Manhattan, NY — L.e.s. Ice Cream Factory, located at 88 Essex Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side, received a Grade B following a health inspection conducted March 19, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 21, placing the establishment near the lower boundary of the Grade B range and within seven points of the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 23, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The inspection identified one non-critical violation during the visit. Inspectors cited Code 08A, documenting that the establishment was not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests.
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain premises in a condition that prevents pest entry and harborage. This includes sealing structural gaps, maintaining clean storage areas, and eliminating conditions — such as accumulated debris or moisture — that may attract pests. A Code 08A citation does not indicate a confirmed pest presence was observed, but rather that conditions existed which could facilitate one.
No critical violations were identified during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns point values to violations based on their potential public health impact. Critical violations — those most directly linked to foodborne illness risk — carry higher point values. Non-critical violations address facility maintenance and sanitation conditions that, while not immediately tied to illness, are considered essential to safe food handling environments.
The FDA Food Code and NYC Health Code Article 81 both establish standards for structural integrity and pest control in food service settings. Pest harborage conditions are taken seriously by inspectors because uncontrolled pest activity can contaminate food, food-contact surfaces, and preparation equipment.
A score of 21 represents a passing result under the current grading structure, but sits at the higher end of the Grade B band, indicating multiple or weighted violations were present relative to prior visits.
Inspection History
The March 2026 result marks a decline from the establishment's most recent prior inspection:
- October 31, 2024: Score 12 (Grade A)
- June 29, 2023: Score 56
- December 9, 2021: Score 0
The October 2024 inspection produced the restaurant's strongest recent result, a Grade A with a score of 12. The current score of 21 represents an increase of 9 points from that visit. The June 2023 inspection recorded a score of 56, which would fall outside the graded range under current scoring thresholds.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
DOHMH assigns letter grades based on the total score accumulated during an inspection:
- Grade A: 0–13 points
- Grade B: 14–27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Establishments scoring in the Grade B or C range may request a re-inspection before a grade is officially posted. Grades must be displayed in a window visible to the public.
Current and historical inspection records for all NYC restaurants are available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection lookup tool at nyc.gov/health. Consumers can search by restaurant name, address, or cuisine type to review full violation histories.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for L.e.s. Ice Cream Factory including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.