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El Pollo Real
- gradeGrade A
- inspection score12 pts
- critical violations1
- last inspectedJanuary 23, 2026
- address69-51 Grand Avenue, Queens 11378
- cuisineLatin American
- phone3472492148
Is El Pollo Real clean?
El Pollo Real is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on January 23, 2026. 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 Pollo Real?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 23, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🧫equipment / surface issueThawing procedure improper.
- 🌡️fridge is giving… room tempcriticalCold 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.
- 🛠️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 Pollo Real last inspected?
El Pollo Real has 4 inspections on record going back to August 8, 2023, averaging 17 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2026 | Grade A | 12 pts |
| December 8, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 17 pts |
| November 1, 2024 | Grade A | 13 pts |
| August 8, 2023 | no grade issued ⏳ | 27 pts |
El Pollo Real vs Maspeth
Maspeth runs 71% clean across 79 tracked restaurants — 54 clean, 11 mid, 11 cooked.
Against the 79 spots Cooked tracks in Maspeth, this one comes out cleaner than 45% of them.
Other spots in Maspeth
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 January 23, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.