Bronx, NY — Lucchese Food Service, located at 515 East Fordham Road in the Bronx, was cited for a critical food safety violation following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on April 1, 2026. The facility received a score of 31, placing it in the Grade C range under the city's restaurant grading system.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the April inspection. The cited violation, classified under Code 04H, noted that raw, cooked, or prepared food was adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with the facility's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.

This category of violation is considered critical because it directly relates to the safety and suitability of food served to consumers. HACCP plans are required safety management systems that identify and control biological, chemical, and physical hazards during food production. When food is found to be out of compliance with an established HACCP plan, it indicates a breakdown in a core food safety control point.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain food in a condition that is safe, unadulterated, and fit for human consumption. Cross-contamination and improper food handling are among the leading contributors to foodborne illness, according to the FDA Food Code, which provides the scientific basis for many of the city's inspection standards.

Code 04H violations are assigned significant point values under the city's scoring system because they represent direct risks to public health. The FDA Food Code identifies improper food handling and adulteration as priority factors requiring immediate corrective action.

The inspection data for this visit was released by DOHMH on April 3, 2026, two days after the inspection was conducted. Inspection results reflect conditions observed on the date of the visit and may not represent the facility's current status.

Inspection History

Lucchese Food Service has a mixed inspection record over the past several years. The most recent prior inspection, conducted in May 2025, resulted in a significantly improved score:

  • 2026-05-13: Score 11 (Grade A)
  • 2025-02-07: Score 27 (Grade B)
  • 2024-07-15: Score 29
  • 2023-03-28: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • 2022-06-17: Score 20

The facility's inspection history shows variability, with scores ranging from a low of 11 to a high of 31 across the documented record. Notably, the most recent inspection on May 13, 2026 — conducted approximately six weeks after the April 1 violation — resulted in a Grade A score of 11, suggesting corrective action was taken in the intervening period. The April inspection score of 31 represents the highest recorded score in the available history.

It is common for facilities to request re-inspection or take corrective measures after receiving a high score, and the subsequent Grade A result indicates the conditions cited in April were addressed.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on the total score a facility receives during a sanitary inspection. Scores are calculated by adding points for each violation identified, with critical violations carrying higher point values. The grading scale is as follows:

  • A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • C: Score of 28 points or higher

A lower score indicates fewer or less severe violations. Establishments that receive a B or C score on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection, at which point a grade card is issued based on the re-inspection result.

Inspection records for all New York City food service establishments are publicly available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database. Consumers can search any restaurant's inspection history, including violation details, at the NYC Open Data portal or through the city's health department website.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Lucchese Food Service including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.