Queens, NY — La Boina Roja, a steakhouse located at 80-22 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights, received a score of 69 during a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on February 9, 2026. The score places the restaurant in Grade C territory, the lowest passing grade in NYC's restaurant grading system. Inspectors documented one critical violation related to personal cleanliness standards.
What Inspectors Found
The inspection identified a critical violation under DOHMH Code 06A, which addresses personal cleanliness standards for food service workers. Inspectors cited inadequate personal cleanliness practices at the establishment, including outer garments soiled with a possible contaminant, failure to wear effective hair restraints where required, jewelry worn on hands or arms, and fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.
Code 06A violations are classified as critical because personal cleanliness directly impacts the safety of food being prepared and served to customers. Soiled garments can introduce biological or chemical contaminants into the food preparation environment, while inadequate hair restraints increase the risk of physical contamination. Jewelry and improperly maintained fingernails can harbor bacteria and other pathogens that may transfer to food during handling.
Despite the high score, the DOHMH action noted that violations were cited but the restaurant was not closed as a result of this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Personal hygiene requirements for food service workers are established under NYC Health Code Article 81 and align with the FDA Food Code, which sets national standards for retail food safety. These regulations require that food handlers maintain clean outer garments, wear effective hair restraints in food preparation areas, remove hand and arm jewelry during food handling, and keep fingernails clean, trimmed, and free of polish.
The FDA Food Code specifically addresses these requirements in Chapter 2, which covers the management and personnel standards for food establishments. The rationale behind these standards is well-documented: improper personal hygiene among food handlers is a leading contributing factor to foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurant settings.
A score of 69 points is notably high and reflects significant departure from the standards required under these regulations. In the NYC grading system, each violation carries a specific point value based on its severity and the conditions observed, with critical violations receiving higher point values than general violations.
Inspection History
La Boina Roja's inspection record over the past three years shows a pattern of fluctuating scores:
- November 29, 2024: Score 10 (Grade A)
- June 11, 2024: Score 29
- March 20, 2023: Score 22 (Grade B)
- February 16, 2023: Score 33
The restaurant's most recent prior inspection in November 2024 resulted in a strong score of 10, earning a Grade A. This represents a significant reversal, with the score increasing by 59 points between the November 2024 and February 2026 inspections. The earlier record also shows variability, with scores ranging from 10 to 33 across the documented inspection cycle.
It is worth noting that a single inspection represents conditions observed at a specific point in time and does not necessarily reflect the restaurant's operations on other days.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by DOHMH, assigns letter grades based on inspection scores:
- A: 0 to 13 points
- B: 14 to 27 points
- C: 28 or more points
Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C on an initial inspection have the option to request a re-inspection. The grade posted in the restaurant window reflects the better of the two scores. Inspection results, including violation details and scores, are public record and available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection database.
This inspection was conducted on February 9, 2026, with data released by DOHMH on February 11, 2026.
Consumers can review the full inspection history for La Boina Roja and any other NYC restaurant through the DOHMH public database or by visiting the NYC Open Data portal. The letter grade card displayed at the restaurant entrance provides the most current grading status.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for La Boina Roja including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.