The Chicago Restaurants, Grocery Stores Ordered Closed Last Week

CHICAGO — 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 last week, according to the city's Department of Health:

Subway at 1139 W. Granville Ave. in Edgewater was ordered closed after the restaurant's only toilet wasn't flushing, health inspectors said. The toilet was backed up with fecal matter, according to the city's data portal.

Seven Star Chinese Cuisine at 3209 W. 47th Place on the Southwest Side was ordered closed after no working toilet was found in the restaurant, the city said.

China Star at 4716 N. Milwaukee Ave. on the Northwest Side was ordered closed after health inspectors found rat droppings scattered throughout the restaurant's kitchen, behind cooking equipment, under a fridge and even on a frying pan, according to the city's data portal. A health inspector noted on the portal that they are "unable to compliantly count [the] number of droppings due to accessibility and dirt and grease." Dead insects and dirt build-up was found on racks and shelving, the city said.

Restaurant EL Ranchito at 5959 W. Grand Ave on the West Side's Belmont neighborhood was ordered closed after health inspectors discovered more than 600 mice droppings in the restaurant's basement, behind the bar, behind the wait station, in the dining area behind entertainment machines, in the food prep area, in the men's washroom and in the dry storage room, the city said.

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.