Queens, NY — Shibaiwei Seafood Restaurant, located at 144-18 Northern Boulevard in Flushing, Queens, received a Grade C following a health inspection conducted April 4, 2026. Inspectors recorded a score of 37, placing the restaurant in the Grade C range under New York City's restaurant grading system. The inspection data was released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on April 6, 2026.

What Inspectors Found

The inspection identified one critical violation under Code 03B: shellfish not obtained from an approved source, not properly tagged or labeled, or tags not retained for the required 90-day period.

Under NYC Health Code Article 81 and FDA Food Code guidelines, shellfish — including clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops — must be sourced exclusively from facilities certified and listed on state or federal approved shellfish shipper lists. Each shipment must arrive with a tag identifying the harvest location, harvester, and dealer. Restaurants are required to retain those tags for a minimum of 90 days following the sale or service of the last shellfish from that container.

This requirement exists because shellfish are filter feeders that can concentrate pathogens and biotoxins from their surrounding water. Shellfish harvested from unapproved or unmonitored waters carry elevated risk of contamination with Vibrio bacteria, norovirus, and hepatitis A. The sourcing and tagging system allows health authorities to trace illness outbreaks back to specific harvest locations and pull product from distribution if needed.

No non-critical violations were recorded during this inspection.

Food Safety Context

The shellfish sourcing and tagging requirements enforced under NYC Health Code Article 81 Section 81.23 align with standards set by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC) and the FDA's National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP). These frameworks govern shellfish safety across the United States and form the basis for state-level approved shipper lists.

Restaurants serving raw or lightly cooked shellfish — as is common in Chinese seafood cuisine — are subject to particular scrutiny under these rules. The critical designation assigned to Code 03B violations reflects the direct connection between shellfish provenance and foodborne illness risk. A single critical violation contributes substantially to a restaurant's inspection score.

With a total score of 37, Shibaiwei Seafood Restaurant falls in the Grade C range. Under city grading rules, a restaurant scoring 28 or above that does not receive a Grade A or B on a re-inspection is required to post a Grade C card. The restaurant may request an administrative tribunal hearing to contest the score.

Inspection History

The April 4, 2026 inspection is not the restaurant's first with a high score. Prior inspection data on file shows:

  • January 13, 2026: Score 92 (Grade N — initial inspection pending re-inspection grade)

A Grade N designation is assigned when a restaurant receives a high score on its first inspection in an inspection cycle. The restaurant is then re-inspected within 30 to 45 days, at which point a letter grade is assigned based on the follow-up score. The April inspection appears to represent a subsequent visit in that cycle, resulting in the Grade C designation now on record.

Understanding NYC Restaurant Grades

New York City's restaurant grading system, administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, assigns letter grades based on the number of points accumulated during an unannounced inspection. More serious violations carry higher point values.

  • Grade A: Score of 0 to 13 points
  • Grade B: Score of 14 to 27 points
  • Grade C: Score of 28 points or more

Restaurants are required to post their most recent grade card in a window visible from the street. Consumers can look up full inspection records, violation details, and grade history for any city restaurant through the DOHMH's online search tool at nyc.gov/health.

For questions about food safety complaints or to report a concern about a restaurant, the public may contact 311 or submit a report through the NYC DOHMH website.

More About This Restaurant

View the full inspection history for Shibaiwei Seafood Restaurant including all past inspections, violations, and grade changes.