RED MESA CANTINA
128 3 ST S, Saint Petersburg FL 33701 · 727-896-8226
Last inspected Apr 13, 2026 · 9 visits since October 2023
MAR 25
MAR 25
MAY 25
JUL 25
APR 26
— STEADY
5 inspections within 18 points of each other. Whatever this kitchen does, it does consistently.
Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. 1 live fly in kitchen by server expo line not landing on food or food contact surfaces.
★ Spotless◆ Clean streak● Perfect year✓ Never fined
Awarded on the inspection record alone. What they mean →
Disciplinary actions
1 case · $200
| Case | Violation date | Final order | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3--2016049681 | Sep 27, 2016 | Nov 18, 2016 | $200 |
Inspection history
9 visits, newest first
Apr 13, 2026Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 4 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
0 High priority3 Intermediate1 Basic
What the inspector wrote — 4 findings
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Can opener blade soiled with food debris. Item sent back to dish machine to be washed and sanitized.
Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed brown liquid substance and ice inside handsink at the end of cook line. Educated employees about the handsink only being used for handwashing purposes.
Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. Spray bottle labeled degreaser.
Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Interior of ice machine soiled with yellow, pink, and black substance.
Jul 1, 2025Inspection Completed - No Further ActionComplaint Investigation
Met inspection standards. 4 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
0 High priority0 Intermediate4 Basic
Show 4 findings ▾
Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Plastic cups at bar
Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Cooler in prep area
Waste line missing at soda gun holster. Outdoor bar
May 2, 2025Inspection Completed - No Further ActionComplaint Investigation (Partial)
Nothing was found. The inspector recorded no violations at all.
0 High priority0 Intermediate0 Basic
Mar 27, 2025Inspection Completed - No Further ActionComplaint Investigation (Partial)
Met inspection standards. 6 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
1 High priority1 Intermediate4 Basic
Show 6 findings ▾
Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Raw calamari over open fries in walk in freezer. Employee removed to raw to lower shelf.
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting boards soiled on cook line reach in coolers. Can opener soiled in prep area.
Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. 100 flies in sticky trap on wall in prep area. Employee removed sticky trap and discarded dead.
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Wet nesting of plastic pans on drying rack in prep room.
Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. Old date dot labels on clean plastic pans in drying rack. Employee removed to dish area to clean.
Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Standing water in reach in beer cooler in exterior bar area.
Mar 27, 2025□ Call Back - CompliedRoutine Inspection
A return visit. The problems from the previous inspection had been dealt with.
0 High priority0 Intermediate1 Basic
Show 1 finding ▾
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting.
Mar 12, 2025Warning IssuedRoutine Inspection
Violations found and a warning issued, with a return visit required. 4 recorded, 1 high priority.
1 High priority1 Intermediate2 Basic
Show 4 findings ▾
Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. flautas(55F - Cold Holding); pork (55F - Cold Holding); yucca fries (55F - Cold Holding); plantains (55F - Cold Holding Placed items in freezer for 15 mins. All foods 41f
Raw animal foods must be fully cooked prior to service. Consumer advisory needs to be better identified on menu.
Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting.
Unwashed fruits/vegetables stored with ready-to-eat food. Tuna moved out from under produce
Sep 9, 2024Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 6 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
1 High priority3 Intermediate2 Basic
Show 6 findings ▾
Heat strip failed to turn black to indicate the sanitization temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit was achieved on the dish surface and/or high temperature holding thermometer did not reach 160F. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired. High temperature dishwasher machine only reached 159.1 F after running more than 6 times. Sanitization will occur in three compartment sink at 200 ppm quaternary. Operator was able to get dish machine to work properly. Dish machine is now sanitizing at 161.6 F.
Food manager certification expired. A list of accredited food manager certification examination providers can be found at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/hotels-restaurants/food-lodging/food-manager/
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Green cutting boards on cook line have built up food debris. Can opener on prep table in rear part of kitchen has built up food debris.
