Sushi and Bar, and three times the restaurant was shuttered and then allowed to reopen.
On September 15, 2026, with food from an unknown source on the menu, food not cooked to required temperatures, employees not reporting illness symptoms, no qualified person in charge on the floor, and toxic substances improperly stored, inspectors made a different determination.
The restaurant stayed open.
