Cooked?
El Palo Restaurant
- gradeGrade A
- inspection score12 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedOctober 14, 2025
- address196-25 Jamaica Avenue, Queens 11423
- cuisineMexican
- phone7184541148
Is El Palo Restaurant clean?
El Palo Restaurant is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on October 14, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at El Palo Restaurant?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on October 14, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🚰handwashing sink issuescriticalNo hand washing facility in or adjacent to toilet room or within 25 feet of a food preparation, food service or ware washing area. Hand washing facility not accessible, obstructed or used for non-hand washing purposes. No hot and cold running water or water at inadequate pressure. No soap or acceptable hand-drying device.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeNon-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
When was El Palo Restaurant last inspected?
El Palo Restaurant has 4 inspections on record going back to April 26, 2023, averaging 21 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| October 14, 2025 | Grade A | 12 pts |
| March 11, 2025 | — | |
| August 18, 2023 | Grade B | 26 pts |
| April 26, 2023 | no grade issued ⏳ | 24 pts |
El Palo Restaurant vs Hollis
Hollis runs 79% clean across 31 tracked restaurants — 23 clean, 2 mid, 4 cooked.
Against the 31 spots Cooked tracks in Hollis, this one comes out cleaner than 38% of them.
Other spots in Hollis
How New York grades restaurants
New York City health inspectors score violations in points, and lower is better: 0–13 points earns an A, 14–27 a B, and 28 or more a C. Every restaurant is inspected at least once a year, and the letter has to be posted in the window. A restaurant that scores 14 or more on the first inspection of a cycle does not get a letter right away — it stays “Grade Pending” until a re-inspection settles it, which is why some spots here show an hourglass instead of a letter. Cooked only ever shows a letter the city actually posted; we never infer one from a score.
Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via NYC Open Data. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated October 14, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.