Cooked?
Zafi's Luncheonette
- gradeGrade A
- inspection score10 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedNovember 24, 2025
- address500 Grand Street, Manhattan 10002
- cuisineAmerican
- phone2125332415
Is Zafi's Luncheonette clean?
Zafi's Luncheonette is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on November 24, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Zafi's Luncheonette?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 24, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🌡️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.
- 🛠️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 Zafi's Luncheonette last inspected?
Zafi's Luncheonette has 4 inspections on record going back to November 1, 2023, averaging 11 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| November 24, 2025 | Grade A | 10 pts |
| September 6, 2024 | Grade A | 12 pts |
| March 20, 2024 | Grade A | 5 pts |
| November 1, 2023 | no grade issued ⏳ | 17 pts |
Zafi's Luncheonette vs Lower East Side
Lower East Side runs 75% clean across 188 tracked restaurants — 121 clean, 10 mid, 30 cooked.
Against the 188 spots Cooked tracks in Lower East Side, this one comes out cleaner than 57% of them.
Other spots in Lower East Side
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 November 24, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.