Queens, NY — Barrelhouse, a Latin American restaurant located at 82-13 Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights, received a Grade C score of 28 following a health inspection conducted on February 21, 2026. Inspectors documented four critical violations and two non-critical violations during the evaluation.
The inspection data was released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on February 24, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The inspection identified multiple sanitation and hygiene concerns at the establishment.
Inspectors cited the restaurant twice for wiping cloths that were not stored clean and dry or kept in a sanitizing solution between uses. This violation, classified under Code 06F, indicates that cloths used for cleaning surfaces were not being maintained in a manner that prevents cross-contamination.
A separate critical violation involved food contact surfaces that were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred. Under Code 06D, this finding pertains to surfaces that come into direct contact with food during preparation and service, where inadequate sanitation can introduce harmful bacteria.
Inspectors also documented a critical personal cleanliness violation under Code 06A. This citation covers a range of hygiene standards, including inadequate personal cleanliness, soiled outer garments with possible contaminants, failure to wear effective hair restraints where required, jewelry worn on hands or arms, and fingernail polish or nails not kept clean and trimmed.
In addition to the critical findings, two non-critical violations were recorded under Code 28-01 for nuisance conditions created or allowed to exist, noting that the facility was not free from unsafe, hazardous, offensive, or annoying conditions.
Food Safety Context
The violations documented at Barrelhouse relate to fundamental food safety principles established under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code.
Proper sanitation of food contact surfaces is a cornerstone of food safety operations. The FDA Food Code requires that all surfaces that come into contact with food be cleaned and sanitized between uses to prevent the growth and transfer of pathogens. When surfaces are not adequately sanitized, bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria can persist and potentially contaminate food served to customers.
Wiping cloth storage protocols exist to prevent cloths from becoming vehicles for cross-contamination. The FDA Food Code specifies that wiping cloths must be stored in sanitizing solution at the proper concentration between uses, ensuring they do not spread bacteria from one surface to another.
Personal hygiene requirements for food handlers serve as a critical barrier against foodborne illness. Hair restraints, clean garments, trimmed fingernails, and the absence of jewelry on hands and arms are all measures designed to prevent physical and biological contaminants from reaching food during preparation.
The DOHMH conducts unannounced inspections of the city's approximately 27,000 restaurants to monitor compliance with these public health standards.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available for this establishment in the DOHMH database. The February 21, 2026 inspection represents the first recorded evaluation on file.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on the total number of violation points accumulated during an inspection. Fewer points indicate fewer or less severe violations:
- A: 0–13 points — The restaurant is in substantial compliance with food safety regulations
- B: 14–27 points — The restaurant has some violations that need correction
- C: 28 or more points — The restaurant has significant violations requiring attention
Barrelhouse's score of 28 places it at the threshold of the Grade C range. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection are offered a re-inspection, typically within 30 days, at which point the grade posted is based on the better of the two scores.
Consumers can look up any restaurant's inspection history and current grade through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database, available online. The inspection results discussed in this article are based on public record data maintained by the City of New York.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Barrelhouse including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.