Queens, NY — Leo's, a Latin American restaurant at 104-19 Jamaica Avenue in Queens, received a Grade B following a New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspection conducted on April 2, 2026. The restaurant scored 23 points, placing it near the upper end of the Grade B range and within five points of the Grade C threshold.

Data from this inspection was released by DOHMH on April 6, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

Inspectors documented one critical violation during the April visit. The citation, coded 06C, related to food, supplies, or equipment not adequately protected from potential sources of contamination. Specifically, inspectors noted that condiments were not stored in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor, leaving them exposed to potential contamination during service.

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and the FDA Food Code, operators are required to safeguard food and food-contact surfaces from contamination at all stages — including storage, preparation, display, and service. The condiment violation falls under this category and is classified as critical because improper handling of food or food-adjacent items carries a direct risk of foodborne illness.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

A score of 23 points represents a Grade B, but it is worth noting where that score sits within the grading range. The Grade B band spans 14 to 27 points — meaning Leo's score of 23 leaves only four points of margin before crossing into Grade C territory. Critical violations, like the one cited here, carry higher point values than non-critical ones and can move a score significantly depending on how many are identified.

The single critical violation cited in this inspection contributed to the elevated score relative to the restaurant's more recent Grade A history.

Inspection History

Leo's has a mixed inspection record over the past several years:

  • 2026-02-12: Score 24 (Grade B)
  • 2024-10-31: Score 13 (Grade A)
  • 2023-07-26: Score 10 (Grade A)
  • 2023-07-12: Score 52

The July 2023 score of 52 is notably high, placing it well into Grade C range, though the restaurant subsequently improved to Grade A scores in late 2023 and 2024. The two most recent inspections, in February and April 2026, have both returned Grade B results, suggesting a pattern worth monitoring.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

DOHMH assigns letter grades to restaurants based on their inspection scores:

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

Lower scores reflect fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that score in the B or C range are re-inspected, and the posted grade reflects the most recent scored inspection result.

Inspection records for all New York City restaurants are publicly available through the DOHMH restaurant inspection lookup tool at nyc.gov. Consumers can use this resource to review full violation histories, scores, and grade postings for any licensed food service establishment in the five boroughs.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Leo's including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.