4 Queens Restaurants Receive Grade B Scores on March 30, 2026

New York, NY — Four Queens restaurants received Grade B scores during New York City Health Department inspections conducted on March 30, 2026, with inspectors documenting a range of violations spanning food temperature control, pest conditions, and cross-contamination risks. The restaurants span four distinct neighborhoods and cuisine types, with scores ranging from 18 to 20 points.

The Inspections

In Ridgewood, Nha Minh, an Asian and Asian Fusion restaurant located at 915 Wyckoff Avenue, received a score of 20, triggering a Grade Z designation. Inspectors recorded two critical violations at the establishment: improper food cooling methods — specifically, that temperature-sensitive food was not being cooled by an approved method following cooking or removal from hot holding — and conditions found to be conducive to rodent, insect, or other pest harborage. The cooling violation was cited twice in the inspection record, indicating it was identified as a recurring or multi-instance concern. Under FDA Food Code guidelines and NYC Health Code Article 81, cooked foods must be cooled from 140°F to 70°F within two hours, and then to 41°F or below within an additional four hours.

Across the borough in Long Island City, Griddle Cafe & Deli at 30-18 Hunters Point Avenue also received a score of 20. The American diner's violation was non-critical in nature, involving non-food contact surfaces or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed. While this category of violation does not present an immediate health hazard, it reflects conditions that can contribute to contamination risks over time if left uncorrected.

In Flushing, Little Skewer, a Chinese restaurant at 36-36 Prince Street, received a score of 19 and a Grade N designation, indicating a first-time inspection or re-inspection in progress. Inspectors cited a critical violation related to food adulteration, contamination, or cross-contamination not addressed in accordance with HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points — protocols. The violation appeared twice in the inspection record. Cross-contamination violations under NYC Health Code Article 81 can involve improper separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods, or failure to discard food that has come into contact with contaminated surfaces or materials.

At 116-11 Liberty Avenue in South Ozone Park, Dunkin' / Baskin Robbins received a score of 18, with a grade listed as Pending. Inspectors documented a critical cold holding violation: cold TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) food items held above 41°F. This violation was recorded twice, indicating the issue was identified across multiple items or instances during the inspection. Maintaining cold foods at or below 41°F is a cornerstone of food safety under both the FDA Food Code and NYC Health Code, as improper cold holding temperatures can accelerate bacterial growth in perishable items.

Common Patterns

Several themes emerge across the four inspections conducted on March 30, 2026. Temperature control failures were the most prominent category, appearing at two of the four establishments: Nha Minh with improper hot food cooling and Dunkin' / Baskin Robbins with inadequate cold holding. These violations fall under the broader umbrella of Time and Temperature Control for Safety, a foundational area of food safety regulation.

Cross-contamination risk was the central issue at Little Skewer, while physical facility and equipment conditions were the focus at Griddle Cafe & Deli. Three of the four inspections involved at least one critical violation — those most directly linked to potential foodborne illness risk. Only Griddle Cafe & Deli's cited violation was non-critical.

The four restaurants represent a cross-section of Queens' diverse food landscape, with cuisines including Asian fusion, American diner fare, Chinese, and a national quick-service chain. Geographically, the inspections span Ridgewood, Long Island City, Flushing, and South Ozone Park — four neighborhoods spread across the borough.

What This Means for Diners

A Grade B does not indicate that a restaurant is unsafe to visit, but it does signal that violations were found that require correction. The NYC Health Department requires Grade B establishments to post their grade card visibly at the entrance, giving diners the opportunity to make informed choices.

Restaurants that receive a Grade B or lower are typically re-inspected within a defined window. If violations are corrected and the score improves to 13 or below on re-inspection, the restaurant can earn an A grade. Grades listed as Z, N, or Pending reflect transitional inspection statuses — Z indicates a score in the B range at the initial inspection before a re-inspection occurs, while N and Pending indicate first-time inspections or scores awaiting adjudication.

Diners can look up any NYC restaurant's full inspection history, including violation details and historical grades, through the NYC Health Department's online restaurant inspection lookup tool.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system assigns letter grades based on the number of points accumulated during a health inspection. Each violation carries a point value based on its severity:

• Grade A: 0 to 13 points — indicates a high level of compliance with food safety standards
• Grade B: 14 to 27 points — indicates violations were found that need correction but do not pose an immediate public health threat
• Grade C: 28 or more points — indicates more serious or numerous violations requiring prompt attention

Critical violations — those most closely associated with foodborne illness risk, such as temperature control failures, pest conditions, and cross-contamination — carry higher point values than non-critical violations involving facility maintenance or equipment condition. Inspectors from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conduct unannounced inspections of the city's approximately 27,000 food service establishments on a regular cycle.

Residents and visitors can access full inspection records, including point totals, violation descriptions, and grade history, through the NYC Health Department's public data portal or the city's restaurant inspection search tool at nyc.gov.