Manhattan, NY — Fresh Kitchen, an American restaurant at 265 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, received a Grade C score of 31 following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 26, 2026. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 7, 2026.

The single critical violation documented during the inspection places the restaurant in the lowest publicly graded tier under New York City's restaurant grading system.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March visit, citing Code 02G: cold temperature control for safety (TCS) food items held above the required 41°F threshold. Under this code, violations may also include smoked or processed fish held above 38°F, intact raw eggs held above 45°F, or reduced oxygen packaged TCS foods held above required temperatures outside of active necessary preparation.

No non-critical violations were recorded during the same inspection.

Temperature control violations in the critical category are flagged because harmful pathogens — including Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli — can multiply rapidly in perishable foods held outside of safe temperature ranges. The critical designation reflects the direct potential link between the violation and foodborne illness risk.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the food safety standards that all permitted food service establishments in New York City must meet. Temperature control for safety foods — those capable of supporting bacterial growth — must be held at or below 41°F when cold, or at or above 140°F when hot, in accordance with Article 81 and the FDA Food Code.

A single critical violation is sufficient to produce a score that falls in Grade C territory. Under DOHMH's scoring system, each violation type carries a point value based on its potential public health risk. Critical violations, which present a more direct risk of foodborne illness, carry higher point values than non-critical violations.

Restaurants that receive a score in the Grade C range during an initial inspection cycle may request a re-inspection. The grade posted publicly reflects the most recent completed inspection cycle result.

Inspection History

Fresh Kitchen's recent inspection record shows a notable shift from prior performance:

  • 2026-04-02: Score 31 (Grade Z — grade pending)
  • 2026-01-30: Score 38
  • 2024-07-03: Score 4 (Grade A)
  • 2023-05-19: Score 8 (Grade A)
  • 2023-04-10: Score 26

The restaurant earned Grade A scores in both 2023 and 2024, with scores of 8 and 4 respectively — well within the top performance tier. The April 2023 inspection recorded a score of 26, just below the Grade C threshold. The January 2026 inspection recorded a score of 38, and the most recent inspection cycle placed the restaurant at 31.

Grade Z designations are typically assigned when a restaurant is in the process of an inspection cycle and a final grade has not yet been publicly posted.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns grades based on the total score accumulated during an inspection cycle:

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points — meets food safety standards
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points — some violations identified
  • Grade C: Score of 28 or more points — significant violations identified

Grades must be posted visibly at the entrance of all food service establishments. Consumers can look up the full inspection history of any permitted restaurant, including violation details, through the DOHMH's online Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health.

Members of the public who have concerns about a food service establishment may file a complaint with DOHMH directly through NYC 311.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Fresh Kitchen including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.