Of 64 health inspections conducted in Monroe County last month, 27 had critical violations, five had no violations, and 58 had unfixed violations left over from previous inspections, according to new reports released by the Monroe County Health Department.
There are more than 90,000 food service establishments in New York state, according to health.ny.gov. Inspections include any public or private establishment that uses an on-site kitchen to serve food, this includes schools, nursing homes and more.
Due to the volume of food establishments inspected in the last month, a selection of the highest and lowest ranked restaurants are shown below. You can search current and past New York state health inspection reports at data.democratandchronicle.com.
Some Rochester restaurants with the most health violations last month
Critical violations must be corrected on the spot, while non-critical violations must be addressed at a future date.
Plum garden
3349 Monroe Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 28, 2026
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Violations: 27 total. 10 critical, 17 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Sushi Samba
381 Gregory Street, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 28, 2026
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Violations: 20 total. 6 critical, 14 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Lake Chinese Food
4462 Lake Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 27, 2026
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Violations: 13 total. 1 critical, 12 non-critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
Fox’s Delicatessen
1841 Winton Place, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 28, 2026
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Violations: 13 total. 3 critical, 10 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Golden Corral Rochester & Catering
450 Jefferson Road, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 29, 2026
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Violations: 12 total. 3 critical, 9 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
The Latino’s Paradise
478 Portland Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 29, 2026
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Violations: 12 total. 3 critical, 9 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Tp\’S Irish Pub & Restaurant
916 Panorama Trail, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 29, 2026
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Violations: 11 total. 1 critical, 10 non-critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
Monte Alban Mexican Grill (Irondequoit)
845 East Ridge Road, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 27, 2026
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Violations: 9 total. 5 critical, 4 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Jamaican soul
211 Genesee Street, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 28, 2026
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Violations: 9 total. 2 critical, 7 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Rosie Nepalese and Indian cuisine
3349 Monroe Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 29, 2026
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Violations: 9 total. 2 critical, 7 non-critical, 0 not fixed from previous inspection
Rochester meals with flawless health inspections last month
No violations of the health code were found in these establishments during their inspections.
Chapel Oaks & Catering @ St Ann’S Community
1550 Portland Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 27, 2026
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Violations: 0 total. 0 critical, 0 not critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
Gates Chili Csd-Paul Road School
571 Paul Road, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 27, 2026
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Violations: 0 total. 0 critical, 0 not critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
Taqueria Monterrey
627 Culver Road, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 28, 2026
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Violations: 0 total. 0 critical, 0 not critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
Chen garden
1750 Monroe Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 29, 2026
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Violations: 0 total. 0 critical, 0 not critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
River Edge Manor (Episcopal Nursing Homes)
535 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester
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Date of inspection: January 30, 2026
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Violations: 0 total. 0 critical, 0 not critical, 0 not fixed by previous inspection
What are critical and non-critical violations?
Red “critical” violations involve “food source and condition, food cooking and storage temperatures, food worker sanitary practices, water and sewage, food pest contamination and use of toxic materials,” according to a spokesperson from the New York State Department of Health.
Critical violations must be corrected at the time of inspection because they include factors that can lead to foodborne illness.
In New York state, restaurant inspections are not done on a pass or fail basis.
Non-critical violations, or blue, are not related to factors that can directly cause foodborne illness, but can have a negative effect on the operation of the restaurant. These types of violations are related to the maintenance, design and cleanliness of the establishment.
Non-critical violations are not as urgent as critical ones and must be fixed according to the time given by the health inspector.
How often are health inspections done in Monroe County?
The frequency of food establishment inspections in New York state depends on the establishment’s risk category and the establishment’s history of health code compliance.
High-risk food establishments are inspected twice a year, medium-risk ones once a year, and low-risk ones every year.
Examples of high-risk food establishments include table service restaurants, cafeterias and school kitchens that prepare food – these are establishments that have complex food processes such as preparing food in advance or reheating and cooling food.
Medium risk food establishments do not require such complex processes because they serve low maintenance foods such as pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches.
Bars and coffee shops are typical low-risk food service establishments due to the minimal preparation required for their food service.
Inspectors from health departments in each county are trained by the New York State Department of Health to standardize health inspections of food establishments throughout the state. Information for each county’s health department can be found at health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/ctyadd1.htm.
How do I report food establishments that may be violating health standards in Monroe County?
The health department in each respective county is responsible for enforcing public health regulations.
If you suspect that a food establishment is dirty or may be violating health standards, report them to the Monroe County Health Department and an inspector will investigate the complaint. To file a report, send a complaint to https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/food_safety/complaints.htm.
USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites around the country, generated with data scraped from local health department websites. Please leave any feedback or corrections to this story here. This story was written by Ozge Terzioglu.
This article originally appeared on the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Restaurant inspections in Rochester NY. How safe is your favorite place?