ZERZA
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002 · Restaurant (Moroccan)
Inspection summary
ZERZA has been inspected 6 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since May 9, 2022. The most recent inspection, on November 17, 2024, recorded 2 infractions.
None of the 6 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Protecting food from contamination and Pests.
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.
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 November 17, 2024. For example:
Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
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 June 29, 2023. For example:
Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
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 2 times on June 6, 2023. For example:
Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
Chemicals and toxic substancesHigher risk
Cleaning products, sanitizers and pesticides must be labelled and stored away from food and food-contact surfaces. Inspectors flag chemicals that could end up in food, as well as pest treatments applied without proper supervision.
Recorded once on May 9, 2022. For example:
Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
Food safety training and certificationLower risk
Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.
Recorded 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on June 6, 2023. For example:
20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
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.
6 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- 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.
- Not Critical
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
2 infractions
- 06C: Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
- 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.
- Not Critical
- 06C: Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Not Critical
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Critical
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
2 infractions
- 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
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- 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.
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 08C: Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
- Not Critical
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
- Critical
- 08C: Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
Nearby inspected facilities
- ESSEX SQUEEZE
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
3 inspections
- SHOPSIN'S
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
3 inspections
- PUEBLA MEXICAN FOOD
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
2 inspections
- JOEY BATS CAFE
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
1 inspection
- DAVIDOVICH BAKERY
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
13 inspections
- ZAAB ZAAB
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
4 inspections
- SALAD DON
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
4 inspections
- CATALYST MARKET BAR
88 ESSEX STREET, Manhattan, NY 10002
1 inspection