Farmer Horse Coffee

• resultFail
• critical violations4
• last inspectedSeptember 4, 2025
• address374 Massachusetts Av, Boston 02115

Is Farmer Horse Coffee clean?

Farmer Horse Coffee is currently Fail from Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, from an inspection on September 4, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 4 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Farmer Horse Coffee?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on September 4, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️When to Wash (P) • Observed an employee with bare hands touching garbage then donning a glove then an oven mit and then preparing food without washing hands prior. Employees must wash hands between tasks and if their hands become soiled prior to preparing or handling food.critical
  When to Wash (P) • Observed an employee with bare hands touching garbage then donning a glove then an oven mit and then preparing food without washing hands prior. Employees must wash hands between tasks and if their hands become soiled prior to preparing or handling food.
• ⚠️Effectiveness-Hair Restraints (C) • Observed multiple employees without hair restraints preparing and handling food. Provide effective hair restraints for food employees.
  Effectiveness-Hair Restraints (C) • Observed multiple employees without hair restraints preparing and handling food. Provide effective hair restraints for food employees.
• ⚠️Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Above oven observed lemon sugar mix not labeled. Provide labeling for foods in containers removed from bulk containers.
  Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Above oven observed lemon sugar mix not labeled. Provide labeling for foods in containers removed from bulk containers.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils Between-Use Storage (C) • Observed multiple bulk containers with cups or bowls used to dispense product. Only use scoops with handles to prevent contamination by hands.
  In-Use Utensils Between-Use Storage (C) • Observed multiple bulk containers with cups or bowls used to dispense product. Only use scoops with handles to prevent contamination by hands.
• ⚠️(A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • At the first sanwich cooler in the top compartment cut roasted tomatoes temped at 48F cream cheese at 49F and pesto sauce at 58F. PIC states the items had been put in the cooler at around 7am and voluntarily discarded TCS items.critical
  (A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • At the first sanwich cooler in the top compartment cut roasted tomatoes temped at 48F cream cheese at 49F and pesto sauce at 58F. PIC states the items had been put in the cooler at around 7am and voluntarily discarded TCS items.
• ⚠️Ready-To-Eat Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Date Marking (Pf) • Opened salad dressings sour cream milk products and juices not date labled upon opening. Date label opened TCS items to ensure they are not held past 7 days.
  Ready-To-Eat Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Date Marking (Pf) • Opened salad dressings sour cream milk products and juices not date labled upon opening. Date label opened TCS items to ensure they are not held past 7 days.
• ⚠️Characteristics-Materials for Construction and Repair (C) • Observed yogurt containers used to store dry goods. Discontinue usage of single-use containers and provide durable containers for bulk foods.
  Characteristics-Materials for Construction and Repair (C) • Observed yogurt containers used to store dry goods. Discontinue usage of single-use containers and provide durable containers for bulk foods.
• ⚠️Temperature Measuring Devices-Functionality (C) • Observed multiple refrigerator units without any internal thermometers. Provide internal thermometers for all refrigerator units.
  Temperature Measuring Devices-Functionality (C) • Observed multiple refrigerator units without any internal thermometers. Provide internal thermometers for all refrigerator units.
• ⚠️Manual and Mechanical Warewashing Equipment Chemical Sanitization-Temperature pH Concentration and Hardness (P) • Chlorine tested in red bucket at three bay sink area tested at 200ppm. Dilute chlorine to 50-100ppm for proper and safe sanitization.critical
  Manual and Mechanical Warewashing Equipment Chemical Sanitization-Temperature pH Concentration and Hardness (P) • Chlorine tested in red bucket at three bay sink area tested at 200ppm. Dilute chlorine to 50-100ppm for proper and safe sanitization.
• ⚠️(B) and (C) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (C) • Interior of ice machine has pink and black slime; clean and sanitize.
  (B) and (C) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (C) • Interior of ice machine has pink and black slime; clean and sanitize.
• ⚠️Prohibitions (C) • In basement storage area single use paper products are stored underneath sewage waste pipes. Store away from underneath waste pipes or inside protected cabinets.
  Prohibitions (C) • In basement storage area single use paper products are stored underneath sewage waste pipes. Store away from underneath waste pipes or inside protected cabinets.
• ⚠️Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • Observed excessive dumped food debris in hand sink on the kitchen line. Hand sinks must be used for hand washing only.
  Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • Observed excessive dumped food debris in hand sink on the kitchen line. Hand sinks must be used for hand washing only.
• ⚠️Backflow Prevention (P) • PIC states the location cleans produce in the middle compartment of their three compartment sink and there is no air gap below. Provide an air gap at the sink have plumber pull proper permits.critical
  Backflow Prevention (P) • PIC states the location cleans produce in the middle compartment of their three compartment sink and there is no air gap below. Provide an air gap at the sink have plumber pull proper permits.
• ⚠️Outside Receptacles (C) • At the exterior trash storage area the trash containers are overfilled and doors are not closed and the area has excessive soils. Make sure trash receptacles have closed doors and clean and sanitize refuse area of soils.
  Outside Receptacles (C) • At the exterior trash storage area the trash containers are overfilled and doors are not closed and the area has excessive soils. Make sure trash receptacles have closed doors and clean and sanitize refuse area of soils.
• ⚠️Cleaning Ventilation Systems Nuisance and Discharge Prohibition (C) • Air vent inside restroom is encrusted with dust; clean and sanitize.
  Cleaning Ventilation Systems Nuisance and Discharge Prohibition (C) • Air vent inside restroom is encrusted with dust; clean and sanitize.

When was Farmer Horse Coffee last inspected?

Farmer Horse Coffee has 28 inspections on record going back to January 14, 2020. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Farmer Horse Coffee 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 0% of them.

Other spots in South End

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• ? Bright Half Life
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• ✓ Greystone Cafe Bakery And Provisions
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• ✓ All Spice
  clean · May 27, 2022
• ✓ The Shames Cafe
  clean · March 2, 2026
• ✕ House Of Siam
  cooked · July 6, 2026

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 September 4, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.