Manhattan, NY — Ipizzany, a pizza restaurant located at 658 9th Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, received a score of 37 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 18, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, with inspectors documenting live cockroaches on the premises along with improper food thawing procedures.
The inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 20, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The most serious finding during the March 18 inspection was a critical violation: the presence of live roaches in the facility's food or non-food areas, cited under violation code 04M. The presence of live cockroaches in a food service establishment is classified as a critical violation because of the direct risk these pests pose to food safety. Cockroaches can carry pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria that cause foodborne illness.
Inspectors also documented a non-critical violation under code 09B for improper thawing procedures. Proper thawing methods — which include refrigerator thawing, cold running water thawing, and microwave thawing as part of immediate cooking — are established food safety protocols designed to prevent bacterial growth during the transition from frozen to ready-to-prepare temperatures.
Together, these two violations resulted in the 37-point score, well above the 28-point threshold for a Grade C designation.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the regulatory framework for food service establishments operating in the five boroughs. Under these regulations, DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections of approximately 27,000 restaurants across New York City. Violations are assigned point values based on their severity and potential risk to public health, with critical violations carrying higher point values than general (non-critical) violations.
The FDA Food Code, which informs local health regulations nationwide, classifies pest activity as a priority violation due to the contamination risks associated with insects in food preparation and storage environments. Establishments are required to maintain pest management programs and ensure that the facility is free of vermin activity.
Improper thawing is addressed in both the FDA Food Code and NYC Health Code as a potential contributor to the temperature abuse of food, which can allow pathogenic bacteria to multiply to dangerous levels.
Inspection History
The March 2026 inspection continues a pattern of elevated scores for Ipizzany. The restaurant's inspection record over the past several years shows recurring difficulty meeting health code standards:
- September 29, 2025: Score 31 (Grade C)
- March 4, 2025: Score 21
- May 22, 2024: Score 28 (Grade C)
- December 12, 2023: Score 22
The current score of 37 is the highest (worst) the restaurant has received in this recorded history. Ipizzany has now received a Grade C score in three of its last four inspection cycles, with scores of 28, 31, and now 37. The two inspections where the restaurant scored below the Grade C threshold — 22 in December 2023 and 21 in March 2025 — still fell within Grade B range, meaning the establishment has not achieved a Grade A score in any of its last four recorded inspections.
The upward trend in scores suggests that persistent compliance challenges remain unresolved at this location.
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:
- Grade A: 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Lower scores indicate fewer and less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection or adjudication hearing through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). Grade cards must be posted in a conspicuous location near the entrance of the establishment.
Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the NYC Open Data portal. The database is updated regularly as new inspection data is processed and released.
For diners with questions about food safety practices at any NYC restaurant, DOHMH operates a complaint line at 311, where concerns about food establishments can be reported for follow-up inspection.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Ipizzany including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.