El Pollo Iii

• gradeGrade A ⏳
• grade postedOctober 4, 2025
• inspection score26 pts
• critical violations3
• last inspectedJune 15, 2026 →
• address8603 18 Avenue, Brooklyn 11214
• cuisineLatin American
• phone7183313124

Is El Pollo Iii clean?

El Pollo Iii currently carries Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on October 4, 2025 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on June 15, 2026 scoring 26 points — but NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) has not ruled on that visit, so no new grade has been issued. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder the posted grade reads clean 😇; the numbers above come from the newer visit.

What did inspectors find at El Pollo Iii?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 15, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  No 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.
• 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcritical
  Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Accurate thermometer not provided or properly located in refrigerated, cold storage or hot holding equipment
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Non-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.
• 🧼staff skipping handwashingcritical
  Personal cleanliness is inadequate. Outer garment soiled with possible contaminant. Effective hair restraint not worn where required. Jewelry worn on hands or arms. Fingernail polish worn or fingernails not kept clean and trimmed.

When was El Pollo Iii last inspected?

El Pollo Iii has 6 inspections on record going back to June 13, 2024, averaging 29 points.

El Pollo Iii vs Bensonhurst West

Bensonhurst West runs 80% clean across 253 tracked restaurants — 186 clean, 19 mid, 28 cooked.

Against the 253 spots Cooked tracks in Bensonhurst West, this one comes out cleaner than 23% of them.

Other spots in Bensonhurst West

• A Panino Rustico
  clean · July 7, 2025
• A New Jin Xin Restaurant
  clean · November 22, 2025
• A Buonissima Pizzeria
  clean · January 20, 2026
• A Dunkin
  clean · November 13, 2025
• A Ting Fai Cuisine
  clean · March 20, 2025
• A La Bella Pizza Express
  clean · July 7, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in Bensonhurst West →

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.

Read the New York ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

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 June 15, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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