Brooklyn, NY — Salt & Sizzle, an American restaurant located at 1301 Boardwalk West in Brooklyn's Coney Island neighborhood, was cited for two critical and one non-critical violation during a health inspection conducted March 31, 2026. The inspection resulted in a score of 64, placing the establishment in the Grade C category under New York City's restaurant grading system. Inspection data was released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on April 2, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The most serious violation documented during the inspection involved food safety and contamination controls. Inspectors cited the restaurant under Code 04H, finding that raw, cooked, or prepared food was adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with the establishment's HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan. This type of violation directly implicates the safety of food being served to customers.

A second critical violation was recorded under Code 06D, indicating that food contact surfaces — items such as cutting boards, utensils, and prep equipment — were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use or following activities where contamination may have occurred. Proper sanitation of food contact surfaces is a foundational requirement of safe food handling, as failure to do so can facilitate the transfer of harmful pathogens between food items.

Inspectors also cited a non-critical violation under Code 08A, noting that the establishment was not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or other pests. While classified as non-critical, this type of condition can create pathways for contamination if not addressed.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program is administered under NYC Health Code Article 81, which governs food safety standards for all food service establishments in the five boroughs. Inspections are unannounced and assess compliance across a wide range of food handling, storage, temperature control, and facility maintenance requirements.

The federal FDA Food Code, which New York State's sanitary code incorporates by reference, establishes that food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized at a frequency sufficient to prevent contamination. It also defines HACCP plans as operational frameworks that food service establishments must actively follow to control biological, chemical, and physical food safety hazards. A citation under Code 04H indicates inspectors found the restaurant's actual food handling practices to be out of compliance with its own documented safety controls.

A score of 64 falls well above the Grade C threshold of 28 or more points. Each violation contributes a point value based on its severity, and a score in this range reflects multiple areas requiring corrective action.

Inspection History

Salt & Sizzle has received scores above the Grade A threshold in each of its recorded inspections:

  • 2026-05-27: Score 55 (Grade Z)
  • 2026-03-31: Score 64 (Grade C) — current inspection
  • 2024-03-19: Score 81 (Grade N)

The Grade Z designation from May 2026 is assigned when an establishment is inspected but a grade has not yet been issued or posted, often during an initial inspection in a grading cycle. The 2024 inspection resulted in a score of 81, classified as Grade N, which indicates a grade was not yet assigned at the time of that visit. The pattern across available records shows the restaurant has not achieved a Grade A score in any inspection on file.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City requires restaurants to post their most recent letter grade in a visible location. Grades are assigned based on inspection scores as follows:

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

Lower scores reflect fewer and less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a B or C grade may request a re-inspection, at which point a new score is calculated and a grade issued based on that follow-up visit.

Consumers can look up inspection records for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH's online restaurant inspection results database at the NYC Open Data portal or through the city's official restaurant grades search tool. Inspection records are public and updated as new inspections are completed.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Salt & Sizzle including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.