Bronx, NY — Hasan Halal Chinese, a Pakistani restaurant located at 2060 McGraw Avenue in the Bronx, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene following an inspection conducted on June 16, 2026. The restaurant received a score of 73 points, placing it firmly in C-grade territory, after inspectors documented a critical food temperature violation.

The closure was ordered after violations requiring immediate action were identified. According to DOHMH records, those violations were addressed on-site before the inspection was concluded, which is standard procedure in closure actions of this type. Data from the inspection was released by the department on June 18, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the June 16 visit:

Code 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140°F.

TCS stands for Time/Temperature Control for Safety — a designation applied to foods that require careful temperature management to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, hot TCS foods must be maintained at or above 140°F at all times when held for service. Foods that fall below this threshold enter a temperature range in which pathogens such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus can multiply rapidly.

Common examples of hot TCS foods include cooked meats, poultry, rice, beans, soups, and stews — items frequently found in Pakistani and halal cuisine. Inspectors did not specify which food item or items were found out of temperature range in the public record.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

The 140°F minimum holding temperature for hot foods is not an arbitrary threshold. It is grounded in decades of food safety science and codified in both federal and local regulations. The FDA Food Code, which forms the basis for New York City's restaurant inspection standards, establishes a "danger zone" between 41°F and 140°F in which bacterial growth occurs most rapidly. Hot foods left in this range for extended periods can pose a direct risk to consumer health.

NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food service establishments in the five boroughs and gives the DOHMH authority to order an immediate closure when inspectors determine that conditions present a public health hazard. A closure order requires that the establishment cease operations until the identified conditions are corrected and a re-inspection confirms compliance.

A score of 73 points is significantly above the thresholds for both B-grade (14-27 points) and C-grade (28 or more points) status. Under the city's grading system, each violation category carries a point value based on its severity and the potential risk it poses to public health. Critical violations — those most directly linked to foodborne illness — carry higher point values than non-critical violations.

Inspection History

The June 16, 2026, closure was not Hasan Halal Chinese's first encounter with the city's inspection program. A review of DOHMH records shows the following prior inspection activity:

  • December 11, 2025: Score 25 (Grade N)

A "Grade N" designation is assigned when a restaurant's score falls in the B or C range during an initial inspection cycle. Rather than immediately receiving a letter grade, the restaurant is given an opportunity to correct violations and undergo a re-inspection, at which point a letter grade is assigned based on the follow-up score. A score of 25 in December 2025 placed the restaurant just inside B-grade range at that time.

The progression from a score of 25 in December 2025 to a score of 73 in June 2026 — and an accompanying closure — represents a significant change in inspection outcomes over roughly six months.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City requires restaurants to post their most recent inspection grade in a location visible to the public. The grading scale is as follows:

  • A: Score of 0 to 13 points — the highest rating, indicating minimal violations
  • B: Score of 14 to 27 points — indicates violations were found but at a moderate level
  • C: Score of 28 or more points — indicates a higher number or severity of violations

Grades are based on the score received during the initial inspection in a given cycle. If a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial visit, it receives a Grade Pending card while it awaits a re-inspection. The letter grade displayed after re-inspection reflects that follow-up score.

Restaurants closed by the DOHMH must resolve all conditions that led to the closure before they are permitted to reopen. A subsequent inspection is required to verify that corrections have been made.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Hasan Halal Chinese including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.