HIBACHI EXPRESS FLORIDA INC
14923 N FLORIDA AVE · TAMPA · Hillsborough County · FL 33613-1612
Inspection Summary
Violation Summary
Counts reported for this inspection visit.
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All DBPR Inspector Observations
27 full violation description(s) documented by the inspector during this visit.
High Priority 10
41-07-4High Priority – Container of medicine improperly stored. Observed bottles of medicine on back shelving. Manager put items in container **Warning**
12A-25-4High Priority – Employee touched face/hair and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee touch face then proceeded to put on gloves. Manager had employee wash hands but hand were re-contaminated when employee turned off water with hands and no paper towel. **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. Observed sushi cook handle nori sheets with bare hands and no gloves. **Warning**
35A-02-6High Priority – Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Observed 5 live flies in soda station **Warning**
14-31-5High Priority – Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Observed Togo bags being used to hold raw shrimp in walk in freezer. **Warning**
01D-08-5High Priority – Operator unable to provide documentation that aquacultured fish has been raised in a controlled environment and fed formulated feed. Operator receives fresh salmon and no letter of aquaculture. Manager got letter from distributor **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
08A-20-5High Priority – Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Observed raw chicken stored behind raw beef in make line. Manager flipped pans so beef was in the back. **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
01B-13-4High Priority – Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed employee drinks in ice machine buried in ice **Warning**
03A-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Sushi Bar raw tuna (50F – Cold Holding). Manager put in freezer, and product was removed and sold before secondary temp could be taken **Corrective Action Taken** **Warning**
03F-02-5High Priority – Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking **Warning**
Intermediate 8
52-03-4Intermediate – Establishment advertised crab on menu/menu board but served imitation crab. Observed Crab Rangoon on to go menu and on menu board. Looking at case received from distributor, ingredient lists only imitation crab is used. **Admin Complaint**
22-02-4Intermediate – Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting board stained on cook line. **Warning**
31A-09-4Intermediate – Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Hand sink on cook line blocked by cart. Hand sink by dish area has large bottle of soap in it **Warning**
31A-11-4Intermediate – Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Manager filled Sani bucket and cook rinsed towels in sushi line hand sink. **Warning**
02B-01-5Intermediate – Menu does not identify which items contain raw or undercooked animal foods covered by the consumer advisory. Hibachi Steak cooked medium to medium week, if customer does not specify. Discussed with manager to add disclosure to menu or cook steak to 145f. **Warning**
03F-10-5Intermediate – No complete written procedures available for use of time as a public health control to hold time/temperature control for safety food. Second page missing on paperwork. Manager filled out **Corrected On-Site** **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. Cut tomatoes in server cooler, Iran salad, cooked rice in sushi station. **Warning**
41-17-4Intermediate – Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Bottle of pink liquid in server station not labeled. Manager labeled bottles as sanitizer **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
Basic 9
12B-14-4Basic – Employee beverage container in ice machine/ice bin. Observed 2 employee waters and a protein drink ice machine buried under ice. Stop sale issued on ice. Manager burned ice in ice machine cleaned and sanitized Observed ensures in server cooler. Manager put in separate container **Corrected On-Site** **Warning**
12B-07-4Basic – Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Observed employee water on cook line make table **Warning**
38-11-4Basic – Fifty (50) foot-candles of light not provided at a food working surface or where safety is a factor. Observed multiple lights out in back prep and dish are **Warning**
08B-38-4Basic – Food stored on floor. Case of ginger on floor at sushi bar. **Warning**
36-62-4Basic – Light not functioning. Observed multiple lights out throughout kitchen **Warning**
23-03-4Basic – Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Soap dispenser on cook line soiled Gaskets at sushi bar soiled **Warning**
08B-12-5Basic – Stored food not covered. Observed containers of cut broccoli not covered and stacked in walk in cooler. **Warning**
25-02-4Basic – Unwrapped single-service utensils not presented so that only the handles are touched. Observed unwrapped spoons and forks in customer area. **Warning**
21-12-4Basic – Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. On sushi station and back prep table **Warning**
Inspector observations synchronized from DBPR on October 1, 2026 2:41 PM.
Violation category totals
2 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
3 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
1 observation(s)
2 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.