Espana Restaurant & Tapas
Last inspected: Feb 27, 2026
12
Score
Espana Restaurant & Tapas is a restaurant located at 22 S 4 St, Fernandina Beach, FL.
Health inspection records are available below. Check the inspection history and violations section for details on past inspections conducted by the local health department.
8
Inspections
5
Critical latest
8
Major latest
12
Minor latest
Inspection History
Feb 27, 2026
Routine - Food
5 critical violations. 8 major violations. 12 minor violations.
12
Apr 28, 2025
Routine - Food
6 critical violations. 3 major violations. 7 minor violations.
21
Jan 17, 2025
Routine - Food
4 critical violations. 2 major violations. 7 minor violations.
32
Nov 6, 2023
Routine - Food
2 critical violations. 4 major violations. 4 minor violations.
41
Jul 26, 2023
Food-Licensing Inspection
No violations found.
100
Feb 21, 2023
Routine - Food
1 major violation. 4 minor violations.
74
Feb 21, 2023
Routine - Food
1 major violation. 4 minor violations.
74
Oct 12, 2022
Routine - Food
2 major violations. 3 minor violations.
64
Violations — Feb 27, 2026 Inspection
Basic - Cardboard used to line food-contact shelves. Observed multiple shelves in kitchen area being lined with cardboard boxes, manager removed all cardboard. **Corrected On-Site**
14-05-4
Basic - Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed Multiple holes in ceiling in kitchen area.
36-32-5
Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Observed opened water bottle on food prep table on cook line, manager disposed of water bottle. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
12B-07-4
Basic - Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Observed unopened employee drinks on food prep table while food was being prepped on table. Manager moved drinks. **Corrected On-Site**
40-06-5
Basic - Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. Employee on cook line was not wearing any kind of hair restraint. Employee put on hair net. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
13-03-4
Basic - Establishment did not report seating change that affects the license fee, Clean Indoor Air Act, sewage system approval or other related requirements. Establishment licensed for 75 seats, observed 168 seats including outdoor seating.
51-09-4
Basic - Food stored on floor. Observed boxed wine on floor in dry storage room.
08B-38-4
Basic - In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Observed multiple tongs hanging from door handles on cook line, manager relocated all tongs. **Corrected On-Site**
10-20-4
Basic - Single-service articles improperly stored. Observed toilet paper on floor in storage closet by bathrooms. Manager placed on crates. **Corrected On-Site**
25-05-4
Basic - Water draining onto floor surface. Hand wash sink at cook like draining waste water onto floor. Manager was able to get drain un clogged. Handwashing sink by ice machine has broken drain line, draining in bucket. Manager had plumber repair. **Corrected On-Site**
29-03-4
Basic - Wiping cloth quaternary ammonium compound sanitizing solution not at proper minimum strength. Wiping cloth quaternary sanitizer at 500ppm.
21-08-4
Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Multiple bulk bins in kitchen area not labeled. Contents was removed from original packaging.
02D-01-5
High Priority - Employee handled personal item, and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee texting on phone, employee set phone on food prep station, did not wash hands and started preparing food. Manager educated employee on hand washing. **Corrective Action Taken**
12A-13-4
High Priority - Live, small flying insects found Observed one small flying insect on cook like that landed on a scallop. Observed five small flying insects at dining room bar. Observed one small flying insect at prep station in kitchen area. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
35A-02-7
High Priority - Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed 1 fly land on 1 scallop, manager disposed of the scallop the fly landed on. **Corrective Action Taken**
01B-13-4
High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed the following items in walk in cooler, ceviche 47F, Milk 47F, Rice 47F, rice 53F, Ham 47F. All items cold holding. Manager stated that cooler had been constantly being opened and closed due to delivery and food prep. Ambient temperature of cooler 42F Observed the following in reach in cooler, short rib 45F, short rib 45F Beef 50F, Raw chicken 46F, Mashed potatoes, 53F all items cold holding,ambient temperature of cooler 41F, ,manager moved all food it,es to another cooler. Observed Polenta at 44F and in reach in cooler at beginning of cook line, ambient temperature of cooler at 46F manager states that it has been in the cooler for 1 hour, manager moved item to another cooler.manager stated the food had been out to transfer from walk in cooler 1 hour prior. **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
03A-02-5
High Priority - Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed hand soap stored next to paper towels in storage room by bathrooms manager relocated soap. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**
41-10-4
Intermediate - Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Can opener soiled with old food debris, manager placed it in was area to be washed. **Corrective Action Taken**
22-02-4
Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Multiple Hand wash sinks in prep area and cook line blocked, manager unblocked two sinks, and plumber cleared floor drain to allow third sink to be unblocked. **Corrective Action Taken**
31A-09-4
Intermediate - No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment sink/warewashing machine or wiping cloths. Manager does not have quaternary test strips to test sanitizer buckets.
16-37-1
Intermediate - No plan review submitted and approved - renovations were made or are in progress. Must submit plans and plan review application to DBPR H and R Plan Review office located at 2601 Blair Stone Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1011. Plans must be submitted AND approved within 60 days. The direct link to the Plan Review page is https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/hotels-restaurants/licensing/plan-review/. Observed outdoor kitchen/cooking area, not on current plans. Outdoor area has covered pizza oven with front access, flip top reach in cooler, portable steam wells, table top fryers, griddle with no lid and grill with no lid. Also, outdoor storage room for wine at back of outdoor dining area. **Warning**
51-16-7
Intermediate - No soap provided at handwash sink. Observed no soap at hand wash sink at beginning of cook line. Manager has new dispenser to install. **Corrective Action Taken**
31B-03-4
Intermediate - Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. Ceviche in reach in cooler on cook line not date marked. Per manager it was prepared two days prior. Milk in walk in cooler not date marked per manager it was opened yesterday at 11AM. Manager dated items. **Corrected On-Site**
02C-02-5
Intermediate - Required employee training expired for some employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. Observed multiple expired food handler certifications, manager stated that employees are scheduled get re certified. **Corrective Action Taken**
53B-14-5
Intermediate - Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Observed spray bottle with sanitizer in it near ware wash area, manager placed label on spray bottle. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation**
41-17-4
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Core (Minor)
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