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Saint James Espresso Bar & Eatery

174 James St. N., Hamilton ON L8R 2L1 · Restaurant

Official record from Hamilton →

Inspection summary

Saint James Espresso Bar & Eatery has been inspected 11 times by City of Hamilton Public Health Services since March 30, 2022. The most recent inspection, on June 1, 2026, recorded 2 infractions.

1 of 11 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: Protecting food from contamination, Cleaning and sanitizing and Food temperature control.

Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.

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.

  • 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 7 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on June 1, 2026. For example: Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner

  • 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 4 separate inspections, most recently on June 1, 2026. For example: Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed

  • 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 5 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on December 13, 2024. For example: Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained

  • 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 November 28, 2023. For example: Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers

  • Food safety training and certificationLower risk

    Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.

    Recorded 5 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on December 15, 2025. For example: Food handlers who come into contact with food/utensils shall do so in a sanitary manner

About this data

These results come from City of Hamilton Public Health Services, 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.

11 inspections

  1. Routine Inspection

    2 infractions

    • Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
    • Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
  2. Complaint

    1 infraction

    • Food handlers who come into contact with food/utensils shall do so in a sanitary manner
      • Ensure food handlers confine hair while handling food
  3. Routine Inspection

    1 infraction

    • Testing reagent used to determine concentration of sanitizer
      • Provide and use test reagent to determine concentration of sanitizer
  4. Routine Inspection

    3 infractions

    • Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
    • Furniture, equipment and appliances in food handling and storage rooms arranged and constructed to permit a clean and sanitary environment
    • Cloths and towels maintained in clean, good repair and not used for other purposes
  5. Routine Inspection

    3 infractions

    • Testing reagent used to determine concentration of sanitizer
      • Provide and use test reagent to determine concentration of sanitizer
    • Multi-service articles and food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitized after each use and following operations where contamination may have occurred
    • Refrigeration and hot-holding equipment maintained
      • Provide easily readable thermometer in refrigeration or hot-holding equipment
  6. Routine Inspection

    2 infractions

    • Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
    • Food is held at 4°C (40°F) or less
  7. Re-inspection

    1 infraction

    • Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
      • Provide an easily readable thermometer for the dishwashing and sanitizing temperatures
  8. Routine Inspection

    5 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
      • Ensure hand washing basin is unobstructed and accessible for hand washing
    • Hand washing basin with supplies of soap and paper towels in dispensers
      • Provide paper towels in a dispenser at hand basin in food preparation area
      • Provide soap in a dispenser at hand basin in the food preparation area
    • Furniture, equipment and appliances in food handling and storage rooms arranged and constructed to permit a clean and sanitary environment
      • Maintain and arrange equipment to permit a clean and sanitary condition
    • Mechanical dishwashing: Wash / rinse water clean, water temperature, timing cycles, sanitizer
      • Provide an easily readable thermometer for the dishwashing and sanitizing temperatures
    • Food protected from contamination or adulteration
      • Store food off the floor to prevent contamination
  9. Routine Inspection

    4 infractions

    • Separate hand washing basin provided for food handlers
    • Food protected from contamination or adulteration
    • Food processed in a safe manner
    • Food handlers who come into contact with food/utensils shall do so in a sanitary manner
      • Ensure food handlers confine hair while handling food
  10. Routine Inspection

    8 infractions

    • Floors, walls, and ceilings clean and in good repair and maintained in a sanitary manner
      • Cleaning required around, under, and behind kitchen equipment, counters, and baseboards
    • Equipment, utensils, multi-service articles and all food contact surfaces are properly constructed
    • Furniture, equipment and appliances in food handling and storage rooms arranged and constructed to permit a clean and sanitary environment
    • Cloths and towels maintained in clean, good repair and not used for other purposes
      • Change sanitizing solution for wiping cloths at a minimum of every 2 hours, or as often as necessary, to maintain the solution clean and sanitary at all times
      • Ensure wiping cloths are kept in a sanitizing solution when not in use
    • Testing reagent used to determine concentration of sanitizer
      • Provide and use test reagent to determine concentration of sanitizer
    • Food protected from contamination or adulteration
      • Store food off the floor to prevent contamination
    • Food in storage protected from contamination
      • Ensure racks, shelves or pallets are clean and designed to protect against contamination
    • Food handlers who come into contact with food/utensils shall do so in a sanitary manner
      • Ensure food handlers confine hair while handling food
  11. Routine Inspection

    0 infractions

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