Bar Sazerac
278 James St N, Hamilton ON L8R 2L3 · Restaurant
Inspection summary
Bar Sazerac has been inspected 11 times by City of Hamilton Public Health Services since December 14, 2022. The most recent inspection, on August 4, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.
1 of 11 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 4 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Cleaning and sanitizing.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 6 times across 6 separate inspections, most recently on August 4, 2026. For example:
Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on April 24, 2026. For example:
Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on May 27, 2025. For example:
Multi-service articles and food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitized after each use and following operations where contamination may have occurred
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded once on June 7, 2024. For example:
Food protected from contamination or adulteration
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded once on December 1, 2023. For example:
Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
About this data
These results come from City of Hamilton Public Health Services, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
11 inspections
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Provide paper towels in a dispenser at hand basin in food preparation area
- Provide soap in a dispenser at hand basin in the food preparation area
- Maintain hand washing stations with adequate supplies
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Routine Inspection
2 infractions
- Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Multi-service articles and food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitized after each use and following operations where contamination may have occurred
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Chlorine sanitizer concentration must be at least 100 parts per million at 24°C or greater for at least 45 seconds
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Store raw foods separate and below cooked / ready-to-eat foods
- Food protected from contamination or adulteration
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
- Evidence of minor insect / rodent activity
- Food premise is protected against the entry and harbouring of pests
- Re-inspection
0 infractions
- Re-inspection
1 infraction
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Ensure wash water is between 60°C and 71°C
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Routine Inspection
1 infraction
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
- Chlorine sanitizer concentration must be at least 100 parts per million at 24°C or greater for at least 45 seconds
- Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
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