Cooked?
Phinista Cafe
- resultFail
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJuly 22, 2026
- address84 Peterborough St, Boston 02215
Is Phinista Cafe clean?
Phinista Cafe is currently Fail from Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, from an inspection on July 22, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Phinista Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 22, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- ⚠️(A)-(P) Person-In-Charge-Duties (Pf) • Observed a prep sink in the basement under pipes with food debris inside the drain. Also observed food debris on counter . No prep work can be done in the basement without approval from ISD HEALTH. Please discontinue any prep until approved. Provide engineers report.(A)-(P) Person-In-Charge-Duties (Pf) • Observed a prep sink in the basement under pipes with food debris inside the drain. Also observed food debris on counter . No prep work can be done in the basement without approval from ISD HEALTH. Please discontinue any prep until approved. Provide engineers report.
- ⚠️(A) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (Pf) • Observed mold- like substance inside the ice machine. Clean and sanitize to remove mold- like substance.(A) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (Pf) • Observed mold- like substance inside the ice machine. Clean and sanitize to remove mold- like substance.
- ⚠️Handwashing Sinks-Numbers and Capacities (Pf) • No hand sink in the basement. Provide hand sink.Handwashing Sinks-Numbers and Capacities (Pf) • No hand sink in the basement. Provide hand sink.
- ⚠️Backflow Prevention Device Carbonator (P) • Observed a small water leak in the basement. Contact a licensed plumber to repair leak and remove any stagnant water from the floor. Photo taken .criticalBackflow Prevention Device Carbonator (P) • Observed a small water leak in the basement. Contact a licensed plumber to repair leak and remove any stagnant water from the floor. Photo taken .
- ⚠️Backflow Prevention (P) • Observed no air gap under the prep sink in the basement. Contact a licensed plumber pull proper permit at 1010 Mass ave. After the air gap has been installed the plumbing inspector must sign off before health can sign off.criticalBackflow Prevention (P) • Observed no air gap under the prep sink in the basement. Contact a licensed plumber pull proper permit at 1010 Mass ave. After the air gap has been installed the plumbing inspector must sign off before health can sign off.
- ⚠️Outdoor Storage Surface (C) • Observed heavy soil and debris on the grounds infront of the establishment. Clean and sanitize to remove heavy soil and debris. Ensure staff is cleaning and removing all debris before closing the establishment every night.Outdoor Storage Surface (C) • Observed heavy soil and debris on the grounds infront of the establishment. Clean and sanitize to remove heavy soil and debris. Ensure staff is cleaning and removing all debris before closing the establishment every night.
- ⚠️Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • Observed soil on the walls in the back room off the front counter. Clean walls to remove soil.Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • Observed soil on the walls in the back room off the front counter. Clean walls to remove soil.
- ⚠️Floors Walls and Ceilings Utility Lines (C) • Observed prep sink dry goods and prep area being stored under utility lines in the basement. Provide smooth durable cleanable enclosed ceiling in basement.Floors Walls and Ceilings Utility Lines (C) • Observed prep sink dry goods and prep area being stored under utility lines in the basement. Provide smooth durable cleanable enclosed ceiling in basement.
- ⚠️Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning System Vents (C) • Observed lights in the basement that are not properly shielded. Provide proper lighting in prep area.Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning System Vents (C) • Observed lights in the basement that are not properly shielded. Provide proper lighting in prep area.
- ⚠️Outer Openings Protected (C) • Provide a door sweep to the exterior door in the basement area.Outer Openings Protected (C) • Provide a door sweep to the exterior door in the basement area.
- ⚠️Hand Drying Provision (Pf) • No means to dry hands at the hand sink. Provide means to dry hands.Hand Drying Provision (Pf) • No means to dry hands at the hand sink. Provide means to dry hands.
- ⚠️Repairing-Premises Structures Attachments and Fixtures-Methods (C) • Observed damaged rubber baseboard. Repair. Observed dry wall behind the 3 bay sink. Provide nonabsorbent walls behind 3 bay sink.Repairing-Premises Structures Attachments and Fixtures-Methods (C) • Observed damaged rubber baseboard. Repair. Observed dry wall behind the 3 bay sink. Provide nonabsorbent walls behind 3 bay sink.
When was Phinista Cafe last inspected?
Phinista Cafe has 18 inspections on record going back to January 25, 2024. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2026 | Fail | |
| July 15, 2026 | Fail | |
| May 26, 2026 | Pass | |
| May 18, 2026 | Fail | |
| May 12, 2026 | — | |
| May 8, 2026 | Fail | |
| August 5, 2025 | Pass | |
| August 1, 2025 | Pass | |
| July 25, 2025 | Fail | |
| July 2, 2025 | — | |
| January 30, 2025 | Pass | |
| January 23, 2025 | Fail |
Phinista Cafe vs Longwood
Longwood runs 78% clean across 203 tracked restaurants — 153 clean, 19 mid, 23 cooked.
Against the 203 spots Cooked tracks in Longwood, this one comes out cleaner than 21% of them.
Other spots in Longwood
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 July 22, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.