Hard To Explain

• gradeGrade A
• inspection score6 pts
• critical violations0
• last inspectedJune 2, 2026 →
• address224 East 10 Street, Manhattan 10003
• cuisineBottled Beverages
• phone9177179747

Is Hard To Explain clean?

Hard To Explain is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on June 2, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at Hard To Explain?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 2, 2026, 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.
• 🕳️conditions that attract pests
  Garbage receptacle not pest or water resistant, with tight-fitting lids, and covered except while in active use. Garbage receptacle and cover not cleaned after emptying and prior to reuse. Garbage, refuse and other solid and liquid waste not collected, stored, removed and disposed of so as to prevent a nuisance.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-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.

When was Hard To Explain last inspected?

Hard To Explain has 3 inspections on record going back to August 1, 2023, averaging 15 points.

Hard To Explain vs East Village

East Village runs 75% clean across 742 tracked restaurants — 476 clean, 43 mid, 114 cooked.

Against the 742 spots Cooked tracks in East Village, this one comes out cleaner than 91% 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.

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 June 2, 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.