Manhattan, NY — Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish, a Chinese restaurant at 2817 Broadway in Manhattan's Upper West Side, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted March 23, 2026. The restaurant scored 30 points, placing it in the Grade C range. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March inspection, related to improper cold food storage temperatures.
The cited violation — Code 02G — recorded that temperature-controlled for safety (TCS) cold food items were held above 41°F. This category of violation covers a range of cold-held foods, including smoked or processed fish held above 38°F, intact raw eggs held above 45°F, and reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above their required temperatures, except during active necessary preparation.
For a restaurant specializing in sauerkraut fish — a dish typically prepared with fish as a primary protein — maintaining proper cold storage temperatures for raw or processed fish is a foundational food safety requirement. No non-critical violations were documented during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Cold holding temperature requirements exist to prevent the growth of harmful pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum, and other bacteria that can proliferate when perishable foods are stored outside of safe temperature ranges.
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain TCS cold foods at or below 41°F. Smoked and processed fish carry a stricter standard — 38°F or below — due to elevated risk profiles associated with those products. The FDA Food Code, which informs New York City's regulatory framework, categorizes improper cold holding as a priority violation because of its direct link to foodborne illness risk.
A single critical violation of this type is sufficient to push a restaurant's score into Grade C territory depending on the point value assessed by the inspector.
Inspection History
The March 2026 inspection is the only record currently available in DOHMH's public dataset for this location. However, a subsequent inspection conducted approximately one month later shows a continued pattern of elevated scores:
- April 23, 2026: Score 36 (Grade Z)
A Grade Z designation is assigned when a restaurant is under administrative review or when a score cannot yet be converted to a letter grade, often following a re-inspection cycle. A score of 36 during the April visit represents an increase from the 30 recorded in March, indicating that food safety concerns at the location were not resolved between inspection cycles.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's letter grade system is based on the number of violation points assessed during a DOHMH inspection. Grades are posted in restaurant windows and are based on the most recent completed inspection cycle:
- Grade A: Score of 0–13 points
- Grade B: Score of 14–27 points
- Grade C: Score of 28 or more points
Critical violations — those with a direct connection to foodborne illness risk — carry higher point values than general violations. A single critical violation can be sufficient to affect a restaurant's final grade depending on the points assigned.
Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection are typically given the opportunity to request a re-inspection before a letter grade is formally posted. The grade that appears in the restaurant window reflects the outcome of that process.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.