New York, NY — Five Manhattan restaurants were assigned Grade B scores by New York City Health inspectors on March 30, 2026, with an average score of 17.4 across the group. The inspections flagged a range of violations, from rodent activity to cold food temperature failures, none rising to the level of an immediate public health emergency but all requiring corrective action.
The Inspections
On the Upper West Side, Amorino at 414 Amsterdam Avenue received a score of 15, placing it at the lower end of the Grade B range. Inspectors documented evidence of rats or live rats in the establishment's food and non-food areas, a critical violation under NYC Health Code Article 81. The gelato and frozen desserts shop, a franchise location, now holds a Grade N designation, indicating a re-inspection is pending.
Also receiving a score of 15 was Altamirano's Italian Ristorante at 1479 York Avenue on the Upper East Side. Inspectors cited the kitchen for a missing or non-functional anti-siphon or back-flow prevention device, and noted that equipment and flooring were not properly drained, with sewer-related concerns also recorded. While not classified as a critical violation, plumbing deficiencies of this type can contribute to contamination risk if left unaddressed. The restaurant also holds a Grade N pending re-inspection.
In East Village, Crif Dogs / Please Don't Tell at 113 Saint Marks Place scored 19, the second-highest among the group. The popular hot dog counter and speakeasy bar received two critical violations under the same category: raw, cooked, or prepared food found adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) standards. Cross-contamination violations indicate a breakdown in food handling procedures that can allow pathogens to spread between raw and ready-to-eat items. The establishment currently carries a Grade Z designation.
On West 56th Street in Midtown, Tina's received a score of 18. The Spanish cuisine restaurant was cited twice for the same critical violation: cold TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) food items held above 41°F, the maximum permitted temperature under FDA Food Code standards. Maintaining cold foods at or below 41°F is essential to preventing bacterial growth in perishable items. Tina's currently has a Grade Pending designation while the score is under review.
In Harlem, Bixi at 2164 Frederick Douglass Boulevard scored 20, the highest among the five restaurants inspected that day. Inspectors recorded a critical violation for evidence of rats or live rats in the establishment's food and non-food areas. The American cuisine restaurant holds a Grade N designation pending re-inspection.
Common Patterns
Several notable patterns emerge from the March 30 inspections. Two of the five restaurants, Bixi and Amorino, received identical critical violations for rodent evidence, despite operating in different neighborhoods and cuisine categories. Rodent activity is among the more serious violation types in the NYC grading system, as it signals potential contamination of food contact surfaces and storage areas.
Temperature control failures were the second recurring theme. Tina's was cited twice for cold food held above the 41°F threshold, a violation directly tied to food safety protocols governing perishable storage. Cross-contamination, documented at Crif Dogs / Please Don't Tell, represents a third distinct food handling failure category.
The five establishments span a broad range of cuisine types, including American, hot dogs, Spanish, Italian, and frozen desserts, suggesting that the violations identified on this date are not concentrated in any single category of food service operation. Geographically, the restaurants are spread across four Manhattan neighborhoods: Harlem, East Village, Midtown, and the Upper East and Upper West Sides.
What This Means for Diners
A Grade B in New York City does not indicate that a restaurant is closed or that food served there will cause illness. It means the establishment accumulated between 14 and 27 violation points during inspection and is required to correct those violations before a follow-up inspection determines whether a letter grade is posted or revised.
Restaurants in the Grade B range often address identified violations quickly. Follow-up inspections typically occur within 30 to 45 days of an initial inspection where a grade of B or lower is recorded. Diners who want to review current inspection results for any restaurant in the city can do so through the NYC Department of Health's restaurant inspection search tool, available at nyc.gov/health.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered under Health Code Article 81, assigns numeric scores based on the number and severity of violations found during unannounced inspections. Scores translate to letter grades as follows:
- Grade A: 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Critical violations, such as rodent evidence or improper food temperatures, carry higher point values than general violations. A single critical violation can push a score into Grade B territory on its own. Establishments that receive a score in the B or C range during an initial inspection are not required to post that grade immediately. Instead, they may request a re-inspection, and the resulting grade from that second visit is what gets posted publicly.
Designations like Grade N (not yet graded) and Grade Z or Pending reflect the stage of the inspection and re-inspection process rather than a final assessment of the establishment's compliance.
Diners can find complete inspection histories, including violation descriptions and scores, for any NYC restaurant at the NYC Health Department's online portal. The Environmental Health Division also accepts complaints about restaurant conditions through 311.