Brooklyn, NY — The Barlow, an American restaurant located at 446 Park Place in Crown Heights, received a Grade B following a health inspection conducted March 28, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 24, placing the establishment near the upper boundary of the B range and within four points of the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on April 2, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The inspection identified one critical violation and no non-critical violations. The critical violation, cited under Code 04L, documented evidence of mice or live mice in the establishment's food or non-food areas.

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, evidence of rodent activity in a food service establishment represents a critical public health concern. Rodents can contaminate food and food-contact surfaces with pathogens including Salmonella and Leptospira. A single critical violation of this type carries significant point weight under the city's scoring methodology, which contributed substantially to the restaurant's score of 24.

The action taken was a violation citation. The restaurant was not ordered closed at the time of inspection.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the DOHMH, assigns points for each violation based on the degree of public health risk. Critical violations — those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness — carry higher point values than non-critical violations related to facility conditions or recordkeeping.

NYC Health Code Article 81 sets the standards that food service establishments must meet, covering areas including pest control, food handling, temperature management, and sanitation. Rodent evidence violations fall among the most serious categories inspectors assess, as they indicate a potential ongoing contamination risk rather than an isolated procedural lapse.

A score of 24 sits within the Grade B band but notably close to the 28-point threshold at which a Grade C would be assigned. Restaurants scoring in the upper B range are typically required to undergo a re-inspection within a defined period.

Inspection History

The Barlow's recent inspection record shows a sharp departure from prior performance:

  • 2026-05-04: Score 4 (Grade A)
  • 2024-10-01: Score 9 (Grade A)
  • 2024-03-13: Score 10 (Grade A)
  • 2023-05-15: Score 12
  • 2022-05-11: Score 2 (Grade A)

Prior to the March 2026 inspection, the restaurant had maintained consistently low scores across four consecutive cycles, including a near-perfect score of 2 in May 2022. The May 2026 follow-up inspection resulted in a score of 4, suggesting the cited conditions were addressed and corrected. That subsequent Grade A is the most recent inspection result on record.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grades are assigned based on inspection scores as follows:

  • Grade A: Score of 0–13 (lowest violation severity)
  • Grade B: Score of 14–27
  • Grade C: Score of 28 or higher

Grades must be posted in a visible location at the restaurant's entrance. Consumers can look up the full inspection history of any permitted food service establishment through the DOHMH's NYC Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for The Barlow including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.