La Elegancia

• gradeGrade A ⏳
• grade postedMay 6, 2025
• inspection score44 pts
• critical violations5
• last inspectedJuly 13, 2026 →
• address88-26 37 Avenue, Queens 11372
• cuisineLatin American
• phone3478463569

Is La Elegancia clean?

La Elegancia currently carries Grade A ⏳ from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). It was posted on May 6, 2025 and still stands. The place has been inspected again since — on July 13, 2026 scoring 44 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 5 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 La Elegancia?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 13, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🕳️basically rolling out the welcome mat for pests
  Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
• 🪳roaches are dining toocritical
  Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
• 🌡️food-temperature slipcritical
  Hot TCS food item that has been cooked and cooled is being held for service without first being reheated to 165º F or above within 2 hours.
• 🚿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.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedcritical
  Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
• 🌡️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.
• 🚰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.
• 🛠️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 La Elegancia last inspected?

La Elegancia has 8 inspections on record going back to May 18, 2022, averaging 24 points.

La Elegancia vs Jackson Heights

Jackson Heights runs 74% clean across 352 tracked restaurants — 245 clean, 38 mid, 46 cooked.

Against the 352 spots Cooked tracks in Jackson Heights, this one comes out cleaner than 32% of them.

Other spots in Jackson Heights

• B K & L Delicatessen
  mid · April 8, 2026
• A Leo's
  clean · February 12, 2026
• B La Nueva Colombia
  mid · April 11, 2025
• A Empanadas Mix
  clean · March 7, 2026
• A Pico De Gallo
  clean · April 2, 2026
• A Cafe De Colombia Bakery
  clean · July 17, 2026

See every restaurant inspection 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.

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 July 13, 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.