Two Bronx Restaurants Receive Grade B Scores March 17

New York, NY — Two Bronx restaurants received Grade B inspection scores from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on March 17, 2026. The inspections documented food safety violations at a Caribbean restaurant on Webster Avenue and a Middle Eastern establishment on East Gun Hill Road, with scores averaging 19.5 points across both locations.

Grade B scores fall within the 14-to-27-point range under New York City's restaurant grading system, indicating that violations were identified but did not constitute an immediate threat to public health. Both restaurants are required to correct the documented issues and may request a re-inspection.

The Inspections

Inspectors visited Carib Seafood Restaurant & Bar, located at 2521 Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and recorded a score of 20 points. The Caribbean restaurant was cited for a critical violation involving hot time and temperature control for safety (TCS) food items. Specifically, inspectors found that food that had been cooked and cooled was being held for service without first being reheated to the required 165°F minimum temperature.

This violation was documented more than once during the inspection, indicating a repeated pattern within the same visit. Under the NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, TCS foods that have been cooked, cooled, and are being reheated for hot holding must reach an internal temperature of 165°F within two hours. Failure to properly reheat these items can allow bacterial growth that may cause foodborne illness. The reheating requirement is one of the most frequently cited critical violations across the city's restaurant inspection program.

Further north on East Gun Hill Road, inspectors visited Halal Munchies at 79 East Gun Hill Road and recorded a score of 19 points. The Middle Eastern restaurant was cited for violations related to non-food contact surfaces and equipment. Inspectors noted that surfaces or equipment were made of unacceptable material, were not kept clean, or were not properly sealed, raised, or spaced to allow for adequate cleaning and maintenance.

While non-food contact surface violations are categorized as general violations rather than critical ones, they reflect overall maintenance and sanitation practices within a food establishment. The FDA Food Code specifies that all equipment and surfaces in food preparation areas must be constructed of durable, smooth, and easily cleanable materials, and must be maintained in good repair to prevent the accumulation of food particles, dirt, and bacteria.

Common Patterns

The two inspections on March 17 highlight distinct but common categories of restaurant violations found across New York City. Carib Seafood Restaurant & Bar's citation for improper food reheating falls under temperature control, which consistently ranks among the most frequently documented critical violations citywide. Temperature abuse — whether during cooking, cooling, holding, or reheating — accounts for a significant share of the points assessed during health inspections.

Halal Munchies' citation for equipment and surface maintenance represents the other major category of violations that inspectors routinely document. Equipment condition and cleanliness violations, while often carrying fewer points individually than critical temperature violations, can accumulate and push a restaurant's total score into Grade B or Grade C territory.

Both establishments represent different cuisine types — Caribbean and Middle Eastern — reflecting the culinary diversity of the Bronx. The violations documented are not specific to any particular cuisine but rather relate to universal food safety practices that apply to all restaurants regardless of the type of food they serve. Temperature control and equipment maintenance are foundational requirements under both the NYC Health Code and federal food safety guidelines.

Geographically, the two restaurants are located in different Bronx neighborhoods along major commercial corridors. Webster Avenue and East Gun Hill Road are both well-trafficked streets with concentrations of food service establishments, and routine inspection activity in these areas is consistent with the Health Department's inspection schedule.

What This Means for Diners

A Grade B score indicates that a restaurant has room for improvement but is not considered an immediate public health risk. Restaurants that receive a B grade on an initial inspection have the option to post the grade or request a re-inspection. During a re-inspection, if the restaurant scores in the A range (0-13 points), it may post a Grade A card instead.

Diners can look up the full inspection history of any restaurant in New York City through the NYC Department of Health's online restaurant inspection database. Each restaurant's profile includes the date of inspection, the score received, the specific violations documented, and whether the violations were classified as critical or general. The facility pages for both Carib Seafood Restaurant & Bar and Halal Munchies provide detailed inspection histories and violation records.

Consumers are encouraged to review inspection results as one factor among many when choosing where to dine. A single inspection represents a snapshot of conditions on a particular day, and restaurants frequently improve their scores on subsequent visits after addressing documented violations.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assigns letter grades based on a point system. Points are assessed for each violation found during an inspection, with more serious violations carrying higher point values.

The grading scale works as follows: restaurants scoring 0 to 13 points receive a Grade A, indicating minimal or no violations. Scores of 14 to 27 points result in a Grade B, indicating moderate violations that require correction. Scores of 28 points or higher result in a Grade C, indicating more significant issues that need to be addressed.

Critical violations — those that are most likely to contribute to foodborne illness — carry higher point values than general violations. Examples of critical violations include improper food temperatures, evidence of vermin activity, and inadequate handwashing facilities. General violations, such as equipment maintenance and facility condition issues, carry lower point values but can still contribute to a restaurant's overall score.

All New York City restaurants are required to post their most recent grade card in a location visible to the public, typically near the entrance. The grading program, which began in 2010, has been credited with improving overall food safety compliance across the city's approximately 27,000 restaurants.

For more information about restaurant inspection results, diners can visit the NYC Department of Health's restaurant inspection search tool or review individual facility pages on NYCRestaurantInspections.com.