Queens, NY — El Comal Restaurant, located at 148-60 Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, received a score of 38 during a New York City health inspection conducted on March 17, 2026, placing the establishment in the Grade C category. The inspection data was released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on March 20, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one violation during the March visit, classified as non-critical under the city's scoring system.

The cited violation — Code 10F — pertains to non-food contact surfaces or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced, or positioned to allow adequate access for cleaning on all sides, above, and underneath the unit. While this type of violation does not involve direct food contamination, it reflects conditions that can impede routine sanitation and allow the buildup of debris or pests over time.

Despite involving a single violation, the inspection resulted in a score of 38 — well above the threshold for a Grade C designation under the city's grading framework.

Food Safety Context

New York City's restaurant inspection program is administered by DOHMH under NYC Health Code Article 81, which establishes sanitation standards for all food service establishments operating in the five boroughs. Inspections are unannounced and evaluate compliance across categories including food handling, temperature control, personal hygiene, facility maintenance, and pest management.

Each violation carries a point value based on its potential risk to public health. Non-critical violations typically carry lower point values than critical ones, but a sufficient accumulation of non-critical violations can still result in a high score. In this inspection, a single non-critical violation produced a score of 38 — a result that reflects the point weight assigned to Code 10F under the current scoring schedule.

The FDA Food Code, which informs state and local food safety regulations, similarly emphasizes the importance of equipment design and maintenance, noting that surfaces difficult to clean can harbor pathogens and contribute to cross-contamination risks even when no direct food contact occurs.

Inspection History

El Comal Restaurant's recent inspection record shows a pattern of scores in the Grade C and borderline range:

  • February 6, 2026: Score 30 (Grade N — score pending grade assignment)
  • April 18, 2025: Score 27 (Grade N — score pending grade assignment)
  • March 17, 2026: Score 38 (Grade C)

The February 2026 inspection resulted in a score of 30, also above the Grade C threshold of 28, though recorded as Grade N, a designation used when a score is under initial review or when a re-inspection is pending. The April 2025 inspection yielded a score of 27, just below the Grade C cutoff, also recorded as Grade N.

The March 2026 inspection marks the third consecutive visit producing a score at or above 27 points, indicating that the facility has faced ongoing challenges in meeting the city's inspection standards.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants following inspections based on their point totals. The grading scale is as follows:

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points — indicates a high level of sanitation compliance
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points — indicates some violations were found
  • Grade C: Score of 28 points or higher — indicates multiple or weighted violations were cited

Grades must be posted in a location visible to the public, typically in the front window of the establishment. When a restaurant receives a score in the Grade B or C range on an initial inspection, it may request a re-inspection before a grade is officially assigned — this is when the Grade N designation is used.

Consumers can look up the full inspection history for any New York City restaurant through the DOHMH's online search tool at nyc.gov/health, where records include violation details, scores, and grade history by establishment.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for El Comal Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.