New York, NY — Three Manhattan restaurants received Grade B inspection scores on March 5, 2026, according to results published by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The establishments — spanning American, French, and Italian cuisines — recorded scores between 15 and 19 points, placing each within the Grade B range under the city's restaurant grading system. A recurring theme across the inspections was the failure to maintain properly cleaned and sanitized surfaces, a violation category that remains one of the most frequently cited across the five boroughs.
The Inspections
Casetta, an American restaurant located at 61 Hester Street in Lower Manhattan, recorded the highest score among the three establishments at 19 points. Inspectors documented violations related to non-food contact surfaces or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed and raised from the floor. Under NYC Health Code Article 81, restaurants are required to maintain all equipment and surfaces in good repair and in a sanitary condition. While non-food contact surface violations do not involve areas that directly touch food served to customers, they can indicate broader maintenance concerns within a kitchen environment. Casetta's grade is currently listed as pending.
Maison Patisserie, a French bakery and café situated at 750 8th Avenue near Times Square, received a score of 18 points. The inspection identified critical violations involving food contact surfaces that were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use. This violation was cited twice during the inspection, indicating that inspectors found the issue across multiple surfaces or pieces of equipment within the establishment. Under the FDA Food Code, food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized between uses, particularly when switching between different food types or after any activity that could introduce contamination. This category of violation is flagged as critical because improperly sanitized surfaces that come into direct contact with food can serve as a vehicle for bacterial contamination.
Altamirano's Italian Ristorante, located at 1479 York Avenue on the Upper East Side, recorded the lowest score of the group at 15 points, placing it just above the Grade A threshold. Inspectors noted violations involving non-food contact surfaces or equipment that were not kept clean or were made of unacceptable material. Similar to the findings at Casetta, the violations at Altamirano's centered on equipment maintenance and cleanliness standards rather than direct food handling concerns.
Common Patterns
The three restaurants inspected on March 5 share a notable pattern: all were cited for violations related to surface cleanliness and sanitation. Two of the three — Casetta and Altamirano's Italian Ristorante — received nearly identical citations for non-food contact surface violations, while Maison Patisserie was cited for the more serious food contact surface category.
The establishments represent three distinct cuisine types — American, French, and Italian — and are spread across different Manhattan neighborhoods, from the Lower East Side to Midtown West to the Upper East Side. This geographic and culinary diversity suggests that surface maintenance violations are not concentrated in any single neighborhood or restaurant type but rather reflect a common operational challenge across food service establishments.
The average score among the three restaurants was 17.3 points, placing the group squarely in the middle of the Grade B range. None of the restaurants scored above 19, indicating that while violations were documented, none approached the Grade C threshold of 28 points.
What This Means for Diners
A Grade B score indicates that a restaurant had violations that need to be corrected but do not pose an immediate threat to public health. Restaurants receiving a Grade B have the option to post the grade or request a re-inspection to attempt a higher score. The inspection results for all three establishments are publicly available through the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's restaurant inspection database.
Diners can look up any restaurant's inspection history, including specific violations cited and scores received over time, by visiting the department's online portal. Individual facility pages on NYCRestaurantInspections.com also provide detailed inspection histories for each establishment.
It is worth noting that a single inspection represents a snapshot of conditions on a particular day. Restaurants frequently address cited violations between inspections, and many establishments that receive Grade B scores on an initial inspection achieve Grade A results upon re-inspection.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assigns letter grades based on the total number of violation points recorded during an inspection. A score of 0 to 13 points earns a Grade A, indicating the restaurant is in substantial compliance with food safety regulations. A score of 14 to 27 points results in a Grade B, indicating violations that require correction. A score of 28 points or higher results in a Grade C, reflecting more significant concerns.
Violation points are assigned based on the nature and severity of each finding, with critical violations — those that directly contribute to foodborne illness risk — carrying higher point values than general violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection, and only the final grade must be posted in the establishment's window.
For the latest inspection results and restaurant grades, diners can visit the NYC Department of Health's online restaurant inspection portal or check individual facility pages on NYCRestaurantInspections.com.