GATOR JOE'S

Name: GATOR JOE'S
Address: 12431 SE 135 AVE, OCKLAWAHA, FL, 32179, US
Rating: 67.8

12431 SE 135 AVE, OCKLAWAHA, FL 32179

License #5202059

🍽️ American ℹ️

67.8 Grade F / 100

Failing Health Score

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Latest inspection

March 9, 2026 · 13 findings · 5 critical

Routine - Food

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Critical

Highest-priority rows.

Major

Worth checking for repeats.

Minor

Usually lower-risk context.

Quick take

GATOR JOE'S in OCKLAWAHA currently holds an InspectFL Health Score of 67.8 out of 100 — an F grade — a serious pattern of repeat or critical violations. This restaurant has been inspected 9 times from Florida DBPR, with the most recent inspection on March 9, 2026. Across those visits, inspectors documented 59 total violations — 12 critical, 8 major, 39 minor.

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Record snapshot

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Inspections on file

Clean inspections

Callback visits

Latest clean pass

October 20, 2025

The latest inspection on March 9, 2026 shows 13 observation rows: 5 critical, 0 major, and 8 minor.

Official recordInspection data quality

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Official source: DBPR

Inspection coverage

89%

Inspector notes

Coverage note

Inspector notes linked where available

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DBPR

Community reaction

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Community pulse

Would you eat here?

GATOR JOE'S has a rough inspection history. Would you risk it?

F record

A rough inspection history changes the conversation. This vote is a quick read on community trust.

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*Scores are calculated by InspectFL based on public DBPR inspection data and are not official state ratings.

Inspection timeline

Inspection History

Read the newest inspection first, then scan for patterns. Repeated high-priority findings matter more than one isolated bad day.

Critical Major Minor

Inspector notes are being added across all restaurants. Some inspections may only show violation codes until notes are available.

Disposition: Warning Issued
[14-01-5] Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Cup in sugar. Removed.
[21-05-5] Cloth used as a food-contact surface. Male employee wiped knife with towel.
[40-06-5] Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Phone and vape on shelf over clean dishes in ware wash area. Moved during this inspection.
[13-04-4] Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation. Male employee in kitchen.
[36-11-4] Floors not maintained smooth and durable. In kitchen area, rivets on floor.
[23-03-4] Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Around doors of reach in cooler soiled with black substance.
[33-16-4] Open dumpster lid. One lid open on dumpster.
[02D-01-5] Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Sugar not labeled at bar. Labeled.
[12A-16-4] Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Female employee scooped ice for customer drink with plastic cup touching the ice, employee did not wash hands prior to scooping ice.
[12A-29-4] Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Male employee picked up box from floor the added red sauce to portion cup without washing hands.
[09-01-4] 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 for customer drink with plastic cup touching the ice, employee did not wash hands prior to scooping ice.
[01B-12-4] Food contaminated by employees/consumers and operator continued to serve food. See stop sale. Female employee scooped ice for customer drink with plastic cup touching the ice, employee did not wash hands prior to scooping ice.
[08A-05-6] Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. In reach in cooler located in prep room, two raw shell eggs on shelf over case of tomatoes. Moved.

Disposition: Warning Issued
[06-09-1] Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. Tuna steaks in walk in cooler, operator removed from packaging.
[14-09-4] Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Green board on clean dish shelf.
[35A-03-4] Dead roaches on premises. One dead roach on floor in liquor room. Four dead roaches on floor in liquor cabinet near office. Discarded during this inspection.
[08B-49-4] Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Employee lunch box on shelf over vegetables. Moved during this inspection
[36-11-4] Floors not maintained smooth and durable. Floor in kitchen
[10-17-4] In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Between prep table and make table. Removed during this inspection.
[14-47-4] Nonfood-contact equipment exposed to splash/spillage not constructed of materials that are corrosion resistant, non-absorbent, smooth and easily cleanable. Wood in walk in cooler under fans.
[23-03-4] Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Gaskets of reach in cooler gaskets soiled with food debris. Fan on dry storage shelf soiled with dust
[12B-13-4] Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Employee drink in reach in freezer.
[29-49-6] Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Bottom of reach in make table in kitchen.
[09-01-4] 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. Male employee cutting celery touching stalk with bare hands. Employee put on gloves.
[01B-02-5] Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. In reach in make table: shrimp (50F - Cooling); fish dip (50F - Cold Holding); tomatoes (50F - Cold Holding). Operator discarded during this inspection.
[03A-02-5] Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In reach in make table: shrimp (50F - Cold holding); fish dip (50F - Cold Holding); tomatoes (50F - Cold Holding). Reach in cooler was unplugged. Operator discarded during this inspection.
[22-02-4] Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Keg lines in walk in cooler soiled with slimy substance.
[31B-03-4] No soap and/or handwashing sign provided at handwash sink. Sink at outdoor bar. Added during this inspection.