Cooked?Esse Taco
- gradeGrade A
- inspection score10 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedMay 20, 2026 →
- address142 North 5 Street, Brooklyn 11211
- cuisineMexican
- phone9292733346
Is Esse Taco clean?
Esse Taco is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on May 20, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Esse Taco?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 20, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🚰handwashing sink issuescriticalNo 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 Esse Taco last inspected?
Esse Taco has 2 inspections on record going back to September 24, 2024, averaging 8 points.
May 20, 2026 A
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View full inspection →September 24, 2024 A
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View full inspection →Esse Taco vs North Side-South Side
North Side-South Side runs 80% clean across 581 tracked restaurants — 397 clean, 25 mid, 73 cooked.
Against the 581 spots Cooked tracks in North Side-South Side, this one comes out cleaner than 59% of them.
Other spots in North Side-South Side
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 May 20, 2026. 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.