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El Rumbero
- gradeGrade B
- inspection score21 pts
- critical violations2
- last inspectedOctober 23, 2025
- address82-05 Northern Boulevard, Queens 11372
- cuisineLatin American
- phone7188033125
Is El Rumbero clean?
El Rumbero is currently Grade B from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on October 23, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at El Rumbero?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on October 23, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🛠️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.
- 🧫food contact surfaces dirtyDesign, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
- 🍲hot food sitting too coolcriticalHot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- 🌡️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.
When was El Rumbero last inspected?
El Rumbero has 5 inspections on record going back to March 27, 2023, averaging 27 points.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| October 23, 2025 | Grade B | 21 pts |
| August 14, 2025 | no grade issued ⏳ | 39 pts |
| November 13, 2024 | Grade B | 20 pts |
| June 10, 2024 | no grade issued ⏳ | 27 pts |
| March 27, 2023 | Grade B | 26 pts |
El Rumbero vs Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights runs 75% clean across 345 tracked restaurants — 241 clean, 38 mid, 44 cooked.
Against the 345 spots Cooked tracks in Jackson Heights, this one comes out cleaner than 21% of them.
Other spots in Jackson Heights
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 23, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.