License No. 5428454|Public Food Service Establishment|Monroe County, FloridaInspected Jul 15, 2026

State of Florida Inspection Record

TACO EXPRESS

24171 OVERSEAS HWY, SUMMERLAND KEY, FL 33042

TACO EXPRESS has a mixed inspection record — 12 violations in the past year, including 4 high-priority. Not alarming, but worth knowing before you order. The trailing-year record shows 12 violations, including 4 high-priority and 0 Emergency Orders of Closure.

Spotty

50.3

Trailing year of inspections

How this kitchen compares

Against SUMMERLAND KEY

Scores higher than 25% of the 4 inspected restaurants in SUMMERLAND KEY on the trailing-year record.

50.3

Lowest scoreCity median · 53.4Highest score

Against Monroe County

4 high-priority violations on the trailing-year record — above the Monroe County average of 2.9.

This kitchen4

County average2.9

Above county average

Computed from the trailing-year records of all inspected restaurants in the same city and county. Official State of Florida inspection data — scores calculated by this site.

The Inspection Record

7 inspections

Full available history. The score uses only the most recent 365 days — older visits are shown for context, not counted.

Visit 01 — Routine - Food

Jul 15, 2026

Disposition

Inspection Completed - No Further Action

Food at unsafe temperature

Repeat — 2nd time

Food held, cooled, cooked, or reheated outside safe temperatures, letting dangerous bacteria multiply.

High-priority×2

Handwashing & employee habits

Hands not washed or gloves not changed when required, or employees eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas.

High-priority

Chemicals & toxic substances

Repeat — 2nd time

Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.

High-priority

Employee health

Repeat — 4th time

A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.

Intermediate

Improper thawing

High-risk food (like meat) thawed improperly, promoting bacterial growth.

Basic×2

In-use utensil storage

Repeat — 3rd time

Scoops and other in-use utensils stored improperly (e.g. handle down in the food).

Basic

Other sanitary & safe operation

Repeat — 2nd time

Other conditions related to sanitary and safe operation.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Earlier history — outside the scoring window

Visit 02 — Food-Licensing Inspection

Oct 2, 2025

Disposition

Inspection Completed - No Further Action

Employee health

Repeat — 3rd time

A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.

Intermediate

Plumbing & backflow

Repeat — 2nd time

Plumbing not installed or maintained properly — leaks, mop sink issues, unserviced water filters, or missing backflow prevention.

Basic

Bathrooms

Restrooms not clean, stocked, or maintained as required.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Visit 03 — Routine - Food

Apr 21, 2025

Disposition

Inspection Completed - No Further Action

In-use utensil storage

Repeat — 2nd time

Scoops and other in-use utensils stored improperly (e.g. handle down in the food).

Basic

Dirty food-contact surfaces

Surfaces that touch food — cutting boards, ice bins, dish racks — soiled or not sanitized.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Visit 04 — Routine - Food

Nov 14, 2024

Disposition

Inspection Completed - No Further Action

Chemicals & toxic substances

Cleaning chemicals or other toxic substances unlabeled or stored where they can reach food.

High-priority

Wiping cloths & linens

Dirty wiping cloths not stored in sanitizer, or soiled linens handled improperly.

Basic

Other sanitary & safe operation

Other conditions related to sanitary and safe operation.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Visit 05 — Routine - Food

May 1, 2024

Disposition

Inspection Completed - No Further Action

In-use utensil storage

Scoops and other in-use utensils stored improperly (e.g. handle down in the food).

Basic×2

Plumbing & backflow

Plumbing not installed or maintained properly — leaks, mop sink issues, unserviced water filters, or missing backflow prevention.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Visit 06 — Routine - Food

Aug 16, 2023

Disposition

Follow-up inspection · Compliance recordedCall Back - Complied

Raw-food separation & protection

Repeat — 2nd time

Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.

High-priority

Employee health

Repeat — 2nd time

A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.

Intermediate×2

Handwash sinks & supplies

Repeat — 2nd time

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate

Single-service articles

Repeat — 2nd time

Single-use items (cups, straws, to-go containers) stored or handled improperly.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

Visit 07 — Routine - Food

Jul 20, 2023

Disposition

Warning Issued

Food at unsafe temperature

Food held, cooled, cooked, or reheated outside safe temperatures, letting dangerous bacteria multiply.

High-priority

Raw-food separation & protection

Raw meat, poultry, or seafood not separated from ready-to-eat food, or food left unprotected during prep, storage, or display.

High-priority

Employee health

A sick or symptomatic employee present, or staff unaware of when illness bars them from working with food.

Intermediate×2

Dishwashing facilities & test kits

Dish machine or sinks not set up or working properly, or missing sanitizer test kit and gauges.

Intermediate×2

Handwash sinks & supplies

Handwash sink missing, blocked, or used for other purposes, or missing soap, towels, or the handwash sign.

Intermediate

Equipment & surface condition

Food-contact or nonfood-contact surfaces improperly designed, constructed, maintained, or located.

Basic

Single-service articles

Single-use items (cups, straws, to-go containers) stored or handled improperly.

Basic

Personal belongings

Employee jackets, phones, drinks, or other personal items stored where they can contaminate food.

Basic

Source: State of FloridaState inspection document

What the violations mean

Violation categories, explained

9 violations · 7 categories

Every violation on this record falls into one of the state's standardized categories. Here is what each category covers and why inspectors check for it — in plain English, with the trailing-year count for this kitchen.

Cold food must stay at 41°F or below and hot food at 135°F or above, through receiving, holding, cooking, cooling, and reheating. The range in between is where bacteria multiply fastest, which is why temperature control is checked on nearly every visit.

On this record, the category appears in 1 of the 1 trailing-year inspection. The written details for each entry are in the state inspection documents linked above.

^† Item numbers refer to the State of Florida’s standardized inspection form; the same item recurring across visits indicates an unresolved problem. Severity groupings and the sanitation score are explained in How it works.

Check our work

The inspection record above comes straight from the state's files.

Dirty Dish List is built from public inspection data published by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The inspection dates, dispositions, and violations on this report card mirror what the state has on file for License No. 5428454 — you can read the original documents yourself and compare.

License on file

5428454

Inspected

Jul 15, 2026

Scoring

Trailing-year aggregate — How it works

Official State of Florida inspection records Opens myfloridalicense.com — the state's public inspection search

Official State of Florida inspection data — scores calculated by this site