Cooked?
Esmeraldo Bakery
- gradeGrade B
- inspection score24 pts
- critical violations2
- last inspectedNovember 24, 2025
- address538 West 181 Street, Manhattan 10033
- cuisineBakery Products/Desserts
- phone2125432250
Is Esmeraldo Bakery clean?
Esmeraldo Bakery is currently Grade B from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on November 24, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Esmeraldo Bakery?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 24, 2025, 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.
- 🛠️facility / equipment issueDishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- ❓food from a mystery sourcecriticalFood, prohibited, from unapproved or unknown source, home canned or home prepared. Animal slaughtered, butchered or dressed (eviscerated, skinned) in establishment. Reduced Oxygen Packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing. ROP food prepared on premises transported to another site.
- 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcriticalCold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.
When was Esmeraldo Bakery last inspected?
Esmeraldo Bakery has 4 inspections on record going back to June 25, 2024, averaging 18 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | — | |
| November 24, 2025 | Grade B | 24 pts |
| September 25, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 21 pts |
| June 25, 2024 | Grade A | 9 pts |
Esmeraldo Bakery vs Washington Heights North
Washington Heights North runs 66% clean across 161 tracked restaurants — 92 clean, 10 mid, 37 cooked.
Against the 161 spots Cooked tracks in Washington Heights North, this one comes out cleaner than 29% 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.
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 November 24, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.