Rusty's Flavor

• gradeGrade B ⏳
• grade postedDecember 16, 2024
• inspection score23 pts
• critical violations3
• last inspectedMarch 4, 2026
• address2261 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard, Manhattan
• cuisineCaribbean
• phone2123683403

Is Rusty's Flavor clean?

Rusty's Flavor currently carries Grade B ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on December 16, 2024 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on March 4, 2026 scoring 23 points — but NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not ruled on that visit, so no new grade has been issued. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads mid 😬; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at Rusty's Flavor?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 4, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧼staff skipping handwashingcritical
  Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
• 🛠️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.
• 🚿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 left out / unprotectedcritical
  Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
• 🧫equipment / surface issue
  Wash hands sign not posted near or above hand washing sink.
• 🍲hot food sitting too coolcritical
  Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.

When was Rusty's Flavor last inspected?

Rusty's Flavor has 3 inspections on record going back to July 9, 2024, averaging 25 points.

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.

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 4, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.