Brooklyn, NY — Mothers Seafood & More, a soul food restaurant at 59 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn, received a score of 24 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 30, 2026. That score falls within the Grade B range but sits near the upper boundary — four points below the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 1, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two violations during the March visit — one critical and one non-critical.

The critical violation, Code 04A, found that no manager or supervisor on the food operations staff held a valid Food Protection Certificate (FPC). Under New York City Health Code Article 81, at least one certified food protection manager must be present and responsible for food handling operations. The FPC requires passing an accredited exam and is intended to ensure that someone in a supervisory role understands safe food handling, temperature control, and sanitation practices.

The non-critical violation, Code 10F, identified a non-food contact surface — such as equipment housing, shelving, or a similar fixture — that was either made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or positioned to allow cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath. While this type of violation does not directly involve food contact, it can contribute to the buildup of debris, grease, or pests over time.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program, governed by NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligned with FDA Food Code standards, assigns point values to each violation based on the potential public health risk. Critical violations carry higher point values because they are directly associated with conditions that could cause foodborne illness. Non-critical violations address conditions that, while not immediately dangerous, can degrade sanitation standards if left unaddressed.

A score of 24 places Mothers Seafood & More toward the higher end of the Grade B band. Restaurants are graded on their best score within an inspection cycle, and an establishment scoring near the Grade C cutoff may be subject to additional monitoring or re-inspection.

Inspection History

The March 2026 inspection is part of a varied recent record for this location:

  • August 1, 2025: Score 39 — above the Grade C threshold of 28
  • February 28, 2024: Score 9 — Grade A

The 2024 Grade A score indicates the restaurant has previously met the city's highest standards. The 2025 score of 39 represented a significant decline, and the current score of 24, while an improvement from that prior visit, remains elevated compared to the 2024 result.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants based on scores from their most recent inspection cycle:

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

Grades must be posted publicly at the restaurant entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection records, including individual violation details and historical scores, through the DOHMH restaurant inspection search tool at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Mothers Seafood & More including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.