Manhattan, NY — Rusty's Flavor, a Caribbean restaurant at 2261 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard in Harlem, received a score of 23 during a health inspection conducted on March 4, 2026. The score falls within the Grade B range (14–27 points), placing the restaurant just four points below the Grade C threshold of 28.

The inspection data was released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 6, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The March 4 inspection identified one non-critical violation:

  • Code 09E: A required hand-washing sign was not posted near or above a hand-washing sink.

No critical violations were documented during this inspection cycle. Under DOHMH guidelines, critical violations are those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness, while non-critical violations relate to facility maintenance and operational standards.

Although only one violation was recorded, the resulting score of 23 points reflects the weight assigned to this particular citation under the DOHMH scoring system. The score places Rusty's Flavor in the upper portion of the Grade B range, close to the 28-point threshold where a Grade C designation begins.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 requires all food service establishments to maintain posted signage reminding employees to wash hands, particularly near hand-washing stations. This requirement aligns with the FDA Food Code, which identifies proper hand hygiene as a fundamental measure in preventing contamination and the spread of foodborne pathogens.

Hand-washing signage violations, while classified as non-critical, serve as indicators of a facility's overall compliance with posted hygiene protocols. The DOHMH assigns point values to each violation type based on its potential public health impact, and the cumulative score determines the restaurant's letter grade.

Inspection History

Rusty's Flavor has been inspected multiple times over the past four years. The restaurant's recorded inspection history shows a pattern of fluctuating scores:

  • March 4, 2026: Score 23 (Grade B)
  • December 16, 2024: Score 27 (Grade B)
  • July 9, 2024: Score 24
  • February 7, 2023: Score 12 (Grade A)
  • June 27, 2022: Score 0 (Grade A)
  • April 21, 2022: Score 4 (Grade P)
  • April 13, 2022: Score 63, closed by DOHMH

The data indicates that after being closed in April 2022 with a score of 63, the restaurant improved significantly, earning a perfect score of 0 and subsequent Grade A results through early 2023. However, scores have trended upward since mid-2024, with three consecutive inspections resulting in scores of 24, 27, and now 23 — all within Grade B territory.

The restaurant was previously closed by DOHMH in April 2022 following a score of 63, which fell well into the Grade C range. The establishment subsequently passed re-inspection and resumed operations.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

The DOHMH assigns letter grades based on total violation points accumulated during an inspection:

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

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection or an adjudicatory hearing through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Consumers can look up the full inspection history for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online at the NYC Open Data portal. Rusty's Flavor's complete record, including detailed violation descriptions from each inspection cycle, is publicly accessible through this resource.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Rusty's Flavor including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.