CHINA BUFFET
1245 E FOWLER AVE · TAMPA · Hillsborough County · FL 33612
Inspection Summary
Emergency Closure Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
All DBPR Inspector Observations
44 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 13
41-07-4High Priority – Container of medicine improperly stored. A bottle of cooling gel stored on shelf over cookies, dumpling sauce and salad dressings. Operator removed cooling gel. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
12A-07-5High Priority – Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee cleaned prep table with sanitizer and wiping cloth, then put on gloves to handled food items without washing hands. **Warning**
09-01-4High 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 peeling hard boiled eggs with bare hands in kitchen. Operator reheated hard boiled eggs to 169 F and educated employee to washed hands and put on gloves at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
12A-20-4High Priority – Employee washed hands with no soap. Observed employee touched raw chicken, then rinsed hands with water in handwash sink without soap, the walked out to work on buffet line. **Warning**
22-11-5High Priority – Food-contact surfaces in contact with time/temperature control for safety food not cleaned at least every four hours. Food storage shelf on reach-in cooler at cook line has torn old sticky wrap is not easy to clean. **Warning**
22-46-4High Priority – Food-contact surfaces sanitized with a chlorine solution not exposed to the sanitizer solution for at least seven seconds. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. Observed employee rinsed food containers in chlorine sanitizer for less than 3 seconds, then put away to air dry. Discussed with operator and educated employee, employee re-sanitized food containers in chlorine sanitizer for at least 10 seconds at time of inspection. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**
35A-02-7High Priority – Live, small flying insects found. 2 live flies at hallway stored with cookies speedy rack in kitchen. 3 live flies in food prep area while employees cutting raw fish and raw chicken in kitchen, observed live flies landed on raw fish and in use food container. 1 live fly on cleaned dish at dish machine area. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
08A-05-6High Priority – Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw chicken stored over cooked corn in walk-in cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
08A-20-5High Priority – Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Raw chicken stored over raw fish in walk-in cooler. A pan of raw shell eggs directly stored in a pan of raw pork chops, also stacked in raw fish and raw beef in glass reach-in cooler at 2nd cook line behind sushi area. Stop sale issued. Operator discard raw fish, raw beef and raw pork chops at time of inspection. **Corrective Action Taken** **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
01B-13-4High Priority – Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Raw tilapia fillets contacted by live flies. Raw pork, raw tilapia and raw beef stored with raw shell eggs. **Warning**
03A-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Sushi bar at buffet: raw salmon (58F – Cold Holding); cooked egg sushi (57F – Cold Holding); spicy salmon roll (58F – Cold Holding); cream cheese (48F – Cold Holding), incomplete time control written procedures with time marks. Multiple cases of raw chicken (42-52F – Cold Holding) stored on the floor in kitchen. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
03B-01-6High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot buffet: cooked bok choy (112F – Hot Holding); fried spring roll (103F – Hot Holding), incomplete time control written procedures and no time marks. **Warning**
41-27-4High Priority – Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeds the maximum concentration allowed. Chlorine tested 200+ppm. Operator diluted with water and tested 100ppm. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
Intermediate 9
01C-02-4Intermediate – Establishment not maintaining oyster tags for 90 days. **Warning**
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting boards stained on reach-in cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
31A-09-4Intermediate – Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Cooking utensils stored in handwash sink at prep area in kitchen. Operator removed items at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
27-11-4Intermediate – No running water at mop sink. Operator turn on hot and cold running water at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
31B-03-4Intermediate – No soap provided at handwash sink. At cook line. Operator provided soap at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
01C-05-4Intermediate – Oyster tags not maintained in chronological order according to the last date they were served in the establishment. **Warning**
53B-13-5Intermediate – Proof of required state approved employee training not available for some employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. Approximately 30 employees working at time of inspection, with only 11 food handler certificates available. **Warning**
02C-02-5Intermediate – Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. Cooked ribs, cooked shrimps and various cooked food not date marked stored in walk-in cooler. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
41-17-4Intermediate – Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. 2 spray bottles with pink liquid have no labels in kitchen. **Warning**
Basic 22
22-20-5Basic – Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine. Large ice machine in kitchen and ice machine in side station. **Warning**
14-01-5Basic – Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. In multiple food bins. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
23-24-4Basic – Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Multiple reach-in cooler handles and walk-in freezer door handles soiled with old food debris and grease in kitchen. **Warning**
24-07-4Basic – Cleaned and sanitized equipment or utensils not properly stored. Cutting boards stored in between the legs of a prep table in kitchen. **Warning**
29-18-4Basic – Drain cover(s) missing. Under three-compartments sink by dish machine. **Warning**
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Multiple opened employee drinks stored on prep tables and cutting boards on reach-in coolers in kitchen. Operator removed drinks at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
40-06-5Basic – Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Employee food containers and other personal items stored on shelves over cookies, salad dressings and dumpling sauce. **Warning**
14-11-5Basic – Equipment in poor repair. Door gasket torn in large reach-in freezer behind sushi bar in kitchen. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
36-73-4Basic – Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Slimy debris around and on floor drain at produce walk-in cooler. Slimy water on floor behind chest freezers by salad and meat walk-in cooler. **Warning**
08B-47-4Basic – Food not stored at least 6 inches off of the floor. Multiple cases of raw chicken, multiple cases of fry oils and bottled waters stored on floor in kitchen. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
14-38-4Basic – Food storage container/container lid cracked or broken. Cracked container used to hold clean silverware. **Warning**
10-07-4Basic – In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Rice scoop stored in standing water temped 87F. Operator discarded water and placed rice scoop in three-compartments sink to clean. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Hood filters soiled with grease and dust. Garbage roller wheels heavy soiled with dirt like substance. In use large floor fan soiled with dust and food debris at dish machine area. Operator removed fan from kitchen. **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**
14-52-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surfaces not designed and constructed to allow easy cleaning and maintenance. **Warning**
33-16-4Basic – Open dumpster lid. Operator closed at time of inspection. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
12B-13-4Basic – Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Employee opened drinks stored in reach-in coolers at sushi bar, cook line and prep area. Operator removed drinks. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
08B-12-5Basic – Stored food not covered. Cooked egg rolls, cooked pork ribs and various food items not covered stored in walk-in coolers. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
06-01-5Basic – Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. Multiple frozen whole chicken thawing in three-compartments sink with no running water. **Warning**
29-20-5Basic – Very slow draining water in handwash sink at dishwasher area. **Warning**
29-11-4Basic – Water leaking from pipe under handwash sink at dishwasher area. **Warning**
21-38-4Basic – Wiping cloth sanitizing solution stored on the floor. Under handwash sink at prep area in kitchen. **Warning**
02D-01-5Basic – Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Fish batter and chicken batter at cook line. **Repeat Violation** **Warning**
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on August 10, 2026 2:00 AM.
Violation category totals
3 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
Inspection records and inspector observations reflect conditions documented by DBPR at the time of the inspection and may not reflect current conditions.