Queens, NY — Beard Papa's, a frozen desserts shop located at 40-24 College Point Boulevard in Flushing, received a score of 21 following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on April 7, 2026. That score places the establishment at the lower boundary of a Grade B — one point above the threshold at which a restaurant would receive a Grade C.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented four violations during the April visit, including one critical violation. The critical citation, Code 04M, recorded live roaches in the facility's food or non-food area. The presence of live insects in a food service establishment is among the most serious categories of violation under NYC Health Code Article 81, as it poses a direct risk of food contamination.

Inspectors also cited Code 08A, a non-critical violation noting that the establishment was not free of harborage conditions or other conditions conducive to rodents, insects, or pests. This violation indicates that structural or environmental conditions may be enabling pest activity beyond what was directly observed.

Two additional non-critical violations were issued under Code 20-04 for the absence of required public health postings. Inspectors noted that the facility lacked a "Choking First Aid" poster, an "Alcohol and Pregnancy" warning sign, and required signage for resuscitation equipment, including exhaled air resuscitation masks for adults and children and latex gloves.

Food Safety Context

Live roach violations fall under critical designations in the NYC Health Code Article 81 and align with food safety standards outlined in the FDA Food Code, which requires food establishments to be maintained free of pests at all times. Critical violations are those most directly linked to foodborne illness risk.

Pest harborage violations, while classified as non-critical, frequently accompany active pest activity findings. Together, these two citations suggest conditions that may have allowed the roach presence documented by inspectors.

The missing safety postings, though non-critical, are required by city regulation and serve as consumer and employee safety resources.

Data for this inspection was released by DOHMH on April 16, 2026, nine days after the inspection was conducted.

Inspection History

The April 2026 inspection is not the first time Beard Papa's has received a score in this range:

  • March 10, 2026: Score 21 (Grade N — score during re-inspection cycle, not yet graded)
  • December 5, 2024: Score 21 (Grade N)

The pattern of identical scores across multiple inspection cycles indicates the facility has not substantially improved its compliance standing over time.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City grades restaurants based on their inspection score, where a lower score reflects fewer violations:

  • Grade A: 0–13 points
  • Grade B: 14–27 points
  • Grade C: 28 or more points

A score of 21 sits in the upper half of the Grade B range. At 27 points, a restaurant remains Grade B; at 28, it would fall to Grade C. Beard Papa's current score of 21 leaves a margin of seven points before reaching that threshold.

Consumers can review current inspection records for any NYC restaurant through the city's public restaurant inspection database at the DOHMH website.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Beard Papa's including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.