Cooked?El Califa De Leon
decision pending
New visit. Decision pending.
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not posted a settled grade for this visit.
- gradeGrade pending
- inspection score16 pts
- critical violations2
- last inspectedSeptember 25, 2026 →
- address20 West 23 Street, Manhattan 10010
- cuisineMexican
- phone6464764428
Is El Califa De Leon clean?
New York currently lists El Califa De Leon as grade pending, following an inspection on September 25, 2026 that scored 16 points. The city has not posted a letter yet, and it will not until a re-inspection settles it.
What did inspectors find at El Califa De Leon?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on September 25, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🍽️food left out / unprotectedcriticalFood, 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.
- 🗑️garbage situation out of pocketPesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
- 🧼staff skipping handwashingcriticalPersonal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
When was El Califa De Leon last inspected?
El Califa De Leon has 1 inspection on record going back to September 25, 2026, averaging 16 points.
September 25, 2026 Score 16
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View full inspection →El Califa De Leon vs Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square
Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square runs 83% clean across 1,152 tracked restaurants — 801 clean, 56 mid, 107 cooked.
Against the 1,152 spots Cooked tracks in Hudson Yards-Chelsea-Flat Iron-Union Square, this one comes out cleaner than 3% of them.
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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 September 25, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.
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