2 Queens Restaurants Close After Mice Found In Health Inspections

QUEENS, NY -- The NYC Health Department has temporarily shut down two Queens eateries after inspectors found mice and other contamination risks inside their quarters on Tuesday.

Riccardo's By the Bridge in Astoria and Prince Kabab & Chinese Restaurant in Woodside were both ordered closed after racking up 42 and 47 violation points, respectively, records show. Eateries must score under 14 for an A and less than 28 to stay open.

Riccardo's, on the corner of 21st Street and 21st Avenue, racked up five health violations during its inspection, two of which were marked "critical." The Health Department wrote up the banquet hall for having mice in its food and/or non-food areas and failing to protecting food from potential contamination, the report said.

The banquet hall's "non-critical" violations include: Failure to vermin proof the premises, improper thawing procedures and not properly maintaining food contact surfaces, according to the report.

Prince Kabab & Chinese Restaurant, on 74th Street off 37th Road, also received five citations during its inspection, including three that were critical. Inspectors found inside the Chinese eatery, noting it failed to properly wash its food or protect it from contamination, the report said.

The restaurant was also cited for failure to vermin-proof its quarters and improperly building its non-food contact surfaces, according to the Health Department.

Both eateries will have the chance to up their grades in a re-inspection roughly once a month until they score below a 28, which will allow them to reopen, according to Health Department policy.

Lead photos via Google Maps.