Zona Fresca

1331 Se 17 St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Mexican / Latin

Last inspected: Jan 24, 2026

100

Score

Low Risk

Zona Fresca has been inspected nine times since 2022. On Jan 24, 2026, the health department conducted the most recent visit. When a facility lands in the low risk tier, it usually means nothing alarming showed up at the most recent visit.

Recent inspections have turned up roughly the same number of issues each time, hovering near two violations per visit.

When inspectors have written things up, “raw animal food stored over/not properly separated” has been the most frequent reason, cited two times.

That puts the facility ahead of the local pack: the average Fort Lauderdale restaurant scores 80. The record reflects steady performance over time.

Inspections

Critical latest

Major latest

Minor latest

Inspection History

Jan 24, 2026

Routine - Food

No violations found.

100

Jan 23, 2026

Routine - Food

2 critical violations. 1 major violation.

View 3 violations

Supervisor/Person in Charge Present

FL-01

Employee Health Policies Present

FL-03

Approved Thawing Methods Used

FL-31

Oct 9, 2025

Routine - Food

2 critical violations. 1 minor violation.

View 3 violations

Required Records Available; Shellstock Tags/Labels

FL-14

Employee Health Policies Present

FL-03

Proper Hot and Cold Holding Temperatures

FL-21

Feb 18, 2025

Routine - Food

1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 1 minor violation.

View 3 violations

Required Records Available; Shellstock Tags/Labels

FL-14

Food Contact Surfaces Clean and Sanitized

FL-22

Approved Thawing Methods Used

FL-31

Jul 1, 2024

Routine - Food

No violations found.

100

Jan 11, 2024

Routine - Food

1 critical violation. 1 major violation.

View 2 violations

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed rice (109F - Hot Holding) at cook line. Per operator, food stored out of temperature for approximately 30 minutes. Operator put rice in oven to reheat to 165F for hot holding. **Corrective Action Taken**

03B-01-6

Intermediate - No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Observed no paper towels at hand wash sink adjacent to cook line. Operator provided. **Corrected On-Site**

31B-02-4

Jul 6, 2023

Routine - Food

1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 2 minor violations.

View 4 violations

High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw shell eggs stored over salsa inside reach in cooler next to cook line. Operator properly stored. **Corrected On-Site** **Repeat Violation** **Admin Complaint**

08A-05-6

Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Observed bench knife stored in hand wash sink next to mop sink. Operator removed. **Corrected On-Site**

31A-09-4

Basic - Equipment in poor repair. Observed torn gasket on flip top cooler door at cook line.

14-11-5

Basic - Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Observed employee drink stored on shelf above food prep table. Employee properly stored. **Corrected On-Site**

12B-07-4

Dec 9, 2022

Routine - Food

2 critical violations. 5 minor violations.

View 7 violations

High Priority - Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed cook line drawers - shrimp (48F - Cold Holding); cheddar jack cheese (50F - Cold Holding);, make table - cut tomatoes (64F - Cold Holding); pico d gallo (62F - Cold Holding); cut lettuce (62F - Cold Holding); sour cream dressing (60F - Cold Holding); ceviche mix (fish, shrimp all cooked) (60F - Cold Holding), per operator statement item stored in coolers from walk-in 2 hours prior. Operator removed and stored in walk#in to cool. **Corrective Action Taken**

03A-02-5

High Priority - Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw eggs stored above sour cream dressing and pico d gallo. Operator removed and stored below. **Corrected On-Site**

08A-05-6

Basic - Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Observed mold like growth in ice machine.

22-20-5

Basic - Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed shelves in prep cooler rusted.

14-33-4

Basic - Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Observed single service containers on cook line not inverted. Operator inverted and corrected. **Corrected On-Site**

25-06-4

Basic - Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed shelves of walk in cooler rusted.

14-17-4

Basic - Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Observed containers of rice and spices in rear kitchen area unlabeled. Operator labeled. **Corrected On-Site**

02D-01-5

Jul 18, 2022

Complaint Full

1 critical violation. 2 major violations. 1 minor violation.

View 4 violations

High Priority - Chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength for manual warewashing. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. Three compartment sink sanitizer at 50ppm chlorine. Employee added bleach to correct to 100ppm chlorine. **Corrected On-Site**

22-42-4

Intermediate - Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Food processor bowl and whisk in hand sink in back prep area. Employee removed items to triple sink. **Corrected On-Site**

31A-09-4

Intermediate - Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Unknown substance in bottles; one by cook line, 2 by three compartment sink. Manager labeled all bottles. **Corrected On-Site**

41-17-4

Basic - Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Paper cup in container of chopped nuts in back storage area. Employee removed cup. **Corrected On-Site**

14-01-5

Show all 9 inspections Show less

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Zona Fresca last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at Zona Fresca on file is from Jan 24, 2026. The public record contains nine inspections in total.

What is the most common violation at Zona Fresca?

Across the inspection record, “raw animal food stored over/not properly separated” has been cited two times, more than any other issue at Zona Fresca.

How does Zona Fresca compare to other restaurants in Fort Lauderdale?

Zona Fresca most recently scored 100 out of 100, which is higher than the Fort Lauderdale average of 80.

Has Zona Fresca's inspection record improved over time?

Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Zona Fresca have averaged around two violations per visit across the recent record.

What does a low risk rating mean?

A low risk rating at Zona Fresca means inspectors found minimal or no significant issues at the most recent visit. Most facilities at this tier have a clean recent inspection report.

How often is Zona Fresca inspected?

Based on the inspection history on file, Zona Fresca is inspected around three times per year on average.

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