EL MEZCAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT
8441 SW HWY 200 STE 147/149 · OCALA · Marion County · FL 34481
Inspection Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
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All DBPR Inspector Observations
36 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 11
12A-07-5High Priority – Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Male employee changed gloves without washing hands.
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. Female employee scooped ice with blue cup rather than using scoop.
28-14-5High Priority – Evidence of mop/cleaning wastewater dumped onto ground. Grey water on ground over rocks next to back door.
35A-02-6High Priority – Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Two live flies in dry storage room. Two live flies in kitchen area.
14-31-5High Priority – Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Thank you bag in direct contact with cheese in reach in cooler.
08A-05-6High Priority – Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. In walk in cooler: pan of raw beef on shelf over pan of rice. Tubes of raw ground beef stored on top of cases of tomatoes.
01B-02-5High Priority – Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Three pans of rice and pan of beans on shelf under steam table: rice 109F. 91F. 116F. Beans 91F. In pan on top of steam table: queso 89F. On top of reach in make table: tomatoes 54F. Cabbage 60F. Manager stated items out more than four hours. In reach in cooler at server station: milk 46F. Unable to determine how long milk was in cooler. In reach in cooler with an ambient temperature of 67F on cookline: beef 65F. Beef 67F. Beef 64F. Scallops 60F. All items in unit more than four hours. **Warning**
03A-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. On top of reach in make table: tomatoes 54F. Cabbage 60F. Manager stated items out more than four hours. Stop sale issued. In reach in cooler at server station: milk 46F. Unable to determine how long milk was in cooler. Stop sale issued. In reach in cooler with an ambient temperature of 67F on cookline: beef 65F. Beef 67F. Beef 64F. Scallops 60F. All items in unit more than four hours. Stop sale issued. **Warning**
03B-01-6High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Three pans of rice and pan of beans on shelf under steam table: rice 109F. 91F. 116F. Beans 91F. In pan on top of steam table: queso 89F. Stop sale issued for all. **Warning**
41-10-4High Priority – Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Case of raid pest traps on shelf over rice in dry storage room. Degreaser on top of case of wine at bar. Raid was moved during this inspection. **Corrective Action Taken**
29-34-4High Priority – Vacuum breaker missing at hose bibb or on fitting/splitter added to hose bibb. Splitter added at mop sink with no device located on two hose connection sides. Bibb under triple sink with no device. Bibb next to back door with no device.
Intermediate 8
05-05-4Intermediate – Ambient air thermometer in holding unit not accurate within plus or minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Reach in cooler on cookline ambient thermometer reading 50F, actually 67F in reach in cooler.
11-27-4Intermediate – Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment. Provided DBPR form during this inspection.
03D-15-4Intermediate – Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. Lettuce 56F then 53F. In one hour in walk in cooler being cooled in large white container, manager moved to freezer. **Corrective Action Taken**
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Interior of ice machine has black substance. Soda gun has slimy substance at bar. Tea nozzles soiled with slimy substance at server station.
31A-09-4Intermediate – Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. No running water at sink on cookline. **Warning**
31A-11-4Intermediate – Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Female employee rinsed glass in sink at bar. Male employee rinsed cup in sink at server station.
31B-02-4Intermediate – No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Sink in ladies room has a nonworking dispenser. Sink at bar has no towels. Sink in ware wash area has no towels.
53B-14-5Intermediate – Required employee training expired for some employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. Training expired for six employees. One current certificate provided.
Basic 17
14-01-5Basic – Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Bowls in sugar and breadcrumbs
14-74-7Basic – Cold holding equipment not maintained in good repair. Do not store time/temperature control for safety food in this unit until the unit is repaired. Reach in cooler has an ambient temperature of 67F. Unit has condensation on back wall.
32-12-5Basic – Covered waste receptacle not provided in women's bathroom. Cans in each of two stalls and one can near sinks not covered in ladies room.
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. One on prep table near kitchen entrance. Two drinks on shelf over taco shells and dry storage items on cookline. One drink on shelf over fish in reach in cooler. Two drinks were moved during this inspection. **Corrective Action Taken**
40-06-5Basic – Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Pack of chewing gum inside case of portion cups in back room.
13-07-4Basic – Employee wearing jewelry other than a plain ring on their hands/arms while preparing food. Female employee placing fruit in drinks and scooping ice wearing bracelets. Male employee on cookline wearing watch while cooking.
24-08-4Basic – Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried – wet nesting. Glasses at server station wet nested.
08B-38-4Basic – Food stored on floor. Buckets of peppers and fish on floor in walk in freezer. All were picked up. **Corrected On-Site**
10-04-5Basic – In-use utensil for non-time/temperature control for safety food not stored in a clean, protected location. Scoop stored in water at 74F in server station. Tongs stored on oven door handle on cook line.
51-18-6Basic – No copy of latest inspection report available.
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Exterior of reach in cooler on cookline soiled with food debris. Interior walls of walk in cooler soiled with dust in walk in cooler. Underside of frozen drink machine soiled with black substance.
35B-05-4Basic – Outer openings not protected during operation and vermin and/or environmental cross contamination present. Back door open upon entry to kitchen. Closed during this inspection. **Corrected On-Site**
25-06-4Basic – Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Aluminum pans on top shelf in dry storage room.
36-50-4Basic – Unclean building components, attachments or fixtures. Ceiling soiled with dust at end of cookline. Walk in cooler floor soiled with food debris.
08B-17-4Basic – Unwashed fruits/vegetables stored with ready-to-eat food. In walk in cooler: bins of unwashed produce on shelf over salsa and queso. Unwashed mangos on top of beer kegs. In reach in cooler at server station: containers of unwashed berries on shelf over milk.
14-17-4Basic – Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Several walk in cooler shelves rusted.
02D-01-5Basic – Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Several bulk containers of food including flour, breadcrumbs and sugar not labeled in kitchen area.
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on October 7, 2026 2:47 PM.
Violation category totals
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
4 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 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.