Harlem Shark Bar

• gradeGrade C ⏳
• inspection score51 pts
• critical violations6
• last inspectedJanuary 29, 2026
• address341 Malcolm X Boulevard, Manhattan 10027
• cuisineAmerican
• phone6462513995

Is Harlem Shark Bar clean?

Harlem Shark Bar is currently Grade C ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on January 29, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 6 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳. There is a newer inspection the city has not ruled on yet, so the posted grade still stands for now.

What did inspectors find at Harlem Shark Bar?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 29, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  No 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.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🧼staff skipping handwashingcritical
  Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
• 🌡️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.
• 🧫food contact surfaces dirty
  Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
• 🚿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.
• 🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
  Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
• 🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
  Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
• ⚠️Flavored tobacco products sold, offered for sale
  Flavored tobacco products sold, offered for sale
• 🛠️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.
• 🧫equipment / surface issue
  Thawing procedure improper.
• 🍴utensils stored sketchycritical
  Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.

When was Harlem Shark Bar last inspected?

Harlem Shark Bar has 3 inspections on record going back to January 8, 2026, averaging 32 points.

Harlem Shark Bar vs Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds

Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds runs 71% clean across 91 tracked restaurants — 60 clean, 5 mid, 19 cooked.

Against the 91 spots Cooked tracks in Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds

• B Latin On Lenox Restaurant An Juice Bar
  mid · April 8, 2025
• A Subway
  clean · May 5, 2026
• ? Fiore Harlem
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• B Cucina Italian Tavern
  mid · June 16, 2025
• A Empire Soul Food Restaurant
  clean · October 14, 2025
• ? Big Tots Little Tikes
  not rated

See every restaurant inspection in Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds →

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 January 29, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.