Staten Island, NY — Primo's Famous Pizzeria, located at 739 Henderson Ave, received a score of 39 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 7, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, the lowest grade designation in the city's restaurant grading system.
The inspection identified one critical violation related to food contamination prevention. No non-critical violations were recorded during the visit.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors cited Primo's Famous Pizzeria under violation code 06C for failing to protect food, supplies, or equipment from potential sources of contamination. The citation covered multiple areas of concern, including storage, preparation, transportation, display, and service of food items.
The violation also noted issues with condiment handling. Under city health regulations, condiments must be provided in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor to prevent cross-contamination between customers. The restaurant was found to be non-compliant with this requirement.
Food contamination prevention is one of the foundational requirements of restaurant food safety. When food items, preparation surfaces, or serving equipment are exposed to potential contamination sources, the risk of foodborne illness increases. This includes exposure to chemicals, unsanitary surfaces, pest activity, or improper customer contact through shared condiment containers.
Food Safety Context
The violation cited during this inspection falls under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes comprehensive food safety standards for all food service establishments operating in New York City. Article 81 requires that food be protected from contamination at every stage of handling, from receiving and storage through preparation and service to customers.
The FDA Food Code, which serves as the model framework for local health codes nationwide, similarly emphasizes contamination prevention as a critical control point. The Code classifies failures to protect food from contamination sources as critical violations because of the direct relationship between contamination exposure and foodborne illness risk.
Condiment handling requirements exist because shared, open condiment containers can serve as vectors for bacterial transmission between customers. Single-service packaging or vendor-controlled dispensing eliminates this contact point.
Inspection History
Primo's Famous Pizzeria has one prior inspection on record with DOHMH:
- May 29, 2025: Score 34 (Grade N)
The previous inspection also resulted in a score above the Grade C threshold of 28 points. A Grade N designation indicates the restaurant was in the process of being re-graded at the time. The current inspection score of 39 represents a five-point increase from the prior visit, indicating conditions have not improved since the last inspection cycle.
The pattern of consecutive high scores suggests ongoing compliance challenges at this establishment. Restaurants that receive Grade C scores are required to post the grade card in a location visible to customers and are scheduled for re-inspection.
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 identified during an inspection. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations:
- Grade A: 0-13 points
- Grade B: 14-27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Each violation carries a specific point value based on its severity and the condition observed. Critical violations, such as the contamination prevention failure documented at Primo's Famous Pizzeria, carry higher point values than general violations because they represent conditions more likely to contribute to foodborne illness.
Restaurants receiving a Grade B or C may choose to post the grade or request a re-inspection. The re-inspection score becomes the official grade. Grade cards must be displayed at or near the entrance where customers can see them before entering.
The inspection data referenced in this article was released by DOHMH on March 9, 2026, two days after the inspection was conducted. Conditions at the restaurant may have changed since the inspection date.
Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the city's open data portal. The database includes current grades, violation details, and complete inspection histories for all graded establishments.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Primo's Famous Pizzeria including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.