A Philadelphia Seafood Restaurant Was Cited for Unsatisfactory Conditions

[Editor’s note: The report referenced in this article reflects conditions observed during an inspection conducted on June 16 and does not represent the establishment’s current or future status.]

A routine health inspection was conducted at Cameron’s Seafood restaurant on June 16. The Philadelphia Health Department noted several health and safety code violations during the inspection.

WhatNow has reached out to the restaurant for comment and will update the story upon receiving a response.

Cameron’s Seafood

Screenshot of the inspection report — A screenshot of the inspection report of Cameron’s Seafood restaurant (Image Credit: philadelphia-pa.healthinspections.us)

When: June 16, 2026

Where: 1600 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130, United States

Cameron’s Seafood is a seafood carry-out restaurant and market. According to the official inspection report, the violations included:

Open employee drinks were observed in the POS prep area. The beverage was left without a cover and was discarded on site.
An employee was observed washing their hands in a three-basin sink rather than at a designated handwashing sink. During the inspection, the staff was advised to use the designated handwashing sink to wash their hands.
Two dented canned items were found in the basement storage area. The cans were separated during the inspection.
The restaurant stored cases of raw shell eggs above vegetables in the walk-in cooler. The staff was asked to properly organize the food items during the inspection.
The report noted black specs and brown residue on the interior of the ice machine bin near the back tray and side knobs. Build-up residue was also found on the tip of the can opener. Staff were advised to wash, rinse, and sanitize the food contact surfaces.
In a 3-bay warewashing sink’s sanitizing solution, the quaternary ammonium concentration was measured at 100 ppm instead of 200-400 ppm as required. The report instructed the staff to add more sanitizer, and it was retested at 200 ppm during the inspection.
One of the employees’ personal coffee maker and personal items were found in the POS prep area. The staff was asked to store personal items in a separate space to prevent contamination. The items were relocated during the inspection.
Required temperature measuring devices to measure the temperature of equipment were not present in the cold holding units.

Cameron’s Seafood was flagged for improper storage of food and insect activity. — Screenshot of the violations mentioned in the inspection report (Image Credit: philadelphia-pa.healthinspections.us)

The report documented insect activity in the food prep area, including the presence of large flies.
The restaurant did not have a sneeze guard or any type of protection from patron contamination at the scale on top of the closed display case in the POS prep area.
Single-service articles, like food containers, were stored uncovered and uninverted. Cutting boards had deep scratches and scoring, which prevented effective cleaning and sanitizing.
The open display case in the patron area had missing protective curtains, and the shelves in the walk-in cooler had rust.
Handles of the cold prep refrigerator had residue, and the interior bottom of the reach-in freezers in the facility had food debris.
The soil line in the basement area and exterior of the grease trap had rust. A drainage pipe near the grease trap in the warewashing area had a leak.
The report stated that large flies and a severe odor were present at the exterior dumpster. Additionally, residue was noted on the ground under the exterior dumpster.
An unused tank was kept under the front display case. Grime and debris were observed on the floor in the prep areas, and the floor under the 3-basin sink had standing water. Debris was also found on the floor in the basement area.
A strong odor was observed in the front basement area, and a fish odor was present throughout the restaurant.
The prep and walking spaces of the facility had worn-down flooring and bare wood steps that were noted leading down to the basement area. Unfinished ceilings with exposed support beams were also observed in the basement area.
Brooms and dustpans were kept on the floor and not elevated properly for floor cleaning. A single open burner was not located within 6 inches of the mechanical ventilation hood. A light at the mechanical ventilation hood was not operable.
The person in charge had not posted required “No Smoking” signs.
A restaurant producing grindable waste is required to install a garbage grinder properly to recycle/dispose of the waste. Dumpsters should not be used for the grindable garbage disposal. The inspection report found a functional garbage grinder installed in the facility. However, the staff was disposing of the grindable waste in the trash can rather than using the garbage grinder.

For more information, a detailed inspection report is available here.

Follow-up Inspection

Screenshot of the comments mentioned in the inspection report — A screenshot of the comments noted in the Cameron’s Seafood restaurant inspection report (Image Credit: philadelphia-pa.healthinspections.us)

According to the inspection report, the restaurant was cited for unsatisfactory conditions. The restaurant is required to correct all the violations before requesting a reinspection. A follow-up inspection will be conducted to verify the compliance.