Bronx, NY — Malina's Kitchen, an African restaurant located at 2345 Jerome Avenue, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following an inspection conducted on May 14, 2026. The establishment received a score of 75, placing it firmly in C-grade territory under the city's restaurant grading system. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on May 18, 2026.

The closure followed the identification of violations requiring immediate action, including a critical violation tied to the presence of rodents in the establishment.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two violations during the May 14 visit: one critical and one non-critical.

The critical violation, cited under Code 04K, recorded evidence of rats or live rats in the establishment's food or non-food areas. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, the presence of rodents in a food service facility is considered a serious public health hazard due to the risk of contamination of food surfaces, equipment, and supplies. This type of violation typically triggers immediate corrective action and can result in closure pending remediation and reinspection.

The non-critical violation was cited under Code 10F, which covers non-food contact surfaces or equipment made of unacceptable materials, or surfaces not kept clean or properly configured to allow access for cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath the unit. While not directly tied to foodborne illness risk in the same way as a critical violation, this type of finding indicates maintenance or sanitation gaps that can contribute to pest harborage conditions if left unaddressed.

DOHMH noted that violations requiring immediate action were addressed at the time of inspection, a standard notation that appears when corrective steps are taken on-site during the inspection visit. The establishment remains subject to a reinspection before it may reopen.

Food Safety Context

Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food service establishments are required to maintain facilities free of pest activity, keep equipment in sound condition and properly cleaned, and meet a range of sanitation standards designed to prevent contamination and foodborne illness.

The FDA Food Code, which informs many of the city's inspection criteria, classifies rodent evidence as a priority violation because rats can carry pathogens including Salmonella and Leptospira, and can contaminate food contact surfaces and stored ingredients without visible signs to staff or customers.

A score of 75 reflects a significant accumulation of point values across violations. The city's grading system assigns point values to each violation based on its public health risk, with critical violations carrying higher point weights than non-critical ones. An establishment scoring 28 or above at the conclusion of its grading inspection cycle receives a C grade. A score of 75 is well above that threshold.

Under DOHMH procedures, a closed establishment must pass a reinspection before it is permitted to resume operations. Closure orders are lifted only after inspectors confirm that conditions have been corrected to an acceptable standard.

Inspection History

Records show this is not the first time Malina's Kitchen has received significant attention from health inspectors. The establishment has a varied inspection history over the past two years:

  • October 10, 2024: Score 137, closed by DOHMH
  • September 30, 2024: Score 40
  • November 8, 2024: Score 4
  • April 14, 2025: Score 13, Grade A
  • May 14, 2026: Score 75, closed by DOHMH

The restaurant did achieve a Grade A score of 13 in April 2025, suggesting conditions had improved substantially following the October 2024 closure. The current closure represents a return to elevated violation levels after that period of improvement.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

The DOHMH letter grade system is designed to give the public a quick summary of a restaurant's most recent inspection performance. Grades are calculated based on the total point value of all violations found during an unannounced inspection:

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 points or more

Grades must be posted in a visible location near the restaurant's entrance. When a restaurant is closed by the DOHMH, it is not eligible to receive a letter grade until it passes a reinspection. A "Grade Pending" card may be posted while an appeal or reinspection is pending.

Residents can look up the full inspection history of any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database, available at the NYC OpenData portal. Complaints about restaurant sanitation conditions can be submitted to 311 or through the NYC 311 online portal.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Malina's Kitchen including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.