CU - RUSTY'S
109 TOWER ROAD, ITHACA, NY 14853 · Restaurant (College Food Service)
Inspection summary
CU - RUSTY'S has been inspected 16 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since March 16, 2010. The most recent inspection, on February 5, 2026, found no infractions.
14 of 16 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 0 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Protecting food from contamination and Cleaning and sanitizing.
The last 4 inspections in a row found no infractions. 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.
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 March 8, 2022. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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 October 5, 2021. For example:
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)
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 October 5, 2021. For example:
Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
About this data
These results come from New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), 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.
16 inspections
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Not Critical Violation
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 8A: 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)
- Not Critical Violation
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Not Critical Violation
- 8A: 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)
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
Nearby inspected facilities
- STATLER HOTEL
130 STATLER DRIVE, ITHACA, NY 14850
63 inspections
- STATLER HOTEL
130 STATLER DRIVE, ITHACA, NY 14850
51 inspections
- GIMME COFFEE - CU
GATES HALL - 107 HOY ROAD, Ithaca, NY 14850
13 inspections
- CU - GOLDIE'S CAFE
East AVENUE, Ithaca, NY 14853
16 inspections
- COPPER HORSE COFFEE KITCHEN
524 COLLEGE AVENUE, ITHACA, NY 14853
4 inspections
- CU - ROBERT PURCELL DINING
ROBERT PURCELL UNION - CORNELL U, ITHACA, NY 14853
52 inspections
- CU - MANN CAFE
237 MANN DRIVE, ITHACA, NY 14853
5 inspections
- CU - TRILLIUM
KENNEDY HALL, ITHACA, NY 14853
71 inspections