inspections
Best Restaurant Inspection App for NYC in 2026
New York City inspects roughly 27,000 restaurants each year, but the letter grade in the window doesn't always tell the full story. A restaurant can fail their inspection and keep an old 'A' posted while they appeal. The best inspection apps show you the actual score — the day it drops.
Why the letter grade isn't enough
NYC's restaurant grading system allows restaurants to appeal failing scores. During the appeal process, which can take weeks or months, the restaurant posts a 'Grade Pending' sign — but can keep their old passing grade visible. A restaurant with a 47-point failure (anything over 28 is failing) might still show an A from their last passing inspection.
How to check the real inspection score
The NYC DOHMH publishes all inspection data publicly, but navigating their database isn't easy. You need to search by restaurant name or address, then interpret the violation codes and point system. Inspection apps simplify this by delivering the results in plain language with the actual numerical score.
What Panko Alerts shows for NYC inspections
Panko Alerts surfaces NYC DOH inspection results the day they're published. Each inspection card shows the restaurant name (in-app only — never in public marketing), the numerical score, the grade equivalent, violation details, and an AI-generated summary of what the violations mean in plain language.
Check real NYC inspection scores — free for 7 days
Real-time food safety alerts from 25+ government sources. AI-scored by urgency. Less than one bad meal a month — $4.99/mo.
Start free trial → alerts.getpanko.app