HILLTOP TAVERN
256 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215 · Restaurant (American)
Inspection summary
HILLTOP TAVERN has been inspected 4 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since April 24, 2024. The most recent inspection, on November 19, 2025, recorded 2 infractions.
None of the 4 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 2 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Food temperature control.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded 4 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on November 19, 2025. For example:
Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded once on April 24, 2024. For example:
Food worker/food vendor does not use utensil or other barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded once on April 24, 2024. For example:
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on April 24, 2024. For example:
Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Food safety training and certificationLower risk
Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.
Recorded once on April 24, 2024. For example:
20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
About this data
These results come from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
4 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Pre-permit (Operational) / Re-inspection
2 infractions
- 04N: 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.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 04N: 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.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Not Critical
- 20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
- Pre-permit (Operational) / Initial Inspection
4 infractions
- 10F: 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.
- Not Critical
- 04C: Food worker/food vendor does not use utensil or other barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
- Critical
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Critical
- 06E: Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
- Critical
- 10F: 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.
Nearby inspected facilities
- LADYBIRD BAKERY
252 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
3 inspections
- DUNKIN
250 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
3 inspections
- ZOLLER'S
248 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
2 inspections
- JOE'S PIZZA
259 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
3 inspections
- EMACK & BOLIOS
242 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
2 inspections
- BUTTERLY BAKESHOP
263 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
5 inspections
- HOLY PITA
263 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
1 inspection
- HOLY PITA
263 PROSPECT PARK WEST, Brooklyn, NY 11215
2 inspections