← Elmira
GUSH'S THIRSTY BEAR
351 EAST WASHINGTON AVENUE, ELMIRA, NY 14901
Last inspected Apr 29, 2026
Official source: New York State Department of Health (health.ny.gov) · All data sources
Passed. Met health requirements at the latest inspection. Some health departments report pass/fail instead of letter grades.
This inspection record doesn’t carry an official letter grade — some health departments never issue one, and others (like NYC) post it after a grace period — so CleanPlate derived the status from the reported violation data. If the department posts an official grade, it replaces this automatically.
✓
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The record, in plain English
CleanPlate holds 25 inspections on record for GUSH'S THIRSTY BEAR, spanning February 2008 to April 2026 — every one straight from New York State Department of Health.
The trend is positive: it improved from failed at the previous visit to passed now.
The most recent inspection noted 2 violations, none of them critical.
Every sentence above is computed directly from the official record — CleanPlate adds no opinions. How our grading works →
Inspection history
Apr 29, 2026
✓2 violations
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
Mar 23, 2026
✕11 violations
- Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
- Manual facilities inadequate, technique incorrect; mechanical facilities not operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
- Critical: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
- Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
Dec 29, 2025
✓2 violations
- Insects, rodents present
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
Jan 14, 2025
✕5 violations
- Insects, rodents present
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
May 9, 2024
✓May 8, 2024
✕1 violation
- Critical: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
May 7, 2024
✕1 violation
- Critical: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
May 9, 2023
✓Apr 25, 2023
✕2 violations
- Critical: Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
- Critical: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
Dec 8, 2022
✓2 violations
- Tobacco is used; eating, drinking in food preparation, dishwashing food storage areas
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
Dec 16, 2019
✓1 violation
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
May 20, 2019
✕3 violations
- Critical: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)
- Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
Dec 21, 2018
✕3 violations
- Critical: Food from unapproved source, spoiled, adulterated on premises.
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
Mar 15, 2017
✓6 violations
- Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
- Insects, rodents present
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
Sep 6, 2016
✓6 violations
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
- Effective measures not used to control entrance (rodent-, insect-proof contruction). Harborage areas available for rodents, insects and other vermin
- Insects, rodents present
Jan 5, 2016
✓Feb 5, 2015
✓2 violations
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Improper thawing procedures used
Jan 9, 2015
✕8 violations
- In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Manual facilities inadequate, technique incorrect; mechanical facilities not operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not cooled by an approved method where the food temperature can be reduced from 120oF to 70oF or less within two hours and 70oF to 45oF within four hours.
- Critical: Food from unapproved source, spoiled, adulterated on premises.
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
Apr 11, 2014
✓4 violations
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
- Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
Dec 3, 2013
✓2 violations
- Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
Mar 28, 2012
✕9 violations
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Critical: Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
Jul 25, 2011
✕6 violations
- Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
- Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
- Critical: Food from unapproved source, spoiled, adulterated on premises.
- Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
Mar 26, 2010
✕4 violations
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not cooled by an approved method where the food temperature can be reduced from 120oF to 70oF or less within two hours and 70oF to 45oF within four hours.
- Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
Jul 21, 2009
✓4 violations
- Inadequate personal cleanliness
- Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
Feb 12, 2008
✓
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Source: New York State Department of Health (health.ny.gov). Data shown unmodified from the official government record. CleanPlate is an independent service, not affiliated with any government agency. See something wrong? Report a data issue.