Manhattan, NY — Hyderabadi Zaiqa, an Indian restaurant located at 785 9th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, received a score of 47 points during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on February 25, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, the lowest grade in the city's restaurant grading system. Inspectors documented one critical violation related to evidence of rats on the premises.
The inspection data was released by DOHMH on February 27, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
During the February 25 inspection, DOHMH inspectors cited Hyderabadi Zaiqa for a single critical violation under code 04K: evidence of rats or live rats in the establishment's food or non-food areas.
Rodent activity is classified as a critical violation under NYC's restaurant inspection framework because of the direct public health risks it presents. Rats can contaminate food, food preparation surfaces, and storage areas with pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and Leptospira bacteria. Evidence of rodent activity may include droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails along walls and baseboards, nesting materials, or sightings of live or dead rodents.
While only one violation was recorded during this inspection, the score of 47 points indicates the condition was assessed as severe. Under the DOHMH scoring system, individual violations carry different point values based on their nature and severity, and a single critical violation involving rodent activity can result in a substantial point assessment depending on the extent of the evidence documented.
The inspection resulted in violations being cited, and the restaurant was not ordered closed at the time of the inspection.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the sanitary standards that all food service establishments in New York City must meet. Under these regulations, food establishments are required to maintain premises free of vermin, including rats, mice, roaches, and flies. Operators must implement pest management programs and address any conditions that may attract or harbor pests, such as gaps in walls, improper food storage, or inadequate waste management.
The FDA Food Code, which serves as the basis for many local food safety regulations nationwide, similarly classifies the presence of rodents in a food establishment as a critical risk factor. The FDA identifies pest activity as a condition that can directly contribute to foodborne illness and requires immediate corrective action.
Restaurants cited for rodent-related violations are typically required to engage licensed pest control operators, eliminate entry points, and address sanitation conditions that may contribute to pest activity. Follow-up inspections are conducted by DOHMH to verify that corrective actions have been taken.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available for Hyderabadi Zaiqa in the DOHMH public database. This may indicate that the February 25, 2026 inspection was the establishment's initial inspection, or that prior records are not currently reflected in the publicly available dataset.
The absence of prior inspection data means there is no baseline for comparison regarding the restaurant's food safety track record. Future inspections will provide additional context about whether the conditions documented on February 25 are addressed and whether the establishment maintains compliance with health code requirements.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total violation points accumulated during an inspection. The scoring thresholds are:
- Grade A: 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Hyderabadi Zaiqa's score of 47 points falls into the Grade C range, exceeding the 28-point threshold by 19 points. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection, during which a new score is assessed. The restaurant posts the grade from whichever inspection produced the better result.
Grade cards are required to be posted at the entrance of the establishment where they are visible to the public prior to entering.
Consumers can look up inspection results for any restaurant in New York City through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online. The database includes current grades, inspection dates, violation details, and enforcement actions for all inspected food service establishments in the five boroughs.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Hyderabadi Zaiqa including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.