5 Marion County restaurants cited for high-priority violations
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Florida's restaurant owners are not required to post restaurant inspection results where guests can see them. So every week, we provide that information for you.
For a complete list of local restaurant inspections, including violations not requiring warnings or administrative action, visit our Marion County restaurant inspections site.
Here's the breakdown for recent health inspections in Marion County, Florida, for the week of May 6-12, 2024. Please note that some more recent, follow-up inspections may not be included here.
Disclaimer: The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation describes an inspection report as a 'snapshot' of conditions present at the time of the inspection. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted in their most recent inspection. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions at the establishment.
For full restaurant inspection details, visit our Marion County restaurant inspection site.
Which Marion County restaurants got perfect scores on their health inspections?
These restaurants met all standards during their May 6-12 inspections and no violations were found.
Arnie's Dogs, Mobile food dispensing vehicle**
Clarkson Kitchen and Desserts, Mobile food dispensing vehicle
Dbs Rolling Dough, Mobile food dispensing vehicle**
E Mano's Hatian American Cuisine, Mobile food dispensing vehicle**
Ipanema Churrascaria, 2023 S. Pine Ave., Ocala**
Nature's Juice Cafe, Mobile food dispensing vehicle
Ocean Buffet, 3425 SW College Rd, Ocala**
Scuba Steves Snack Shack, Mobile food dispensing vehicle**
** Restaurants that failed an inspection and aced a follow-up inspection in the same week
Which Marion County restaurants had high priority violations?
District Bar & Kitchen
110 SW Broadway St., Ocala
Routine Inspection on May 8
Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.
16 total violations, with 8 high-priority violations
High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Dish machine in dish area, 0 ppm. Manager had employee change sanitizer bucket, 50 ppm. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority - Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Employee entered kitchen from outside and proceeded to handle clean trays without washing hands. Manager had employee wash hands. **Corrective Action Taken**
High Priority - Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee handled dirty dishes and proceeded to handle clean dishes without washing hands. Manager had employee wash hands. **Corrective Action Taken**
High Priority - Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. Employee placed toasted hamburger bun on top of hamburger with bare hands on server aisle.
High Priority - Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Observed three flies in kitchen ear dish area.
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Item stored in reach-in cooler across from cook line: mozzarella cheese (45F - Cold Holding). Manager stated item placed in cooler three hours prior to temperature being taken. Employee placed item in reach-in freezer to reduce temperature to 41F. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Item held on cook line: onions (89F - Hot Holding). Manager stated item placed on cook line three hours prior to temperature being taken. Employee placed item on stove to reheat, 169F. Item in table top warmer across from cook line grill: mashed potatoes (115F - Hot Holding). Manager stated item was reheated and placed in warmer three hours prior to temperature being taken. Employee reheated potatoes on stove top, 176F. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority - Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet. Hose side of splitter in downstairs mop sink. Hose side of splitter in upstairs mop sink.
Dragon's Den Diner
Mobile food dispensing vehicle
Routine Inspection on May 8
Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.
9 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations
High Priority - Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Six small ants near triple sink.
High Priority - Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Ground beef 47F in reach in cooler overnight, stop sale issued.
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Ground beef 47F in reach in cooler overnight, stop sale issued.
Homewood Suites at Heathbrook
4610 SW 49th Rd, Ocala
Complaint Inspection on May 8
Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.
4 total violations, with 1 high-priority violation
High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed spray bottles with chemical cleaner and spray can stored over beer bottles in closet. Observed spray bottle with cleaning solution on top of bananas. Manager removed spray bottle.
Ocean Buffet
3425 SW College Rd, Ocala
Complaint Inspection on May 6
Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.
18 total violations, with 4 high-priority violations
High Priority - Dishmachine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Observed dishmachine at 10ppm CL **Warning**
High Priority - Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce. Observed two tray of raw shelled eggs stored over lemons in walk-in-cooler. Manager placed raw shelled eggs on bottom shelf. **Corrected On-Site**
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed the following items and temperatures in the walk-in-cooler: Poultry (51F - Cold Holding); Beef (50F - Cold Holding); Shrimp (50F - Cold Holding); Calamari (48F-Cold Holding). Ambient temperature of walk-in-cooler is at 45F. Manager stated all items had been prepared two hours earlier. **Warning**
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed three trays of egg rolls at 105F in kitchen at ambient temperature. Manager advised that egg rolls had been cooked one hour earlier and placed trays in walk-in-cooler **Corrective Action Taken**
Wok N Roll
303 SE 17th St. Unit 103, Ocala
Routine Inspection on May 8
Follow-Up Inspection Required: Violations require further review, but are not an immediate threat to the public.
25 total violations, with 3 high-priority violations
High Priority - Employee used tobacco, ate, or drank then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Employee eating in dining room and began preparing food without washing hands. Manager had employee stop eating and wash hands. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
High Priority - Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Raw chicken stored over raw beef in walk-in cooler. Raw chicken stored over raw fish in walk-in freezer. Manager placed both items on bottom shelves. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
High Priority - Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet. No vacuum breakers on either side of splitter in mop sink.
What agency inspects restaurants in Florida?
Routine regulation and inspection of restaurants is conducted by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The Department of Health is responsible for investigation and control of food-borne illness outbreaks associated with all food establishments.
How do I report a dirty restaurant in Florida?
If you see abuses of state standards, report them and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation will send inspectors. Call the Florida DBPR at 850-487-1395 or report a restaurant for health violations online.
Get the whole story at our restaurant inspection database.
What does all that terminology in Florida restaurant inspections mean?
Basic violations are those considered against best practices.
A warning is issued after an inspector documents violations that must be corrected by a certain date or within a specified number of days from receipt of the inspection report.
An administrative complaint is a form of legal action taken by the division. Insufficient compliance after a warning, a pattern of repeat violations or existence of serious conditions that warrant immediate action may result in the division initiating an administrative complaint against the establishment. Says the division website: "Correcting the violations is important, but penalties may still result from violations corrected after the warning time was over."
An emergency order — when a restaurant is closed by the inspector — is based on an immediate threat to the public. Here, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants director has determined that the establishment must stop doing business and any division license is suspended to protect health, safety or welfare of the public.
A 24-hour call-back inspection will be performed after an emergency closure or suspension of license.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala area restaurant/food truck inspections: May 6-12, 2024
