Brooklyn, NY — A March 2026 New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection at Realcaribbeanpot Restaurant & Bakery on Church Avenue resulted in a score of 36 points, placing the establishment in Grade C standing. Inspectors documented two critical violations and two non-critical violations during the March 30, 2026 visit. DOHMH released the inspection data on April 3, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The most significant finding involved mice. Inspectors recorded evidence of mice or live mice in the establishment's food and non-food areas — a critical violation under NYC Health Code. Rodent presence in a food service environment poses direct contamination risks and is among the violations weighted most heavily in the city's scoring system.
The second critical violation cited hot temperature control for safety (TCS) food items not held at or above 140°F. The FDA Food Code and NYC Health Code Article 81 require that hot foods be maintained at this minimum temperature to inhibit bacterial growth. When hot food drops below this threshold, pathogens including Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens can multiply to levels that may cause foodborne illness.
Two non-critical violations were also documented. Inspectors noted conditions conducive to rodent and pest harborage — meaning the physical environment contains gaps, clutter, or structural features that allow or encourage pest activity. Additionally, inspectors found that the establishment's letter grade or Grade Pending card had been removed, destroyed, modified, obscured, or otherwise tampered with. NYC regulations require that the current inspection grade be posted in a location visible to the public at all times.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the food safety standards all city restaurants must meet, covering temperature controls, pest prevention, sanitation practices, and proper food handling procedures. The DOHMH inspection program uses a point-based scoring system in which more serious violations carry higher point values.
Critical violations — those most directly linked to foodborne illness risk — receive higher point penalties than non-critical violations. A score of 36 points reflects a combination of serious violations that inspectors determined posed elevated risk to public health at the time of the inspection.
The FDA Food Code, which informs New York City's standards, identifies temperature abuse and pest contamination as two of the most common contributing factors in foodborne illness outbreaks linked to food service establishments.
Inspection History
Realcaribbeanpot Restaurant & Bakery has a multi-year inspection record with DOHMH. Prior scores show a pattern of elevated point totals in recent cycles:
- May 20, 2026: Score 26 (Grade Z)
- January 15, 2025: Score 20 (Grade Z)
- December 16, 2024: Score 35
- September 18, 2023: Score 41 (Grade C)
- December 15, 2022: Score 32
- January 28, 2022: Score 7 (Grade A)
The restaurant received a Grade A with a score of 7 in January 2022, but scores have risen substantially in subsequent inspection cycles. The September 2023 and December 2024 inspections both produced scores in the mid-to-upper 30s, consistent with the March 2026 result. Grade Z designations in the 2025 cycle indicate inspections that occurred during re-inspection periods before a grade was finalized.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system converts inspection point totals into letter grades displayed publicly at each establishment:
- A: Score of 0 to 13 points (lowest violation severity)
- B: Score of 14 to 27 points
- C: Score of 28 points or higher
A Grade C is assigned when a restaurant scores 28 or more points during an unannounced inspection. Restaurants receiving a B or C on an initial inspection are re-inspected, at which point they may post their grade or a Grade Pending card while awaiting the re-inspection result.
Consumers can look up current inspection records for any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov. The database is updated regularly as new inspection data becomes available and reflects the most recent scored inspection for each establishment.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Realcaribbeanpot Restaurant & Bakery including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.