Manhattan, NY — Rosa Mexicano, the well-known Mexican restaurant at 1889 Broadway near Lincoln Center, received a Grade B score of 21 following a health inspection conducted on January 6, 2026. The inspection, carried out by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), identified one critical violation related to food handling and safety protocols.

The score of 21 places the restaurant in the upper range of Grade B, which spans 14 to 27 points. The result is just six points below the Grade C threshold of 28, indicating a level of noncompliance that warrants attention.

What Inspectors Found

During the January inspection, DOHMH inspectors cited Rosa Mexicano for one critical violation under code 04H: raw, cooked, or prepared food was found to be adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with the restaurant's Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.

This type of violation addresses the fundamental safety of food served to customers. HACCP plans are systematic protocols that restaurants develop to identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards throughout the preparation process. When food is not handled in accordance with these plans, it introduces risk of foodborne illness from biological, chemical, or physical contaminants.

No non-critical violations were documented during this inspection. The action taken by DOHMH was to cite the violations found, and the restaurant was permitted to continue operating.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the regulatory framework governing food service establishments in New York City. Under these regulations, critical violations are those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness or food contamination. The FDA Food Code, which serves as the basis for many local food safety regulations, defines adulteration as food that bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance, has been prepared or held under unsanitary conditions, or has been otherwise rendered unsafe for consumption.

Food adulteration and cross-contamination violations are among the more serious findings during routine inspections, as they directly relate to the safety of food being served to the public.

Inspection History

No prior inspection history is available in the current DOHMH dataset for this location. This may indicate that this is the first inspection cycle recorded under the current data reporting system, or that the establishment is relatively new to the system.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores under the following scale:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points (lowest number of violation points)
  • Grade B: 14–27 points (moderate violation points)
  • Grade C: 28 or more points (highest number of violation points)

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Rosa Mexicano's score of 21 falls in the upper portion of the Grade B range.

Inspection data for this report was released by DOHMH on March 5, 2026, approximately two months after the inspection was conducted on January 6, 2026. Conditions at the restaurant may have changed since the inspection date.

Consumers can verify restaurant inspection results through the DOHMH restaurant inspection search portal or by checking the letter grade posted at the establishment's entrance, as required by city regulations.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Rosa Mexicano including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.