Staten Island, NY — La Cabana Restaurant, a Spanish cuisine establishment at 97 Victory Boulevard, received a score of 20 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 2, 2026. The score falls within the Grade B range of 14–27 points, with one critical violation documented during the visit.

Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 5, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The inspection identified a single critical violation related to food contact surface sanitation. Specifically, inspectors cited the restaurant under violation code 06D: food contact surfaces were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.

Food contact surfaces include cutting boards, countertops, utensils, and any equipment that comes into direct contact with food during preparation or service. When these surfaces are not adequately sanitized between uses, they can become vectors for cross-contamination between different food items or between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection cycle.

Food Safety Context

The proper cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces is a foundational requirement under both the NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code. These regulations mandate that all surfaces in contact with food must be washed, rinsed, and sanitized between tasks, between different food types, and at regular intervals during continuous use.

The FDA Food Code specifies that food contact surfaces should be sanitized using approved chemical solutions at proper concentrations or through hot water sanitization at appropriate temperatures. This requirement exists because bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria can persist on improperly cleaned surfaces and transfer to food served to customers.

A violation in this category is classified as critical because it presents a direct risk to public health if left unaddressed.

Inspection History

La Cabana Restaurant's recent inspection record shows a pattern of scores near or within the Grade B range:

  • March 2, 2026: Score 20 (Grade B range)
  • September 25, 2024: Score 19 (Grade B)
  • September 13, 2024: Score 29 (Grade C range)

The September 2024 cycle shows the restaurant initially scored a 29 — within the Grade C range — before a re-inspection on September 25 brought the score down to 19, earning a Grade B. The current March 2026 score of 20 represents a similar performance level to the most recent prior grade.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total violation points recorded during an inspection:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points
  • Grade B: 14–27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection or an adjudicatory hearing through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Consumers can look up any restaurant's inspection history through the DOHMH website or the NYC Open Data portal. All inspection results discussed in this article are based on publicly available data published by the City of New York.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for La Cabana Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.