New York, NY — Sixty-two restaurants across all five boroughs earned Grade A scores during New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspections conducted on March 16, 2026. The group averaged a score of just 9.2 points, well within the 0-13 range required for the city's highest restaurant grade. The inspected establishments spanned more than 20 cuisine types, from Chinese and Italian to Caribbean and African, reflecting the breadth of the city's dining landscape.

The Inspections

Among the strongest performers, Impulse Lounge in Queens recorded a perfect score of 0 with no violations documented. Subway on 2nd Avenue in Manhattan earned a score of 2, cited only for a garbage receptacle issue. Perk Coffee 2nd Ave in East Harlem also scored 2, with a minor note about non-food contact surface cleanliness.

Several restaurants scored in the 4-5 range. Taste of Italy in Queens received a 4 for a plumbing-related back-flow prevention issue. Hayat Caterers in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, scored 4 with violations for non-food surface cleanliness and use of expanded polystyrene. Wendy's in Williamsburg also earned a 4. In Manhattan, Starbucks Coffee on Park Row scored 5 for a food contact surface sanitation issue, while Cafe Belle on Mulberry Street scored 5 for improper wiping cloth storage. Brooklyn's Milk Bar on Vanderbilt Avenue and Belli Osteria on Fulton Street each scored 5.

Mid-range Grade A scores were common. Zaro's Bread Basket in Grand Central scored 9 but was cited for live roaches in the facility, a violation that carries significant point weight under NYC Health Code Article 81. Brooklyn Suya, an African cuisine spot on Franklin Avenue, scored 9 for improper utensil storage. Sushi W on Broadway in Manhattan and Ding Bian Hu Inc in Flushing, Queens, each scored 7, both cited for different issues — non-food surface cleanliness and food misbranding, respectively. Yu Tea in College Point and Five Guys in Woodside, both in Queens, each scored 7 for hot food temperature violations.

Coffee shops had a notable presence. Super Nice Coffee and Bakery on the Upper West Side scored 10 for a hot food holding temperature issue. Aura Coffee in Prospect Heights earned an 8, while Gumption Coffee on Broadway in the Flatiron area and Blank Street in the West Village each scored 13, right at the Grade A threshold.

At the upper end of the A range, Peking Duck House in Midtown scored 13 with violations for food contact surface design and sanitation. Amata, an Italian spot nearby on East 56th Street, also scored 13 with cold food temperature and surface cleanliness issues. The Black Sheep, an Irish pub on 3rd Avenue, scored 13 for non-food surface and food protection violations. Atlantic Grill / Rampoldi NY on the Upper West Side scored 13 with a nuisance condition noted alongside a sanitation violation.

Staten Island contributed two restaurants: La Bella Pizza on Forest Avenue scored 12, and Pizzeria Giove on New Dorp Lane also scored 12. The Bronx was represented by Healthy in Dyckman, which scored 9. Queens locations included Popeyes in Flushing at 7, Quick Pizza in Far Rockaway at 9, Camp Camp BBQ on Roosevelt Avenue at 9, Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company in Astoria at 12, Sybil's Bakery in Jamaica at 13, Kate's Corner Cafe in Jackson Heights at 13, and Mr. Pang in Flushing at 13.

Brooklyn's remaining entries included Zheng Jin Ji in Sunset Park at 9, Roebling Pizzeria in Williamsburg at 9, Rainbow 1 Bakery in Borough Park at 6, Empire Taco in East New York at 12, North Pole on Bergen Street at 12, Dahlia Comida Mexicana in Bushwick at 12, Rialto Grande on Franklin Avenue at 12, The Holler on Franklin Avenue at 13, Royal Rib in Bed-Stuy at 13, Bushwick Rostiseria Restaurant at 10, Nozomi in Williamsburg at 10, and Cafe Mado in Prospect Heights at 9.

Manhattan rounded out the list with Intercontinental Barclay - Bar at 7, Oxford Cafe in the Financial District at 7, Juice Generation on Lexington Avenue at 8, Kennedy Chicken & Burger in Hamilton Heights at 8, Restaurant Associates, Inc in Midtown at 9, Chop & Go on Sixth Avenue at 9, Bagel Pub in Greenwich Village at 6, Subway on Eighth Avenue at 10, Danny's in the Flatiron District at 10, Eliezer Kitchen in the Financial District at 12, Allora in Midtown at 12, Sol Maya Restaurant in East Harlem at 12, Pizza Park on the Upper East Side at 12, Lanzhou Hand Pulled Noodles & Dumplings in Chinatown at 12, Shah's Halal Food in Midtown at 12, and Central Pizza in Far Rockaway at 10.

Common Patterns

The most frequently cited violation category involved non-food contact surfaces — equipment or surfaces not properly cleaned, sealed, or maintained. This appeared in more than a third of the inspected restaurants. Plumbing issues, specifically missing anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention devices, appeared at multiple locations across boroughs. Temperature control violations for hot and cold food items were also common, with several restaurants cited for holding hot Time and Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) items below 140°F or cold items above 41°F, as required by the FDA Food Code.

Brooklyn led in volume with 18 restaurants inspected, followed by Manhattan with 22, Queens with 12, Staten Island with 2, and the Bronx with 1. Coffee and tea shops made up 8 of the 62 establishments, while pizza restaurants accounted for 6. Chinese cuisine was represented by 6 locations across three boroughs.

What This Means for Diners

A Grade A score indicates that a restaurant met the city's highest cleanliness and food safety standards at the time of inspection. However, inspections represent a single point-in-time assessment. Diners can look up any restaurant's full inspection history, including specific violations and scores, on the NYC Department of Health website or through the city's open data portal.

Every restaurant listed here maintained conditions that fell within the 0-13 point threshold required for an A grade. Even restaurants at the top of that range — those scoring 12 or 13 — demonstrated overall compliance with health regulations, though they may benefit from addressing specific cited issues before their next inspection.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assigns letter grades based on violation points accumulated during unannounced inspections. A score of 0-13 points earns a Grade A, meaning few or minor violations were found. A score of 14-27 results in a Grade B, and 28 or more points yields a Grade C. Restaurants that receive a B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection. Some restaurants in this dataset show a grade of "N" (not yet graded) or "Pending," indicating the grading process had not been finalized at the time of data reporting.

Inspection results for all New York City restaurants are publicly available at NYC Restaurant Inspection Results.