Queens, NY — Sybil's Bakery, a Caribbean bakery located at 159-24 Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, received a score of 34 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on February 13, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, which applies to restaurants scoring 28 or more points. Inspectors documented one critical violation and two non-critical violations during the visit.
Sybil's Bakery restaurant inspection" width="400" height="225" loading="eager" decoding="async" class="article-featured-image">The inspection data was released by DOHMH on February 17, 2026. The action recorded was that violations were cited in the areas identified during the inspection.
What Inspectors Found
The most significant finding was a critical violation related to contamination prevention procedures. Inspectors cited the bakery under code 05H for not having an approved written standard operating procedure for avoiding contamination by refillable returnable containers. This type of violation addresses the risk of cross-contamination when containers are reused in food service operations.
Inspectors also documented two non-critical violations:
The first, cited under code 28-05, involved food that was adulterated or misbranded. This violation is recorded when adulterated or misbranded food is found to be possessed, manufactured, produced, packed, sold, offered for sale, delivered, or given away at an establishment.
The second non-critical violation, cited under code 10F, noted that non-food contact surfaces or equipment were made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath the unit. This violation relates to the maintenance and sanitation of equipment and surfaces that do not directly contact food but are still part of the food preparation environment.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the regulatory framework for food service establishments in New York City. The code requires restaurants and food service operations to maintain sanitary conditions, follow proper food handling procedures, and implement systems that prevent contamination.
The critical violation documented at Sybil's Bakery — the absence of written standard operating procedures for refillable returnable containers — relates to requirements found in both local health code provisions and the FDA Food Code. Written procedures serve as a documented framework to ensure staff follow consistent contamination-prevention practices. The FDA Food Code emphasizes the importance of documented food safety protocols as a preventive measure in food service operations.
Non-food contact surface maintenance, while categorized as non-critical, remains an important element of overall food safety. Equipment and surfaces that are difficult to clean can harbor bacteria and compromise the sanitary conditions of a food preparation area.
Inspection History
Sybil's Bakery's inspection record over the past several years shows variation in scores:
- Feb 13, 2026: Score 34
- Dec 2, 2024: Score 12 (Grade A)
- Apr 15, 2024: Score 13 (Grade A)
- Sep 12, 2023: Score 40
- Nov 14, 2022: Score 23 (Grade B)
- Apr 4, 2022: Score 30
The bakery earned Grade A scores in both of its 2024 inspections, with scores of 12 and 13. However, the current score of 34 represents a notable increase from those results. The establishment has also recorded scores of 40 in September 2023 and 30 in April 2022, indicating that higher-scoring inspections have occurred periodically in the bakery's history.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on the total violation points recorded 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. A score of 34 falls into the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection are typically offered a re-inspection opportunity, during which the establishment can demonstrate corrective actions to potentially improve its grade.
Consumers can look up inspection results for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH public database or by visiting NYCRestaurantInspections.com. Inspection scores, grades, and violation details are public record and are updated as new inspections are completed.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Sybil's Bakery including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.