56.9% of Northeast Florida Restaurant Inspections Found High-Priority Violations: The 15 Worst Visits Since July

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - More than half of restaurant inspections across Northeast Florida since July found at least one high-priority violation, according to state records reviewed by Jax Times. Of 3,989 inspections conducted from July 1 through Oct. 24, 2026, 2,269, or 56.9%, identified at least one high-priority violation. Inspectors also recommended emergency orders in 70 inspections during that period, although those recommendations do not establish that a restaurant is closed now.

The findings come from the Jax Times restaurant inspection database, which uses Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation records covering Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties. The analysis includes inspections through Oct. 24, the newest record the state had posted as of Oct. 28. The records also show 787 inspections with no violations, demonstrating that inspection outcomes varied considerably across the four counties.

By the Numbers: 3,989 Inspections Across Four Counties

Jax Times reviewed 3,989 inspection records and calculated the percentage of inspections with high-priority violations. The analysis found that 2,269 inspections, or 56.9%, documented at least one such violation, while 787 inspections, or 19.7%, recorded no violations of any kind. The average inspection documented 1.39 high-priority violations, although individual visits sometimes produced considerably higher counts.

The percentages represent Jax Times calculations using the inspection totals, rather than grades assigned by the state. The 56.9% figure comes from dividing 2,269 by 3,989, while the 19.7% figure uses 787 as the numerator. These figures describe inspections, not the percentage of restaurants with violations, because a restaurant can receive multiple inspections during the reporting period.

What High-Priority Violations and Inspection Results Mean

Florida does not assign restaurants a numerical inspection grade. Instead, DBPR inspectors classify violations as high-priority, intermediate or basic, based on the type of problem documented. High-priority violations are those that could directly contribute to foodborne illness or injury, making them particularly important when reviewing inspection reports.

An inspection also ends with a result that describes the state's next step. A "Warning issued" result means an inspector will return to check whether the business corrected violations, while "Administrative complaint recommended" means the state may impose a fine. An "Emergency order recommended" result means an inspector recommended an emergency closure order, but the inspection record alone does not establish whether the state issued a final order or how long a restaurant remained closed.

Restaurants can correct violations during inspections and request callback visits. Those later visits can produce results different from the original inspection, including confirmation that problems were corrected. For that reason, a single inspection should not be treated as a permanent assessment of a restaurant's conditions.

The 15 Inspections With the Most High-Priority Violations

The following 15 visits recorded the highest individual high-priority violation counts in the Jax Times database between July 1 and Oct. 24. Each entry identifies the inspection date, business name, address and violation counts in the order high-priority, intermediate and basic. These are individual inspection results, not current restaurant ratings or proof of continuing violations.

1. July 21 - El Castillo Taqueria1: 9735 Old St. Augustine Road Unit 18, Jacksonville. 12 high-priority, 5 intermediate, 7 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

2. Aug. 13 - Royal Hot Pot & BBQ0: 11148 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville. 11 high-priority, 5 intermediate, 5 basic. Result: Warning issued.

3. July 30 - Cantina Caramba0!: 12640 Bartram Park Blvd. Unit 5, Jacksonville. 11 high-priority, 4 intermediate, 7 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

4. Sept. 11 - Iso Iso Ramen2: 11105 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville. 11 high-priority, 3 intermediate, 10 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

5. Aug. 6 - Thai Spice Kitchen0: 6426 Bowden Road Ste. 200, Jacksonville. 10 high-priority, 8 intermediate, 14 basic. Result: Warning issued.

6. Sept. 14 - The Dough Show2: 12681 Bartram Park Blvd., Jacksonville. 10 high-priority, 8 intermediate, 5 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

7. Sept. 2 - Peppers Mexican Grill & Cantina3: 1560 Business Center Drive #14, Fleming Island. 10 high-priority, 5 intermediate, 20 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

8. July 21 - Yellow Rose BBQ2: 9965 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville. 10 high-priority, 4 intermediate, 5 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

9. Aug. 17 - Tony's Cantina Mexican Grill2: 10131 San Jose Blvd. Ste. 12, Jacksonville. 10 high-priority, 4 intermediate, 7 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

10. Aug. 12 - Al Asalah Shawrma: 2011 Emerson St., Jacksonville. 9 high-priority, 7 intermediate, 6 basic. Result: Emergency order recommended.

