health inspection grade · Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds · Manhattan
🪳cooked
gradeGrade C
inspection score43 pts
critical violations5
last inspectedMarch 17, 2026
address2308 Ac Powell Boulevard, Manhattan 10030
cuisineCaribbean
phone5628321179
Is Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge clean?
Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge is currently Grade C from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on March 17, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 5 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.
What did inspectors find at Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 17, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
🔪cross-contamination riskcritical
Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
🚰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.
🛠️facility / equipment issue
Mechanical or natural ventilation not provided, inadequate, improperly installed, in disrepair or fails to prevent and control excessive build-up of grease, heat, steam condensation, vapors, odors, smoke or fumes.
🧽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.
🛠️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.
🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
🌡️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.
🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
When was Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge last inspected?
Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge has 8 inspections on record going back to November 16, 2023, averaging 37 points.
date
result
score
March 17, 2026
Grade C
43 pts
January 6, 2026
no grade issued ⏳
36 pts
October 21, 2025
—
September 10, 2025
Grade C
41 pts
June 26, 2025
no grade issued ⏳
19 pts
February 25, 2025
Grade C
40 pts
September 23, 2024
no grade issued ⏳
66 pts
November 16, 2023
Grade A
12 pts
Exquisite Vibez Restaurant Bar & Lounge vs Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds
Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds runs 71% clean across 91 tracked restaurants — 60 clean, 5 mid, 19 cooked.
Against the 91 spots Cooked tracks in Central Harlem North-Polo Grounds, this one comes out cleaner than 10% of them.
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.
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 March 17, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.