Cooked?
Merengue Restaurant
- resultPass
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJanuary 20, 2026
- address156 Blue Hill Av, Dorchester 02125
Is Merengue Restaurant clean?
Merengue Restaurant is currently Pass from Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, from an inspection on January 20, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Merengue Restaurant?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 20, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- ⚠️(A) Certified Food Protection Manager (C) • Food Safety Certificate expired 2025. Please post up to date certificate.(A) Certified Food Protection Manager (C) • Food Safety Certificate expired 2025. Please post up to date certificate.
- ⚠️Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Bulk food containers will need to have lables. Please be sure all conatiners have lables.Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Bulk food containers will need to have lables. Please be sure all conatiners have lables.
- ⚠️(A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • Fried pork out in a 5 gallon bucket at 69F. Please store 41F or below until you need to reheat it.critical(A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • Fried pork out in a 5 gallon bucket at 69F. Please store 41F or below until you need to reheat it.
- ⚠️Nonfood-Contact Surfaces (C) • PIC will need to clean The exterior of bulk food conatiners. Shelves in warewashing and cooking line. Window ledge on the cooking line. SoiledNonfood-Contact Surfaces (C) • PIC will need to clean The exterior of bulk food conatiners. Shelves in warewashing and cooking line. Window ledge on the cooking line. Soiled
- ⚠️Ventilation Hood Systems Filters (C) • All the hood filters will need to be cleaned. Heavy build up. Hood sticker good until Feb 2026Ventilation Hood Systems Filters (C) • All the hood filters will need to be cleaned. Heavy build up. Hood sticker good until Feb 2026
- ⚠️Cutting Surfaces (C) • PIC will need to replace cutting boards that have deep dark scores and can no longer be cleaned properly.Cutting Surfaces (C) • PIC will need to replace cutting boards that have deep dark scores and can no longer be cleaned properly.
- ⚠️(A) (B) and (D) Equipment Utensils Linens and Single-Service and Single-Use Articles Storing (C) • I found cutting boards and knives in holder stored as clean but had food on them. PIC removed and had the washed again.(A) (B) and (D) Equipment Utensils Linens and Single-Service and Single-Use Articles Storing (C) • I found cutting boards and knives in holder stored as clean but had food on them. PIC removed and had the washed again.
- ⚠️System Maintained in Good Repair (C) • PIC will need to provide drain plugs for the tree bays sinks and not use plastic bags.System Maintained in Good Repair (C) • PIC will need to provide drain plugs for the tree bays sinks and not use plastic bags.
- ⚠️Surface Characteristics-Indoor Areas (C) • Window ledge and wall around window visible soiled and peeling. Clean and repaint. Ceiling above the prep table that has the blenders and cutting board holder peeling.Surface Characteristics-Indoor Areas (C) • Window ledge and wall around window visible soiled and peeling. Clean and repaint. Ceiling above the prep table that has the blenders and cutting board holder peeling.
- ⚠️Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • PIC will need to clean the floor under and behind cooking line equipment and refrigerators in basement. The ceiling tiles around the heat and a/c have a dust build up.Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • PIC will need to clean the floor under and behind cooking line equipment and refrigerators in basement. The ceiling tiles around the heat and a/c have a dust build up.
- ⚠️Handwashing Cleanser Availability (Pf) • No soap at hand sinks next to three bay sink. Also the soap holder on cooking line will need to be repaired.Handwashing Cleanser Availability (Pf) • No soap at hand sinks next to three bay sink. Also the soap holder on cooking line will need to be repaired.
- ⚠️Hand Drying Provision (Pf) • No paper towels at hand sink next to three bay sink.Hand Drying Provision (Pf) • No paper towels at hand sink next to three bay sink.
- ⚠️PIC will need to post an up to date Allergen Certificate. The one posted is expired.PIC will need to post an up to date Allergen Certificate. The one posted is expired.
When was Merengue Restaurant last inspected?
Merengue Restaurant has 117 inspections on record going back to April 2, 2008. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| January 20, 2026 | Pass | |
| January 12, 2026 | Fail | |
| November 21, 2025 | Pass | |
| November 14, 2025 | Fail | |
| August 11, 2025 | Pass | |
| July 30, 2025 | Fail | |
| April 9, 2025 | Pass | |
| April 1, 2025 | Fail | |
| December 30, 2024 | Pass | |
| December 23, 2024 | closed by the city | |
| November 12, 2024 | Pass | |
| November 4, 2024 | Fail |
Merengue Restaurant vs Roxbury
Roxbury runs 83% clean across 708 tracked restaurants — 559 clean, 69 mid, 49 cooked.
Against the 708 spots Cooked tracks in Roxbury, this one comes out cleaner than 19% of them.
Other spots in Roxbury
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 January 20, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.