Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
State Senator Publicly Shames NYC's Dirtiest Restaurants
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 15, 2008
Modified Sep 15, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 15, 2008
Modified Sep 15, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Yesterday State Senator Jeff Klein, a Democrat from the Bronx, released his third annual "dirty dozen" list of New York City's most unsanitary restaurants, based on inspection scores and citations for pest problems. Unfortunately for celebrity chef Mario Batali, the press conference was held outside his Del Posto Ristorante in the Meatpacking District. The three star restaurant was hit with dozens of violations in June, including a citation for food that was "spoiled, adulterated, contaminated or cross-contaminated."
Klein has been pushing for legislation that would require restaurants to prominently display their health inspection scores for customers. (As it stands now, that information is publicly available on the Health Department's website.) According to Eyewitness 7, in 2000 Klein sponsored a bill modeled after a Los Angeles law requiring restaurants to post letter grades indicating their health code status. Last year the Restaurant Association and the Health Department said such a grading system "could leave customers confused because it's vague and it may not accurately depict the cleanliness of a restaurant over time"; WCBS reports.
But Klein's still committed to the idea, and his yearly report sifts through 20,000 restaurants with the worst inspection reports. The full "Dirty Dozen" list is here; while perusing the filthiest offenders, keep in mind that it only takes 28 points to fail an inspection. (The top five had over one hundred violation points!) And to cleanse the palate, here's the list of the 12 most sanitary.
Photo courtesy Miss Ginsu.
Tagged
bill
department of health
dirty dozen
doh
inspection
law
restaurant
State Senator Jeff Klein
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .