Alchemy Coffee

119 S 21St St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Café / Breakfast

Last inspected: Mar 2, 2026

Score

Low Risk

Alchemy Coffee appears in inspection records four times, starting in 2023. The most recent report on file is from Mar 2, 2026. A low risk tier reflects an inspection that turned up minimal issues.

Performance has remained roughly level over recent inspections, averaging near five violations each time.

“Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean” comes up most often, recorded three times in the inspection record.

The city-wide average for Philadelphia sits at 72, putting Alchemy Coffee on the better side of that line. The record reflects steady performance over time.

Inspections

Critical latest

Major latest

Minor latest

Inspection History

Mar 2, 2026

Routine

5 minor violations.

View 5 violations

Adequate ventilation & lighting; designated areas used

Inspector notes: Lights in the restroom are not shielded from breakage. New Violation.

46.922(a)

Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used

Inspector notes: -Domestic chest freezers are not NSF/ANSI approved. -Base coving observed behind food preparation sink. New Violation.

46.671

Warewashing facilities: installed, maintained, & used; test strips

Inspector notes: Food facility lacks sanitizer test strips to monitor sanitizer concentration. New Violation.

46.634

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector notes: -Coffee grinds and dust observed on cabinet shelving surfaces. -Food debris observed under table top oven. -Interior surfaces of cabinet under hand wash sink is not clean on sight. New Violation.

46.714

Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean

Inspector notes: Debris observed on floor behind and around equipment and in corners. New Violation.

46.981(a)(b)(c)(g)(n)

Apr 28, 2025

Routine

2 critical violations. 3 minor violations. 2 corrected on site.

View 5 violations

Proper date marking & disposition (corrected on site)

Inspector notes: Cheese opened commercially processed ready to eat food, located in the cold preparation unit, and held more than 48 hours, was not marked with the date it was opened. Corrective action was taken and food was date marked.

46.385(b)

Proper cold holding temperature (corrected on site)

Inspector notes: Milk was held at 50 degrees F rather than 45 degrees F or below as required. Corrective action was taken and milk was discarded.

46.385(a)(2)

Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used

Inspector notes: Manufacturing tape on shelving and refrigerators, is not smooth, easily cleanable and resistant to pitting, cracking, or scratching. New Violation.

46.522

Non-food contact surfaces clean

Inspector notes: -Food residue observed on exterior surfaces of bulk containers. -Coffee grinds and dust observed on cabinet shelving surfaces. -Dust observed on basement storage shelving. New Violation.

46.714

Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean

Inspector notes: Debris observed on floor behind and around equipment and in corners. New Violation.

46.981(a)(b)(c)(g)(n)

Apr 5, 2024

Routine

4 minor violations.

View 4 violations

Contamination prevented during food preparation, storage & display

Inspector notes: Splash guard was not observed between ice machine and utility sink. New Violation.

46.321

Single-use & single-service articles: properly stored & used

Inspector notes: Single service articles were not stored at least 6 inches from ground. New Violation.

46.774

Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed, & used

Inspector notes: Raw wood pallets used for elevation is not is not smooth, easily cleanable and resistant to pitting, cracking, or scratching. New Violation.

46.522

Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean

Inspector notes: Debris observed on floor behind and around equipment in corners and under equipment. New Violation.

46.981(a)(b)(c)(g)(n)

Apr 28, 2023

Routine

1 critical violation. 1 major violation. 2 minor violations. 2 corrected on site.

View 4 violations

Toxic substances properly identified, stored & used (corrected on site)

Inspector notes: Employee medicines and personal hygiene products stored in warewash area, and were not stored to prevent the contamination of food, equipment or utensils. Person in Charge took corrective action and relocated item.

46.1029

Food-contact surfaces: cleaned & sanitized (corrected on site)

Inspector notes: The quarternary ammonia concentration in the sanitizing solution of the 3-bay warewash sink was 100 ppm, rather than 200 ppm as stated on the manufacturer's use directions. Person in Charge took corrective action and added more sanitizer.

46.674(d)(e)

Single-use & single-service articles: properly stored & used

Inspector notes: Single service articles were not stored at least 6 inches from ground. New Violation.

46.774

Physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean

Inspector notes: A maintenance rack was not observed to store maintenance tools. New Violation.

46.981(e)(m)

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Alchemy Coffee last inspected?

The most recent health inspection at Alchemy Coffee on file is from Mar 2, 2026. The public record contains four inspections in total.

What is the most common violation at Alchemy Coffee?

Across the inspection record, “physical facilities installed, maintained, & clean” has been cited three times, more than any other issue at Alchemy Coffee.

Has Alchemy Coffee's inspection record improved over time?

Results have been roughly steady. Inspections at Alchemy Coffee have averaged around five violations per visit across the recent record.

What does a low risk rating mean?

A low risk rating at Alchemy Coffee means inspectors found minimal or no significant issues at the most recent visit. Most facilities at this tier have a clean recent inspection report.

How often is Alchemy Coffee inspected?

Based on the inspection history on file, Alchemy Coffee is inspected roughly once per year on average.

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