4 Manhattan Restaurants Receive Grade B Scores March 18

New York, NY — New York City health inspectors documented Grade B-level violations at four Manhattan restaurants on March 18, 2026, with scores ranging from 16 to 20 points. Temperature control failures emerged as the dominant issue, cited at three of the four establishments. The average score across the group was 18 points, placing all four squarely in the Grade B range under the city's restaurant grading system.

The inspected restaurants span a range of cuisines — from pizza and salads to tea service and American dining — and are located across different Manhattan neighborhoods, including the Lower East Side, Tribeca, Washington Heights, and SoHo.

The Inspections

Cozy Tea, a tea-focused establishment at 447 Broadway in SoHo, received the highest score of the group at 20 points. Inspectors cited the restaurant for a critical violation: no Food Protection Certificate was held by a manager or supervisor of food operations. Under NYC Health Code Article 81, every food service establishment must have at least one supervisory employee on-site who holds a valid Food Protection Certificate issued by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The absence of a certified supervisor raises concerns about whether staff have adequate training in safe food handling, allergen awareness, and contamination prevention.

The Faculty Club (Columbia University), located at 630 West 168th Street in Washington Heights, received a score of 18 points. The American-cuisine dining facility was cited for a critical temperature control violation: hot Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) food items were not held at or above 140 °F. The FDA Food Code requires that hot TCS foods — items such as cooked meats, soups, and prepared dishes — be maintained at 140 °F or higher to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. When food falls below this threshold, it enters the temperature danger zone between 41 °F and 140 °F, where pathogens can multiply rapidly.

Four Guys Pizza, a pizzeria at 223 Madison Street on the Lower East Side, also scored 18 points but was cited for multiple violations. Like The Faculty Club, inspectors documented hot TCS food items not held at the required 140 °F minimum. Additionally, the restaurant received citations for personal cleanliness violations — including an outer garment soiled with a possible contaminant and failure to wear an effective hair restraint — as well as a failure to post required healthy eating information. The combination of temperature control and personal hygiene violations at a single establishment is notable, as both categories relate directly to food contamination risk.

Chop't, the salad chain location at 370 Greenwich Street in Tribeca, received the lowest score of the group at 16 points. Inspectors cited the restaurant for cold TCS food items held above 41 °F. For a salad-focused restaurant that relies heavily on fresh, cold ingredients — leafy greens, dressings, proteins, and prepared toppings — maintaining proper cold holding temperatures is particularly critical. The FDA Food Code mandates that cold TCS items be kept at 41 °F or below to inhibit bacterial growth, a standard that is foundational to the safe service of uncooked and minimally processed foods.

Common Patterns

The most prominent trend across these four inspections is the prevalence of temperature control violations. Three of the four restaurants — The Faculty Club, Four Guys Pizza, and Chop't — were cited for failing to maintain TCS food items at required temperatures. Whether involving hot foods dropping below 140 °F or cold foods rising above 41 °F, these violations all point to the same underlying issue: lapses in the monitoring and maintenance of food storage and holding temperatures.

The restaurants represent a diverse cross-section of Manhattan's dining landscape. The group includes a national salad chain, a university dining facility, an independent pizzeria, and a specialty tea shop. This variety suggests that temperature control challenges are not confined to any single type of establishment or price point — they are a systemic concern across food service operations of all kinds.

Geographically, the four restaurants are spread across Manhattan from the Lower East Side to Washington Heights, with two located in the downtown area near SoHo and Tribeca. No single neighborhood cluster emerges from this day's results.

What This Means for Diners

A Grade B score, which corresponds to 14 to 27 violation points, indicates that a restaurant had conditions that need correction but do not necessarily represent an imminent health hazard. Many of the violations documented on March 18 are correctable through improved staff training, better equipment maintenance, and more diligent temperature monitoring throughout service.

Diners can look up the inspection history of any New York City restaurant through the city's online restaurant inspection database or by checking the letter grade posted at the entrance of the establishment. Grades must be displayed publicly as required by the NYC Health Department's grading program, which launched in 2010.

It is worth noting that three of the four restaurants listed above show a grade of "N" rather than a posted letter, and one shows "Pending." An "N" designation indicates that the grade has not yet been officially assigned, which can occur when a restaurant is in the adjudication process or awaiting a re-inspection. Restaurants have the right to contest their inspection results through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) before a final grade is posted.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on the total violation points accumulated during an inspection. A Grade A corresponds to 0 to 13 points and represents the highest level of compliance. A Grade B falls between 14 and 27 points, indicating moderate violations that require attention. A Grade C is assigned when a restaurant accumulates 28 or more points, reflecting more serious or numerous compliance failures.

Inspectors evaluate restaurants across a range of categories including food temperature control, personal hygiene, facility maintenance, pest activity, and proper food handling procedures. Critical violations — those that directly contribute to foodborne illness risk — carry higher point values than general violations.

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducts unannounced inspections of the city's approximately 27,000 restaurants at least once per inspection cycle. Restaurants that score 14 or above on an initial inspection are eligible for a re-inspection, during which they can improve their score and earn a higher grade.

For more information on restaurant inspection results, diners can visit the NYC Department of Health's restaurant grading page or search individual establishments on the city's open data portal.