Emma's

• resultFail
• critical violations3
• last inspectedMarch 24, 2017
• address537A Columbus Av, Roxbury 02118

Is Emma's clean?

Emma's is currently Fail from Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, from an inspection on March 24, 2017. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Emma's?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 24, 2017, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️Cold Holding • Several products in single door true reach in unit temped 55-60F for unknown time. PIC voluntarily discarded all products. Maintain cold holding 41F or below.critical
  Cold Holding • Several products in single door true reach in unit temped 55-60F for unknown time. PIC voluntarily discarded all products. Maintain cold holding 41F or below.
• ⚠️Non-Food Contact Surfaces • True single door reach in unit reading 55-60f.Repair Maintain cold holding for unit 41F or below.
  Non-Food Contact Surfaces • True single door reach in unit reading 55-60f.Repair Maintain cold holding for unit 41F or below.
• ⚠️Equipment Thermometers • Provide working internal thermometer in single door True reach in unit.
  Equipment Thermometers • Provide working internal thermometer in single door True reach in unit.
• ⚠️Test Kit Provided • Provide chlorine test kit on site.
  Test Kit Provided • Provide chlorine test kit on site.
• ⚠️Wiping Cloths Clean Sanitize • No sanitzer available on site.Provide proper sanitizer solution. PIC called owner who states he is bringing it.
  Wiping Cloths Clean Sanitize • No sanitzer available on site.Provide proper sanitizer solution. PIC called owner who states he is bringing it.
• ⚠️Location Accessible • Hand sink access blocked with several loaves of packaged bread.Maintain clear to ensure proper handwashing. PIC corrected on site.critical
  Location Accessible • Hand sink access blocked with several loaves of packaged bread.Maintain clear to ensure proper handwashing. PIC corrected on site.
• ⚠️Hand Cleaner Drying Tissue Signage • Paper towels missing from handsink.Provide PIC corrected on site.
  Hand Cleaner Drying Tissue Signage • Paper towels missing from handsink.Provide PIC corrected on site.
• ⚠️PIC Performing Duties • PIC must train & Monitor staff to maintain cold holding 41F or below provide proper sanitizer available on site. Staff must notify PIC of any maintenance issuescritical
  PIC Performing Duties • PIC must train & Monitor staff to maintain cold holding 41F or below provide proper sanitizer available on site. Staff must notify PIC of any maintenance issues

When was Emma's last inspected?

Emma's has 6 inspections on record going back to August 9, 2016.

Emma's vs South End

South End runs 81% clean across 691 tracked restaurants — 498 clean, 63 mid, 54 cooked.

Against the 691 spots Cooked tracks in South End, this one comes out cleaner than 2% of them.

Other spots in South End

• ✓ Northeastern Univ-716 Columbus
  clean · March 28, 2024
• ✕ Sunny Market
  cooked · January 23, 2014
• ✕ Wine Riot South End
  cooked · September 1, 2016
• ✓ Dona Habana Restaurant
  clean · June 25, 2026
• ✓ Metropolis Cafe
  clean · July 21, 2026
• ✓ Mike's City Diner
  clean · April 8, 2025

See every restaurant inspection in South End →

How Boston grades restaurants

Boston reports inspections as a pass or a fail, with no score and no letter. What separates a bad fail from a trivial one is the violation severity ladder: a single star is a minor issue, two stars is more serious, and three stars marks a critical foodborne-illness risk factor — temperature abuse, bad handwashing, cross-contamination. A restaurant can fail on paperwork alone, which is not the same as failing on food safety. Cooked splits Boston fails accordingly: a fail with a three-star violation reads cooked, a fail on minor items only reads mid.

Source: Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division via Analyze Boston. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated March 24, 2017. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.