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The Cellar Restaurant

196 Front STREET, OWEGO, NY 13827 · Restaurant (Restaurant)

Inspection summary

The Cellar Restaurant has been inspected 36 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since February 19, 1998. The most recent inspection, on April 30, 2026, recorded 7 infractions.

26 of 36 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 7 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Food temperature control.

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.

  • 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 10 times across 7 separate inspections, most recently on April 30, 2026. For example: Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)

  • 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 6 separate inspections, most recently on April 30, 2026. For example: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing

  • 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 4 separate inspections, most recently on April 30, 2026. For example: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.

  • 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 October 27, 2023. 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)

  • 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 6 times across 5 separate inspections, most recently on April 30, 2026. For example: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces

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.

36 inspections

  1. Inspection

    7 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
    • 6A: Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140�F during hot holding.
      • 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
    • 9C: Hair is improperly restrained
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 11D: Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 3C: Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
      • Critical Violation
  2. Inspection

    3 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
    • 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
  3. Inspection

    6 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
    • 8F: Improper thawing procedures used
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 9D: Dressing rooms dirty, not provided, improperly located
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 12D: Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
      • Not Critical Violation
  4. Inspection

    1 infraction

    • 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. Inspection

    0 infractions

  8. Inspection

    0 infractions

  9. Inspection

    0 infractions

  10. Inspection

    0 infractions

  11. Inspection

    2 infractions

    • 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 11D: Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
      • Not Critical Violation
  12. Inspection

    0 infractions

  13. Inspection

    0 infractions

  14. Inspection

    0 infractions

  15. Inspection

    0 infractions

  16. Inspection

    5 infractions

    • 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
    • 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
    • 5B: Potentially hazardous foods are not cooled by an approved method where the food temperature can be reduced from 120oF to 70oF or less within two hours and 70oF to 45oF within four hours.
      • Critical Violation
    • 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
  17. 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
  18. Inspection

    0 infractions

  19. Inspection

    0 infractions

  20. Inspection

    0 infractions

  21. Inspection

    0 infractions

  22. Inspection

    0 infractions

  23. Inspection

    0 infractions

  24. Inspection

    0 infractions

  25. Inspection

    7 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
    • 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
    • 9C: Hair is improperly restrained
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 11B: Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
      • Not Critical Violation
    • 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
      • 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
    • 8C: Improper use and storage of clean, sanitized equipment and utensils
      • Not Critical Violation
  26. Inspection

    0 infractions

  27. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  28. Inspection

    0 infractions

  29. Inspection

    0 infractions

  30. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

  31. Inspection

    0 infractions

  32. Inspection

    0 infractions

  33. Inspection

    0 infractions

  34. Inspection

    0 infractions

  35. Inspection

    0 infractions

  36. Re-Inspection

    0 infractions

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