NYC restaurant letter grades are assigned by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene based on points tallied during unannounced inspections: 0 to 13 points earns an A, 14 to 27 points earns a B, and 28 or more points earns a C.1NYC Health. Letter Grading for Restaurants The card in the window is a required public disclosure, not a marketing choice, and every restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and cafeteria serving food directly to the public is inspected at least once a year.2NYC Health. Food Establishment Inspections
What Drives the Score
Inspectors assign points to every violation they find. The more dangerous the problem, the higher the point value, and the totals add up fast when something is wrong in the kitchen.
Critical violations carry the heaviest weight. Improper cooking temperatures draw 10 points, and 28 points if the restaurant cannot correct the problem before the inspector leaves. Cold food held above 41°F or hot food held below 140°F runs 5 to 8 points depending on how many items are out of range.3NYC.gov. Appendix 23-B Food Service Establishment Inspection Scoring Parameters Evidence of pests ranges from 5 to 28 points depending on severity. A sick employee working with food is 10 points, rising to 28 if management does not pull them off food-handling duties.
General violations cover things like inadequate lighting, missing signage, or minor maintenance and typically run 2 to 5 points each. On their own they rarely push a restaurant out of A range, but they stack on top of critical findings and can tip a borderline score into B or C.
One category stands out. If a restaurant is required to maintain a food safety (HACCP) plan and fails to keep it on-site or follow it, that single finding carries 38 points and lands the restaurant in C territory on its own.
How a Grade Actually Gets Issued
The first inspection of the cycle is unannounced. What happens next depends entirely on the score.
A Grade on the First Visit
If the initial score is 0 to 13 points, the restaurant earns an A on the spot and posts the card immediately. No further steps until next year’s cycle.
Reinspection After 14+ Points
When the initial score reaches 14 or above, no grade is issued that day. The Department schedules a reinspection no sooner than seven days later, giving management time to correct the violations.4NYC Health. NYC Health Code Article 81 If the reinspection score drops to 13 or below, the restaurant earns its A and the cycle closes.
B, C, or Grade Pending
If the reinspection score is still 14 or higher, the restaurant receives the corresponding B or C grade card. The owner then has a choice: post the letter immediately, or defer posting until a hearing at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.5NYC.gov. NYC Health Code Article 81 – Food Preparation and Food Establishments Deferring means removing any previously posted grade and displaying a “Grade Pending” sign supplied by the Department. That sign tells the public the results are under review and that detailed scores are online.
Challenging a B or C at OATH
The hearing takes place at the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. These proceedings are informal, and an owner does not need an attorney, though hiring one is allowed.6NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Hearings and Defaults An administrative law judge reviews the evidence and can dismiss or uphold each violation. Dismissed violations come off the point total, which can change the letter grade.
Before the hearing date, the Health Department usually sends a settlement offer. Accepting means admitting the violations, paying the settlement amount, and giving up appeal rights. Rejecting the offer means attending the hearing, which most people now do by phone.7NYC.gov. Settle a Food Service Establishment Violation
Skipping both is the worst option. A no-show results in a default judgment that upholds every violation, often with a higher penalty, and the deferred grade must be posted immediately. A default can be reopened within 75 days by filing a request for a new hearing, but the window closes quickly.7NYC.gov. Settle a Food Service Establishment Violation
Where the Card Has to Go
Any grade card or Grade Pending sign must be posted conspicuously so the public can see it before entering. The Health Code prohibits defacing, covering, camouflaging, or hiding the card from view.5NYC.gov. NYC Health Code Article 81 – Food Preparation and Food Establishments Placement rules require the card within five feet of the main entrance, mounted between four and six feet above the ground so it sits at eye level for most pedestrians.8NYC Health. Requirements for Posting Letter Grade Cards
Failing to post draws fines, and for repeated or persistent violations the Department can deny, suspend, or revoke the food service permit.5NYC.gov. NYC Health Code Article 81 – Food Preparation and Food Establishments Inspectors check posting during every visit.
A Bad Grade Does Not Mean the Restaurant Is Closed
Restaurants with B or C grades stay open while they work through reinspection and any hearing. Closure is a separate matter. If an inspector encounters an imminent public health hazard that cannot be corrected on the spot, the Department can order the restaurant closed immediately, and no grade card is issued in that scenario.5NYC.gov. NYC Health Code Article 81 – Food Preparation and Food Establishments The restaurant stays shut until the hazard is resolved and the Department clears it to reopen.
Checking a Grade Without Standing at the Door
Every inspection score is published in a searchable online database called ABCEats. You can search by restaurant name, cuisine, address, borough, or zip code, and filter by grade.9NYC.gov. ABCEats-Restaurants The database shows the current grade along with the full inspection history, the specific violations cited, and the points each one carried. That is more detail than any card in a window can give you.