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LA ESQUINA

9-11 COURTLAND AVENUE, MIDDLETOWN, NY 10940 · Restaurant (Food Service Establishment)

Inspection summary

LA ESQUINA has been inspected 30 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since October 16, 2014. The most recent inspection, on August 31, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.

12 of 30 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 4 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Chemicals and toxic substances and Food temperature control.

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 10 times across 9 separate inspections, most recently on August 31, 2026. For example: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing

  • Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk

    Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.

    Recorded 5 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on January 28, 2025. For example: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.

  • 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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on January 28, 2026. For example: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).

  • 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 September 7, 2022. For example: Insects, rodents present

  • 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 7, 2022. 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)

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

  1. 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
  2. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  3. Inspection

    3 infractions

    • 12D: Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
      • 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
    • 5C: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
      • Critical Violation
  4. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  5. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
      • Critical Violation
  6. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  7. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 4A: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
      • Critical Violation
    • 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
      • Not Critical Violation
  8. 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
  9. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
      • Not Critical Violation
  10. Inspection

    3 infractions

    • 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 4A: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
      • Critical Violation
    • 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
      • Not Critical Violation
  11. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  12. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 4A: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
      • Critical Violation
  13. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  14. Re-Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 4A: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
      • Critical Violation
  15. Inspection

    5 infractions

    • 8D: Single service items reused, improperly stored, dispensed, not used when required
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 14A: Insects, rodents present
      • 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
    • 4A: Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
      • Critical Violation
  16. Inspection

    0 infractions

  17. Inspection

    0 infractions

  18. 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
  19. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
      • Not Critical Violation
  20. Inspection

    0 infractions

  21. Inspection

    0 infractions

  22. Inspection

    0 infractions

  23. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
      • Not Critical Violation
  24. Inspection

    0 infractions

  25. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 12B: Improperly functioning on-site sewage disposal system, improper
      • Not Critical Violation
  26. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
      • Not Critical Violation
  27. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
      • Not Critical Violation
  28. 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
  29. 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
    • 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
      • Not Critical Violation
  30. Inspection

    0 infractions

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