Wash solution in spray type hot water sanitizing dishmachine not reaching proper temperature according to manufacturer's specifications. High temperature dishwasher machine only reached 159.1 F after running more than 6 times. Sanitization will occur in three compartment sink at 200 ppm quaternary. Operator was able to get dish machine to work properly. Dish machine is now sanitizing at 161.6 F.
Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Employee beverage on prep table across from walk in cooler. Manager removed.
Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning.
May 9, 2024Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 24 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
8 High priority5 Intermediate11 Basic
Show 24 findings ▾
Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food.
Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Dishwasher goes from scraping dirty dishes to putting away clean dishes with no hand wash.
Heat strip failed to turn black to indicate the sanitization temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit was achieved on the dish surface and/or high temperature holding thermometer did not reach 160F. Discontinue use of dishmachine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dishmachine is repaired. High temperature dishwasher machine only reaches 154.7 F. Maintenance fixed booster and temperature taken again reached 159.3 F.
Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. 1 live fly in kitchen by server expo line not landing on food or food contact surfaces.
Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Employee on cook line was working with raw beef with the spatula and dipped the spatula in the salt container to add salt. Inspector discussed with Certified Food Manager.
Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Raw beef, ham, and refried beans vacuum sealed and stored in walk in freezer without a HAACP plan for more than 48 hours. 17 packages of flan marked more than 7 days.
Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In reach in cooler underneath cook top: cooked beef (48F - Cold Holding); raw beef (48F - Cold Holding); raw shrimp (48F - Cold Holding) temperatures taken at 2:00 pm. Temperatures taken again at 2:40 pm: cooked beef (42F - Cold Holding); raw beef (42F - Cold Holding); raw shrimp (43F - Cold Holding)
Wiping cloth solution exceeding the maximum concentration allowed stored in a location that could result in the cross contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens, single-service, or single-use articles. Wiping cloth solution over 400 ppm quaternary. Corrected to 200 ppm quaternary.
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Cutting boards on cook line have built up food debris. Can opener in prep table behind cook line has built up food debris.
Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Hand wash sink on cook line used to fill pan. Hand wash sink in outdoor bar used to dump straws.
No measuring device available for measuring utensil surface temperature when using hot water as sanitizer in a dishmachine.
No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink in bar area. Manager replaced.
Wash solution in spray type hot water sanitizing dishmachine not reaching proper temperature according to manufacturer's specifications.
Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Interior of ice machine has mold like substance.
Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed.
Employee drinking from an unenclosed beverage container in a food preparation/clean dishware area and the container does not have a dispensing mechanism to prevent hand contact with lip contact area of drink container. Open container of water above dish machine. Employee removed.
Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation.
In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Knives stored in between reach in cooler and door.
Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. Microwave oven on cook line has built up food debris.
Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Light fixtures over bar have dust and other debris.
Silverware/utensils stored upright with the food-contact surface up. Spoons in cook line stored with food contact surfaces upright.
Single-service articles not stored inverted or protected from contamination. Coffee filters in kitchen not covered for protection. Manager stored correctly.
Time/temperature control for safety food packaged using a reduced oxygen method without a HACCP plan not properly labeled with the production time and date. Raw beef vacuum sealed and held under refrigeration in walk in cooler with no date, time or product information.
Time/temperature control for safety food packaged using a reduced oxygen method without a HACCP plan not removed from its package within 48 hours after packaging. Raw beef, ham, and refried beans vacuum sealed and stored in walk in freezer without a HAACP plan for more than 48 hours.
Oct 26, 2023Inspection Completed - No Further ActionRoutine Inspection
Met inspection standards. 2 violations recorded, none serious enough to require a return visit.
0 High priority1 Intermediate1 Basic
Show 2 findings ▾
Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Green cutting board on cook line across from fryers has built up food debris.
Employee with no beard guard/restraint while engaging in food preparation. Employee preparing food on cook line with no beard guard.
This record follows the licence, not the owner. Restaurants change hands and the licence history normally does not, so an older entry may describe people who no longer run the place. Every inspection above links to the state's own report. Something wrong? Tell us.