Brooklyn, NY — El Sazon De Petrica, a Latin American restaurant at 4718 4th Avenue in Brooklyn, received a Grade B following a health inspection conducted March 17, 2026, according to records released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 23, 2026. The restaurant's score of 27 places it at the uppermost boundary of the Grade B range, one point below the threshold at which a Grade C is issued.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March visit. The cited violation — Code 02G — relates to improper temperature control of Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods. Specifically, inspectors identified cold TCS food items held above 41°F, the maximum allowable temperature under city and federal food safety standards. Proper cold-holding temperatures are essential to preventing bacterial growth in perishable foods such as dairy products, meats, and prepared items.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

Cold-holding requirements are governed by NYC Health Code Article 81 and are consistent with standards established in the FDA Food Code. TCS foods must be maintained at or below 41°F to inhibit the growth of pathogens including Salmonella, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus. A single critical violation of this type carries significant weight in DOHMH scoring, as temperature control failures are directly associated with foodborne illness risk.

A score of 27 falls within the Grade B range but represents a notably elevated result within that category. The B grade is assigned to restaurants scoring between 14 and 27 points — meaning this inspection result sits at the maximum allowable score before a Grade C designation would apply.

Inspection History

El Sazon De Petrica has a limited inspection history on record with DOHMH:

  • January 30, 2026: Score 52 (Grade N)

The January inspection resulted in a Grade N — a "Not Yet Graded" designation typically assigned when an initial inspection score is too high for an A but the restaurant has not yet undergone a reinspection to establish a letter grade. The improvement from 52 to 27 between January and March reflects a meaningful reduction in violations, though the March score remains at the upper limit of the B range.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades based on inspection scores as follows:

  • A: 0–13 points (fewest violations)
  • B: 14–27 points
  • C: 28 or more points (most violations)

Grades must be posted in a window visible from the street. A Grade B indicates that violations were found and that the restaurant did not meet the threshold for the city's top rating. Restaurants scoring in the B or C range are typically subject to a follow-up inspection.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database at nyc.gov. Consumers can search by restaurant name, address, or cuisine type to review current and historical inspection data.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for El Sazon De Petrica including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.