Avalon Bar & Grill

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedJuly 27, 2017
• address5431 N East River Rd, Chicago 60656

Is Avalon Bar & Grill clean?

Avalon Bar & Grill is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 27, 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 Avalon Bar & Grill?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 27, 2017, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🌡️food received at unsafe tempscritical
  Hand Washing Facilities: With Soap And Sanitary Hand Drying Devices, Convenient And Accessible To Food Prep Area • Upon arrival, when attempting to wash hands and verify hot water on site, found both kitchen exposed handsinks to be inaccessible- one sink had a pizza pan on top of it and the other sink had a plastic bucket in basin. Also found not paper towels at sink near three compartment sink. Instructed facility to maintain all exposed handsinks accessible with hot and cold water, soap, and paper towels. Facility corrected during inspection. Critical violation 7-38-030.
• ⚠️Previous Serious Violation Corrected, 7-42-090 • Previous serious violation not corrected from report # 2070113, dated 7-19-17: Violation 22- "No chemical (chlorine) test kit on site for low temperature dish machine. Instructed facility to obtain, and maintain appropriate test kit (chlorine) on site. Serious violation 7-38-030." Facility obtained during inspection. Critical violation 7-42-090.critical
  Previous Serious Violation Corrected, 7-42-090 • Previous serious violation not corrected from report # 2070113, dated 7-19-17: Violation 22- "No chemical (chlorine) test kit on site for low temperature dish machine. Instructed facility to obtain, and maintain appropriate test kit (chlorine) on site. Serious violation 7-38-030." Facility obtained during inspection. Critical violation 7-42-090.
• 🌡️hot/cold holding temps off
  * Certified Food Manager On Site When Potentially Hazardous Foods Are Prepared And Served • Galina Doychinova on site with a photocopy version of the city of Chicago Foodservice sanitation manager certificate. Additionally frame that holds sanitation certificates not posted and visible to customers (behind menus). Instructed facility that all original city of Chicago certified foodservice manager certificates must be posted and visible to customers. Serious violation 7038-012(a).
• 📄consumer advisory missing
  Toxic Items Properly Stored, Labeled And Used • Found a can of flying insect pesticide at the bar on top of soda bag in box units near the exposed handsink. Instructed facility that any toxic items must be stored away from all food and food contact/prep areas. Additionally any pesticides must be administered by a licensed pest control provider. Facility discarded at time of inspection. Serious violation 7-38-005(A).
• ⚠️* Inspection Report Summary Displayed And Visible To All Customers • Previous inspection report summary, from report # 2070113, dated 7-19-17, not posted and visible to customers. Instructed facility that most current inspection report summary must be posted and visible to customers. Summary report issued today. Serious violation 7-42-010(b).
  * Inspection Report Summary Displayed And Visible To All Customers • Previous inspection report summary, from report # 2070113, dated 7-19-17, not posted and visible to customers. Instructed facility that most current inspection report summary must be posted and visible to customers. Summary report issued today. Serious violation 7-42-010(b).
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • Observed dirt and debris on the floors in various areas: behind cooking equipment, on the walk in cooler floor, and in the bar area along walls. Instructed facility to clean and maintain. Observed items stored on the floor of the walk in cooler and oil stored on the floor in kitchen. Instructed facility to store all items at least 6 inches off the floor and maintain.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • Observed dirt and debris on the floors in various areas: behind cooking equipment, on the walk in cooler floor, and in the bar area along walls. Instructed facility to clean and maintain. Observed items stored on the floor of the walk in cooler and oil stored on the floor in kitchen. Instructed facility to store all items at least 6 inches off the floor and maintain.
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • Observed grease accumulation on the exhaust hood filters. Instructed facility to clean and maintain. Observed debris splattered on the wall above the ice machine. Instructed facility to clean and maintain.
  Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • Observed grease accumulation on the exhaust hood filters. Instructed facility to clean and maintain. Observed debris splattered on the wall above the ice machine. Instructed facility to clean and maintain.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded • Observed a missing light shield above the three compartment sink. Instructed facility to install and maintain.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Premises Maintained Free Of Litter, Unnecessary Articles, Cleaning Equipment Properly Stored • Observed the storage closet across from the men's washroom and the storage room next to the women's washroom to have clutter built up. Instructed facility to remove any unnecessary items, organize remaining, store 6 inches off floor, and maintain.
• ⚠️Appropriate Method Of Handling Of Food (Ice) Hair Restraints And Clean Apparel Worn • Observed foodhandler in the kitchen working without a hair restraint. Instructed facility that all foodhandlers must have hair restraints on.
  Appropriate Method Of Handling Of Food (Ice) Hair Restraints And Clean Apparel Worn • Observed foodhandler in the kitchen working without a hair restraint. Instructed facility that all foodhandlers must have hair restraints on.
• ⚠️Food (Ice) Dispensing Utensils, Wash Cloths Properly Stored • Observed ice scoops stored directly in ice. Instructed facility to maintain in a separate and sanitary manner.
  Food (Ice) Dispensing Utensils, Wash Cloths Properly Stored • Observed ice scoops stored directly in ice. Instructed facility to maintain in a separate and sanitary manner.
• ⚠️No Smoking Regulations • Upon arrival, observed an employee smoking a cigarette on the patio/outdoor dining area. Instructed facility that there is to be no smoking inside of establishment, on any outdoor seating/patio areas, and must be done at least 15 feet away from establishment. Violation 7-32-015.
  No Smoking Regulations • Upon arrival, observed an employee smoking a cigarette on the patio/outdoor dining area. Instructed facility that there is to be no smoking inside of establishment, on any outdoor seating/patio areas, and must be done at least 15 feet away from establishment. Violation 7-32-015.

When was Avalon Bar & Grill last inspected?

Avalon Bar & Grill has 6 inspections on record going back to August 18, 2016.

Avalon Bar & Grill vs Norwood Park

Norwood Park runs 67% clean across 265 tracked restaurants — 177 clean, 50 mid, 37 cooked.

Against the 265 spots Cooked tracks in Norwood Park, this one comes out cleaner than 16% of them.

Other spots in Norwood Park

• ✓ Avalon Bar & Grill
  clean · August 26, 2016
• ✓ Be Juiced
  clean · November 20, 2017
• ✓! The Market
  mid · April 16, 2021
• ✓ Sapori Napoletani
  clean · June 13, 2017
• ✓ Starbucks
  clean · March 27, 2026
• ✓ Purple Tulip Cakery
  clean · November 16, 2021

See every restaurant inspection in Norwood 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 July 27, 2017. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.