License No. 5402439|Public Food Service Establishment|Monroe County, FloridaInspected Apr 22, 2026
State of Florida Inspection Record

CHINA GARDEN

209 KEY DEER BLVD, BIG PINE KEY, FL 33043

CHINA GARDEN 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
50.0
Trailing year of inspections
How this kitchen compares
Against BIG PINE KEY

Scores higher than 36% of the 14 inspected restaurants in BIG PINE KEY on the trailing-year record.

50.0
Lowest scoreCity median · 65.2Highest 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

8 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
Apr 22, 2026
Disposition
Follow-up - Admin. complaint recommended
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 6th time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Manager certification & training
Repeat — 3rd time

Missing or expired food manager certification, or employee food-safety training not documented.

Intermediate
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 02 — Routine - Food
Apr 22, 2026
Disposition
Warning Issued
Raw-food separation & protection
Repeat — 5th time

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

High-priority
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 6th time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Manager certification & training
Repeat — 3rd time

Missing or expired food manager certification, or employee food-safety training not documented.

Intermediate
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 03 — Routine - Food
Jan 29, 2026
Disposition
Warning Issued
Raw-food separation & protection
Repeat — 4th time

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

High-priority
Manager certification & training
Repeat — 2nd time

Missing or expired food manager certification, or employee food-safety training not documented.

Intermediate×3
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 5th time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 4th time

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

Basic×2
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 04 — Routine - Food
Apr 15, 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×2
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 4th time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Dishwashing facilities & test kits

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

Intermediate
Manager certification & training

Missing or expired food manager certification, or employee food-safety training not documented.

Intermediate
Equipment & surface condition
Repeat — 4th time

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

Basic×2
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 3rd time

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

Basic×2
Floors, walls & ceilings
Repeat — 3rd time

Floors, walls, ceilings, or attached equipment dirty, damaged, or poorly vented.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 05 — Routine - Food
Jan 21, 2025
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
Raw-food separation & protection
Repeat — 3rd time

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

High-priority×2
Food at unsafe temperature
Repeat — 2nd time

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

High-priority
Handwashing & employee habits
Repeat — 2nd time

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

High-priority
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 3rd time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Employee health
Repeat — 2nd time

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

Intermediate
Equipment & surface condition
Repeat — 3rd time

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

Basic×4
Wiping cloths & linens

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

Basic
Dirty food-contact surfaces
Repeat — 2nd time

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

Basic
Single-service articles

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

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 06 — Routine - Food
Feb 28, 2024
Disposition
Follow-up inspection · Compliance recordedCall Back - Complied
Advisories, date marking & labeling
Repeat — 2nd time

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Floors, walls & ceilings
Repeat — 2nd time

Floors, walls, ceilings, or attached equipment dirty, damaged, or poorly vented.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 07 — Routine - Food
Feb 28, 2024
Disposition
Inspection Completed - No Further Action
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×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×2
Dirty food-contact surfaces

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

Basic×3
Equipment & surface condition
Repeat — 2nd time

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

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
Visit 08 — Routine - Food
Nov 28, 2023
Disposition
Warning Issued
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×2
Handwashing & employee habits

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

High-priority×2
Food at unsafe temperature

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

High-priority
Employee health

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

Intermediate×2
Handwash sinks & supplies

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

Intermediate×2
Advisories, date marking & labeling

Missing consumer advisory for raw or undercooked items, ready-to-eat food not date-marked, or food not properly labeled.

Intermediate
Improper thawing

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

Basic
Hair restraints & clean clothes

Missing hair or beard restraint, dirty work clothes, jewelry, or painted/artificial fingernails during food prep.

Basic
Equipment & surface condition

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

Basic
Floors, walls & ceilings

Floors, walls, ceilings, or attached equipment dirty, damaged, or poorly vented.

Basic
Personal belongings

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

Basic
Other sanitary & safe operation

Other conditions related to sanitary and safe operation.

Basic
Source: State of FloridaState inspection document
What the violations mean

Violation categories, explained

12 violations · 4 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.

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood must be kept away from ready-to-eat food, and all food must be protected during prep, storage, and display. Inspectors treat separation seriously because raw-food drips and splashes carry pathogens onto food that will not be cooked again.

On this record, the category appears in 2 of the 3 trailing-year inspections. 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. 5402439 — you can read the original documents yourself and compare.

License on file
5402439
Inspected
Apr 22, 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
Dirty Dish List.

Official inspection data, translated for the people who eat here.

SOURCE: STATE OF FLORIDA
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