Pink Taco

• resultFail
• critical violations1
• last inspectedJune 5, 2026
• address374 Congress St, Boston 02210

Is Pink Taco clean?

Pink Taco is currently listed as closed by Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, as of its inspection on June 5, 2026. A closure means inspectors found conditions serious enough to stop service — it is not the same as a restaurant choosing to shut down, and the listing can change once the problems are fixed and re-inspected.

What did inspectors find at Pink Taco?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 5, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️(A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • Observed guacamole / chorizo and raw beef stored at cooking area between 48F-60F. Discussed with PIC to maintain cold holding @ 41F or below. PIC removed and stored in walk in unit @ 37F. COScritical
  (A)(2) and (B) Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Hot and Cold Holding (P) • Observed guacamole / chorizo and raw beef stored at cooking area between 48F-60F. Discussed with PIC to maintain cold holding @ 41F or below. PIC removed and stored in walk in unit @ 37F. COS
• ⚠️Temperature Measuring Devices-Functionality (C) • Provide thermometers for all refrigerated units / walk ins
  Temperature Measuring Devices-Functionality (C) • Provide thermometers for all refrigerated units / walk ins
• ⚠️(A) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (Pf) • Observed soils inside ice machine; food spills on pull out drawer unit @ cooking line; soils inside hot holding cabinet; soiled knive and cutting boards @ cooking line. Thoroughly clean with frequency to remove spills / soils
  (A) Equipment Food-Contact Surfaces Nonfood-Contact Surfaces and Utensils (Pf) • Observed soils inside ice machine; food spills on pull out drawer unit @ cooking line; soils inside hot holding cabinet; soiled knive and cutting boards @ cooking line. Thoroughly clean with frequency to remove spills / soils
• ⚠️Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • Observed handsink in warewashing area blocked with food equipment. Discussed with PIC to remove and ensure handsinks are accessible for handwashing only. COS
  Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • Observed handsink in warewashing area blocked with food equipment. Discussed with PIC to remove and ensure handsinks are accessible for handwashing only. COS
• ⚠️Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • Remove stagnant water from floors @ warewashing area and inside walk in unit / cooking line and remove trash debris from underneath shelves in employee area / behind bulk containers Provide caulking around floor perimeter in private dining area to prevent pest activity.
  Floors Walls and Ceilings-Cleanability (C) • Remove stagnant water from floors @ warewashing area and inside walk in unit / cooking line and remove trash debris from underneath shelves in employee area / behind bulk containers Provide caulking around floor perimeter in private dining area to prevent pest activity.
• ⚠️Outer Openings Protected (C) • Observed large gap at exit door outside of private dining room. Provide and ensure tight fitting
  Outer Openings Protected (C) • Observed large gap at exit door outside of private dining room. Provide and ensure tight fitting
• ⚠️Handwashing Cleanser Availability (Pf) • Observed no hand soap at handsinks (3) in main kitchen. Discussed with PIC to provide hand soap at all handsinks at all times while in operation. COS
  Handwashing Cleanser Availability (Pf) • Observed no hand soap at handsinks (3) in main kitchen. Discussed with PIC to provide hand soap at all handsinks at all times while in operation. COS
• ⚠️Controlling Pests (Pf) • Observed heavy load of rodent dropping within dining area booths / private dining area booths and employee area. Remove all droppings and provide service reports upon scheduled services
  Controlling Pests (Pf) • Observed heavy load of rodent dropping within dining area booths / private dining area booths and employee area. Remove all droppings and provide service reports upon scheduled services

When was Pink Taco last inspected?

Pink Taco has 33 inspections on record going back to September 20, 2019. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Pink Taco vs South Boston Waterfront

South Boston Waterfront runs 91% clean across 391 tracked restaurants — 326 clean, 14 mid, 20 cooked.

Against the 391 spots Cooked tracks in South Boston Waterfront, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in South Boston Waterfront

• ✓ Reelhouse Oyster Bar
  clean · May 21, 2026
• ✓ The Nautilus
  clean · July 1, 2026
• ✕ Otto Pizza
  cooked · May 11, 2026
• ✓ Powerhouse Juice
  clean · October 12, 2023
• ✓ Jimmy John's
  clean · June 15, 2026
• ✓ Alma Gaucha
  clean · April 17, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in South Boston Waterfront →

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 June 5, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.