Taco Bell

• gradeGrade A
• inspection score11 pts
• critical violations1
• last inspectedFebruary 17, 2026 →
• address135-25 79 Street, Queens 11414
• cuisineTex-Mex
• phone2012813788

Is Taco Bell clean?

Taco Bell is currently Grade A from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), from an inspection on February 17, 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 Taco Bell?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 17, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🛠️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.
• 🚿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.
• 🍽️dishwashing setup off
  Single service article not provided. Single service article reused or not protected from contamination when transported, stored, dispensed. Drinking straws not completely enclosed in wrapper or dispensed from a sanitary device.
• ⚠️“Choking first aid” poster not posted. “Alcohol and Pregnancy” warning sign not posted. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks (adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted.
• 🍽️food left out / unprotectedcritical
  Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer’s refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.

When was Taco Bell last inspected?

Taco Bell has 4 inspections on record going back to December 7, 2023, averaging 15 points.

Taco Bell vs Lindenwood-Howard Beach

Lindenwood-Howard Beach runs 83% clean across 64 tracked restaurants — 49 clean, 2 mid, 8 cooked.

Against the 64 spots Cooked tracks in Lindenwood-Howard Beach, this one comes out cleaner than 58% of them.

Other spots in Lindenwood-Howard Beach

• A Howard Beach Bagel Cafe
  clean · May 22, 2025
• A Aramark @ Fiserv
  clean · October 6, 2025
• A Baya Bar
  clean · December 16, 2025
• A Brother's Raviolis
  clean · August 5, 2026
• A Hook & Reel
  clean · April 6, 2026
• B Old Country Bagel
  mid · April 27, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in Lindenwood-Howard Beach →

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 17, 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.