FROM THE GROUND UP CAFE'
6 MERLOT DRIVE, HIGHLAND, NY 12528 · Restaurant (Food Service Establishment)
Inspection summary
FROM THE GROUND UP CAFE' has been inspected 7 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since December 8, 2023. The most recent inspection, on May 26, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.
None of the 7 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 5 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Pests and Protecting food from contamination.
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.
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 4 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on May 26, 2026. For example:
Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
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 across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 1, 2025. For example:
Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
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 May 26, 2026. 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)
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 August 23, 2024. For example:
Improper thawing procedures used
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 August 23, 2024. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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.
7 inspections
- Inspection
3 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
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 10A: Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
- 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
2 infractions
- 10A: Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
- Not Critical Violation
- 11C: Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
- Not Critical Violation
- 10A: Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 15C: Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
- Not Critical Violation
- 11A: Manual facilities inadequate, technique incorrect; mechanical facilities not operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions
- Not Critical Violation
- 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- Not Critical Violation
- 15C: Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 15C: Premises littered, unnecessary equipment and article present, living quarters no completely separated for food service operations, live animals, birds and pets not excluded
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 8F: Improper thawing procedures used
- Not Critical Violation
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Not Critical Violation
- 8F: Improper thawing procedures used
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 1D: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)
- Critical Violation
- 1D: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
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