El Ranchero

• gradeGrade A
• inspection score13 pts
• critical violations1
• last inspectedFebruary 19, 2026 →
• address160-20 46 Avenue, Queens 11358
• cuisineMexican
• phone7183218429

Is El Ranchero clean?

El Ranchero is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on February 19, 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 Ranchero?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 19, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
• 🧫equipment / surface issuecritical
  Swollen, leaking, rusted or otherwise damaged canned food to be returned to distributor not segregated from intact product and clearly labeled DO NOT USE
• 🛠️facility / equipment issue
  Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
• 🗑️garbage situation out of pocket
  Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
• 🛠️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.

When was El Ranchero last inspected?

El Ranchero has 6 inspections on record going back to August 17, 2023, averaging 25 points.

El Ranchero vs East Flushing

East Flushing runs 60% clean across 47 tracked restaurants — 27 clean, 7 mid, 11 cooked.

Against the 47 spots Cooked tracks in East Flushing, this one comes out cleaner than 44% of them.

Other spots in East Flushing

• A Rahonbgu Malatang
  clean · April 28, 2026
• B Master Huang
  mid · January 3, 2026
• ? Momo Ashi
  cooked · March 21, 2025
• A I Am Kimchi
  clean · July 8, 2026
• C All In Lounge (Auntie Liu's Private Kitchen)
  cooked · January 5, 2026
• A Old Friend Bbq
  clean · June 30, 2025

See every restaurant inspection in East Flushing →

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 February 19, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

check your own block 📸

Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.