Manhattan, NY — The Smith, an American restaurant at 55 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, received a score of 43 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 3, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, representing a significant decline from its prior inspection results.

The inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 9, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

During the March 3 inspection, DOHMH inspectors documented one non-critical violation at the establishment:

Non-food contact surfaces or equipment were found to be made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath the unit (violation code 10F).

This violation pertains to the condition and maintenance of equipment and surfaces that do not come into direct contact with food but must still meet sanitary standards under city health regulations. Surfaces that cannot be adequately cleaned or accessed for cleaning can harbor bacteria, pests, and debris, creating conditions that may indirectly affect food safety.

While only one violation was formally recorded in the dataset, the score of 43 indicates that additional point-carrying conditions were identified during the inspection. DOHMH assigns point values to each violation based on its nature and severity, and a cumulative score of 28 or higher results in a Grade C designation.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program operates under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes sanitary standards for all food service establishments. The program is designed to protect public health by ensuring restaurants maintain safe food handling, storage, preparation, and facility conditions.

Under the FDA Food Code, which serves as the basis for many local health regulations, food establishments are required to maintain all equipment and physical facilities in good repair and in sanitary condition. Non-food contact surfaces, while not directly touching food products, must still be constructed of durable, cleanable materials and maintained in a condition that does not contribute to contamination.

The city's inspection scoring system assigns higher point values to critical violations — those that directly contribute to foodborne illness risk — and lower values to general (non-critical) violations. A restaurant's total score reflects the cumulative severity of all conditions documented during an inspection.

Inspection History

The Smith's March 2026 score of 43 represents a notable departure from the restaurant's prior inspection record. A review of available DOHMH data shows the following history:

  • November 13, 2024: Score of 21, Grade B
  • March 26, 2024: Score of 27, no grade recorded in dataset
  • March 17, 2022: Score of 8, Grade A

The restaurant had previously maintained scores within or near the Grade A and Grade B ranges. The 2022 inspection resulted in a score of 8, well within Grade A parameters. Subsequent inspections in 2024 showed a gradual upward trend in scores, with the most recent result of 43 marking the restaurant's highest recorded score and first Grade C designation in the available inspection history.

Under DOHMH procedures, restaurants that receive a Grade C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection. The restaurant may also choose to post the Grade C card or post a "Grade Pending" card while awaiting adjudication or re-inspection.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on the total number of violation points recorded during an inspection:

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

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. The grading system, administered by DOHMH, has been in effect since 2010 and is intended to provide consumers with a clear, accessible summary of a restaurant's most recent inspection performance.

Restaurants that receive a B or C grade on an initial inspection are entitled to a re-inspection, typically within 30 days. The final grade posted is based on the better score between the initial inspection and the re-inspection.

Consumers can review the full inspection history of any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, which is updated regularly as new inspection data becomes available. The data referenced in this article was released on March 9, 2026, reflecting an inspection conducted on March 3, 2026.

More About This Restaurant

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