Manhattan, NY — Jarto'e Sazon, a Latin American restaurant at 554 West 181st Street in Washington Heights, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted April 6, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 31, with two critical violations and no non-critical violations noted. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 8, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors cited two critical violations during the April inspection.
The first involved food obtained from an unapproved or unknown source, identified under Code 03A. NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code require that all food served to the public be sourced from licensed, regulated suppliers. Food from unverified sources cannot be confirmed as safe, properly handled, or free from contamination during production or transport.
The second critical violation, cited under Code 02G, documented cold temperature control failures. Inspectors found temperature-sensitive (TCS) food items held above 41°F, the maximum safe holding temperature for cold foods under city and federal food safety standards. Maintaining proper cold storage temperatures is a core food safety requirement because bacterial growth accelerates rapidly in the 41°F–135°F range, commonly referred to as the "temperature danger zone" under the FDA Food Code.
No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Critical violations are those most directly associated with foodborne illness risk. Under NYC's inspection scoring system, each violation carries a point value, and critical violations are assigned higher point values than non-critical ones. A score of 31 places the establishment in the Grade C range.
NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food safety requirements for all city restaurants, covering food sourcing, storage temperatures, personal hygiene, facility conditions, and more. The FDA Food Code, which New York City's regulations align with, establishes the national science-based framework for safe food handling in retail and food service settings.
Food obtained from unapproved sources is a particular concern because such food bypasses the regulatory oversight that applies to licensed suppliers, including inspections, temperature monitoring during transport, and verified processing conditions.
Inspection History
Jarto'e Sazon has had a variable inspection record in recent cycles:
- May 19, 2026: Score 12 (Grade A)
- November 18, 2025: Score 102 (Grade N)
The November 2025 inspection resulted in a score of 102 and a Grade N designation, which DOHMH assigns when an establishment is inspected for the first time or when the score does not yet qualify for a letter grade following a re-inspection cycle. The April 2026 inspection at issue here occurred between those two records. Notably, the May 2026 follow-up inspection resulted in a score of 12 and a Grade A, indicating significant improvement in conditions after the April citation.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
DOHMH assigns letter grades based on inspection scores:
- A: Score of 0–13 points (fewest violations)
- B: Score of 14–27 points
- C: Score of 28 or more points
Restaurants that score above 13 on an initial inspection are re-inspected. The letter grade posted at the restaurant reflects the most recent completed inspection cycle. Grades are required to be posted prominently at the entrance of all NYC food service establishments.
Members of the public can look up inspection records for any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health. The database is updated regularly as new inspection data is released and includes scores, violation details, and grade history for all permitted food service establishments in the five boroughs.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Jarto'e Sazon including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.