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Taco Mahal
- gradeGrade A ⏳
- inspection score12 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedAugust 27, 2024
- address653 9 Avenue, Manhattan 10036
- cuisineIndian
- phone6464905782
Is Taco Mahal clean?
Taco Mahal is currently Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on August 27, 2024. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇. 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 Taco Mahal?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on August 27, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🧊food not cooled down rightcriticalAfter cooking or removal from hot holding, TCS food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal temperature is reduced from 140 °F to 70 °F or less within 2 hours, and from 70 °F to 41 °F or less within 4 additional hours.
- 🛠️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.
- 🚿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.
When was Taco Mahal last inspected?
Taco Mahal has 4 inspections on record going back to June 3, 2024, averaging 26 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| November 19, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 22 pts |
| June 7, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 0 pts |
| August 27, 2024 | Grade A | 12 pts |
| June 3, 2024 | no grade issued ⏳ | 68 pts |
Taco Mahal vs Clinton
Clinton runs 76% clean across 596 tracked restaurants — 410 clean, 33 mid, 100 cooked.
Against the 596 spots Cooked tracks in Clinton, this one comes out cleaner than 44% of them.
Other spots in Clinton
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 August 27, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.