Manhattan, NY — The Casual Greek, a Greek restaurant at 821 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, received a score of 27 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on April 2, 2026 — the highest score a restaurant can receive while still retaining a Grade B rating. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 7, 2026.

A score of 27 places the restaurant at the upper boundary of the Grade B range. One additional point would have resulted in a Grade C designation.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented three violations during the April visit: one critical and two non-critical.

The critical violation, Code 02B, noted that hot temperature-controlled for safety (TCS) food was not held at or above 140°F. Maintaining proper hot-holding temperatures is a foundational food safety requirement, as food held in the 40°F–140°F "danger zone" can allow bacterial growth that poses a risk to consumers.

The two non-critical violations were:

  • Code 10F: Non-food contact surfaces or equipment were found to be made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, or spaced to allow adequate cleaning access on all sides.
  • Code 10H: Single-service articles were not protected from contamination, or drinking straws were not completely enclosed in a wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.

Food Safety Context

The hot-holding violation cited under Code 02B is addressed directly under NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligns with standards established in the FDA Food Code, which requires that hot TCS foods — including cooked meats, poultry, and prepared dishes — be maintained at 140°F or above throughout service. Failure to meet this standard is classified as a critical violation because it carries a direct potential for foodborne illness.

Non-critical violations, while not immediately tied to illness risk, indicate conditions that can contribute to contamination or sanitation failures over time. Inspectors assign point values to each violation based on its severity, and those points are summed to produce the final inspection score.

Inspection History

The April 2, 2026 inspection reflects a decline from the restaurant's most recent prior visit:

  • 2026-04-22: Score 10 (Grade A)
  • 2024-08-15: Score 25 (Grade N)

The Grade N designation recorded in August 2024 indicates a first-time inspection at which a letter grade is not yet issued. The subsequent Grade A in April 2026 showed significant improvement. The most recent inspection represents a rise back toward the upper end of the Grade B range.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on inspection scores:

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

Grades are required to be posted in a visible location at the restaurant entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection records, including violation details and scores, through the NYC DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Search tool at the city's official open data portal.

More About This Restaurant

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