Queens, NY — Rockaway Fish & Soul, a soul food restaurant at 141-22 Rockaway Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, received a Grade B score of 21 following a health inspection conducted on March 12, 2026. The inspection identified one critical violation related to evidence of mice on the premises.
The score of 21 places the restaurant in the upper range of the Grade B category, which spans 14 to 27 points. The restaurant is just six points away from the Grade C threshold of 28, which would require the establishment to post a "C" grade card or request a re-inspection.
What Inspectors Found
During the March 12 inspection, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene inspectors documented one critical violation:
- Evidence of mice or live mice in the establishment's food or non-food areas (violation code 04L)
The presence of mice in a food service establishment is classified as a critical violation under the NYC Health Code because rodents can contaminate food, surfaces, and equipment with pathogens including Salmonella and Hantavirus. No non-critical violations were cited during this inspection.
Food Safety Context
Under NYC Health Code Article 81, all food service establishments are required to maintain their premises free of vermin, including mice and rats. The FDA Food Code further stipulates that food establishments must implement effective pest management practices to prevent contamination of food and food-contact surfaces.
Evidence of mice can indicate broader sanitation concerns, as rodents are typically attracted to environments where food debris, improper storage, or structural gaps provide access and sustenance. A single critical violation for rodent activity was sufficient to bring the restaurant's score to 21 points, reflecting the significant weight the city's inspection system assigns to pest-related violations.
Inspection History
Rockaway Fish & Soul has received elevated scores across multiple prior inspections:
- April 23, 2025: Score of 30
- December 6, 2023: Score of 26
- October 5, 2023: Score of 48 (Grade C)
- June 29, 2023: Score of 73
The restaurant's history shows a pattern of scores consistently at or above the Grade B range. The October 2023 inspection resulted in a Grade C with a score of 48, and the June 2023 inspection recorded a score of 73. While the current score of 21 represents the restaurant's lowest recorded score in the available data, it remains in the upper portion of the Grade B range.
Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades
New York City assigns letter grades to restaurants based on inspection scores under the following system:
- Grade A: 0–13 points (minimal violations)
- Grade B: 14–27 points (moderate violations)
- Grade C: 28 or more points (significant violations)
Lower scores indicate fewer or less severe violations. Restaurants that receive a Grade B or C may choose to post the grade or request a re-inspection for an opportunity to improve their score.
Inspection data for this report was released by DOHMH on March 17, 2026, five days after the inspection was conducted. Restaurant inspection results are public record and can be verified through the NYC DOHMH restaurant inspection database. Consumers can search any restaurant's full inspection history at the city's official inspection lookup portal.
More About This Restaurant
View the full inspection history for Rockaway Fish & Soul including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.