MEZCAL'S
223 5 AVENUE, Brooklyn, NY 11215 · Restaurant (Mexican)
Inspection summary
MEZCAL'S has been inspected 7 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since November 30, 2022. The most recent inspection, on November 19, 2025, recorded 2 infractions.
1 of 7 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 2 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Protecting food from contamination and Food temperature control.
Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.
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 11 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on November 19, 2025. For example:
Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on February 9, 2023. For example:
Food, supplies, and equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
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 February 9, 2023. For example:
Thawing procedure improper.
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 February 9, 2023. For example:
Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
Equipment and utensilsLower risk
Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.
Recorded once on February 9, 2023. For example:
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.
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.
7 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- Inter-Agency Task Force / Initial Inspection
0 infractions
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
3 infractions
- 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.
- Critical
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 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.
- 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.
- Critical
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
4 infractions
- 09B: Thawing procedure improper.
- Not Critical
- 09C: Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
- Not Critical
- 06C: Food, supplies, and equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
- 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.
- Not Critical
- 09B: Thawing procedure improper.
- Administrative Miscellaneous / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 20-06: Current letter grade or Grade Pending card not posted
- Not Critical
- 20-06: Current letter grade or Grade Pending card not posted
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
4 infractions
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- 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.
- Critical
- 06C: Food, supplies, and equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
- Critical
- 04M: Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
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