Brooklyn, NY — Deli Ave M, a Mexican restaurant at 1710 Avenue M in Brooklyn, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted April 2, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 30, placing the establishment in the C grade range. The findings were released by DOHMH on April 8, 2026.

The inspection identified 8 critical violations and 20 non-critical violations across a range of food safety and sanitation categories.

What Inspectors Found

The most significant critical violations involved evidence of mice. Inspectors cited Code 04L — evidence of mice or live mice in food or non-food areas — on four separate occasions during the inspection, indicating a persistent rodent presence throughout the establishment.

Inspectors also cited Code 06A, covering personal cleanliness, on four separate occasions. This violation covers a range of worker hygiene requirements, including outer garments soiled with possible contaminants, failure to wear effective hair restraints where required, jewelry worn on hands or arms, and fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.

Non-critical violations included multiple citations for:

  • Code 08A: Conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests, cited four times
  • Code 10F: Non-food contact surfaces made of unacceptable material or not kept clean, cited three times
  • Code 20-01: Food allergy information poster not conspicuously posted where food is prepared, cited four times
  • Code 20-04: Missing required postings including the choking first aid poster, alcohol and pregnancy warning sign, and resuscitation equipment signage, cited three times
  • Code 20-08: Failure to post healthy eating information, cited three times
  • Code 10B: Drainage or sewage disposal concerns, including condensation or liquid waste not properly disposed of
  • Code 28-06: No pest management professional contract in place and no record of extermination activities kept on premises
  • Code 10E: Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated or cold holding equipment

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain sanitary conditions across food handling, facility maintenance, pest prevention, and worker hygiene. The repeated citation of Code 04L is notable because rodent activity in food preparation and storage areas poses a direct risk of contamination, as mice can carry pathogens including Salmonella and Hantavirus.

The FDA Food Code similarly establishes that food employees must maintain personal cleanliness and wear clean outer clothing to prevent biological contamination of food and food-contact surfaces.

Code 28-06 violations indicate the establishment lacked a formal pest management contract and failed to maintain required extermination records on premises, which are baseline requirements for pest control compliance under city regulations.

The cluster of posting violations — covering food allergy information, choking first aid, and healthy eating materials — while non-critical, reflects gaps in required consumer information standards.

Inspection History

Deli Ave M has the following recent inspection record on file with DOHMH:

  • May 5, 2026: Score 23 (Grade Z)

A Grade Z designation is assigned when a restaurant has been inspected but has not yet received a letter grade, typically because the establishment requested an administrative hearing to contest the score or because a re-inspection is pending. The May 5, 2026 entry reflects activity after the April 2 inspection that is the subject of this report.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on inspection scores under NYC Health Code Article 81:

  • A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • C: Score of 28 points or more

Lower scores indicate fewer violations. A Grade C requires the restaurant to post the C card in its window, though the restaurant may request a re-inspection to attempt to improve its grade.

Consumers can look up current inspection results for any NYC food service establishment through the DOHMH online restaurant inspection database. Inspection records are public and updated regularly as new inspections are completed.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Deli Ave M including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.