Manhattan, NY — Zuri Coffee, a coffee and tea establishment at 2218 Broadway on the Upper West Side, received a score of 55 during a health inspection conducted on March 17, 2026, according to New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) records. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, a significant decline from its prior Grade A rating.

Inspectors documented two critical violations and one non-critical violation during the inspection. The data was released by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The most serious violation cited involved insufficient or absent equipment for maintaining Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods (TCS) at required temperatures. This includes both hot holding and cold storage failures. Under the FDA Food Code, TCS foods must be held at 135°F or above for hot items and 41°F or below for cold items to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

Inspectors also documented a second critical violation related to food, supplies, or equipment not being protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, or service. This citation also noted that condiments were not provided in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor, and that customer refillable or reusable containers were not being handled in a manner that prevented contamination.

The single non-critical violation cited the establishment for providing single-use, non-compostable plastic straws to customers without a customer request, including at self-serve stations. This violation falls under New York City's skip-the-straw regulations, which require that plastic straws be provided only upon request.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the regulatory framework for food service establishments in New York City, setting standards for food handling, storage, temperature maintenance, and contamination prevention. The FDA Food Code, which serves as the model for many of these local regulations, emphasizes that improper temperature control is one of the leading contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks.

Temperature control failures are particularly significant because bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria can multiply rapidly in the "danger zone" between 41°F and 135°F. For a coffee and tea establishment that may handle items like milk, cream, prepared foods, or pastries, maintaining proper cold holding temperatures is essential to food safety.

The contamination protection violation addresses the fundamental food safety principle of preventing cross-contamination — keeping food and food-contact surfaces separated from potential sources of harmful substances or microorganisms throughout all stages of handling.

Inspection History

Zuri Coffee's prior inspection record shows a notable shift in compliance:

  • September 27, 2024: Score 11, Grade A
  • August 15, 2024: Score 33

The September 2024 inspection demonstrated strong compliance, with a score of 11 falling well within Grade A range. However, the August 2024 inspection had also resulted in an elevated score of 33, suggesting that compliance challenges are not entirely new for this location. The current score of 55 represents the highest point total recorded for the establishment in available DOHMH data.

The action recorded for the March 2026 inspection indicates that violations were cited but the establishment was not ordered closed at the time of inspection. The restaurant may be subject to a re-inspection to verify that cited violations have been corrected.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

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

  • A: 0–13 points (lowest risk)
  • B: 14–27 points (moderate concerns)
  • C: 28 or more points (significant violations identified)

A score of 55 falls in the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection have the opportunity to request a re-inspection. If the score does not improve, the establishment must post the grade card issued by DOHMH.

Consumers can look up any restaurant's inspection history through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the NYC Open Data portal. Inspection scores reflect conditions observed at a specific point in time and may not represent current conditions, particularly if corrective actions have been taken since the inspection date.

More About This Restaurant

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