Guide to NYC Department of Health Restaurant Ratings
You may or may not have noticed the the A, B, and C restaurant ratings around NYC. Well, I noticed and wanted to share some thoughts.
I applaud the Dept of Health introducing these ratings. I have noticed that restaurants post their A’s with pride, as if it were a report card on a parent’s refrigerator. Some restaurants are even investing in new equipment and closing for a few weeks to clean up, which is another good thing. I tend to question ratings under an A, and I am pretty sure others do too. One thing I would like to point out is, the hygiene rating has no correlation with how good the food is!
Here are the rules of the road (from – http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh//downloads/pdf/rii/how-we-score-grade.pdf).
“Inspectors check for compliance in food handling, food temperature, personal hygiene, facility and equipment maintenance, and vermin control. Each violation of a regulation earns a certain number of points. At the end of the inspection, the inspector totals the points, and this number is the restaurant’s inspection score; the lower the score, the better.”
- 0-13 is an A. 12,468 NYC restaurants had an A rating when this article was written.
- 14-27 is a B. 7,892 restaurants.
- 28 or more points a C. 1,666 restaurants.
- If a restaurant operator wants to contest the results of a graded inspection, the restaurant can post a “Grade Pending” card until it has an opportunity to be heard at the Health Department’s Administrative Tribunal. Until they undergo graded inspections, restaurants will be listed online as Not Yet Graded on the Health Department website.
- Grade cards must be posted where they can easily be seen by people passing by.
I figured I would take a walk around NYC and see what some local reastaurants rated and what it means. I encourage you to do the same. All ratings text is directly quoted from http://a816-restaurantinspection.nyc.gov/RestaurantInspection/SearchBrowse.do.
A Rating: Hudson Place – Murray Hill
Violation points: 12
Violations from 01/13/2011 inspection
1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Other general violation.
B Rating: Sarge’s in Murray Hill
Violation points: 20
Violations from 10/18/2010 Inspection
Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
4) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
C Rating: Jing Fong Dim Sum, Chinatown
Violations from 08/11/2010 Inspection
Violation points: 51
1) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
2) Personal cleanliness inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn in an area where food is prepared.
3) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
4) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
5) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
6) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
Grade Pending: Euro Diner, Murray Hill
Violations from 10/29/2010 Inspection
Violation points: 19
1) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
2) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
4) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
5) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
The other thing I applaud the Dept of Health on is the creation of an easy to use website with lots of ways to sort through content, clear navigation, maps, street view, effective “chunking of content” , email alerts, etc. Check it out and check out the health rating of your favorite restaurant! http://a816-restaurantinspection.nyc.gov/RestaurantInspection/SearchBrowse.do.
New York Times Restaurant Rating Visual Map – http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/dining/new-york-health-department-restaurant-ratings-map.html