The Cellar Restaurant & Lounge on the River
196 Front Street, Owego, NY 13827
How the BiteKarma score works
Each routine inspection starts at 100 and loses 7 points for every critical violation and 2 for every other one, half again as much when the same problem was cited at one of the two inspections before. A failed inspection counts as 69 at most. The score averages the five newest routine inspections, with the most recent counting most, and stays below 70 for 90 days after a fail unless the restaurant passes again. 90 and up is excellent, 80s good, 70s fair, and below 70 poor.
At a glance
- Passed 4 of 4 graded inspections since 2024.
- Last inspected Apr 30, 2026: passed with 7 violations, 2 critical.
- Keeps coming up: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing, cited 3 times, plus 3 other repeat issues.
- 3 critical violations in the last two years.
Inspection history 4 visits
- 2026
- Passed Apr 30
Inspection
7 violations, 2 critical
- Critical Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or above 140°F during hot holding.
- Critical Food workers do not use proper utensils to eliminate bare hand contact with cooked or prepared foods.
- Minor Non food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
- Minor Hair is improperly restrained
- Minor Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
- Minor Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Minor Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- 2025
- Passed Oct 16
Inspection
3 violations, 1 critical
- Critical Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or below 45°F during cold holding, except smoked fish not kept at or below 38°F during cold holding.
- Minor Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Minor Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Passed Apr 3
Inspection
6 violations
- Minor Wiping cloths dirty, not stored properly in sanitizing solutions
- Minor Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Minor Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Minor Dressing rooms dirty, not provided, improperly located
- Minor Improper thawing procedures used
- Minor Toilet facilities inadequate, inconvenient, dirty, in disrepair, toilet paper missing, not self-closing doors, missing hand wash signs
- 2024
- Passed Sep 18
Inspection
1 violation
- Minor Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
Nearby
BiteKarma scores around The Cellar Restaurant & Lounge on the River, which is the dark pin. Zoom in to see the dots' scores, and tap a pin marked + to see everything at that address.