Brooklyn, NY — Okey, a Spanish restaurant located at 445 Albee Square in Brooklyn, received a Grade C following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 25, 2026. The restaurant scored 39 points, placing it in the C range under the city's grading system. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 27, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors cited one violation during the March 25 visit, classified as non-critical under the city's scoring system. The violation, recorded under Code 10F, pertained to a non-food contact surface or equipment found to be made of unacceptable material, not maintained in a clean condition, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or positioned to allow adequate accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath the unit.
While this category of violation does not involve direct contamination of food or food-contact surfaces, it falls within the scope of conditions that can contribute to the accumulation of debris and pests if left unaddressed. Inspectors documented no critical violations during this visit.
The score of 39 placed Okey in the Grade C category, which applies to any restaurant scoring 28 or more points in a single inspection cycle.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes sanitation requirements for food service establishments operating within the five boroughs. These standards align closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Code, which sets baseline expectations for equipment maintenance, surface materials, and structural conditions that support safe food handling environments.
Regulations concerning equipment and surface maintenance — addressed by violations like Code 10F — exist because poorly maintained non-food contact surfaces can harbor pests, mold, and bacteria over time. These conditions, if not corrected, may indirectly affect the sanitary environment in which food is prepared and stored.
DOHMH inspects restaurants on an unannounced basis, typically once or twice per year for most establishments. Restaurants that score in the B or C range are subject to re-inspection, at which point they may contest their grade or demonstrate corrective action.
Inspection History
Okey's inspection record over the past several years reflects variability in scores:
- April 16, 2026: Score 25 (Grade Z)
- March 25, 2026: Score 39 (Grade C) — subject of this report
- November 25, 2024: Score 12 (Grade A)
- June 17, 2024: Score 20
- January 12, 2023: Score 7
- July 19, 2022: Score 99
The restaurant's most recent prior inspection in November 2024 resulted in a Grade A with a score of 12, indicating a significantly improved standing at that time. A follow-up inspection recorded on April 16, 2026 — approximately three weeks after the March visit — resulted in a score of 25, assigned a Grade Z designation. Grade Z is typically applied when a restaurant's grade is pending or when an establishment has requested an administrative hearing to contest its score.
The July 2022 score of 99 represents the restaurant's lowest-performing recorded inspection in the available data.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's letter-grade system is calculated based on the total point value assigned to violations identified during an inspection. Each violation carries a point value determined by its severity and category:
- Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points
- Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points
- Grade C: Score of 28 points or higher
Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C during an initial inspection are re-inspected. During a re-inspection cycle, establishments may post their grade or display a Grade Pending card while awaiting an administrative hearing.
Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at the NYC Open Data portal. Diners can search any restaurant's full inspection history by name, address, or cuisine type.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Okey including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.