LA CUEVA (entrance on Dock Street)

Inspection summary

LA CUEVA (entrance on Dock Street) has been inspected 3 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since March 13, 2017. The most recent inspection, on June 27, 2019, recorded 7 infractions.

None of the 3 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Cleaning and sanitizing and Handwashing and staff hygiene.

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.

• 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 5 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on June 27, 2019. For example: Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.

• 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 June 27, 2019. For example: Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.

• 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 on March 23, 2018. For example: Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.

• 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 27, 2019. For example: Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

• 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 March 13, 2017. For example: Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.

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.

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