11. Aug. 10 - Tulum Flavors of Mexico0: 11025 E. Town Pkwy. Ste. 206, Jacksonville. 9 high-priority, 6 intermediate, 6 basic. Result: Warning issued.

12. Sept. 28 - Super Tienda Latina y Restaurante1: 3935 Toledo Road Ste. 6, Jacksonville. 9 high-priority, 5 intermediate, 9 basic. Result: Warning issued.

13. Oct. 13 - JAX Fish Shrimp and Chicken0: 656 Edgewood Ave., Jacksonville. 9 high-priority, 5 intermediate, 7 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

14. July 29 - Galaxy Burgers Bar & Grill0: 9865 Beach Blvd. Ste. 2, Jacksonville. 9 high-priority, 4 intermediate, 12 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

15. Oct. 19 - Taco Libre20: 1001 Beach Blvd. (A1A), St. Augustine Beach. 9 high-priority, 3 intermediate, 8 basic. Result: Administrative complaint recommended.

El Castillo Taqueria recorded the highest number of high-priority violations in a single inspection on this list, with 12 during its July 21 visit. Royal Hot Pot8 & BBQ, Cantina Caramba! and Iso Iso Ramen followed with 11 each, while five additional inspections recorded 10 each. The remaining six visits each documented nine high-priority violations, but their intermediate and basic counts differed substantially.

70 Emergency Order Recommendations and 126 Callback Results

State records show 70 inspections ending with "Emergency order recommended" during the reporting period. Another 55 results were classified as "Emergency Order Callback Complied," while 58 were "Emergency Order Callback Not Complied" and 13 were "Emergency Order Callback Time Extension." Combined, these categories account for 196 emergency-order-related inspection results, according to Jax Times calculations.

These categories describe different inspection outcomes rather than 196 separate emergency closure recommendations. Callback results document subsequent inspection activity, and the records do not establish how long any business remained closed. The 70 recommendations also should not be interpreted as 70 restaurants currently under closure orders.

Emergency Order Results by City

Jacksonville accounted for the largest share of emergency-order-related inspection results in the four-county dataset. The database recorded 156 results under Jacksonville and three additional results under the separate location label "Jacksonville Rd." St. Augustine followed with 17 results, while Fernandina Beach recorded 12.

The location figures include emergency order recommendations and all three callback categories, not just initial emergency order recommendations. The separate "Jacksonville Rd" entry preserves the location label appearing in the database rather than combining it with Jacksonville. These totals measure inspection results and do not establish the number of individual restaurants involved.

Three Restaurants Had Repeat Emergency Order Recommendations

Three establishments recorded more than one inspection ending with "Emergency order recommended" during the reporting period. Kazu Sushi Burrito in Jacksonville had three such results, while a Jacksonville Hooters location and Hot Wok in Jacksonville each had two. These counts refer specifically to emergency order recommendations, not all emergency-order-related callback visits.

The repeated recommendations identify restaurants with multiple qualifying inspection results between July 1 and Oct. 24. They do not establish whether final closure orders were issued, whether the businesses subsequently corrected violations or whether any restaurant remains closed. Readers should review each restaurant's complete inspection history before drawing conclusions about its current condition.

Why One Inspection Does Not Tell the Whole Story

An inspection captures conditions at a restaurant during a particular visit. Businesses may correct problems while inspectors are present, and later callback inspections can show whether previously documented violations were addressed. A high count from July, August or September does not necessarily describe conditions at the same establishment in late October.

The same caution applies to emergency order recommendations and administrative complaints. A recommendation describes an inspection result, not necessarily the final regulatory outcome, and the records analyzed here do not establish that any listed restaurant is closed now. Readers can search individual restaurant histories, including additional inspection results, at jaxtimes.com/restaurants.

## How we did this Jax Times analyzed its restaurant inspection database at jaxtimes.com/restaurants, which uses Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspection records for Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau counties. The extract covers July 1 through Oct. 24, 2026, the latest inspection date posted by the state as of Oct. 28, and includes 3,989 inspection records. Jax Times calculated the 56.9% high-priority violation rate, the 19.7% no-violation rate and the 196 emergency-order-related results from those records, then ranked individual visits by their high-priority violation counts.