Bronx, NY — El Valle Renacer, a Latin American restaurant at 2448 Jerome Avenue, received a score of 44 during a New York City health inspection conducted on March 6, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, a significant departure from the restaurant's recent inspection history. The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) released the inspection data on March 9, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

During the inspection, DOHMH inspectors identified one critical violation at the establishment:

Hot time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food was not held at or above 140 °F, as required by food safety regulations. This violation, classified under code 02B, is considered critical because TCS foods held between 41 °F and 140 °F — commonly referred to as the "danger zone" — can allow rapid bacterial growth that may lead to foodborne illness.

TCS foods include items such as cooked meats, rice, beans, dairy products, and cooked vegetables — ingredients commonly found in Latin American cuisine. When these foods fall below the 140 °F threshold during hot holding, the risk of bacterial contamination increases significantly with each passing hour.

Despite only one critical violation being documented and no non-critical violations recorded, the restaurant received a score of 44 points. Individual violation point values are assigned based on the severity and specific conditions observed at the time of inspection.

Food Safety Context

The temperature requirements for hot holding are established under both NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code. These regulations require that all TCS foods maintained for hot service be kept at 140 °F or above at all times. The requirement exists because temperatures between 41 °F and 140 °F allow bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens to multiply rapidly, potentially reaching levels that cause illness within hours.

Restaurants are expected to monitor food temperatures regularly throughout service using calibrated thermometers and to take corrective action — such as reheating food to 165 °F — if temperatures fall below the required threshold. DOHMH inspectors use calibrated instruments to verify food temperatures during inspections.

Inspection History

El Valle Renacer's March 2026 score represents a notable change from the restaurant's recent track record. The establishment's prior inspections show a pattern of generally favorable results:

  • November 18, 2024: Score 12, Grade A
  • February 12, 2024: Score 24, no grade recorded
  • September 7, 2022: Score 10, Grade A
  • August 15, 2022: Score 0

The restaurant had earned Grade A scores in its two most recent graded inspections, with scores of 12 and 10 respectively. The February 2024 inspection resulted in a score of 24, which falls within the Grade B range but did not have a grade recorded in the public data. The current score of 44 is the highest point total in the establishment's available inspection history.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total points accumulated during an inspection. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations:

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

Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection. The establishment may also contest the results through an administrative hearing at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). Until the adjudication process is complete, a restaurant may display a "Grade Pending" card rather than a letter grade.

A Grade C score does not necessarily mean a restaurant will be closed. Closure orders are typically issued when DOHMH identifies conditions that pose an imminent public health hazard. In this case, the action recorded was that violations were cited, and no closure was noted in the inspection data.

Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the city's open data portal. The database is updated regularly as new inspection data is processed and released.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for El Valle Renacer including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.