Brooklyn, NY — Warique, a Peruvian restaurant located at 181 Graham Avenue in Brooklyn, received a Grade C rating following a health inspection conducted March 27, 2026, with a score of 32 placing it in the lowest publicly displayed grade category. The inspection data was released by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on March 30, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors cited one critical violation during the March 2026 inspection, recorded under Code 04A: the facility did not have a Food Protection Certificate held by a manager or supervisor of food operations.

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and guidelines aligned with the FDA Food Code, food service establishments in New York City are required to have at least one certified food protection manager on-site during hours of operation. The Food Protection Certificate is issued by the DOHMH following completion of an approved food safety course and a passing score on a written examination. Its purpose is to ensure that someone with documented food safety training is responsible for overseeing food handling, storage, temperature control, and sanitation practices at all times.

No non-critical violations were identified during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

The Food Protection Certificate requirement exists as a foundational layer of oversight in restaurant operations. Under NYC Health Code Article 81.13, the person in charge of a food service establishment must be a certified food protection manager, or must be able to demonstrate knowledge of food safety principles sufficient to prevent foodborne illness.

The FDA Food Code, which New York City's health code largely mirrors, identifies the "person in charge" as a key control point in a food safety system. When no certified manager is present, the establishment loses a documented layer of accountability for food safety decisions made during service.

A critical violation of this type does not necessarily indicate that food was contaminated or mishandled at the time of inspection. However, it does indicate that the regulatory requirement for certified management oversight was not being met, which is why it is classified as a critical — rather than general — violation.

Inspection History

Warique's inspection record on file with the DOHMH includes the following prior entry:

  • April 19, 2024: Score 24 (Grade N)

A Grade N designation is assigned when a restaurant scores in the B or C range on an initial inspection cycle and has not yet had a re-inspection to determine whether a B or C grade applies. The 2024 score of 24 placed the establishment in the B range at that time.

The March 2026 inspection resulted in a score of 32, which falls into Grade C territory under the current NYC grading system.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's letter grade system is based on points assigned to violations found during unannounced DOHMH inspections. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. The grading scale is as follows:

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

Critical violations — those most likely to contribute directly to foodborne illness — carry higher point values than non-critical violations. A single critical violation can be sufficient to move a score into Grade B or Grade C range depending on the violation type and any associated point penalties.

Restaurants that receive a B or C on an initial inspection are typically re-inspected within a set timeframe. The grade posted publicly reflects the most recent scored inspection result.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH's NYC Restaurant Inspection Results database at nyc.gov/health.

More About This Restaurant

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