MOUNTAIN LAKE INN
487 LAKE FLOWER AVENUE, SARANAC LAKE, NY 12983 · Restaurant (Food Service Establishment)
Inspection summary
MOUNTAIN LAKE INN has been inspected 6 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since November 23, 2022. The most recent inspection, on January 23, 2026, recorded 4 infractions.
None of the 6 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 7 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Cleaning and sanitizing and Handwashing and staff hygiene.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
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 4 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on January 13, 2026. For example:
Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot 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 4 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on January 13, 2026. For example:
Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
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 across 2 separate inspections, most recently on February 19, 2025. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
Food source, labelling and allergensHigher risk
Food must come from approved suppliers, stay in labelled containers and be thrown out when it is spoiled or damaged, such as dented or swollen cans. Labelling matters for allergies: an unlabelled container can hide an allergen.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on January 6, 2023. For example:
Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
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 February 19, 2025. 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.
6 inspections
- Inspection
4 infractions
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- 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
- 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
- Not Critical Violation
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
- 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
- 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
- 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
- Inspection
8 infractions
- 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
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- 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
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty 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
- 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- 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
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- 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.
- Inspection
3 infractions
- 8D: Single service items reused, improperly stored, dispensed, not used when required
- 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
- 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
- 8D: Single service items reused, improperly stored, dispensed, not used when required
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 1B: Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
- Critical Violation
- 1B: Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
- Inspection
4 infractions
- 1B: Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
- Critical Violation
- 2E: Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate potentially hazardous food temperatures during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
- Critical Violation
- 5C: Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
- 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
- 1B: Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
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