Staten Island, NY — Hylan Diner, located at 2561 Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, received a score of 31 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 25, 2026, resulting in a Grade C rating. The data was released by DOHMH on March 27, 2026. Inspectors documented one critical violation and one non-critical violation during the visit.
What Inspectors Found
The most serious finding during the inspection was a critical violation under Code 02B: hot temperature-controlled for safety (TCS) food was not held at or above 140°F. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, hot TCS foods — including cooked meats, poultry, and hot-held prepared items — must be maintained at 140°F or higher to prevent bacterial growth. Temperatures that fall below this threshold create conditions in which pathogens such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus can multiply to unsafe levels.
Inspectors also cited a non-critical violation under Code 10F, noting that a non-food contact surface or piece of equipment was made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or positioned to allow adequate cleaning access on all sides and underneath. While classified as non-critical, such conditions can contribute to the accumulation of food debris, grease, and pests over time if left unaddressed.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the standards for food handling, storage, and equipment maintenance that all licensed food service establishments must follow. The FDA Food Code, which New York City's regulations are modeled on, designates hot holding temperatures as a foundational control measure for preventing foodborne illness.
Critical violations — those that pose a direct or potential risk to public health — carry higher point values in the DOHMH scoring system. A single critical violation can significantly affect a restaurant's total score. The Grade C result here reflects both the nature and weight of the violations identified during this inspection cycle.
The restaurant was not closed as a result of this inspection. Violations were cited, and the establishment remains subject to re-inspection under the standard DOHMH cycle.
Inspection History
Hylan Diner has generally maintained strong inspection scores in recent years, making this Grade C result a notable departure from its recent record:
- July 25, 2024: Score 7 (Grade A)
- July 1, 2024: Score 27
- February 16, 2024: Score 5 (Grade A)
- January 19, 2024: Score 7
- February 21, 2023: Score 12 (Grade A)
- December 22, 2022: Score 26
- January 31, 2022: Score 11 (Grade A)
- September 8, 2021: Score 24
The diner earned Grade A ratings following each of its recent initial inspections. The pattern of lower scores appearing in re-inspection cycles — followed by Grade A results — indicates the establishment has historically corrected cited conditions before graded scores were posted. Whether a similar correction occurs in the current cycle will be determined at re-inspection.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City requires restaurants to publicly post their most recent letter grade, which is calculated based on the total number of points assessed during a DOHMH inspection. The grading scale is as follows:
- A: Score of 0 to 13 points
- B: Score of 14 to 27 points
- C: Score of 28 points or higher
When a restaurant scores above 13 on an initial inspection, DOHMH schedules a re-inspection. The grade posted publicly reflects the score from that subsequent visit. A Grade C must be posted if the re-inspection score remains at 28 or above.
Consumers can look up the full inspection record for any NYC restaurant, including violation details and score history, through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database available at NYC Open Data. Inspection records are updated regularly as new data is released.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Hylan Diner including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.