FORK & KEY
1453 AMSTERDAM AVENUE, Manhattan, NY 10027 · Restaurant (Soul Food)
Inspection summary
FORK & KEY has been inspected 3 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since July 24, 2025. The most recent inspection, on July 30, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.
None of the 3 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 3 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Protecting food from contamination, Food source, labelling and allergens and Cleaning and sanitizing.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on July 30, 2026. For example:
Single service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.
Food source, labelling and allergensHigher risk
Food must come from approved suppliers, stay in labelled containers and be thrown out when it is spoiled or damaged, such as dented or swollen cans. Labelling matters for allergies: an unlabelled container can hide an allergen.
Recorded once on July 24, 2025. For example:
Juice packaged on premises with no or incomplete label, no warning statement
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on July 24, 2025. For example:
Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded once on July 24, 2025. For example:
After 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.
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded once on July 24, 2025. For example:
Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
About this data
These results come from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
3 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 10F: Non-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.
- Not Critical
- 10H: Single service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.
- Not Critical
- 10B: Anti-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.
- Not Critical
- 10F: Non-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.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 28-04: Equipment used for ROP not approved by the Department
- Not Critical
- 28-04: Equipment used for ROP not approved by the Department
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
6 infractions
- 03I: Juice packaged on premises with no or incomplete label, no warning statement
- Critical
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- Not Critical
- 02H: After 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.
- Critical
- 06A: Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
- Critical
- 04O: Live animal other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food or non-food area.
- Critical
- 10H: Single service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.
- Not Critical
- 03I: Juice packaged on premises with no or incomplete label, no warning statement
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