Park Slope Vegan Eatery Shut Down By Health Inspectors

Update: Co-owner Alex Carabaño informed Patch on Dec. 4 that Vspot reopened one day after the shutdown, which he said was caused by a construction worker leaving the restaurant's back door open the night before a surprise health inspection. "It was bad timing," he said, adding that the kitchen and bar area have since been renovated. "We’ve been open everyday since then with zero problems."

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN -- A local Latin vegan restaurant was shut down by health inspectors who found pests and unsanitary work habits in the kitchen, city records show.

Health inspectors ordered VSpot at 156 Fifth Ave. to close Tuesday after the Park Slope eatery earned 69 health code violation points, records show.

Inspectors found evidence of mice, filth flies, foods stored at unsafe temperatures, food workers using their bare hands, counters cleaned with soiled cloths, plumbing and sanitation problems, according to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

This is not the first time VSpot earned a failing grade from the Health Department. On Nov. 9, 2017, the eatery got 53 violation points for improperly stored food, filth flies and dirty counters, city records show.

VSpot has been serving up vegan cuisine in Park Slope since brothers Danny and Alex Carabano opened the eatery in 2006, according to the restaurant website.

The restaurateurs expanded with an East Village location on Saint Mark's Place in 2015 and a Gramercy location next to the New York Comedy Club in 2016, owners wrote.

Patch was not immediately able to reach the restaurant owners for comment.

Photo courtesy of GoogleMaps/Nov. 2017