CANTINA LA 87
87-01 NORTHERN BOULEVARD, Queens, NY 11372 · Restaurant (Latin American)
Inspection summary
CANTINA LA 87 has been inspected 3 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since December 6, 2025. The most recent inspection, on September 12, 2026, recorded 5 infractions.
None of the 3 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 12 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Pests and Protecting food from contamination.
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.
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 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on September 12, 2026. For example:
Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
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 2 times on September 12, 2026. For example:
Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies.
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 September 12, 2026. For example:
Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
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 once on December 6, 2025. For example:
Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink.
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 once on December 6, 2025. For example:
Properly scaled and calibrated thermometer or thermocouple not provided or not readily accessible in food preparation and hot/cold holding areas to measure temperatures of TCS foods during cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding.
About this data
These results come from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), 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.
3 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
5 infractions
- 04N: Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- Not Critical
- 04H: Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
- Critical
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Critical
- 04N: Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Not Critical
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Pre-permit (Operational) / Initial Inspection
6 infractions
- 09E: Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink.
- Not Critical
- 10B: Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
- Not Critical
- 04J: Properly scaled and calibrated thermometer or thermocouple not provided or not readily accessible in food preparation and hot/cold holding areas to measure temperatures of TCS foods during cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding.
- Critical
- 06F: Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- Critical
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Critical
- 10D: Mechanical or natural ventilation not provided, inadequate, improperly installed, in disrepair or fails to prevent and control excessive build-up of grease, heat, steam condensation, vapors, odors, smoke or fumes.
- Not Critical
- 09E: Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink.
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