TAMPA, FL. Toxic chemicals were stored improperly near food at Jazzy's BBQ on W Waters Avenue when state inspectors visited on May 4, one of six high-severity violations documented during a single inspection that left the restaurant open to customers.
The May visit turned up a list of violations that ranged from food found in poor condition or adulterated to food contact surfaces that were not properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for improper hand and arm washing technique, meaning employees were going through the motions of handwashing without actually removing pathogens from their hands.
Jazzy's was not emergency-closed.
What Inspectors Found
The chemical storage violation is among the most acutely dangerous a restaurant can accumulate. Cleaning agents and sanitizers stored near or above food preparation areas can contaminate food directly, and mislabeled chemical containers create the risk that a substance gets used in the wrong context entirely.
Inspectors also found that shellfish identification records were inadequate. A BBQ restaurant selling or serving shellfish is required to maintain shell stock tags that identify the harvest source, harvest date, and dealer. Without those records, there is no way to trace a product back to its origin if a customer gets sick.
The adulterated or mislabeled food violation compounds that concern. Food in poor condition at the point of service means the problem was visible or detectable, and it reached the kitchen anyway.
Four intermediate violations accompanied the six high-severity findings. Improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils not properly cleaned, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate toilet facilities were all cited in the same inspection.
What These Violations Mean
The chemical storage violation is not a paperwork issue. Chemicals stored improperly near food can leach into ingredients, contaminate prep surfaces, or be mistakenly used in food preparation. Acute poisoning from chemical contamination can cause symptoms that mimic foodborne illness, making the source difficult to identify quickly.
Improper handwashing technique is a direct transmission route for pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and norovirus. The distinction matters: an employee who washes hands but uses the wrong technique, skips steps, or rinses for too short a time is leaving contamination on their hands even after visiting the sink. That contamination then moves directly to food, utensils, and surfaces.
The shellfish traceability failure at Jazzy's creates a specific public health gap. Oysters, clams, and mussels are high-risk foods even when cooked, and they are particularly dangerous consumed raw or lightly cooked. If a customer becomes ill after eating shellfish here, investigators have no harvest records to work backward from.
Improperly cleaned multi-use utensils develop bacterial biofilms within 24 hours, according to state health risk data. Those biofilms are resistant to standard cleaning and can continuously re-contaminate food that contacts the surface. Combined with the food contact surface sanitation failure cited in the same inspection, the cross-contamination risk at Jazzy's on May 4 was layered, not isolated.
The Longer Record
The May 4 inspection was not an outlier. State records show Jazzy's BBQ has been inspected 30 times and has accumulated 300 total violations. The restaurant has never been emergency-closed.
The most recent prior inspection, on March 2, 2026, turned up five high-severity and five intermediate violations. Two months later, the count was six high-severity and four intermediate. The trajectory did not improve between visits.
Going back further, the pattern holds. Inspectors cited six high-severity violations in April 2024, six more in October 2023, eight in April 2023, and six in December 2022. High-severity violations have appeared in every inspection on record for the past three years without producing an emergency closure.
The April 2023 visit, with eight high-severity violations, stands as the single worst inspection in the recent record. The May 2026 inspection ties three other visits at six high-severity findings. Across eight inspections spanning roughly three years, Jazzy's has been cited for at least four high-severity violations every single time.
Still Open
State inspectors documented six high-severity violations at Jazzy's BBQ on May 4, including toxic chemicals stored near food, adulterated product on the premises, and no traceability records for shellfish.
The restaurant was not closed.