Brooklyn, NY — Pearl Indian Restaurant, located at 738 Franklin Avenue in the Crown Heights neighborhood, received a score of 27 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 30, 2026. The score places the restaurant at the upper boundary of the Grade B range, one point below the threshold at which a Grade C is assigned. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on April 1, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented two critical violations during the visit, with no non-critical violations recorded.
The first violation, cited under Code 06D, found that food contact surfaces were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following activities where contamination may have occurred. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, food contact surfaces — including cutting boards, utensils, and prep equipment — must be cleaned and sanitized at prescribed intervals to prevent cross-contamination and the potential transfer of pathogens to food.
The second violation, cited under Code 06A, identified inadequate personal cleanliness standards among food handlers. This category encompasses a range of requirements, including outer garments free of possible contaminants, effective hair restraints where required, no jewelry worn on hands or arms during food preparation, and properly trimmed and clean fingernails. The FDA Food Code establishes these standards to minimize the risk of physical and biological contamination of food during handling.
Both violations were classified as critical, meaning they represent conditions with a direct potential to contribute to foodborne illness if not corrected.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, all food service establishments operating in New York City are subject to unannounced inspections by DOHMH. Violations are assigned point values based on severity, and critical violations carry higher point totals than non-critical ones. A score of 27 reflects two critical violations with a combined weight that places the restaurant at the highest possible score within the Grade B band.
The two violations documented here — surface sanitation and personal hygiene — are among the most commonly cited categories in DOHMH inspections citywide and are directly addressed in both local and federal food safety guidelines.
Inspection History
Pearl Indian Restaurant has received Grade B scores across multiple recent inspection cycles:
- September 11, 2025: Score 21
- February 9, 2024: Score 25 (Grade B)
- January 19, 2023: Score 24
The pattern indicates the restaurant has consistently scored within the Grade B range over the past several years. The March 2026 score of 27 represents the highest recorded score in this period.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants following each inspection cycle based on the total point score:
- Grade A: 0–13 points
- Grade B: 14–27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
A score of 27 falls at the top of the Grade B range. Restaurants that do not achieve a Grade A on an initial inspection are typically re-inspected, at which point a grade card is posted publicly.
Current and historical inspection records for Pearl Indian Restaurant and other NYC establishments are available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection lookup tool at the NYC Open Data portal.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Pearl Indian Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.