Cooked?
Gotham Cafe
- gradeGrade C
- inspection score40 pts
- critical violations4
- last inspectedMay 18, 2026
- address1298 2 Avenue, Manhattan 10065
- cuisineSandwiches
- phone2127170457
Is Gotham Cafe clean?
Gotham Cafe is currently Grade C from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on May 18, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 4 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.
What did inspectors find at Gotham Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 18, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcriticalFood contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- 🌡️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.
- ❓questionable food sourcingcriticalJuice packaged on premises with no or incomplete label, no warning statement
- 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pestsEstablishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- 🐭they've got roommates (mice)criticalEvidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- 🚿plumbing acting upAnti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
- 🛠️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.
When was Gotham Cafe last inspected?
Gotham Cafe has 5 inspections on record going back to February 28, 2024, averaging 24 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2026 | Grade C | 40 pts |
| March 28, 2026 | no grade issued ⏳ | 29 pts |
| August 26, 2025 | Grade A | 13 pts |
| April 3, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 26 pts |
| February 28, 2024 | Grade A | 13 pts |
Gotham Cafe vs Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island
Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island runs 80% clean across 316 tracked restaurants — 229 clean, 16 mid, 43 cooked.
Against the 316 spots Cooked tracks in Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island, this one comes out cleaner than 2% of them.
Other spots in Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island
See every restaurant inspection in Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island →
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 May 18, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.