TAMPA, FL. Back in April 2026, state inspectors walked into Nordstrom Bazille at 2223 N Westshore Blvd and found food sourced from unapproved or unknown suppliers, a violation that means inspectors could not verify whether what was being served to customers had ever passed a federal safety check.

That single finding, on April 7, 2026, was one of six high-severity violations documented during the visit. The restaurant was not emergency-closed.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHFood from unapproved or unknown sourceHigh severity
2HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum temperatureHigh severity
3HIGHInadequate shell stock identification/recordsHigh severity
4HIGHFood contact surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitizedHigh severity
5HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsHigh severity
6HIGHRequired procedures for specialized processes not followedHigh severity
7INTImproper sewage or waste water disposalIntermediate
8INTMulti-use utensils not properly cleanedIntermediate
9INTInadequate ventilation and lightingIntermediate

The unapproved food source violation was not the only finding tied directly to what landed on customers' plates. Inspectors also cited the kitchen for failing to cook food to the required minimum temperature, a separate high-severity violation that sits alongside the sourcing problem in the same inspection report.

Shell stock identification records were also inadequate. Shellfish, including oysters, clams, and mussels, require specific tagging and documentation so that a contaminated batch can be traced if customers fall ill. Those records were not in order.

Food contact surfaces, the cutting boards, prep tables, and equipment that touches food directly, were cited for not being properly cleaned or sanitized. Inspectors also found that the restaurant was not posting a consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, and that required procedures for specialized cooking processes were not being followed.

On the intermediate side, inspectors cited improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils that had not been properly cleaned, and inadequate ventilation and lighting.

Nine violations in total. Six of them high severity. The restaurant stayed open.

What These Violations Mean

Food from an unapproved or unknown source is among the most serious violations a food service inspector can document. It means the restaurant could not demonstrate that its ingredients had been inspected by the USDA or FDA at any point before reaching the kitchen. If a supplier has a contamination problem, and the source is unknown or unverified, there is no way to trace it back quickly when people get sick.

The undercooked food violation compounds that risk directly. Salmonella in poultry survives below 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If food at Nordstrom Bazille was not reaching required internal temperatures in April 2026, and the sourcing of that food was also in question, those two violations together represent a layered failure, not an isolated oversight.

The shellfish traceability violation adds a third layer. Oysters, clams, and mussels are frequently consumed raw or lightly cooked. They are filter feeders that concentrate bacteria and viruses present in the water where they were harvested. Without proper shell stock tags and records, there is no way to know where the shellfish came from or whether the harvest area had been cleared as safe.

The improper sewage disposal finding is harder to visualize but equally serious. Raw sewage contains Hepatitis A, norovirus, E. coli, and other pathogens. Improper disposal in a food preparation environment creates a contamination pathway that can reach surfaces, equipment, and food directly.

The Longer Record

The April 7 inspection was not an anomaly. The facility has 28 inspections on record and has accumulated 203 total violations across that history, with no prior emergency closures.

The inspection from October 2025 produced seven high-severity violations and two intermediate ones, a tally higher than April's. The September 2024 inspection found five high-severity violations and one intermediate. The April 2025 inspection found three high-severity violations.

That pattern means the six high-severity violations from April 7, 2026 were not a sudden departure. They were the fourth inspection in roughly 18 months to produce multiple high-severity findings at the same location.

Nordstrom Bazille: High-Severity Violations Over Time

October 20257 high-severity, 2 intermediate violations. The single worst inspection in the recent record.
April 7, 20266 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations. Unapproved food source, undercooked food, inadequate shellfish records.
April 14, 20262 high-severity violations remained one week after the primary inspection.
April 21, 20262 high-severity violations still present two weeks after the primary inspection.
April 30, 20260 high-severity, 0 intermediate violations. First clean inspection following the April 7 findings.

The follow-up inspections tell their own story. On April 14, a week after the nine-violation inspection, two high-severity violations were still present. On April 21, two high-severity violations remained. It took until April 30, more than three weeks after the original inspection, for Nordstrom Bazille to record a clean visit.

Between April 7 and April 30, the restaurant served customers throughout.