Manhattan, NY — Que Rico, a Latin American restaurant at 221 East 23rd Street in Manhattan, received a score of 25 during a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on April 7, 2026, placing it near the upper limit of the Grade B range. The score of 25 sits just three points below the threshold at which a restaurant would receive a Grade C. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 15, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors recorded 15 total violations during the April visit — 5 classified as critical and 10 as non-critical.
The most frequently cited critical violation was Code 06E, recorded three times: sanitized equipment or utensils, including in-use food dispensing utensils, were found to be improperly used or stored. Proper handling of sanitized food-contact surfaces is a foundational requirement under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, as cross-contamination from improperly stored utensils can transfer pathogens to food.
Two additional critical temperature violations were documented. Code 02G cited cold temperature-controlled for safety (TCS) food items held above 41°F, the maximum permitted cold holding temperature under federal and city standards. Code 02B noted hot TCS food items not maintained at or above 140°F. Together, these violations indicate food was held outside the safe temperature zone, a condition associated with increased bacterial growth risk.
Among the non-critical violations, Code 08C was cited three times for improper pesticide storage or use, including the presence of unprotected and unlocked bait stations. This category of violation requires that pest control chemicals be handled only by licensed applicators and stored in a manner that prevents unintended contact with food or food-contact surfaces.
Code 19-06 was cited seven times for providing single-use, non-compostable plastic straws to customers without a specific customer request — a violation of New York City's local environmental regulations restricting unsolicited plastic straw distribution.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, temperature control for safety foods must be maintained at or below 41°F for cold items and at or above 140°F for hot items. These thresholds align with the FDA Food Code's "danger zone" framework, which identifies the 41°F–140°F range as conditions where pathogenic bacteria can multiply rapidly. Critical violations carry higher point values in DOHMH's scoring system and weigh more heavily toward a restaurant's final grade.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available in the public DOHMH dataset for this location.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system is based on the total score assigned during an unannounced DOHMH inspection:
- A: 0–13 points (fewest violations)
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
A score of 25 falls in the upper portion of the Grade B band. Restaurants scoring in this range are subject to re-inspection, at which point scores can improve or worsen. A score increase of three or more points at re-inspection would result in a Grade C designation.
Current inspection records for New York City restaurants are available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection results portal at NYC.gov.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Que Rico including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.