Inspection conducted Jan 17, 2026 · Data released by DOHMH Mar 3, 2026
GRADE B VIOLATIONS
Carvel Gets Grade B After Inspection - Queens
Published March 4, 2026 7:05 PM
20-24 MOTT AVENUE, Queens, NY 11691 · Frozen Desserts
22
Violation Score A: 0-13 · B: 14-27 · C: 28+
Queens, NY — Carvel, the frozen dessert shop at 20-24 Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway, received a Grade B with a score of 22 following a health inspection conducted on January 17, 2026. The score places the restaurant in the upper range of the Grade B bracket, just six points below the Grade C threshold of 28.
Illustrative image — not a photo of the actual business
Inspectors identified one critical violation and zero non-critical violations during the visit. The inspection data was released by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 3, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The single critical violation cited during the inspection involved food protection standards. Inspectors documented that food, supplies, or equipment were not adequately protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, or service. The citation also noted issues with condiments not being provided in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, food establishments are required to maintain safeguards that prevent contamination at every stage of food handling. For a frozen dessert operation like Carvel, this includes ensuring that toppings, syrups, and other condiments are stored and dispensed in a manner that prevents exposure to environmental contaminants or cross-contact from customers.
While only one violation was recorded, its critical designation and the resulting score of 22 indicate that inspectors assessed the issue as a significant departure from food safety standards. A score this high from a single critical violation reflects the weighted severity that DOHMH assigns to contamination-related findings.
Food Safety Context
The FDA Food Code classifies food protection failures as priority concerns because improperly stored or exposed food items can serve as vectors for bacterial contamination and foodborne illness. In a frozen dessert environment, toppings and mix-ins that are left unprotected may be exposed to airborne particles, improper temperatures, or customer contact — all of which increase the risk of contamination.
DOHMH inspectors evaluate contamination risks based on the specific conditions observed, including the type of food involved, the duration of exposure, and the proximity to potential contamination sources. The fact that this single violation produced a score of 22 suggests inspectors identified conditions that warranted significant point deductions under the city's scoring rubric.
Inspection History
No prior inspection history is available in the DOHMH public database for this location. This may indicate that the January 2026 inspection was the establishment's initial graded inspection at this address, or that previous records fall outside the current data reporting window.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on the total violation points recorded during an inspection. Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations:
A: 0–13 points — Minimal violations identified
B: 14–27 points — Moderate violations identified
C: 28 or more points — Significant violations identified
Carvel's score of 22 falls in the upper portion of the Grade B range. For context, a score of 22 is closer to the Grade C cutoff of 28 than it is to the Grade A maximum of 13, placing it eight points above the B threshold and six points below Grade C territory.
Consumers can look up the latest inspection results for any NYC restaurant through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database or by checking the letter grade posted at the establishment. Inspection scores reflect conditions observed on the date of the visit and may not represent current conditions.
CRITICAL Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
CRITICAL Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
CRITICAL Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor. (Code 06C)
CRITICAL Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
CRITICAL Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations. (Code 04A)
Non-Critical Caloric content not posted on menus, menu boards or food tags, in a food service establishment that is 1 of 15 or more outlets operating the same type of business nationally under common ownership or control, or as a franchise or doing business under the same name, for each menu item that is served in portions, the size and content of which are standardized. (Code 16-03)
CRITICAL Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored. (Code 06E)
Data Source: This report is based on official public inspection data from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), released under the NYC Open Data program.
Editorial Process: Content generated using AI (Claude) to synthesize official inspection data into accessible reporting, then reviewed and verified for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional Review: All content undergoes standards and compliance oversight by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal, through Twin Digital Media's regulatory data auditing protocols.
Regulatory References: NYC Health Code Article 81, FDA Food Code (2022). NYC Restaurant Inspections is an independent public data reporting service. We are not affiliated with the City of New York.
| Last verified: March 13, 2026 | Our methodology
