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 code
  Non-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.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold 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.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• ❓food from a mystery sourcecritical
  Food, 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.

When was Esmeraldo Bakery last inspected?

Esmeraldo Bakery has 4 inspections on record going back to June 25, 2024, averaging 18 points.

Esmeraldo Bakery vs Washington Heights North

Washington Heights North runs 65% clean across 165 tracked restaurants — 93 clean, 10 mid, 39 cooked.

Against the 165 spots Cooked tracks in Washington Heights North, this one comes out cleaner than 30% of them.

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• ⏳ Lulo Restaurant
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See every restaurant inspection in Washington Heights North →

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 November 24, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.