[Editor’s note: The report mentioned here is from an inspection conducted on October 24 and may not represent the future health inspection status of the food establishment.]
The Philadelphia Department of Health recently inspected several food establishments across the city. A Mexican restaurant was cited for various food safety violations by the inspecting officers.
Fronterizo Restaurant

- Where: 1140, 1138 S 9th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
- When: October 24, 2025
A health inspection was conducted at the Fronterizo Restaurant on October 24, and the number of risk factor violations noted was 11. Here are all the violations that are cited in the report:
- The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of the Philadelphia Food Code.
- According to the report, the food facility does not have a Health Awareness Reporting Procedure for food employees.
- A food employee was observed eating food in the kitchen area.
- The facility did not provide adequate handwashing facilities, and this violation was corrected on-site.
- The report mentions that prepared beverages for sale in the retail reach-in were not labeled properly with the name of the product, ingredient statement, net weight, distributed by statement, and/or nutritional facts.
- A garbage grinder was installed on the food preparation sink instead of an indirect drain with a 1″ air gap.
- Temperature measuring devices for ensuring proper temperatures of food were not available and readily accessible.
- Visible physical evidence of insect activity (flies) was observed in the warewash area.
- The food facility lacked sanitizer test strips to monitor sanitizer concentration.

The complete list of all the violations cited at the restaurant is available here.
Follow-Up Inspection
The restaurant is expected to address the violations, as it was not in satisfactory compliance with the food code. Failure to correct violations might result in the revocation of the health license. The establishment also needs to submit a Plan Review Application to carry forward with the construction or renovation process.

