SWEET MELISSA'S - SENECA ST
200 WEST SENECA STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850 · Restaurant (Ice Cream Store)
Inspection summary
SWEET MELISSA'S - SENECA ST has been inspected 16 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since September 3, 2010. The most recent inspection, on June 15, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.
9 of 16 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: Protecting food from contamination, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Cleaning and sanitizing.
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.
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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on July 8, 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)
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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on May 15, 2019. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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 once on August 26, 2013. For example:
Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
Equipment and utensilsLower risk
Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on June 15, 2026. For example:
In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
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.
16 inspections
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Not Critical Violation
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- 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
0 infractions
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Not Critical Violation
- 8B: In use food dispensing utensils improperly stored
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
2 infractions
- 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
- 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)
- Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 2C: Cooked or prepared foods are subject to cross-contamination from raw foods.
- Critical Violation
- 2C: Cooked or prepared foods are subject to cross-contamination from raw foods.
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- Inspection
0 infractions
- 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
- 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
- Inspection
0 infractions
- 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
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
Nearby inspected facilities
- SHORTSTOP DELI
204 WEST SENECA STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
3 inspections
- SALVATION ARMY
150 NORTH ALBANY STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
55 inspections
- CAPITAL STATE KITCHEN ITHACA
138-140 WEST STATE STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
21 inspections
- NEW ROOTS CHARTER SCHOOL
120 WEST SENECA STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
31 inspections
- ST CATHERINE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH
120 WEST SENECA STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
17 inspections
- THAI BASIL
118 WEST STATE STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
45 inspections
- BJM ACADEMIC PLUS PROGRAM
302 WEST BUFFALO STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
2 inspections
- GORGERS
116 WEST STATE STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850
33 inspections