Brooklyn, NY — El Cedro Lebanese Taqueria, located at 144 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted April 7, 2026. The restaurant scored 27 points — the maximum score still within the Grade B range and a single point from the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 9, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the inspection. No non-critical violations were cited.

The critical violation, recorded under Code 02G, involved temperature control for safety (TCS) foods held above required temperatures. Specifically, inspectors cited cold TCS food items stored above 41°F. This category of violation also covers smoked or processed fish held above 38°F, intact raw eggs held above 45°F, and reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures outside of active preparation.

Cold holding requirements are among the most closely monitored areas of food safety inspections. Bacteria associated with foodborne illness, including Salmonella and Listeria, can multiply rapidly in perishable foods that are not maintained at proper refrigeration temperatures.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code both establish temperature thresholds for cold food storage as a primary means of preventing pathogen growth. The 41°F ceiling for most TCS foods reflects a regulatory boundary below which harmful bacterial activity is significantly slowed.

A single critical violation of this type carries substantial point weight under DOHMH's scoring system, contributing meaningfully to the restaurant's final score. Code 02G violations are classified as critical because they represent a direct potential pathway to foodborne illness if not corrected.

At a score of 27, El Cedro sits at the upper boundary of the Grade B band. The DOHMH grading system assigns letter grades based on inspection scores, with lower scores reflecting fewer violations.

Inspection History

El Cedro Lebanese Taqueria has been inspected previously by DOHMH. The restaurant's recent inspection record includes:

  • October 1, 2024: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • May 29, 2024: Score 42 (no grade assigned)

The October 2024 inspection resulted in the restaurant's best recorded score, a 13, placing it comfortably within Grade A range. The May 2024 inspection recorded a score of 42, which falls within the Grade C range under current grading criteria. The April 2026 inspection represents a score between those two results.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades following inspections based on the total point score. The grading scale is as follows:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points
  • Grade B: 14–27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

Restaurants may post their most recent grade card in a visible location near the entrance. Consumers can look up individual restaurant inspection records through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health. Each inspection record includes violation codes, point values, and the resulting grade or action taken.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for El Cedro Lebanese Taqueria including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.