Manhattan, NY — Scarr's Pizza, the popular Lower East Side slice shop located at 35 Orchard Street, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 19, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 35, placing the restaurant in the Grade C category. Inspection data was released publicly by DOHMH on March 23, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors cited one critical violation during the March inspection, classified under Code 02B: hot time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food items were not held at or above 140°F. No non-critical violations were documented during the same visit.

Temperature control violations are among the most serious categories tracked during New York City restaurant inspections. When hot foods fall below the required threshold, bacterial growth can accelerate rapidly, increasing the potential for foodborne illness.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligned with the FDA Food Code, operators are required to maintain hot TCS foods — items such as cooked meats, sauces, and prepared dishes — at or above 140°F at all times during service or holding. This temperature range is designed to prevent the growth of pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus.

A Code 02B violation carries significant point weight in the DOHMH scoring system, which is why a single critical violation was sufficient to push the restaurant's score to 35. Under the city's grading scale, scores of 28 or higher result in a Grade C. Restaurants that score in this range may request a re-inspection or adjudication hearing before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH).

It is worth noting that a restaurant's posted letter grade may not always reflect the most recent inspection. Operators are permitted to post their most recent grade or a "Grade Pending" card while contesting a result or awaiting re-inspection.

Inspection History

Scarr's Pizza has a mixed but generally positive inspection record over the past several years. Prior inspections on file with DOHMH include:

  • May 17, 2025: Score 0 — no violations recorded
  • April 23, 2025: Score 13, Grade A
  • March 5, 2025: Score 39
  • September 20, 2023: Score 10, Grade A

The restaurant's score of 0 in May 2025 reflects a clean inspection with no violations identified. The Grade A recorded in April 2025 also indicates strong compliance in that cycle. The March 2025 score of 39 — which mirrors the range of the current result — suggests that temperature or food handling compliance has been a recurring challenge at this location during certain inspection periods.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grading system is based on the total number of points assessed during a DOHMH inspection. Each violation carries a point value, with critical violations weighted more heavily than general violations. The grading breakdown is as follows:

  • A: Score of 0–13 points
  • B: Score of 14–27 points
  • C: Score of 28 or more points

Grades are required to be posted in a visible location at the restaurant's entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection histories, including violation details and scores, through the DOHMH's public restaurant inspection database at nyc.gov/health.

Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C may request a re-inspection within a defined window. If the follow-up inspection results in a lower score, the new grade is posted. Restaurants may display a "Grade Pending" sign while that process is underway.

For the most current information on Scarr's Pizza's inspection status, consumers can search the establishment directly through the NYC Restaurant Inspection Results portal using the address 35 Orchard Street, Manhattan.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Scarr's Pizza including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.