New York, NY — Two restaurants across Brooklyn and Manhattan reopened their doors on March 6, 2026 after previously being closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Both Mr. Nosh and El Sazon / Joey Bats passed their re-inspections with perfect scores of 0, meaning inspectors documented no violations during their return visits. The reopenings represent a successful resolution for both establishments, which had to address the conditions that led to their original closures before being cleared to serve the public again.
When the Department of Health closes a restaurant, it signals that inspectors identified conditions posing an immediate public health hazard. Getting back to business requires operators to correct every cited issue and then pass a thorough re-inspection. For these two restaurants, the turnaround was complete — neither received a single violation point on their March 6 visits.
The Inspections
Mr. Nosh, a fusion restaurant located at 3323 Avenue N in Brooklyn, earned a score of 0 on its re-inspection. The establishment, which blends culinary traditions in the Flatlands neighborhood, had been shuttered by health inspectors prior to this visit. During the March 6 re-inspection, Department of Health inspectors walked through the facility and found no violations to document. A score of zero is the best possible outcome under the NYC inspection system, indicating that the restaurant met every standard outlined in the NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code.
For Mr. Nosh, the clean re-inspection suggests that the restaurant's operators took the closure seriously and made comprehensive changes to their operations. Whether the original closure stemmed from critical food safety violations, pest activity, or other public health concerns, the perfect score indicates those problems were fully resolved before inspectors returned.
El Sazon / Joey Bats, a Portuguese restaurant at 5 Hudson Street in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, also achieved a score of 0 with no violations documented. The dual-named establishment, situated in one of Manhattan's most prominent dining corridors, cleared its re-inspection without a single point assessed against it. Like Mr. Nosh, the restaurant had been previously closed by the Department of Health and needed to demonstrate full compliance before reopening.
The Hudson Street location places El Sazon / Joey Bats in a competitive dining district where reputation matters. A health department closure can be particularly consequential for restaurants in high-traffic Manhattan neighborhoods, making the clean re-inspection an important milestone for the business.
Common Patterns
Both reopenings on March 6 share a notable pattern: each restaurant achieved the best possible outcome on re-inspection. A score of 0 across both establishments means the average inspection score for the day's reopenings was also zero — an uncommon result that reflects thorough preparation by both operators.
The two restaurants represent different cuisines and boroughs. Mr. Nosh operates as a fusion restaurant in Brooklyn, while El Sazon / Joey Bats serves Portuguese cuisine in Manhattan. Despite their differences in location and culinary focus, both followed the same path: closure, correction, and a clean return to operations.
It is worth noting that restaurants closed by the Department of Health often face a higher bar during re-inspection. Inspectors are aware of the prior conditions that prompted the closure and examine whether those specific issues have been resolved alongside general compliance. Achieving zero violations under that scrutiny reflects meaningful operational improvements.
What This Means for Diners
For diners considering a visit to either restaurant, the re-inspection results are a positive signal. A score of zero indicates that on the day of inspection, the facility met all applicable food safety standards. However, inspection scores represent a snapshot in time — they reflect conditions observed during one visit and do not guarantee future compliance.
New Yorkers can check any restaurant's inspection history through the NYC Department of Health's online portal or through sites like NYCRestaurantInspections.com. These resources allow diners to review not just the most recent score but the full inspection history, including any prior closures and the violations that were cited.
The Department of Health conducts thousands of inspections each year across the five boroughs. Restaurants that have been closed and subsequently reopened with strong scores have demonstrated a willingness to address problems, which many diners view as a reassuring indicator.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City uses a numerical scoring system for restaurant inspections, where lower scores indicate fewer violations. The letter grades displayed in restaurant windows correspond to these scores:
- Grade A: A score between 0 and 13 points, indicating minimal or no violations
- Grade B: A score between 14 and 27 points, indicating moderate violations
- Grade C: A score of 28 or more points, indicating significant violations
Both Mr. Nosh and El Sazon / Joey Bats received scores of 0, which falls well within the A grade range. Their current grade designation of "Z" reflects the administrative status associated with re-inspection following a closure — the grade will be formally posted following the standard adjudication process.
Violations are weighted by severity. Critical violations related to food temperature, contamination risks, and pest activity carry more points than general violations related to facility maintenance or signage. A score of zero means inspectors found neither critical nor general violations during the visit.
Diners who want to research a restaurant before visiting can access inspection results through the NYC Department of Health restaurant inspection portal or check individual facility pages on NYCRestaurantInspections.com for detailed histories and violation breakdowns.