Brooklyn, NY — U Bar & Restaurant, a Southeast Asian restaurant at 1114 Avenue U in Brooklyn, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 25, 2026. The restaurant recorded a score of 25, placing it near the upper boundary of the B range and three points from the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 27, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the March inspection. The cited violation, Code 06D, noted that food contact surfaces were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following activities during which contamination may have occurred.
Food contact surfaces — including cutting boards, prep tables, utensils, and equipment that comes into direct contact with food — are required to be sanitized at defined intervals under applicable health regulations. A failure to maintain proper sanitization protocols on these surfaces can create conditions for cross-contamination and the potential transfer of pathogens to food intended for consumption.
No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and aligned with FDA Food Code standards, food establishments are required to maintain rigorous sanitation protocols for all surfaces and equipment that contact food. Proper wash, rinse, and sanitize procedures are a foundational element of these requirements, intended to prevent microbial contamination between uses and following handling of raw or potentially contaminated ingredients.
A score of 25 falls within the Grade B range but represents one of the higher scores a restaurant can receive before crossing into Grade C classification. The scoring system is cumulative, with points assigned based on the nature and number of violations identified. Critical violations, which carry higher point values, reflect conditions with a more direct connection to foodborne illness risk.
Inspection History
U Bar & Restaurant has had a variable inspection record over recent years:
- September 9, 2024: Score 20 (Grade B)
- March 3, 2023: Score 7 (Grade A)
- February 15, 2023: Score 10
- August 18, 2022: Score 0 (Grade A)
- February 7, 2022: Score 20
The restaurant previously held Grade A scores in 2022 and early 2023, including a perfect score of 0 in August 2022. The September 2024 inspection also resulted in a Grade B with a score of 20. The most recent inspection marks the restaurant's highest recorded score in the available history.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
DOHMH assigns letter grades based on inspection scores under the following scale:
- A: 0–13 points
- B: 14–27 points
- C: 28 or more points
Grades are required to be posted publicly at the restaurant entrance. Consumers can look up full inspection records, including violation details and historical scores, through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database at the NYC Open Data portal or via the NYC Health Department's website.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for U Bar & Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.