Queens, NY — Layaly Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant located at 44-09 Broadway in Astoria, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) inspection conducted on March 23, 2026. The restaurant recorded a score of 21, placing it near the upper boundary of the B range and within seven points of the Grade C threshold. Inspection data was released by DOHMH on March 25, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented two non-critical violations during the visit. No critical violations were recorded.

The first violation, Code 10H, noted that single-service articles were not fully protected from contamination. Specifically, drinking straws were found to be neither completely enclosed in individual wrappers nor dispensed from a sanitary device. Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, single-use items must be stored and dispensed in a manner that prevents contamination before they reach customers.

The second violation, Code 10E, identified the absence of an accurate thermometer in refrigerated, cold storage, or hot holding equipment. Properly functioning thermometers are required to verify that equipment maintains food at safe temperatures — a standard established under both NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code's temperature control provisions. Without a reliable thermometer, operators cannot confirm that cold or hot holding units are functioning within required ranges.

While neither violation is classified as critical, a combined score of 21 places the restaurant near the upper limit of Grade B performance.

Food Safety Context

NYC Health Code Article 81 governs food service establishment sanitation standards across the city. The FDA Food Code, which New York's regulations are modeled after, provides the underlying framework for temperature monitoring and single-service item handling requirements.

Non-critical violations generally reflect conditions that do not pose an immediate public health risk but indicate departures from standard sanitation practices. However, a score of 21 — close to the 28-point Grade C threshold — reflects a pattern of multiple deficiencies identified during a single visit.

Inspection History

Layaly Cafe's recent inspection record shows variability in performance:

  • August 6, 2025: Score 24 (Grade B)
  • January 11, 2024: Score 6 (Grade A)
  • October 11, 2022: Score 10 (Grade A)

The restaurant had previously maintained Grade A scores in 2022 and 2024. Its two most recent inspections, however, have both resulted in Grade B scores — with the most recent score of 21 representing a slight decline from the prior B score of 24.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades based on the total number of points recorded during an inspection:

  • A: 0–13 points (fewest violations)
  • B: 14–27 points
  • C: 28 or more points

Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. A score of 21 falls within the middle of the B range, but is positioned closer to the C cutoff than to the A threshold.

Current and historical inspection records for all NYC restaurants are available through the DOHMH's public restaurant inspection database at nyc.gov.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Layaly Cafe including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.