Queens, NY — Four Four South Village Taipei Beef Noodles, located at 38-06 Prince Street in Flushing, received a score of 41 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 18, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C standing, the lowest publicly displayed grade category under the city's restaurant grading system. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 23, 2026.
The inspection documented one critical violation and no non-critical violations.
What Inspectors Found
Inspectors cited one critical violation under Code 02G, which addresses the improper temperature control of cold time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods. According to the violation, cold TCS food items were held above 41°F, the maximum safe holding temperature established by the FDA Food Code and adopted under NYC Health Code Article 81.
Cold holding temperature requirements exist to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in perishable foods such as meat, poultry, dairy, and prepared dishes. When TCS foods are stored above the required threshold, even for limited periods, conditions can become favorable for pathogen growth, including organisms such as Salmonella, Listeria, and Staphylococcus aureus.
The citation covers a range of products that carry specific temperature thresholds: standard TCS foods must be held at or below 41°F, smoked or processed fish at or below 38°F, intact raw eggs at or below 45°F, and reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS items at temperatures specified by their labeling or applicable regulation. The inspection record does not specify which product category was involved.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food safety standards for all permitted food service establishments in New York City. Temperature control is among the most frequently cited categories in city restaurant inspections, and Code 02G violations are classified as critical because they represent a direct potential risk to public health.
The FDA Food Code, which forms the basis for many local food safety regulations, identifies improper temperature control as one of the leading contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks in food service settings. Cold holding requirements are designed to interrupt bacterial growth that can occur rapidly in the "temperature danger zone" — between 41°F and 135°F.
Restaurants are expected to monitor refrigeration equipment regularly and maintain logs of food temperatures as a standard operational practice. Equipment failures, door seals, ambient kitchen temperatures, and improper food placement within coolers are among the common factors that can contribute to cold holding violations.
Inspection History
The March 2026 inspection is not the restaurant's first with a notable score. Prior DOHMH records show the following:
- August 3, 2022: Score 50
- April 24, 2023: Score 22 (Grade B)
- September 19, 2024: Score 22
The 2022 inspection resulted in a score of 50, which also falls into Grade C range. The restaurant subsequently improved to a score of 22 on two consecutive inspections in 2023 and 2024, both of which would have qualified for a Grade B posting. The March 2026 result of 41 represents a significant increase from those prior cycles.
Under the city's grading system, a restaurant that scores in Grade C range on an initial inspection may request a re-inspection, at which point the score from that follow-up visit determines the grade posted publicly. It is not confirmed from available data whether a re-inspection has been scheduled or conducted following the March 18 inspection.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's letter grading system is based on the point total recorded during a DOHMH inspection. Points are assigned for each violation identified, with critical violations carrying higher point values than general violations.
- A: Score of 0–13 points
- B: Score of 14–27 points
- C: Score of 28 points or higher
A Grade C does not necessarily mean a restaurant has been ordered to close. Establishments may continue operating while working to correct cited conditions. Closure orders are issued separately when inspectors determine that conditions pose an imminent public health hazard.
Consumers can review the full inspection history for any permitted food service establishment in New York City through the DOHMH restaurant inspection lookup tool available at nyc.gov. Inspection records include violation details, scores, and grade history dating back several years.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Four Four South Village Taipei Beef Noodles including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.