Cooked?
The Muffin Cafe
- gradeGrade pending
- inspection score39 pts
- critical violations4
- last inspectedMay 8, 2026
- address222 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan 10023
- cuisineBakery Products/Desserts
- phone2128751173
Is The Muffin Cafe clean?
New York currently lists The Muffin Cafe as grade pending, following an inspection on May 8, 2026 that scored 39 points. The city has not posted a letter yet, and it will not until a re-inspection settles it. The last grade it ever posted here was C on December 5, 2025.
What did inspectors find at The Muffin Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 8, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🍲hot food sitting too coolcriticalHot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- 🧤food-handling slipcriticalTobacco or electronic cigarette use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area.
- 🧫food contact surfaces dirtyDesign, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
- 🐭they've got roommates (mice)criticalEvidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- 🧻grimy wiping clothscriticalWiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- 🛠️facility / equipment issueDishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pestsEstablishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- 🚿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 The Muffin Cafe last inspected?
The Muffin Cafe has 5 inspections on record going back to May 29, 2024, averaging 29 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2026 | no grade issued ⏳ | 39 pts |
| March 25, 2026 | no grade issued ⏳ | 40 pts |
| December 5, 2025 | Grade C | 36 pts |
| October 6, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 21 pts |
| May 29, 2024 | Grade A | 9 pts |
The Muffin Cafe vs Lincoln Square
Lincoln Square runs 87% clean across 217 tracked restaurants — 169 clean, 6 mid, 19 cooked.
Against the 217 spots Cooked tracks in Lincoln Square, this one comes out cleaner than 2% of them.
Other spots in Lincoln Square
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 8, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.