THE PIZZA BLOCK
5677 RIVERDALE AVENUE, Bronx, NY 10471 · Restaurant (Jewish/Kosher)
Inspection summary
THE PIZZA BLOCK has been inspected 4 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since January 5, 2023. The most recent inspection, on July 25, 2025, recorded 4 infractions.
None of the 4 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Food temperature control and Cleaning and sanitizing.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
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.
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded 4 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on July 25, 2025. For example:
Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on March 4, 2024. For example:
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
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 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on March 4, 2024. For example:
Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
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 January 5, 2023. For example:
Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry is worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
Equipment and utensilsLower risk
Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.
Recorded 2 times on July 25, 2025. For example:
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.
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.
4 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
4 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
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- 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
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- 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.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
2 infractions
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Critical
- 06F: Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- Critical
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 20-06: Current letter grade or Grade Pending card not posted
- Not Critical
- 20-06: Current letter grade or Grade Pending card not posted
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
5 infractions
- 06A: Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry is worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
- Critical
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Critical
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Critical
- 06A: Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry is worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
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