MIAMI BEACH, FL. Inspectors visiting George's at 300 72nd Street on April 29 found food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers being served to customers, a violation that means there is no way to trace that food back through the supply chain if someone gets sick.

That was one of six high-severity violations documented in a single visit. The restaurant was not closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHFood from unapproved or unknown sourceNo traceability
2HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum temperaturePathogen survival
3HIGHToxic chemicals improperly stored or labeledPoisoning risk
4HIGHInadequate handwashing facilitiesInfrastructure failure
5HIGHImproper hand and arm washing techniquePathogen transfer
6HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsUninformed diners
7INTImproper sewage or waste water disposalFecal contamination risk
8INTMulti-use utensils not properly cleanedBacterial biofilm
9INTInadequate ventilation and lightingAir quality hazard
10INTInadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilitiesHygiene infrastructure

The cooking temperature violation compounds the sourcing problem. Food from unknown suppliers arriving undercooked means neither the origin of the ingredients nor the safety of the final preparation could be confirmed by inspectors.

Toxic chemicals were found improperly stored or labeled, a violation that sits alongside the food handling failures in the same inspection report. That combination, chemicals near food, unverified sourcing, and inadequate cooking, represents three distinct and independent pathways to customer harm.

The handwashing picture was particularly layered. Inspectors cited both inadequate handwashing facilities and improper handwashing technique as separate violations. That means the infrastructure was insufficient and, where employees did attempt to wash their hands, the technique itself was wrong.

The four intermediate violations added to that picture. Improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities were all documented in the same visit.

What These Violations Mean

Food from unapproved or unknown sources is not a paperwork problem. When food enters a kitchen without passing through USDA or FDA-inspected channels, there is no traceability if a customer falls ill. Inspectors cannot determine where the food came from, how it was handled before arrival, or whether it was tested for Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. If someone gets sick after eating at George's, investigators would have no supply chain to follow.

The undercooking violation sharpens that risk considerably. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When food from an unverified source is also not cooked to required temperatures, the two violations operate together. The absence of a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods means customers had no way to make an informed choice about that risk, including elderly diners, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system.

The handwashing failures are not redundant citations. Inadequate facilities means employees physically could not wash their hands properly, regardless of intent. Improper technique means that even when an attempt was made, pathogens remained on hands that then touched food, utensils, and surfaces. The improperly cleaned multi-use utensils extend that contamination further, since bacterial biofilms can form on inadequately cleaned equipment within 24 hours and protect pathogens from standard cleaning agents.

Improperly stored or labeled toxic chemicals near food create a separate and acute risk. Mislabeled chemicals can be mistaken for food-safe products. Chemicals stored near food preparation areas can contaminate ingredients directly or through surfaces, with effects ranging from gastrointestinal illness to acute poisoning.

The Longer Record

The April 29 inspection was not an anomaly. State records show 27 inspections on file for George's, with 331 total violations documented across that history.

The most recent prior inspection, on October 13, 2025, found 6 high-severity and 3 intermediate violations. The inspection before that, in March 2025, found 3 high-severity violations. January 2025 brought 5 high-severity and 2 intermediate violations. October 2024 produced another 5 high-severity and 2 intermediate violations.

Going back further, the pattern holds. February 2024 saw 5 high-severity violations. January 2023 produced 10 high-severity violations in a single visit, the worst single-inspection count in the recent record. February 2022 found 7 high-severity violations.

George's: High-Severity Violations by Inspection

April 29, 20266 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations. Restaurant remained open.
October 13, 20256 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations.
January 17, 20255 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations.
October 11, 20245 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations.
January 26, 202310 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations, the highest single-visit count in recent history.
September 9, 2015Emergency closure for roach activity. Reopened the following day.

George's was emergency-closed once before, on September 9, 2015, after inspectors found roach activity. The restaurant was allowed to reopen the next day. That closure is the only one in 27 inspections on record, despite a pattern of high-severity violations that has continued across eight documented visits in the past four years alone.

The violations cited in April 2026, including food from unapproved sources, inadequate cooking temperatures, improper handwashing infrastructure, and toxic chemicals near food, are not new categories for this kitchen. They are the record.

George's was open for business after the April 29 inspection.