Punto Rojo

• resultFail
• critical violations1
• last inspectedJuly 21, 2026
• address16 Bennington St, East Boston 02128

Is Punto Rojo clean?

Punto Rojo is currently Fail from Boston Inspectional Services, Health Division, from an inspection on July 21, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Punto Rojo?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 21, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️System Maintained in Good Repair (C) • Provide Drain plug to 3 bay Sink
  System Maintained in Good Repair (C) • Provide Drain plug to 3 bay Sink
• ⚠️Effectiveness-Hair Restraints (C) • Observed employee without hair restraints / provide proper hair restraints for all food prep workers
  Effectiveness-Hair Restraints (C) • Observed employee without hair restraints / provide proper hair restraints for all food prep workers
• ⚠️Clean-up of Vomiting and Diarrheal Events (Pf) • No procedure or supplies for vomit/ diarrhea clean up kit./ Provide complete vomit clean up kit
  Clean-up of Vomiting and Diarrheal Events (Pf) • No procedure or supplies for vomit/ diarrhea clean up kit./ Provide complete vomit clean up kit
• ⚠️Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Multiple squeeze bottles observed without labels. Provide labels when removed from original containers
  Food Storage Containers Identified with Common Name of Food (C) • Multiple squeeze bottles observed without labels. Provide labels when removed from original containers
• ⚠️Ready-To-Eat Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Date Marking (Pf) • Reach in Unit/ Properly date mark all ready to eat foods/Provide made/discard date to all food prepped before storing in the refrigerator
  Ready-To-Eat Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food Date Marking (Pf) • Reach in Unit/ Properly date mark all ready to eat foods/Provide made/discard date to all food prepped before storing in the refrigerator
• ⚠️Food Temperature Measuring Devices (Pf) • Provide properly working metal stem cooks thermometer to measure both hot and cold foods
  Food Temperature Measuring Devices (Pf) • Provide properly working metal stem cooks thermometer to measure both hot and cold foods
• ⚠️Temperature Measuring Devices Manual and Mechanical Warewashing (Pf) • there is no irreversible thermometer for the high temp dishwasher available. Provide an irreversible thermometer or 160 thermal strips
  Temperature Measuring Devices Manual and Mechanical Warewashing (Pf) • there is no irreversible thermometer for the high temp dishwasher available. Provide an irreversible thermometer or 160 thermal strips
• ⚠️Wiping Cloths Air Drying Location (C) • observed soiled wiping cloths on the counter/properly store all wiping cloths in a sanitizing solution at the required PPM
  Wiping Cloths Air Drying Location (C) • observed soiled wiping cloths on the counter/properly store all wiping cloths in a sanitizing solution at the required PPM
• ⚠️Service Sink (C) • Provide enclosed mop sink
  Service Sink (C) • Provide enclosed mop sink
• ⚠️Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • The handsink near the cold hoding unit was blocked with chair and shelve. Remove items and provide access to handsink. (There was a handsink in the front that was accessible and stocked where the employee could wash their hands)
  Using a Handwashing Sink-Operation and Maintenance (Pf) • The handsink near the cold hoding unit was blocked with chair and shelve. Remove items and provide access to handsink. (There was a handsink in the front that was accessible and stocked where the employee could wash their hands)
• ⚠️Backflow Prevention (P) • There is no prep sink to wash produce produce is being washed in the three bay sink. Provide a food prep sink to protect produce during preparationcritical
  Backflow Prevention (P) • There is no prep sink to wash produce produce is being washed in the three bay sink. Provide a food prep sink to protect produce during preparation
• ⚠️Walls and Ceilings Attachments (C) • Ceiling above the three bay sink observed open. repair
  Walls and Ceilings Attachments (C) • Ceiling above the three bay sink observed open. repair
• ⚠️Toilet Rooms Enclosed (C) • The bathroom door is not self-closing/ provide a self-closing door
  Toilet Rooms Enclosed (C) • The bathroom door is not self-closing/ provide a self-closing door
• ⚠️Handwashing Signage (C) • Handsink near the three bay sink/provide employee must wash hands signage
  Handwashing Signage (C) • Handsink near the three bay sink/provide employee must wash hands signage
• ⚠️Controlling Pests (C) • Small amount of mouse dropping observed in the basiment behing the coffin freezer. clean to remove/ Provide updated IPM report A+ Pest control provide service 2 times a month
  Controlling Pests (C) • Small amount of mouse dropping observed in the basiment behing the coffin freezer. clean to remove/ Provide updated IPM report A+ Pest control provide service 2 times a month
• ⚠️Allergen certificate observed expired May/30/26/ Provide
  Allergen certificate observed expired May/30/26/ Provide

When was Punto Rojo last inspected?

Punto Rojo has 56 inspections on record going back to July 23, 2007. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Punto Rojo vs East Boston

East Boston runs 92% clean across 529 tracked restaurants — 472 clean, 19 mid, 21 cooked.

Against the 529 spots Cooked tracks in East Boston, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in East Boston

• ✕ Estrellita Food Market
  cooked · March 25, 2009
• ✓ Braulio's Market
  clean · April 2, 2012
• ✕ Rite Aid 10153
  cooked · October 1, 2007
• ✓ Cafe Meridian
  clean · June 20, 2012
• ✕ La Frontera Restaurant
  cooked · March 8, 2010
• ✓ Thompson Market
  clean · October 1, 2010

See every restaurant inspection in East Boston →

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 21, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.