Queens, NY — Guactime, a Mediterranean restaurant located at 25-27 Parsons Boulevard in Flushing, received a score of 33 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on February 21, 2026. The score places the establishment in Grade C territory, the lowest passing grade in the city's restaurant grading system.
Inspectors documented one critical violation during the inspection. No non-critical violations were recorded. The inspection data was released by DOHMH on February 24, 2026.
What Inspectors Found
The inspection identified a single critical violation related to sanitation practices. Inspectors cited the restaurant under violation code 06F for wiping cloths that were not stored clean and dry, or kept in a proper sanitizing solution, between uses.
Wiping cloths are used throughout restaurant operations to clean food preparation surfaces, countertops, and equipment. When these cloths are not properly stored between uses — either kept clean and dry or submerged in an approved sanitizing solution at the correct concentration — they can become a vehicle for spreading bacteria across multiple surfaces. A single contaminated wiping cloth used on a cutting board, countertop, and serving area can transfer harmful pathogens to each surface it contacts.
The FDA Food Code requires that cloths used for wiping food contact surfaces be used only once before laundering or kept in a sanitizing solution of appropriate concentration between uses. This standard exists because damp, improperly stored cloths create conditions favorable for bacterial growth, including organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.
Food Safety Context
NYC Health Code Article 81 establishes the sanitation and food safety standards that all food service establishments in New York City must follow. These regulations align with the FDA Food Code and cover areas including food storage temperatures, personal hygiene, pest control, and equipment sanitation.
The wiping cloth violation falls under the broader category of contamination prevention. Proper cloth storage is considered a critical violation because of the direct pathway it creates between contaminated surfaces and food. The DOHMH classifies violations as critical when they are most likely to contribute to foodborne illness.
A score of 33 points indicates that the conditions observed during inspection represented a notable departure from required standards. While only one violation was cited, the point value assigned reflects the severity classification of the issue identified.
Restaurants that receive a Grade C after an initial inspection cycle have the opportunity to request an adjudicatory hearing with the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) and will receive a re-inspection. The grade posted at the restaurant may change based on subsequent inspection results.
Inspection History
No prior DOHMH inspection history is available for Guactime in the city's public records. This may indicate that the establishment is relatively new or that previous records predate the current digital database.
- February 21, 2026: Score 33 (Grade C), one critical violation cited
The absence of prior inspection data means there is no baseline for comparison regarding the restaurant's typical compliance patterns.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on the total number of violation points recorded during an inspection. Each violation carries a predetermined point value based on its severity and the condition observed.
The grading scale is as follows:
- Grade A: 0–13 points
- Grade B: 14–27 points
- Grade C: 28 or more points
Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. A Grade A means the restaurant was found to be in substantial compliance with food safety regulations. A Grade C indicates that inspectors documented conditions that represent a more significant level of non-compliance.
Restaurants are required to post their current grade where it is visible to the public near the entrance. All inspection results are public record and can be reviewed through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database.
Consumers can look up any restaurant's inspection history, specific violations, and current grade on the NYC DOHMH website or through the NYC Open Data portal. These resources provide transparency into the food safety conditions at the city's approximately 27,000 restaurants.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Guactime including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.