RICO CHIMI
80-01 ATLANTIC AVENUE, Queens, NY 11421 · Restaurant (Spanish)
Inspection summary
RICO CHIMI has been inspected 4 times by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) since April 4, 2023. The most recent inspection, on March 24, 2026, recorded 4 infractions.
None of the 4 inspections on record were free of infractions. In the past 12 months there were 2 inspections with 10 infractions recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Cleaning and sanitizing, Food temperature control and Pests.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
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.
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 6 times across 3 separate inspections, most recently on February 2, 2026. For example:
Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
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 September 27, 2024. For example:
Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded 2 times on March 24, 2026. For example:
Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
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 once on March 24, 2026. For example:
Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
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 once on September 27, 2024. For example:
Food worker/food vendor does not use utensil or other barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
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.
4 inspections
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
4 infractions
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Critical
- 04H: Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
- Critical
- 10B: 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.
- Not Critical
- 08A: Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Not Critical
- 04L: Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
6 infractions
- 10B: 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.
- Not Critical
- 09C: Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
- Not Critical
- 10G: Dishwashing and ware washing: Cleaning and sanitizing of tableware, including dishes, utensils, and equipment deficient.
- Not Critical
- 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
- 06F: Wiping cloths not stored clean and dry, or in a sanitizing solution, between uses.
- Critical
- 10B: 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.
- Cycle Inspection / Initial Inspection
3 infractions
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Critical
- 04C: Food worker/food vendor does not use utensil or other barrier to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
- Critical
- 02B: Hot TCS food item not held at or above 140 °F.
- Critical
- 06D: Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Cycle Inspection / Re-inspection
4 infractions
- 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
- 09C: Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.
- Not 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
- 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.
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