Baba Pita Palace

• resultFail
• critical violations4
• last inspectedAugust 26, 2014
• address334 W Chicago Ave, Chicago 60654

Is Baba Pita Palace clean?

Baba Pita Palace is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on August 26, 2014. Inspectors wrote up 4 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Baba Pita Palace?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on August 26, 2014, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  Facilities To Maintain Proper Temperature • FACILITIES DO NOT MAINTAIN PROPER TEMPERATURE. OBSERVED THE 1 DOOR COKE COOLER WITH AN AIR TEMPERATURE OF 60F, THE 2 DOOR PREP COOLER WITH AN AIR TEMPERATURE OF 47.8F AND THE LINE PREP COOLER WITH AN AIR TEMPERATURE OF 54F. ALL COOLERS WERE USED TO STORE POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS SUCH AS CHICKEN AND EGGS. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN ALL COOLERS BELOW 40F. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-005A.
• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Potentially Hazardous Food Meets Temperature Requirement During Storage, Preparation Display And Service • POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS STORED AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURES INSIDE OF THE PREP COOLERS. OBSERVED YOGURT AT 70.3F, COOKED SPINACH AT 74.3F, CHICKEN AT 45.5-62.6F, CREAM AT 57.3F, EGGS AT 49.6F, CHEESE AT 48.3F, SALAD DRESSING AT 47.3F. MANAGEMENT VOLUNTARILY DISCARDED 40# OF FOOD WORTH $100. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-005A.
• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  Sanitizing Rinse For Equipment And Utensils: Clean, Proper Temperature, Concentration, Exposure Time • NO CHLORINE SANITIZER WAS DETECTED AT THE LOW TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR SO THAT A FINAL RINSE OF 100PPM CHLORINE IS REACHED. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-030.
• ⚠️No Evidence Of Rodent Or Insect Infestation, No Birds, Turtles Or Other Animals • OBSERVED EVIDENCE OF PEST INFESTATION THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. OVER 40 LIVE COCKROACHES WERE OBSERVED ON THE WALLS, SHELVES, FLOOR AND EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. LIVE COCKROACHES WERE OBSERVED IN THE STORAGE AREAS, PREP AREAS, AND DINING ROOM. MUST ELIMINATE THE PEST ACTIVITY. ALSO, MUST RODENT PROOF ALL EXTERIOR EXIT DOORS. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-020.critical
  No Evidence Of Rodent Or Insect Infestation, No Birds, Turtles Or Other Animals • OBSERVED EVIDENCE OF PEST INFESTATION THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. OVER 40 LIVE COCKROACHES WERE OBSERVED ON THE WALLS, SHELVES, FLOOR AND EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. LIVE COCKROACHES WERE OBSERVED IN THE STORAGE AREAS, PREP AREAS, AND DINING ROOM. MUST ELIMINATE THE PEST ACTIVITY. ALSO, MUST RODENT PROOF ALL EXTERIOR EXIT DOORS. CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-38-020.
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitized
  Food Protected During Storage, Preparation, Display, Service And Transportation • FOOD NOT PROTECTED FROM CONTAMINATION DURING STORAGE. OBSERVED A LIVE COCKROACH INSIDE A CONTAINER OF SUGAR IN THE DRY STORAGE ROOM. MANAGEMENT DISCARDED THE CONTAINER AND THE REMAINDER OF THE SUGAR. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-38-005A.
• ⚠️Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OBSERVED EXCESSIVE GARBAGE AND LITTER ON THE GROUND AROUND THE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS AND THROUGHOUT THE PARKING LOT. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE GARBAGE AREA CLEAN AT ALL TIMES. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-38-020.
  Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OBSERVED EXCESSIVE GARBAGE AND LITTER ON THE GROUND AROUND THE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS AND THROUGHOUT THE PARKING LOT. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE GARBAGE AREA CLEAN AT ALL TIMES. SERIOUS VIOLATION 7-38-020.
