ZOCALO MEXICAN BAR & GRILL
40 CATHERWOOD ROAD, ITHACA, NY 14850
Last inspected Sep 2, 2026
Official source: New York State Department of Health (health.ny.gov) · All data sources
Failed. Did not meet health requirements at the latest inspection. Many failures are fixed and re-inspected within days — check the inspection date.
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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This establishment failed its most recent health inspection. Review the record below before ordering.
The record, in plain English
CleanPlate holds 25 inspections on record for ZOCALO MEXICAN BAR & GRILL, spanning November 2019 to September 2026 — every one straight from New York State Department of Health.
Its standing slipped since the previous visit — from passed to failed. A follow-up inspection usually rechecks the issues found.
The most recent inspection noted 1 violation, 1 of them a critical item — the kind tied directly to foodborne-illness risk.
Every sentence above is computed directly from the official record — CleanPlate adds no opinions. How our grading works →
Inspection history
Sep 2, 2026
✕1 violation
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or below 45�F during cold holding, except smoked fish not kept at or below 38�F during cold holding.
Feb 27, 2026
✓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)
Aug 28, 2025
✓1 violation
- Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
Mar 26, 2025
✓Sep 28, 2024
✓Sep 27, 2024
✕1 violation
- Critical: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
Sep 3, 2024
✓4 violations
- 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)
- In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Tobacco is used; eating, drinking in food preparation, dishwashing food storage areas
- Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
Mar 13, 2024
✓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)
Sep 6, 2023
✓Aug 31, 2023
✕3 violations
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or below 45�F during cold holding, except smoked fish not kept at or below 38�F during cold holding.
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
Apr 18, 2023
✕4 violations
- 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)
- In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Critical: Precooked, refrigerated potentially hazardous food is not reheated to 165�F or above within two hours.
Dec 29, 2022
✓Oct 11, 2022
✕2 violations
- 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.
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
Oct 1, 2022
✕2 violations
- Critical: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
Sep 16, 2022
✕1 violation
- 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.
Aug 15, 2022
✕2 violations
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
May 18, 2022
✕1 violation
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
Apr 8, 2022
✕4 violations
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Tobacco is used; eating, drinking in food preparation, dishwashing food storage areas
- Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
Mar 5, 2022
✕3 violations
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
Jun 16, 2021
✓Jun 3, 2021
✕3 violations
- Critical: Enough refrigerated storage equipment is not present, properly designed, maintained or operated so that all potentially hazardous foods are cooled properly and stored below 45�F as required.
- Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
- 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 10, 2021
✓1 violation
- Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
Jan 28, 2021
✓3 violations
- Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
- Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
Nov 18, 2019
✓Nov 7, 2019
✕4 violations
- Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- Insects, rodents present
- Critical: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- Critical: Enough refrigerated storage equipment is not present, properly designed, maintained or operated so that all potentially hazardous foods are cooled properly and stored below 45�F as required.
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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.