New York, NY — Three Brooklyn restaurants received Grade B inspection scores on March 19, 2026, according to data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The establishments — spanning African, chicken, and Chinese cuisines — scored between 17 and 20 points, placing them in the Grade B range that signals violations requiring correction but not an immediate public health threat. The average score among the three was 18 points.
The Inspections
Inspectors visited Buka New York Corp, an African restaurant at 1111 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, where they recorded the highest score of the day at 20 points. The inspection identified a critical violation: sanitized equipment or utensils, including in-use food dispensing utensils, were improperly used or stored. Under NYC Health Code Article 81, all food-contact surfaces and utensils must be properly sanitized and stored to prevent contamination between uses. When equipment that has been cleaned is then stored improperly — left exposed to potential contaminants or placed in areas where it can come into contact with raw food — the sanitization process is effectively undermined. Buka's grade is currently listed as pending, meaning the restaurant may contest the score through the administrative tribunal process.
At Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, located at 1159 Utica Avenue, inspectors documented a score of 17 points. The violation cited at this location noted that the establishment was not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests. This type of violation addresses the physical conditions of a restaurant — gaps in walls, unsealed entry points, accumulated debris, or other environmental factors that can attract or shelter pests. The FDA Food Code emphasizes that food establishments must be designed and maintained to prevent the entry and harboring of pests, as they can carry bacteria and contaminate food preparation surfaces. The Popeyes location also carries a pending grade status.
T&Y Kitchen, a Chinese restaurant at 194 State Street, also received a score of 17 points. Inspectors identified a critical violation involving hot time and temperature control for safety (TCS) food items not being held at or above 140 °F. This is one of the more directly food-safety-relevant violations in the health code. TCS foods — which include cooked meats, rice, cooked vegetables, and other items that support bacterial growth — must be maintained at proper temperatures to prevent the proliferation of harmful organisms. When hot foods drop below the 140 °F threshold, they enter the temperature danger zone (between 41 °F and 140 °F) where bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens can multiply rapidly. T&Y Kitchen's grade is listed as N, indicating a new establishment undergoing its initial inspection cycle.
Common Patterns
Several patterns emerge from the March 19 inspections in Brooklyn. First, the violations span three distinct categories of food safety concern: equipment sanitation and storage, pest management, and temperature control. This distribution reflects the broad scope of what health inspectors evaluate during a routine visit, which typically covers dozens of individual checklist items across food handling, facility maintenance, and operational practices.
The three restaurants represent different cuisine types and business models — an independent African restaurant, a national fast-food chain, and a Chinese kitchen — suggesting that Grade B violations are not confined to any particular segment of the restaurant industry. Both independent operators and chain establishments face similar challenges in maintaining full compliance with the city's health code.
Geographically, the three restaurants are spread across different Brooklyn neighborhoods, from Fulton Street to Utica Avenue to State Street. This distribution is consistent with the Department of Health's approach of conducting inspections across all areas of the city rather than concentrating on specific corridors.
Two of the three violations were classified as critical, meaning they relate directly to foodborne illness risk factors. The pest-related violation at Popeyes, while not classified as critical at this scoring level, still represents a condition that inspectors flag as requiring prompt remediation.
What This Means for Diners
A Grade B score means a restaurant accumulated between 14 and 27 violation points during its inspection. While this indicates areas where the restaurant fell short of full compliance, it does not mean the establishment poses an immediate danger to diners. The city's grading system is designed to create transparency and incentivize restaurants to maintain high standards.
Restaurants that receive a Grade B on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection or contest the grade through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Many establishments improve their scores on subsequent visits after addressing the specific violations identified.
Diners can look up any restaurant's inspection history, including specific violations and scores, through the NYC Department of Health's online restaurant inspection portal. The results are also available through the city's open data platform. For the restaurants covered in this article, detailed facility pages with full inspection histories are available on this site.
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 the total number of violation points recorded during an inspection. A score of 0 to 13 points earns a Grade A, indicating the restaurant is in strong compliance with health regulations. A score of 14 to 27 points results in a Grade B, signaling that violations were found but do not constitute an immediate health hazard. A score of 28 points or more results in a Grade C, indicating more significant compliance issues.
Each violation carries a point value based on its severity and relevance to food safety. Critical violations — those most directly linked to foodborne illness — carry higher point values than general violations related to facility maintenance or record-keeping. The system, which has been in place since 2010, has been credited with improving overall restaurant hygiene across the city, as establishments work to achieve and maintain their A grades.
Restaurants are required to post their current grade in a conspicuous location near the entrance. Diners are encouraged to check grades before dining and to report concerns to 311 or through the city's online complaint portal.