Culpepper’s restaurant was closed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Friday. The Carribbean eatery has been a longtime mainstay on Nostrand Avenue and had survived and returned after a fire in December, 2007.
Last summer the city began to grade food service establishments with letter grades from A to C. Most inspections receive a score between 14 to 27 points or a B letter grade, according to the Health Department. Culpepper’s received 81 points and was cited for “hot food not held at or above 140º F, cold food item held above 41º F, evidence of mice, live roaches, and filth flies.”
A Health Department notice appears to have been removed from the front of the gated establishment and replaced with a sign that states “Temporarly [sic] Closed for Re-organisation and Renovation.” The popular Barbados joint draws customers from far beyond the borough and has a 4.5 star rating on Yelp. It is unknown when the restaurant might reopen.
I haven’t been there in awhile, but I remember Culpeppers as being notable for its sparkling clean kitchen. .
Mice, roaches and flies? That’s nasty.
Went there for my saltfish and bake on Sunday; now I know why they were closed – first Allan’s now them – West Indian eats and the Health Dept. do not mix.
Considering, they were closed because of a fire two years ago, you would have thought they would have re-done the whole place.