Manhattan, NY — Little Alley, a Chinese restaurant located at 550 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, received a score of 43 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on April 6, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, the lowest standard grade issued under the city's inspection system. Inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on April 8, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the April inspection, related to hand-washing facilities. Under violation code 05D, the restaurant was cited because no hand-washing facility was accessible within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service, or ware-washing area, or adjacent to a toilet room — or because an existing facility was obstructed or being used for non-hand-washing purposes.

The violation also covers situations where running hot and cold water is unavailable or provided at inadequate pressure, or where soap and an acceptable hand-drying device are absent.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

Hand-washing access is among the most foundational requirements in food service operations. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, food service establishments are required to maintain hand-washing facilities that are conveniently located, properly supplied, and used exclusively for hand hygiene. These requirements exist because hand contamination is one of the leading transmission routes for foodborne pathogens including norovirus, Salmonella, and E. coli.

A critical violation under DOHMH's inspection framework is defined as one that poses a direct threat to public health. Critical violations carry higher point values and weigh more heavily in a restaurant's overall inspection score than non-critical violations. A single critical violation of this nature can significantly affect a restaurant's grade.

With a score of 43, Little Alley falls well into Grade C range. The restaurant is entitled to a reinspection, at which point it may score into a higher grade or request a grade-pending hearing before the city's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).

Inspection History

Little Alley's inspection record shows prior performance that was substantially better than the current cycle:

  • April 6, 2026: Score 43 (Grade C), one critical violation cited
  • May 20, 2025: Score 15 (Grade B range)
  • April 26, 2023: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • September 20, 2022: Score 26 (Grade B range)

The restaurant held a Grade A as recently as April 2023, indicating that the conditions documented in the April 2026 inspection represent a departure from its previous compliance standing. The May 2025 inspection resulted in a score near the B/C boundary, suggesting some decline in the period leading up to the most recent inspection.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grading system was introduced in 2010 and is designed to make inspection results accessible to the public at a glance. Grades are posted in restaurant windows and published in the DOHMH's public database. The grading scale works as follows:

  • A: Score of 0 to 13 points (lowest risk)
  • B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • C: Score of 28 or more points (highest risk among graded establishments)

Points are assigned based on the type and severity of violations identified. Critical violations receive more points than general violations. Restaurants that score in B or C range on an initial inspection are reinspected within 30 to 45 days. The grade posted in the restaurant's window reflects either the initial or reinspection score, whichever is used to assign the final grade.

Consumers can look up any restaurant's full inspection history, violation details, and current grade through the DOHMH's NYC Restaurant Inspection Results database, available at the NYC Open Data portal. The DOHMH also maintains a searchable tool at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Little Alley including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.