El Despertar Marlene

• gradeGrade pending
• grade postedDecember 6, 2024
• inspection score72 pts
• critical violations7
• last inspectedJune 8, 2026 →
• address849 Prospect Avenue, Bronx 10459
• cuisineLatin American
• phone7188930324

Is El Despertar Marlene clean?

New York currently lists El Despertar Marlene as grade pending, following an inspection on June 8, 2026 that scored 72 points. The city has not posted a letter yet, and it will not until a re-inspection settles it. The last grade it ever posted here was A on December 6, 2024.

What did inspectors find at El Despertar Marlene?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 8, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Non-food contact surface or equipment 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.
• 🐈random live animals insidecritical
  Live animal other than fish in tank or service animal present in facility’s food or non-food area.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
• 🧫food contact surfaces dirty
  Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🐭they've got roommates (mice)critical
  Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• ⚠️Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
• ⚠️Allergen or intolerance notice not translated into common language when required
• 🔪cross-contamination riskcritical
  Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
• 🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
  Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
• 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pests
  Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.

When was El Despertar Marlene last inspected?

El Despertar Marlene has 5 inspections on record going back to January 11, 2024, averaging 42 points.

El Despertar Marlene vs Melrose South-Mott Haven North

Melrose South-Mott Haven North runs 81% clean across 102 tracked restaurants — 78 clean, 2 mid, 16 cooked.

Against the 102 spots Cooked tracks in Melrose South-Mott Haven North, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Melrose South-Mott Haven North

• ⏳ Lincoln Towers Cafe
  cooked · May 22, 2026
• A Dunkin',' Baskin Robbins
  clean · October 22, 2025
• A El Valle Restaurant
  clean · August 26, 2026
• A Mcdonald's
  clean · June 2, 2026
• A Xochimilco Family Rest
  clean · February 17, 2026
• A Chicanito
  clean · April 25, 2024

See every restaurant inspection in Melrose South-Mott Haven North →

How New York grades restaurants

New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated June 8, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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