Grind & Brew Cafe
525 EAST STREET, RENSSELAER, NY 12144 · Restaurant (Restaurant)
Inspection summary
Grind & Brew Cafe has been inspected 30 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since September 20, 2002. The most recent inspection, on March 5, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.
18 of 30 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 1 infraction recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Cleaning and sanitizing 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.
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 10 times across 7 separate inspections, most recently on October 4, 2017. For example:
Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
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 6 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on March 5, 2026. For example:
Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
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 4 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on June 4, 2018. 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)
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 4 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on May 16, 2016. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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 10, 2009. 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
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.
30 inspections
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Not Critical Violation
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 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
- 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
- 2E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Critical Violation
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Not Critical Violation
- 2E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- 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
- 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
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
- Critical Violation
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Not Critical Violation
- 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Not Critical Violation
- 1H: Food from unapproved source, spoiled, adulterated on premises.
- Critical Violation
- 7F: Precooked, refrigerated potentially hazardous food is not reheated to 165�F or above within two hours.
- Critical Violation
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 9C: Hair is improperly restrained
- Not Critical Violation
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Not Critical Violation
- 9C: Hair is improperly restrained
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 2E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Critical Violation
- 2E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Inspection
4 infractions
- 8C: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
- Not Critical Violation
- 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Not Critical Violation
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Not Critical Violation
- 5A: 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.
- Critical Violation
- 8C: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
- Inspection
4 infractions
- 3C: Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
- Critical Violation
- 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
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Not Critical Violation
- 3C: Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
5 infractions
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Not Critical Violation
- 10B: Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
- 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)
- Not Critical Violation
- 8C: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
- Not Critical Violation
- 1D: Canned foods found in poor conditions (leakers, severe dents, rusty, swollen cans)
- Critical Violation
- 8E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
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