Brooklyn, NY — Masal Cafe, a Turkish restaurant at 1901 Emmons Avenue in Brooklyn, received a score of 26 following a health inspection conducted March 30, 2026, placing it at the upper edge of a Grade B and two points from the Grade C threshold. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) released the data April 1, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March inspection. The cited violation — Code 02G — involves temperature control for safety (TCS) foods: cold TCS food items were found held above 41°F, the maximum permitted temperature for most refrigerated foods under city health standards.
Proper cold-holding temperatures are a foundational requirement in food safety. When perishable foods such as meat, dairy, or prepared items are stored above required temperatures, the risk of bacterial growth increases. Inspectors did not cite any non-critical violations during this visit.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code establish cold-holding requirements to limit pathogen growth in perishable foods. The 41°F threshold is the standard maximum for most TCS items; smoked or processed fish must be held at or below 38°F, and reduced oxygen packaged foods carry their own temperature requirements depending on formulation.
A single critical violation of this type can carry significant point weight in DOHMH's scoring system. In this inspection, the one cited critical violation resulted in a score of 26 — a Grade B, but at the high end of that range. A score of 28 or above would result in a Grade C.
Inspection History
Masal Cafe's recent inspection record shows significant variation in scores:
- November 3, 2025: Score 2 (Grade Z)
- October 29, 2025: Score 62 — restaurant was closed by DOHMH
- July 18, 2024: Score 13 (Grade A)
- April 27, 2023: Score 12 (Grade A)
The restaurant was closed following the October 2025 inspection, which produced a score of 62. A follow-up inspection on November 3, 2025 recorded a score of 2, indicating that conditions had been substantially corrected. The Grade Z designation is used during reinspection periods before a letter grade is assigned. The restaurant's pre-closure record — scores of 12 and 13 in 2023 and 2024 — reflects Grade A performance during that period.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
DOHMH assigns letter grades based on scores from unannounced inspections:
- A: 0–13 points (lowest violation severity)
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
Lower scores reflect fewer or less severe violations. A Grade B must be posted in the restaurant's window. Restaurants scoring above 13 on an initial inspection are typically re-inspected before a grade is finalized.
Current inspection records for all NYC restaurants are searchable through the DOHMH online database at nyc.gov/health. Residents can also use the NYC 311 service to report food safety concerns at restaurants.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Masal Cafe including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.