Absinthe Cafe

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedMay 24, 2017
• address1954 W North Ave, Chicago 60622

Is Absinthe Cafe clean?

Absinthe Cafe is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on May 24, 2017. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Absinthe Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 24, 2017, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  Sanitizing Rinse For Equipment And Utensils: Clean, Proper Temperature, Concentration, Exposure Time • OBSERVED THE 2-COMPARTMENT SINK BEING USED TO WASH DISHES WITH THE LEFT COMPARTMENT EMPTY AND THE RIGHT COMPARTMENT FILLED UP WITH SOAP AND WATER; EMPLOYEE WAS WASHING POTS AND PANS WITHOUT SANITIZING. 2-COMPARTMENT OR PREP SINK IS TO BE USED TO FOR FOOD PREP (I.E. WASHING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES) AND THAWING FOODS ONLY. 2-COMPARTMENT SINK SHALL NOT BE USED TO WASH ANY DISHES OR UTENSILS. MUST USE THE 3-COMPARMTENT SINK TO PROPERLY WASH, RINSE, AND SANITIZE OR THE LOW TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE IN THE BASEMENT TO PROPERLY WASH DISHES AND UTENSILS AT ALL TIMES. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-030
• ❓food from a questionable sourcecritical
  Adequate Number, Convenient, Accessible, Designed, And Maintained • THE ONLY EXPOSED HAND SINK LOCATED IN THE KITCHEN PREP AREA WAS DISCONNECTED/BROKEN WITH NO RUNNING WATER AT TIME OF INSPECTION. THE HANDWASHING SINK MUST BE ACCESSIBLE WITH HOT & COLD RUNNING WATER UNDER CITY PRESSURE, SOAP & PAPER TOWELS, AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE. 48 HOUR NOTICE GIVEN TO REPAIR SINK IN THE KITCHEN PREP AREA; KITCHEN STAFF MUST USE THE LEFT SIDE OF THE 2-COMPARTMENT SINK IN THE PREP AREA UNTIL THE EXPOSED HAND SINK IS REPAIRED. SOAP AND PAPER TOWELS WERE PROVIDED AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE 2-COMPARTMENT SINK UPON MY REQUEST. WHEN I RETURNED ON 5/25/17 TO FINISH THE REPORT, THE EXPOSED HAND SINK HAD BEEN REPAIRED WITH HOT/COLD RUNNING WATER UNDER CITY PRESSURE-CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION. CRITCAL VIOLATION 7-38-030
• ⚠️Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OUTSIDE GARBAGE AREA NOT MAINTAINED: OBSERVED GREASE DROPLETS HANGING OFF OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE RECEPTACLE AND POOLING ON TOP OF THE LID. ALL GREASE MUST BE MAINTAINED INSIDE OF THE GREASE RECEPTACLE AT ALL TIMES. WHEN I RETURNED TO FINISH THE REPORT ON 5/25/17 THE GREASE RECEPTACLE HAD BEEN DETAIL CLEANED AND SANITIZED-CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-38-020
  Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OUTSIDE GARBAGE AREA NOT MAINTAINED: OBSERVED GREASE DROPLETS HANGING OFF OF THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE RECEPTACLE AND POOLING ON TOP OF THE LID. ALL GREASE MUST BE MAINTAINED INSIDE OF THE GREASE RECEPTACLE AT ALL TIMES. WHEN I RETURNED TO FINISH THE REPORT ON 5/25/17 THE GREASE RECEPTACLE HAD BEEN DETAIL CLEANED AND SANITIZED-CORRECTED DURING INSPECTION. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-38-020
• ⚠️* Inspection Report Summary Displayed And Visible To All Customers • INSPECTION SUMMARY REPORT WAS NOT POSTED FOR CUSTOMERS TO VIEW AT TIME OF INSPECTION. INSPECTION SUMMARY REPORT MUST BE DISPLAYED AND VISIBLE TO CUSTOMERS AT ALL TIMES. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-42-010
  * Inspection Report Summary Displayed And Visible To All Customers • INSPECTION SUMMARY REPORT WAS NOT POSTED FOR CUSTOMERS TO VIEW AT TIME OF INSPECTION. INSPECTION SUMMARY REPORT MUST BE DISPLAYED AND VISIBLE TO CUSTOMERS AT ALL TIMES. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-42-010
• ⚠️Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • OBSERVED CARDBOARD BEING USED AS A LINER INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO USE NON-ABSORBENT MATERIALS ONLY TO ALLOW ROUTINE CLEANING AND MAINTAIN. • MUST PROVIDE ICE LIDS/COVERS FOR CONSUMABLE ICE BINS BEHIND THE BAR TO PROPERLY PROTECT ICE IN BETWEEN USE. • OBSERVED RUSTED FOOD STORAGE SHELVES ON THE BOTTOM SHELVES OF THE COLD-HOLDING REFRIGERATION UNITS IN THE KITCHEN. INSTRUCTED TO EITHER REPLACE THE RUSTED FOOD STORAGE SHELVES OR RESURFACE THEM AND MAINTAIN. • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE ICE MACHINE IN THE BASEMENT TO REMOVE DISCOLORATION BUILDUP AND MAINTAIN.
  Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • OBSERVED CARDBOARD BEING USED AS A LINER INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO USE NON-ABSORBENT MATERIALS ONLY TO ALLOW ROUTINE CLEANING AND MAINTAIN. • MUST PROVIDE ICE LIDS/COVERS FOR CONSUMABLE ICE BINS BEHIND THE BAR TO PROPERLY PROTECT ICE IN BETWEEN USE. • OBSERVED RUSTED FOOD STORAGE SHELVES ON THE BOTTOM SHELVES OF THE COLD-HOLDING REFRIGERATION UNITS IN THE KITCHEN. INSTRUCTED TO EITHER REPLACE THE RUSTED FOOD STORAGE SHELVES OR RESURFACE THEM AND MAINTAIN. • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE ICE MACHINE IN THE BASEMENT TO REMOVE DISCOLORATION BUILDUP AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Food And Non-Food Contact Equipment Utensils Clean, Free Of Abrasive Detergents • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE MEAT SLICER IN THE BASEMENT TO REMOVE FOOD DEBRIS BUILDUP AND MAINTAIN.

When was Absinthe Cafe last inspected?

Absinthe Cafe has 10 inspections on record going back to December 2, 2010.

Absinthe Cafe vs West Town

West Town runs 72% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 1,475 clean, 422 mid, 160 cooked.

Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 10% of them.

Other spots in West Town

• ✓ Tommy's Grill
  clean · October 5, 2021
• ✓ Papa Jin
  clean · June 16, 2015
• ? Fire King Service Station Inc
  cooked · September 30, 2020
• ✓ Cans Bar And Canteen
  clean · June 21, 2012
• ✓! Oggi Trattoria & Caffe
  mid · March 5, 2015
• ✓ Mr. Browns Lounge
  clean · November 23, 2022

See every restaurant inspection in West Town →

How Chicago grades restaurants

Chicago does not use letter grades. Every inspection ends in one of three official results: Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail. Pass with Conditions means violations were found but corrected on the spot or under a deadline — the restaurant is open, with homework. A Fail means serious violations went uncorrected, and it usually brings a re-inspection within days. Chicago also flags “priority” violations, the ones most likely to actually make someone sick. Cooked reads Pass as clean, Pass with Conditions as mid, and Fail as cooked, and shows the itemized violations behind each result.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated May 24, 2017. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.