Brooklyn, NY — Cafe Madeline, a coffee and tea café at 1603 Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on March 20, 2026. The café scored 22 points — placing it near the upper boundary of the B range, where a score of 28 or higher would result in a Grade C.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March inspection. The cited violation — Code 02G — involves temperature control for safety (TCS) foods held above required cold storage thresholds. Under this code, cold TCS food items must be maintained at or below 41°F, with stricter limits applied to smoked or processed fish (38°F) and reduced oxygen packaged foods.

Temperature control violations are classified as critical because improper cold holding creates conditions that can allow bacterial growth in perishable foods. No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection cycle.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food safety standards for restaurants operating in the five boroughs, including requirements for temperature control of potentially hazardous foods. The FDA Food Code, which informs these local regulations, identifies cold holding above 41°F as a condition that accelerates the growth of pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in susceptible food items.

A score of 22 places Cafe Madeline within the Grade B band but at a level inspectors consider elevated within that range. With a single critical violation accounting for a significant portion of the score, the result reflects the weighted point value that critical violations carry under the city's scoring methodology.

Inspection History

Cafe Madeline's inspection record over the past several years shows variability in performance:

  • 2026-01-23: Score 35
  • 2024-10-04: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • 2024-07-05: Score 37
  • 2023-04-07: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • 2023-01-30: Score 11
  • 2022-01-28: Score 19 (Grade B)

The café has previously achieved Grade A scores, including a 12 in April 2023 and a 13 in October 2024, indicating the kitchen is capable of meeting higher compliance standards. However, scores of 35 and 37 were also recorded in recent cycles, suggesting inconsistency. The January 2026 score of 35 — which would fall in Grade C territory — preceded this March inspection by approximately two months.

Inspection data from the March 20, 2026 visit was released by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on their inspection scores:

  • A: 0–13 points (lowest number of violations)
  • B: 14–27 points
  • C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection before a grade is officially posted. Posted grades are required to be displayed in a window visible from the street.

Current inspection records for all NYC restaurants are available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection results search at the city's official open data portal.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Cafe Madeline including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.