Vanka Cafe

• gradeGrade A ⏳
• grade postedNovember 4, 2024
• inspection score39 pts
• critical violations5
• last inspectedJune 1, 2026 →
• address3810 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn 11235
• cuisineRussian
• phone3477024023

Is Vanka Cafe clean?

Vanka Cafe currently carries Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on November 4, 2024 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on June 1, 2026 scoring 39 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 5 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads clean 😇; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at Vanka Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 1, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧽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.
• 🧻grimy wiping clothscritical
  Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
• 🛠️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.
• 🔪cross-contamination riskcritical
  Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
• 🌡️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.
• 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pests
  Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
• 🪰flies in the housecritical
  Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment’s food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include house flies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies.

When was Vanka Cafe last inspected?

Vanka Cafe has 2 inspections on record going back to November 4, 2024, averaging 24 points.

Vanka Cafe vs Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach

Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach runs 84% clean across 153 tracked restaurants — 117 clean, 9 mid, 14 cooked.

Against the 153 spots Cooked tracks in Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach, this one comes out cleaner than 61% of them.

Other spots in Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach

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  clean · November 24, 2025
• A Puff
  clean · February 17, 2012
• A Regal Cinemas
  clean · July 23, 2024
• A Dunkin'
  clean · January 2, 2026
• A Coffee Spot Cafe
  clean · June 1, 2026
• A New Mei Mei Chinese Restaurant
  clean · November 24, 2025

See every restaurant inspection in Sheepshead Bay-Gerritsen Beach-Manhattan Beach →

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 1, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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