City Closes Astoria's Bel Aire Diner Due To 'Pest Conditions'

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Astoria's beloved Bel Aire Diner has been ordered to close temporarily after a city inspection found health code violations, officials confirmed.

When the 57-year-old diner on 21st Street and Broadway was inspected on Wednesday, the city found "pest conditions, as well as food not being held at the required temperature and other health code violations," a spokesperson from the city's Health Department told Patch.

"The Health Department is entrusted with protecting the health of diners by ensuring that conditions in food service establishments are up to code," the spokesperson added. "In order to protect the health of city diners, we ordered the restaurant closed until conditions are remedied."

A photo posted to Reddit shows the city's closure notice affixed to the diner's front door, as well as a sign from the restaurant saying it is "temporarily closed for deep cleaning."

Founded in 1965, Bel Aire has long been known for its 24-hour service — though its Google Maps listing now says the diner closes at 2:30 a.m. daily.