The Chicago Restaurants, Grocery Stores Ordered Closed Last Week

CHICAGO, IL — Dozens of Chicago restaurants and grocery stores are slapped with fines for health violations each week, but it takes a serious violation for a restaurant to be ordered closed, the city said. Places are ordered shuttered for reasons such as roach and mice infestations, major plumbing problems, food stored at the wrong temperatures and basic food safety rules not being followed, the city said.

Less-serious violations, which don't require closures, often include issues such as poor ventilation, inadequate lighting, worn seal on refrigerators, a few fruit flies and inappropriate materials like cardboard and paper sitting in the wrong places. Restaurants and stores are required to fix those problems immediately.

These were the restaurants and grocery stores that were ordered closed during the week of Sept. 3, according to the city's Department of Health:

• St. Rest Country Kitchen - the restaurant at 727 E. 87th St. in the Chatham neighborhood on the West Side was ordered closed after inspectors found food such as ribs, pot roasts, raw chicken and raw beef being stored at higher temperatures than the required 41 degrees. More than 50 mouse droppings were found in the rear prep and storage areas, inspectors said. Health inspectors said they also found ten live roaches crawling on the floor in the rear storage and prep areas.
• Carniceria Y Taqueria Tierra at 3312 W North Ave. in the Logan Square neighborhood was closed because health inspectors found no hot water and inadequate water pressure at sinks in the restaurant, the city said. Food such as sour cream, cheese, chicken and pork was being stored at warmer temperatures than the required 41 degrees, inspectors said.
• Siam Cafe Inc. at 4712 N. Sheridan Rd. in the Uptown neighborhood was ordered closed because the restaurant didn't correct previous violations from an inspection that revealed mouse droppings in the building. During last week's inspection, more than 50 mouse droppings were found on the floor, on shelves and inside the kitchen prep area's electrical unit. More than 15 flying insects were also found on the walls and ceiling of the kitchen prep area.

Information on which Chicago restaurants and grocery stores have been ordered closed is not available on the city's data portal. The city's public health department has committed to sending Patch weekly reports, and we will publish those as long as they are made available.

Lead image via Serghei Starus/Shutterstock