Cooked?
El Rey Tacos
- gradeGrade pending
- inspection score27 pts
- critical violations5
- last inspectedMarch 23, 2026
- address1450 Broadway, Manhattan 10018
- cuisineMexican
- phone3472248331
Is El Rey Tacos clean?
New York currently lists El Rey Tacos as grade pending, following an inspection on March 23, 2026 that scored 27 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 Rey Tacos?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 23, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeNon-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
- 🍽️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.
- 🐛pest / contamination issuecriticalProperly 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.
- 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcriticalFood contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- 🧻grimy wiping clothscriticalWiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- 🧤food-handling slipcriticalTobacco or electronic cigarette use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area.
- ⚠️Failure to maintain a sufficient supply of single-use, non-compostable plastic straws.Failure to maintain a sufficient supply of single-use, non-compostable plastic straws.
When was El Rey Tacos last inspected?
El Rey Tacos has 1 inspection on record going back to March 23, 2026, averaging 27 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2026 | no grade issued ⏳ | 27 pts |
El Rey Tacos vs Midtown-Midtown South
Midtown-Midtown South runs 84% clean across 2,257 tracked restaurants — 1,596 clean, 96 mid, 216 cooked.
Against the 2,257 spots Cooked tracks in Midtown-Midtown South, this one comes out cleaner than 5% of them.
Other spots in Midtown-Midtown South
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.
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 March 23, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.