• ⚠️Food In Original Container, Properly Labeled: Customer Advisory Posted As Needed • MUST LABEL AND DATE ALL FOODS IN THE PREP COOLERS.
  Food In Original Container, Properly Labeled: Customer Advisory Posted As Needed • MUST LABEL AND DATE ALL FOODS IN THE PREP COOLERS.
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Food And Non-Food Contact Equipment Utensils Clean, Free Of Abrasive Detergents • DETAIL CLEAN ALL EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE KITCHEN INCLUDING: TOP AND SIDES OF ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF ALL PREP COOLERS AND MICROWAVES, PREP TABLES, WALL SHELVES, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF ALL CHEST FREEZERS, TOP AND SIDES OF DISHMACHINE, 3 COMPARTMENT SINK AND PIPES UNDERNEATH THE SINK, EXTERIOR OF GREASE TRAP, WIRE STORAGE RACKS IN THE PREP AREAS.
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DETAIL CLEAN THE FLOOR THROUGHOUT THE PREP AREAS AND DINING ROOM. REPAIR THE OPENINGS IN THE FLOOR IN THE REAR STORAGE ROOM.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DETAIL CLEAN THE FLOOR THROUGHOUT THE PREP AREAS AND DINING ROOM. REPAIR THE OPENINGS IN THE FLOOR IN THE REAR STORAGE ROOM.
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • DETAIL CLEAN THE WALLS OF THE PREP AREA THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. MUST CAULK AND SEAL ALL OPENINGS IN THE WALLS. REPAIR THE WATER LEAK FROM THE CEILING IN THE DINING ROOM.
  Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • DETAIL CLEAN THE WALLS OF THE PREP AREA THROUGHOUT THE PREMISES. MUST CAULK AND SEAL ALL OPENINGS IN THE WALLS. REPAIR THE WATER LEAK FROM THE CEILING IN THE DINING ROOM.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded • REPLACE THE CRACKED LIGHT SHIELDS AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING THROUGHOUT THE PREP AREA.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Ventilation: Rooms And Equipment Vented As Required: Plumbing: Installed And Maintained • MUST PROVIDE WORKING VENTILATION FANS INSIDE OF BOTH WASHROOMS.
• ⚠️Refrigeration And Metal Stem Thermometers Provided And Conspicuous • MUST PROVIDE WORKING THERMOMETERS INSIDE OF ALL COOLERS AND A PROBE THERMOMETER TO TAKE FOOD TEMPERATURES.
  Refrigeration And Metal Stem Thermometers Provided And Conspicuous • MUST PROVIDE WORKING THERMOMETERS INSIDE OF ALL COOLERS AND A PROBE THERMOMETER TO TAKE FOOD TEMPERATURES.
• ⚠️Food (Ice) Dispensing Utensils, Wash Cloths Properly Stored • ICE SCOOP STORED INSIDE OF THE ICE BIN. MUST STORE IN A CLEAN CONTAINER OUTSIDE OF THE ICE BIN.
  Food (Ice) Dispensing Utensils, Wash Cloths Properly Stored • ICE SCOOP STORED INSIDE OF THE ICE BIN. MUST STORE IN A CLEAN CONTAINER OUTSIDE OF THE ICE BIN.
• ⚠️No Smoking Regulations • NO "NO SMOKING" SIGN WAS POSTED AT EITHER THE FRONT OR REAR DOORS. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO POST A "NO SMOKING" SIGN AT ALL EXITS. CHICAGO CLEAN INDOOR AIR ORDINANCE 7-32-020
  No Smoking Regulations • NO "NO SMOKING" SIGN WAS POSTED AT EITHER THE FRONT OR REAR DOORS. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO POST A "NO SMOKING" SIGN AT ALL EXITS. CHICAGO CLEAN INDOOR AIR ORDINANCE 7-32-020

When was Baba Pita Palace last inspected?

Baba Pita Palace has 12 inspections on record going back to March 30, 2011.

Baba Pita Palace vs Near North Side

Near North Side runs 75% clean across 2,889 tracked restaurants — 2,147 clean, 530 mid, 203 cooked.

Against the 2,889 spots Cooked tracks in Near North Side, this one comes out cleaner than 6% of them.

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• ✓ Bistro Voltaire
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See every restaurant inspection in Near North Side →

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 August 26, 2014. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.