Al's Pizza Chicago

• resultPass
• critical violations1
• last inspectedNovember 3, 2021
• address6344-6348 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago 60634

Is Al's Pizza Chicago clean?

Al's Pizza Chicago is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on November 3, 2021. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at Al's Pizza Chicago?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 3, 2021, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • 6-301.14--INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN HANDWASHING SIGNAGE AT HAND SINK (WEST SIDE PREP AREA).
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitized
  Food-Contact Surfaces: Cleaned & Sanitized • 4-602.11(B-E)--OBSERVED A SLIGHT DEBRIS ACCUMULATION ENCRUSTED ON THE INTERIOR OF THE ICE MAKER.MUST REMOVE DEBRIS, DETAIL CLEAN INSIDE ICE MACHINE/HAVE SERVICED AND MAINTAIN ICE MACHINE AT ALL TIMES.
• ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED EMPLOYEE WITH NO HAIR RESTRAINT IN THE FOOD PREP AREA.INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE HAIR RESTRAINTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE FOOD PREP AREA.(COS).
  Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED EMPLOYEE WITH NO HAIR RESTRAINT IN THE FOOD PREP AREA.INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE HAIR RESTRAINTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE FOOD PREP AREA.(COS).
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • 4-501.11-- OBSERVED RUST ON THE WIRE STORAGE RACKS IN THE WALK-IN COOLER.INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE RUSTS AND REPAINT OR REPLACE THE SHELVES.
• ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.12--OBSERVED MISSING SINK STOPPER FOR THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK.INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN 3 ADEQUATE WORKING SINK STOPPERS.
  Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.12--OBSERVED MISSING SINK STOPPER FOR THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK.INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN 3 ADEQUATE WORKING SINK STOPPERS.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • 4-601.11(C)-- INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN GASKETS AT ALL PREP COOLERS TO REMOVE DRIED UP FOOD DEBRIS AND INTERIOR BOTTOM COMPARTMENTS OF DEEP FRYERS TO REMOVE SPILLED GREASE BUILD-UP AND MAINTAIN.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • 5-205.15--OBSERVED WATER LEAK AT BASE OF FAUCET FOR THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK.INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR PLUMBING LEAK AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • 6-501.19--OBSERVED THE WASHROOM DOOR AT THE REAR MAIN FOOD PREP AREA NOT SELF CLOSING. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A SELF CLOSING DEVICE AT THE DOOR AND MAINTAIN.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • 6-501.19--OBSERVED THE WASHROOM DOOR AT THE REAR MAIN FOOD PREP AREA NOT SELF CLOSING. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A SELF CLOSING DEVICE AT THE DOOR AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-501.12-- FLOORS ALONG WALLS AND IN ALL CORNERS THROUGHOUT THE FOOD PREP AREAS AND IN WALK-IN-COOLER IN NEED FOR FURTHER CLEANING TO REMOVE FOOD SPILLED DEBRIS AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11-- INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE BURNT-OUT LIGHT BULBS IN THE REAR MAIN FOOD PREP AREA AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE LIGHTING AT ALL TIMES.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11-- INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE BURNT-OUT LIGHT BULBS IN THE REAR MAIN FOOD PREP AREA AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE LIGHTING AT ALL TIMES.

When was Al's Pizza Chicago last inspected?

Al's Pizza Chicago has 23 inspections on record going back to March 4, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Al's Pizza Chicago vs Portage Park

Portage Park runs 65% clean across 715 tracked restaurants — 462 clean, 142 mid, 107 cooked.

Against the 715 spots Cooked tracks in Portage Park, this one comes out cleaner than 35% of them.

Other spots in Portage Park

• ✓ Walgreens
  clean · September 28, 2010
• ✓ Walgreens
  clean · May 13, 2010
• ✓ Gonzalez Mexican Food
  clean · June 4, 2010
• ✓ Craves Cafe
  clean · March 9, 2011
• ✓! Lis Store
  mid · May 28, 2020
• ✓ Lis Store
  clean · April 22, 2010

See every restaurant inspection in Portage Park →

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 November 3, 2021. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.