VAN LEEUWEN ICE CREAM
81 BERGEN STREET, Brooklyn, NY 11201 · Restaurant (Frozen Desserts)
Inspection summary
VAN LEEUWEN ICE CREAM has been inspected 6 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since January 31, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 18, 2026, recorded 1 infraction.
None of the 6 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there was 1 inspection with 1 infraction recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Cleaning and sanitizing and Handwashing and staff hygiene.
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 2 times on May 15, 2025. For example:
Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
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 2 times on May 15, 2025. For example:
Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
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 August 18, 2026. For example:
No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.
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 4 times across 4 separate inspections, most recently on May 15, 2025. For example:
20-08: Failure to post or conspicuously post healthy eating information
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 July 24, 2025. 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.
6 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
1 infraction
- 05D: No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.
- Critical
- 05D: No hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
1 infraction
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
5 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
- 06F: Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- Critical
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Critical
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- Not Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Calorie Posting / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 16-03: Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized.
- 16-06: Additional nutritional information statement not posted, or additional nutritional information not provided
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
2 infractions
- 10A: Toilet facility not maintained or provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle or self-closing door.
- Not Critical
- 04A: Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Critical
- 10A: Toilet facility not maintained or provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle or self-closing door.
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