Break Bar

• gradeGrade A ⏳
• grade postedNovember 26, 2024
• inspection score69 pts
• critical violations5
• last inspectedJuly 30, 2026 →
• address458 9 Avenue, Manhattan 10018
• cuisineAmerican
• phone2129330929

Is Break Bar clean?

Break Bar currently carries Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on November 26, 2024 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on July 30, 2026 scoring 69 points — but NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not ruled on that visit, so no new grade has been issued. Inspectors wrote up 5 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads clean 😇; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at Break Bar?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 30, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🐛pest / contamination issuecritical
  Properly scaled and calibrated thermometer or thermocouple not provided or not readily accessible in food preparation and hot/cold holding areas to measure temperatures of TCS foods during cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
• 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pests
  Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
• 🐭they've got roommates (mice)critical
  Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
  Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
• 🍽️food left out / unprotectedcritical
  Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.

When was Break Bar last inspected?

Break Bar has 5 inspections on record going back to April 7, 2022, averaging 26 points.

Break Bar vs Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square

Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square runs 84% clean across 1,120 tracked restaurants — 788 clean, 53 mid, 102 cooked.

Against the 1,120 spots Cooked tracks in Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square, this one comes out cleaner than 92% of them.

Other spots in Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square

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• A Honeybrains
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• A Springhill Suites & Fairfield Inn & Suites
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See every restaurant inspection in Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square →

How New York grades restaurants

New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated July 30, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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