Manhattan, NY — Shuka, a Mediterranean restaurant at 38 MacDougal Street in SoHo, received a score of 21 following a health inspection conducted March 25, 2026, placing it at the higher end of the Grade B range. The data was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 27, 2026.

The inspection resulted in one non-critical violation. No critical violations were recorded.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one violation under Code 08A, which applies to harborage conditions — defined as physical conditions that could attract or support the presence of rodents, insects, or other pests. This category covers structural gaps, clutter, poor drainage, or other site conditions that make a space conducive to pest activity.

No food handling, temperature control, or worker hygiene violations were cited during the inspection.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligned with the FDA Food Code, restaurants operating in New York City are subject to unannounced inspections conducted by DOHMH. Each violation is assigned a point value based on its public health risk, with critical violations carrying higher point totals than non-critical ones.

A score of 21 falls within the Grade B band. While no individual violation was classified as critical, a score at this level indicates a meaningful accumulation of points — in this case, a single non-critical violation assessed at 21 points. The result places the restaurant 7 points below the Grade C threshold.

Pest harborage conditions are taken seriously under food safety regulations because they represent an environmental risk factor. Unaddressed harborage can contribute to contamination pathways if pest activity develops.

Inspection History

Shuka's recent inspection record prior to this visit had been strong:

  • 2024-12-05: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • 2023-06-21: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • 2022-06-15: Score 2 (Grade A)

The March 2026 inspection represents a departure from three consecutive Grade A results. The restaurant had not previously received a Grade B based on publicly available inspection records.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants following each inspection cycle, based on the total score:

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

A Grade B must be posted if the restaurant does not score an A on either the initial inspection or a subsequent re-inspection. Restaurants scoring in the upper range of Grade B — as Shuka did — are closer to the Grade C threshold, meaning a modest increase in violations in a future inspection could result in a grade change.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH online database. Diners can search current and historical scores, violation details, and grade history at the NYC Open Data portal or through the DOHMH restaurant inspection lookup tool.

More About This Restaurant

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