The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation has released its restaurant inspection results for Indian River County for the week of August 17 through August 23, 2026. While two local establishments achieved perfect scores, several Vero Beach and Sebastian restaurants were cited for high-priority health violations, resulting in one temporary closure.
Perfect Inspections in Indian River County
During the routine inspections, two local establishments met all state health standards with zero violations found:
- Sebastian Riverfront Vape and Taphouse located at 807 Indian River Drive, Sebastian
- Taco Bell #042972 located at 1070 US Highway 1, Vero Beach
Temporary Closure: Phatz Chick N Shack
Inspectors temporarily closed Phatz Chick N Shack on US Highway 1 in Vero Beach on August 18 after discovering 12 total violations, including five high-priority offenses. Under state guidelines, an emergency order is issued when conditions present an immediate threat to the public, halting operations until all required corrections are verified during a mandated callback inspection.
Operations were ordered stopped after inspectors found evidence of rodent activity, including numerous droppings on top of the dish machine, on a food storage shelf, and underneath soda bag storage.
Additional high-priority violations at this location included raw shrimp stored improperly over cooked pork, a malfunctioning dishwashing machine reading zero parts per million (ppm) of chlorine sanitizer, and severe temperature abuse issues leading to a Stop Sale order.
Other Notable High-Priority Violations
Several other local dining establishments require follow-up inspections after being cited for high-priority violations. While these restaurants were not forced to close, the violations require further review and corrective action:
- Waldo’s (Vero Beach): Responding to a complaint on August 20, inspectors documented 27 total violations. Nine of these were high-priority, including rodent droppings found behind bread crumbs in a storage room, flying insects in the kitchen and bar area, a cook wiping their face without changing single-use gloves, and a soda gun drain line emptying directly into an ice bin. Significant hot and cold temperature control issues across numerous food items resulted in a Stop Sale order.
- Ninos Corner (Vero Beach): Cited for 13 violations, including five high-priority infractions. Inspectors noted major issues with time and temperature control for both hot and cold holding, as well as ready-to-eat foods like cooked eggplant kept past their safe seven-day consumption window.
- Pointe West Country Club (Vero Beach): An August 21 inspection revealed eight violations. High-priority citations included raw shrimp stored over cooked pasta, a bar glass sanitizing machine reading zero ppm of sanitizer, and unsafe cooling temperatures for stored food items like chicken gravy.
- Shandong Noodle House (Vero Beach): Over the course of an initial and follow-up inspection, the establishment was cited for improperly storing a toxic chemical (WD-40) on a shelf above dry food storage bins and failing to properly cold-hold several time/temperature control foods, resulting in a Stop Sale.
- The Pig ‘N Biscuit (Vero Beach): Cited for 10 total violations, with one high-priority infraction concerning small live flying insects found on the premises.
- The Pelican Pub (Sebastian): Cited because the establishment was operating without potable running water while undergoing a transition from well and septic to city water. Portable toilets and handwashing stations were provided, and inspectors noted that no food was on the premises during the transition phase.
Understanding Florida Restaurant Inspections
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation advises that an inspection report is merely a snapshot of conditions present on any given day. Violations range from basic operational best practices to high-priority offenses that could impact public health. A warning requires corrections by a specific date, whereas an administrative complaint is a formal legal action taken against an establishment for repeat violations or serious unaddressed hazards.
Local residents who suspect state standard abuses or health violations at Indian River County restaurants are encouraged to contact the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation directly at 850-487-1395 to request an official inspection.
