If you have ever wondered about the cleanliness standards of your local burger joint, deli or pizza parlor you will be pleased to know you can now check before heading out to eat, although you may wish you were still innocently oblivious.

Every year the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene makes surprise checks on each restaurant in the New York City area, including Manhattan’s Chelsea, Midtown and Theatre Districts, to ensure their sanitation standards are of an acceptable level. Each dining establishment is then rated from an A to C grade by the New York City Department of Health inspectors.

We would certainly advise you check the interactive NYTimes restaurant ratings map before eating anywhere in New York, as it shows how many violations each restaurant has committed along with information on dining establishments with pest or insect infestations! The restaurant ratings map is updated every couple of weeks so you can keep an eye on what’s going on in your neighborhood and you can search by cuisine, grade and violation type.

The New York City Health Department inspectors check a number of issues, including food temperature, food handling and personal hygiene of staff, pest control and improper use of chemicals. Each restaurant is then given a letter grade that corresponds to the level they have been judged at, along with a description of any violations.

According to the The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, violations fall into three different categories, public health hazards, critical violations and general violations. Public health hazards are given a minimum of seven points and a restaurant may be closed down by the Health Department until the issue is resolved. A critical violation is given a minimum of five points and a general violation will receive a minimum of two points.

References: NYTimes and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene