NYC Restaurant Letter Grades Explained

New York City restaurants are scored on health-code violations during unannounced inspections by the Department of Health (DOHMH). A lower score is better. Grade A = 0 to 13 points (best), Grade B = 14 to 27 points, Grade C = 28 or more points. The grade card must be posted in the restaurant window. Across NYC, the overwhelming majority of graded restaurants — about 20,464 of 23,654 — currently hold an A.

Grade Pending means the restaurant was inspected and scored below an A (14+ points), but has chosen to contest the result at a hearing instead of immediately posting a B or C. While the appeal is pending, it displays a "Grade Pending" card. It is not a fresh A — it signals the most recent inspection found enough violations to fall short of an A. After the hearing, a final letter grade is assigned.

Each health-code violation carries a point value. Inspectors add up points for every violation found during the visit — so a higher score means more (or more serious) violations. Critical violations (those most likely to cause foodborne illness, like improper temperatures or pest activity) carry more points. The total determines the letter grade: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.

Most restaurants get at least one unannounced inspection per year. Restaurants that score poorly are re-inspected more frequently — typically within a few months — until they earn an A. New restaurants are inspected shortly after opening. So a recent A grade reflects a current, real inspection, not a one-time event from years ago.

A critical (or "public health hazard") violation is one most likely to contribute to foodborne illness — for example, food held at unsafe temperatures, evidence of mice or roaches, or a sick food handler. Non-critical (general) violations are sanitary or maintenance issues, like a non-functioning thermometer or improper storage. Critical violations weigh more heavily in the score.

Yes. If an inspector finds conditions that pose an imminent public-health hazard — such as a serious pest infestation, no hot water, or sewage problems — the Health Department can order the restaurant closed on the spot. It can only reopen after a re-inspection confirms the hazards are corrected. Closures are separate from letter grades.

A "Z" in NYC inspection data indicates a grade-pending status — the restaurant scored below an A and is awaiting the outcome of a hearing or a re-inspection. In our citywide snapshot, about 1,027 restaurants are in this grade-pending state at any given time.

A Grade A means that at the most recent inspection, the restaurant had few violation points (0–13). It is a strong, official signal — but it is a snapshot from one inspection date, not a live guarantee. Conditions can change between inspections. The grade reflects health-code compliance, not food quality, taste, or service.

Use our free restaurant-grade lookup tool to search any of the 26,515 inspected NYC restaurants by name, neighborhood, or borough. You will see the latest letter grade, the inspection score, the number of inspections on record, and how many critical violations were found. The data comes directly from the NYC Department of Health open dataset.

A restaurant may show no letter grade if it has not yet had its first graded inspection (common for new openings), if it operates under a category that is not letter-graded, or if its grade is currently pending a hearing. Inspection results may still exist in the public record even when no A/B/C card is displayed.