Brooklyn, NY — North Coast Shark And Bake, a Caribbean restaurant located at 873 Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn, was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) following an inspection conducted on June 17, 2026. The restaurant received a score of 44, placing it in C-grade range under the city's letter grading system. Inspection data was publicly released by DOHMH on June 22, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two violations during the June 17 visit — one critical and one non-critical.

The critical violation, cited under Code 04M, recorded the presence of live roaches in the facility's food or non-food area. Under NYC Health Code Article 81, the presence of live pests in a food establishment is classified as a critical condition requiring immediate corrective action. DOHMH noted that violations requiring immediate action were addressed at the time of inspection.

The non-critical violation, cited under Code 28-06, identified that the establishment did not have a contract in place with a licensed pest management professional, and that records of extermination activities were not being maintained on the premises. New York City regulations require food service establishments to retain documentation of all pest control activities and to work with a licensed exterminator on a scheduled basis.

Together, the two violations produced a score of 44. Under the city's grading framework, any score of 28 or higher results in a C grade.

Food Safety Context

The FDA Food Code and NYC Health Code Article 81 establish standards for pest control in food service environments because insects such as cockroaches are known carriers of pathogens including Salmonella, E. coli, and other organisms associated with foodborne illness. Live roaches present in areas where food is stored, prepared, or served represent a direct contamination risk.

Code 28-06 violations — the absence of pest management contracts and activity records — are frequently linked to conditions that allow pest populations to go undetected or unaddressed over extended periods. Regulatory agencies treat these documentation requirements as a baseline layer of accountability, ensuring that pest control activity is both occurring and verifiable.

DOHMH indicated that violations requiring immediate action were addressed during the inspection visit. However, the closure order means the restaurant was not permitted to resume operations until a re-inspection confirmed compliance.

Inspection History

North Coast Shark And Bake has a mixed inspection record over the past several years. The June 2026 closure is not the first time the restaurant has been ordered to close:

  • June 17, 2026: Score 44 (Grade C), closed by DOHMH
  • October 18, 2024: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • February 23, 2024: Score 24 (Grade B)
  • October 2, 2023: Score 18
  • April 6, 2022: Score 5 (Grade C)
  • March 31, 2022: Score 43, closed by DOHMH

The restaurant's record shows significant variability. Following its March 2022 closure with a score of 43, the establishment subsequently improved — achieving a Grade A score of 13 in October 2024. The return to a score of 44 and a second closure in June 2026 represents a marked reversal from that period of compliance.

The 2024 Grade A result and the current closure illustrate how inspection outcomes can shift over time, and why ongoing monitoring by DOHMH is a routine part of the city's food safety program.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City requires most food service establishments to post their letter grade prominently near the entrance. Grades are determined by the score received during a DOHMH inspection, where a lower numerical score reflects fewer or less severe violations:

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

When a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection, it is typically given the opportunity to request a re-inspection before a grade is officially assigned and posted. Closure orders, however, take effect immediately when inspectors identify conditions that pose an imminent public health risk.

The DOHMH inspects roughly 24,000 food service establishments across New York City each year. Inspection results, including scores, violation details, and grade history, are publicly available through the city's open data portal.

Residents can look up inspection records for any NYC restaurant at the DOHMH restaurant inspection results page or through the city's open data platform at data.cityofnewyork.us.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for North Coast Shark And Bake including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.