[Editor’s note: The report mentioned here is from inspections conducted on July 9 and may not represent the future health inspection status of the food establishments.]
A routine inspection was conducted at Philadelphia’s Ants Pants Cafe on July 9. The Philadelphia Department of Health flagged the restaurant for multiple health code violations.
The inspection report identified violations, including improper food holding temperatures, grease buildup, and missing temperature-measuring devices.
WhatNow has reached out to the restaurant for comment and will update the story upon receiving a response.
Ants Pants Cafe
When: July 9, 2026
Where: 2212 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19146, United States
Ants Pants Cafe is an Australian-style brunch restaurant. It is known for serving croissant sandwiches, hash browns, and more signature brunch dishes. According to the official inspection report, the violations included the following:
- The PIC arrived in the restaurant during the inspection. The report stated that the PIC was required to be present at the food facility during all hours of operation.
- The inspection report noted that eggs were stored above ready-to-eat food in the under-counter refrigerator by the POS station. The employees were instructed to relocate the eggs during the inspection.
- The sanitizing solution of the 3-bay warewashing sink had a 100 ppm quaternary ammonium concentration. The required measurement according to the manufacturer’s guidelines is 200 ppm. The staff was directed to prepare fresh sanitizer.
- Cut tomatoes, spring mix, bacon, and ham were stored between 45°F and 61°F instead of the required temperature of 41°F or below. Eggs were kept at 61°F instead of 45°F or below as required. The staff was instructed to relocate the food items to another refrigerator to bring food temperatures down. The spring mix was discarded during the inspection.
- The temperature-measuring devices to ensure proper temperature of equipment were not available or were accessible only in refrigerators.
- The garbage grinder was installed on a shallow wall-mounted handwashing sink. A non-ANSI sanitation-approved chest freezer and refrigerator were also found in the restaurant.
- The report also noted a non-NSF/ANSI-approved ice cooler that was being used to hold ice. The reach-in refrigerator in the basement had damaged shelving.
- Debris and grease buildup were found under the table-top griddle, under food equipment in the preparation area, and accumulated ice in the chest freezers.
- The basement storage area also had debris buildup.
- One of the two cold preparation refrigerators did not maintain the temperature of 41°F or below.
A detailed inspection report is available here.
Follow-Up Inspection
According to the report, the restaurant was required to correct the violations before requesting a reinspection. The report also stated that a follow-up inspection was scheduled to assess compliance.
