Update: Ox Cart Will Be Reinspected, May Open Before Tuesday

As many neighbors have noticed this morning, including John who sent this photo, Ox Cart Tavern (1301 Newkirk Ave) was closed yesterday by the Department of Health.

Chef David Pitula tells us this morning that they are “working on getting back up ASAP,” and says that the issue was with their walk-in fridge — it was apparently three degrees too high at the time of inspection. He adds:

To you and all the neighborhood we apologize and the only thing we can do now is move forward. Your patronage will be sincerely missed and your continued support of Ox Cart will be greatly appreciated when we do re-open. We expect to be back up no later than Tuesday (as the courts are closed on the weekend).

The DOH website for restaurant letter grades does not have information about the closure, but Ox Cart’s most recent inspection listed there was from January, when they got an A with 7 violation points. A representative at the DOH told us the establishment was closed due to “unsanitary conditions,” but couldn’t offer more specific information about violations.

It seems like there’s been an influx of restaurants in the neighborhood lately with “Grade Pending” signs where we’ve always had good experiences, and that have performed well in health inspections before. Has anyone else noticed the change?

David and Jim have also posted a note on the door expressing their gratitude to neighbors, and saying they plan to reopen soon.

UPDATE: David tells us Ox Cart will be getting reinspected today, and may be able to open for service tonight, though he expects to be limited on certain items.

Photo via louislouberger