I think it is important to know what
they mean since they are an indicator of the hygiene and sanitation levels of
the restaurant. Some of you may not care about the conditions the food is
prepared in but for those that do, here is a quick review of what to watch out
for.
One of three grades can be assigned
to the restaurant: “A”, “B” or “C”. However I consider “Grade Pending” the
fourth category - read on and you will see why.
- Grade “A”: Highest grade by the Health department, i.e. safe to eat. Note that this means that the restaurant scored 0 - 13 violation points so they are not perfect.
- Grade “B”: I personally world not eat here unless there is absolutely no other alternative, which is rare since this is NYC we are talking about. The restaurant scored 14 – 27 violation points.
- Grade “C”: Rarely seen and I would not touch any place that received this grade with a ten-foot pole. 28 or more violation points! - enough said.
- “Grade Pending”: This means that the restaurant is contesting the grade assigned to them (probably received a “B” or “C”). I would consider the worst case scenario i.e. “C” and completely avoid the restaurant.
The grades of all inspected
restaurants can be viewed on the Health department’s website. They recently introduced a handy iphone and ipad app as well.
If you would like to read more about
the inspection process, go here.
