Manhattan, NY — No.1 Calle 191 Pescaderia, a seafood restaurant located at 1609 Saint Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights, received a score of 46 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 18, 2026. The score places the establishment in the Grade C range, a significant decline from its previous Grade A rating received in November 2024.

The inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 20, 2026. Violations were cited, and the restaurant remains subject to the city's standard grading and re-inspection process.

What Inspectors Found

During the March 18 inspection, DOHMH inspectors documented one non-critical violation at the establishment:

Inspectors identified swollen, leaking, rusted, or otherwise damaged canned food that had not been segregated from intact product and was not clearly labeled "DO NOT USE." Under violation code 09A, establishments are required to separate compromised canned goods from usable inventory and mark them appropriately to prevent their accidental use in food preparation.

While the restaurant received a score of 46, only the single non-critical violation was recorded in the data released by DOHMH. The score of 46 points suggests additional conditions may have been observed during the inspection that contributed to the overall assessment. DOHMH scoring reflects the totality of conditions found during an inspection visit, and detailed point breakdowns are assigned based on the severity and nature of each finding.

Food Safety Context

The proper handling of damaged canned goods is addressed under NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligns with guidance from the FDA Food Code. Swollen or damaged cans can indicate potential contamination, including the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism. For this reason, food safety regulations require that any canned products showing signs of damage be immediately removed from usable stock and clearly identified to prevent their use.

Under the NYC restaurant grading system, establishments that receive high scores during an initial inspection have the opportunity to be re-inspected. The grading process allows restaurants to address cited conditions before a grade is formally posted. A score of 46 falls within the Grade C threshold, meaning the restaurant may undergo additional inspection cycles as part of the adjudication process.

Inspection History

The Grade C score represents a notable shift in the restaurant's recent inspection record. A review of publicly available DOHMH data shows the following history for this establishment:

  • November 21, 2024: Score of 12, Grade A
  • May 7, 2024: Score of 39, no grade posted
  • November 30, 2022: Score of 9, Grade A
  • June 7, 2022: Score of 69, no grade posted

The restaurant had achieved Grade A status in its two most recent graded inspections prior to March 2026, with scores of 12 and 9 respectively. However, the record also shows periods of higher scores, including a 69-point inspection in June 2022 and a 39-point inspection in May 2024, indicating some variability in compliance over time.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total number of violation points documented during an inspection. The scoring thresholds are:

  • Grade A: 0 to 13 points
  • Grade B: 14 to 27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that do not achieve a Grade A on their initial inspection enter a re-inspection cycle and may contest their grade through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). During this adjudication period, restaurants may display a "Grade Pending" sign.

All New York City restaurant inspection results are public record and can be accessed through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database. Consumers can search any establishment's complete inspection history, including violation details and scores, through the city's open data portal or the DOHMH website.

Inspection data for No.1 Calle 191 Pescaderia and all other NYC restaurants is available at [NYCRestaurantInspections.com](https://nycrestaurantinspections.com) and through the official NYC Open Data platform.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for No.1 Calle 191 Pescaderia including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.