POPS AND POOSH CARIBBEAN KITCHEN
988 MERRICK ROAD, BALDWIN, NY 11510 · Restaurant (Restaurant)
Inspection summary
POPS AND POOSH CARIBBEAN KITCHEN has been inspected 4 times by New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) since July 2, 2021. The most recent inspection, on July 16, 2025, recorded 1 infraction.
None of the 4 inspections on record were free of infractions. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Food temperature control and Protecting food from contamination.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
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 2 times on June 11, 2025. For example:
Effective measures not used to control entrance (rodent-, insect-proof contruction). Harborage areas available for rodents, insects and other vermin
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 June 11, 2025. For example:
Enough hot holding equipment is not present, properly designed, maintained and operated to keep hot foods above 140�F.
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 once on December 27, 2023. For example:
Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
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 July 2, 2021. For example:
Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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 3 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on July 16, 2025. For example:
Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
About this data
These results come from New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), 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
- Re-Inspection
1 infraction
- 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
- Not Critical Violation
- 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
- Inspection
7 infractions
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 14B: Effective measures not used to control entrance (rodent-, insect-proof contruction). Harborage areas available for rodents, insects and other vermin
- Not Critical Violation
- 13B: Garbage storage areas not properly constructed or maintained, creating a nuisance
- Not Critical Violation
- 15B: Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans
- Not Critical Violation
- 16: Miscellaneous, Economic Violation, Choking Poster, Training.
- Not Critical Violation
- 6B: Enough hot holding equipment is not present, properly designed, maintained and operated to keep hot foods above 140�F.
- Critical Violation
- 14A: Insects, rodents present
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Inspection
4 infractions
- 14C: Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Not Critical Violation
- 12C: Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
- Not Critical Violation
- 8A: Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked)
- Not Critical Violation
- 15A: Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces
- Not Critical Violation
- 14C: Pesticide application not supervised by a certified applicator
- Inspection
1 infraction
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
- Not Critical Violation
- 12E: Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
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