Brooklyn, NY — Island Flamez Caribbean Cuisine, located at 642 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn, received a score of 21 following a health inspection conducted on March 25, 2026, placing the restaurant in Grade B range and just six points from the Grade C threshold.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) documented one critical violation during the inspection. The cited violation, Code 04M, recorded the presence of live roaches in the facility's food or non-food area.

Roach activity is classified as a critical violation because live pests can contaminate food surfaces, utensils, and food products directly, posing a risk of foodborne illness to customers. The inspection did not identify any non-critical violations.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain facilities free from pest activity. The FDA Food Code similarly identifies pest control as a foundational component of safe food handling, requiring operators to prevent conditions that attract or harbor insects and rodents.

A score of 21 falls within the Grade B range but represents a significant increase in risk relative to a Grade A establishment. At 21 points, the restaurant sits near the upper boundary of the B range, with a score of 28 or higher resulting in a Grade C designation. Inspectors are required to re-inspect Grade B establishments, at which point the restaurant may post a Grade B card or request an adjudication hearing.

DOHMH released the inspection data on March 30, 2026, five days after the inspection was conducted.

Inspection History

Island Flamez Caribbean Cuisine had maintained a consistent Grade A record prior to this inspection. The restaurant's documented inspection history includes:

  • May 4, 2026: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • November 1, 2024: Score 12 (Grade A)

Both prior inspections resulted in scores well within Grade A range, indicating that the pest activity identified in March represented a departure from the restaurant's recent compliance record.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City grades restaurants based on the total points assessed during an unannounced inspection. Each violation carries a point value based on its severity:

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

Critical violations, such as the roach sighting documented at Island Flamez, carry higher point values than non-critical violations and reflect conditions with a more direct potential to cause foodborne illness.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database at nyc.gov/health. Consumers can search any establishment by name or address to view current grades, scores, and violation histories.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Island Flamez Caribbean Cuisine including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.