That letter grade in a New York City restaurant window is the single most recognizable piece of health-inspection data in the country. Here's exactly what it means.
It's a point system — lower is better
NYC inspectors assign points for each violation they find; more serious problems carry more points. The total maps to a letter grade:
- A = 0 to 13 points (the cleanest tier)
- B = 14 to 27 points
- C = 28 or more points
Because points are penalties, a lower score is better — an A restaurant accumulated the fewest violation points at its inspection.
Where the grade comes from
Grades are issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and published as open data. Radius reads that official record, shows the exact score and violations behind the letter, and explains what each violation means in plain English.