4 Queens Restaurants Get Grade B Scores on March 9

New York, NY — New York City health inspectors issued Grade B-level scores to four restaurants across Queens on March 9, 2026, documenting a range of violations that included food contamination risks, improperly sanitized surfaces, and evidence of mice. The four establishments — spanning Korean, halal, and American cuisines — received scores between 14 and 20 points, averaging 18 points for the day.

Under the city's letter grading system, a score between 14 and 27 points places a restaurant in Grade B territory, indicating violations that require correction but do not constitute an immediate threat to public health.

The Inspections

Two Korean restaurants in the Flushing area accounted for half of the day's Grade B results, each receiving a score of 20 points.

Dong Won Sushi & Tuna, located at 41-19 162nd Street in the Flushing area, was cited for two critical violations related to food, supplies, or equipment not being protected from potential sources of contamination during storage, preparation, and transport. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, food establishments are required to maintain safeguards that prevent cross-contamination at every stage of handling. Inspectors documented multiple instances of this violation during the visit, and the restaurant's grade was listed as pending at the time of inspection.

Nearby, Yangjichon at 35-14 Farrington Street in Flushing also received a score of 20 points. Inspectors found that food contact surfaces were not properly washed, rinsed, and sanitized after each use and following activities that could have introduced contamination. The FDA Food Code requires that all surfaces that come into direct contact with food be cleaned and sanitized between uses to prevent the transfer of harmful bacteria. This violation was documented twice during the inspection.

At Halal Rancheros, located at 92-18 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard in Jamaica, inspectors recorded a score of 18 points and identified a critical violation: evidence of mice in the establishment's food or non-food areas. Under NYC Health Code, any signs of pest activity — including droppings, gnaw marks, or live animals — constitute a critical violation that requires immediate corrective action. The restaurant, which serves a halal-fusion menu, had its grade listed as pending.

Rockaway Cafe, situated inside JFK International Airport at Building 250, received the lowest score among the group at 14 points — just one point above the Grade A threshold. The violation cited was for non-food contact surfaces or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed or raised. While classified as a general violation rather than a critical one, the finding still contributed to the restaurant's Grade B score. The airport cafe's grade was recorded as N, indicating a new establishment undergoing its initial inspection cycle.

Common Patterns

Several patterns emerge from the day's inspection results in Queens. The most notable is the concentration of Korean restaurants cited in the Flushing neighborhood, with both Dong Won Sushi & Tuna and Yangjichon receiving identical scores of 20 points. Both establishments were cited for critical violations related to food safety fundamentals — contamination prevention and surface sanitation — suggesting that these foundational practices remain a common area of concern.

Three of the four restaurants received critical violations, which carry heavier point penalties under the city's scoring rubric. Only Rockaway Cafe avoided a critical citation, receiving a general violation that still pushed its score into Grade B range. This illustrates how even a single general violation can move a restaurant from a Grade A to a Grade B if the point threshold is crossed.

The geographic spread also tells a story. Two restaurants were in Flushing, one in Jamaica, and one at JFK Airport, covering a wide swath of the borough. The diversity of cuisines — Korean, halal-fusion, and American — indicates that Grade B outcomes are not limited to any single type of food service operation.

What This Means for Diners

A Grade B score does not mean a restaurant is unsafe to eat at. It means that inspectors identified conditions that need to be corrected and that the establishment did not meet the standard for a Grade A. Restaurants that receive a Grade B on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection, during which they can demonstrate that violations have been addressed.

Diners can look up any restaurant's inspection history on the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's online portal. Each restaurant's page includes its current grade, the specific violations documented, and the dates of past inspections. For the restaurants cited on March 9, their facility pages on NYCRestaurantInspections.com provide detailed records of each violation.

It is worth noting that two of the four restaurants — Yangjichon and Rockaway Cafe — were listed with a grade of N, which typically indicates a new or newly re-opened establishment undergoing its first inspection cycle. These restaurants may not yet have a letter grade posted in their window.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assigns letter grades based on a point system. Inspectors evaluate establishments across a range of categories including food handling, temperature control, personal hygiene, pest activity, and facility maintenance.

The scoring breaks down as follows: a score of 0 to 13 points earns a Grade A, indicating the highest level of compliance. A score of 14 to 27 points results in a Grade B, signaling that violations were found but are not considered an immediate health hazard. A score of 28 points or higher results in a Grade C, indicating more serious or numerous violations.

Critical violations — such as evidence of pests or failure to protect food from contamination — carry higher point values than general violations. This means that even a single critical violation can push a restaurant from Grade A into Grade B territory.

Restaurants are required to post their letter grade in a conspicuous location near the entrance. Diners who want to check a restaurant's history before visiting can search the city's inspection database or visit NYCRestaurantInspections.com for detailed records organized by borough, neighborhood, and cuisine type.