PokéSpot, Chirping Chicken: Restaurants Shut By City Last Week

NEW YORK, NY — New York City's food scene is immense, a seemingly endless list of restaurants feeding hundreds of thousands of diners every day.

And, though the majority are spotlessly clean, there are some that aren't – and others that are downright disgusting. Filth flies, roaches and mice are just some of the dirty secrets restaurant owners would prefer you didn't know about.

Fortunately for the diner’s well-being, New York City’s Health Department is watching.

Every year, inspectors go unannounced into more than 24,000 restaurants in the city. Of them, the majority are fine, but those that fall short of the city’s cleanliness requirements get shut down.

Inspection scores above 28 earn eateries a C grade and extra close monitoring from the city’s health department – which could decide to shut it down.

These are the restaurants that inspectors closed since June 22, 2018, according to the Department of Health:

Manhattan:

CHIRPING CHICKEN

72 GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL

Violation points: 52

• Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• 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.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
• 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 POKESPOT
25 CLEVELAND PLACE

Violation points: 26

• Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
• Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

EL CONDE NUEVO

4139 BROADWAY

Violation points: 48

• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• 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.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
• 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.

Brooklyn:

WASABI RESTAURANT

7222 18 AVE

Violation points: 75

• Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
• Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• Thawing procedures improper.
• 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.
• 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.

HAY TEA
5814 SEVENTH AVE

Violation points: 102

• Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
• Food contact surface improperly constructed or located. Unacceptable material used.
• Hand washing facility not provided in or near food preparation area and toilet room. Hot and cold running water at adequate pressure to enable cleanliness of employees not provided at facility. Soap and an acceptable hand-drying device not provided.
• No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• Proper sanitization not provided for utensil ware washing operation.

LIN BAKERY & CAFE
5713 FOURTH AVE

Violation points: 66

• Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
• Thawing procedures improper.

EL RANCHO RESTAURANT
1157 FLATBUSH AVE

Violation points: 55

• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
• Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• 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.
• 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.

SUPER POLLO
4102 FIFTH AVE

Violation points: 50

• Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
• Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
• Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

CURRY & KEBAB
3111 BAINBRIDGE AVE

Violation points: 54

• Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
• Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
• Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
• Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
• 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.

Lead image via Serghei Starus/Shutterstock