LOWKEY GARDEN LOUNGE
70-15 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375 · Restaurant (Caribbean)
Inspection summary
LOWKEY GARDEN LOUNGE has been inspected 5 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since October 12, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 15, 2026, recorded 3 infractions.
None of the 5 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 8 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Food source, labelling and allergens.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 3 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 15, 2026. For example:
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 15, 2026. For example:
15-21: Flavored tobacco products sold, offered for sale
Food source, labelling and allergensHigher risk
Food must come from approved suppliers, stay in labelled containers and be thrown out when it is spoiled or damaged, such as dented or swollen cans. Labelling matters for allergies: an unlabelled container can hide an allergen.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 15, 2026. For example:
15-22: Original label for smoking products sold or offered for sale.
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 15, 2026. For example:
Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on August 15, 2026. For example:
Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
About this data
These results come from NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
5 inspections
- Smoke-Free Air Act / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 15-21: Flavored tobacco products sold, offered for sale
- 15-22: Original label for smoking products sold or offered for sale.
- 15-42: Failure to make a good faith effort to inform smokers or electronic cigarette users of Smoke-Free Air Act ("SFAA") prohibitions
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
5 infractions
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Critical
- 10F: 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.
- Not Critical
- 04H: Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
- Critical
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Critical
- 02G: 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.
- Critical
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Smoke-Free Air Act / Re-inspection
1 infraction
- 15-22: Original label for smoking products sold or offered for sale.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
4 infractions
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 06C: 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.
- Critical
- 09B: Thawing procedure improper.
- Not Critical
- 04K: Evidence of rats or live rats in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 06E: Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
- Critical
- 05D: 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.
- Critical
- 10F: 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.
- Not Critical
- 06E: Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
Nearby inspected facilities
- MOGE TEE
70-15 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
4 inspections
- STELLAR POKHARA
70-17 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
1 inspection
- COOKIES N' CREAM
70-17 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
2 inspections
- KUNG FU TEA
70-10 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
6 inspections
- MUNCH
70-19 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
3 inspections
- TIKKA N TALK
70-11 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
3 inspections
- XHALE
70-11 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
3 inspections
- KISSFISH
70-21 AUSTIN STREET, Queens, NY 11375
3 inspections