Brooklyn, NY — Smith's Tavern, an Irish restaurant located at 440 5th Avenue in Brooklyn, received a score of 23 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 24, 2026. That score places the establishment in the Grade B range, near the upper boundary before a Grade C designation is assigned. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 26, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the visit. The citation, recorded under Code 06D, noted that food contact surfaces were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following activities during which contamination may have occurred.

Food contact surfaces — including cutting boards, prep tables, utensils, and equipment that directly touches food — are required under New York City and federal food safety standards to undergo a three-step cleaning process: washing with detergent, rinsing with clean water, and sanitizing with an approved chemical solution or heat treatment. Failure to complete this process can allow pathogens from one food item or task to transfer to another, a process known as cross-contamination.

No non-critical violations were identified during the inspection.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the sanitation requirements that all food service establishments in the city must meet. The sanitization of food contact surfaces is addressed specifically to prevent cross-contamination, one of the leading causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. The FDA Food Code, which New York City's health code largely mirrors, classifies improper sanitization of food contact surfaces as a priority violation due to the direct risk it poses to consumer health.

A score of 23 falls within the Grade B range but sits close to the 28-point threshold at which a Grade C would be assigned. While the restaurant remains open and displays a Grade B, the score reflects a meaningful number of violation points accumulated during a single inspection cycle.

Inspection History

Smith's Tavern has a generally strong inspection record over the past several years:

  • May 5, 2026: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • August 2, 2024: Score 9 (Grade A)
  • July 3, 2024: Score 49
  • February 27, 2023: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • February 7, 2022: Score 9 (Grade A)

The July 2024 score of 49 is notable, representing a significantly elevated finding during that period. The most recent prior inspection in May 2026 returned a score of 13, which is a Grade A result, suggesting variability between inspection cycles.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system is based on the total number of violation points recorded during an unannounced DOHMH inspection:

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

Establishments that do not receive an A on their initial inspection may request a re-inspection before a grade is publicly posted. Grades are required to be displayed in a visible location at the restaurant entrance.

Current and historical inspection data for all New York City restaurants is available through the DOHMH's public inspection database at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

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