Subway

• gradeGrade B
• inspection score19 pts
• critical violations2
• last inspectedMay 22, 2026 →
• address39-42 21 Street, Queens 11101
• cuisineSandwiches
• phone7183615700

Is Subway clean?

Subway is currently Grade B from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on May 22, 2026. 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 Subway?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 22, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧤food-handling slipcritical
  Tobacco or electronic cigarette use, eating, or drinking from open container in food preparation, food storage or dishwashing area.
• 🛠️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.
• 🚰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.
• 🚿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.

When was Subway last inspected?

Subway has 5 inspections on record going back to October 3, 2023, averaging 11 points.

Subway vs Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City

Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City runs 78% clean across 106 tracked restaurants — 76 clean, 7 mid, 14 cooked.

Against the 106 spots Cooked tracks in Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City, this one comes out cleaner than 20% of them.

Other spots in Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City

• A Ambassador Food Services
  clean · May 20, 2025
• A The Goodfellas Pizzeria Of L.I.C.
  clean · July 30, 2025
• A Melrose Ballroom
  clean · October 12, 2025
• A Exquisito
  clean · December 3, 2025
• A Beija Flor
  clean · August 12, 2026
• A Flavors Corner
  clean · June 1, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in Queensbridge-Ravenswood-Long Island City →

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 May 22, 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.