Balena

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedMay 31, 2017 →
• address1633 N Halsted St, Chicago 60614

Is Balena clean?

Balena is no longer in business. Chicago Department of Public Health recorded it as out of business on December 27, 2019, which is an administrative result rather than a health finding — the business closed or moved, it was not shut down over conditions. Its last actual inspection result was Pass on May 31, 2017. The record below is kept for history; it says nothing about whatever occupies the address now.

What did inspectors find at Balena?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 31, 2017, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Food And Non-Food Contact Equipment Utensils Clean, Free Of Abrasive Detergents
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded
• 🪳pests in the house
  Ventilation: Rooms And Equipment Vented As Required: Plumbing: Installed And Maintained

When was Balena last inspected?

Balena has 17 inspections on record going back to January 19, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Balena vs Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park runs 78% clean across 892 tracked restaurants — 687 clean, 174 mid, 21 cooked.

Other spots in Lincoln Park

• ✓! Sushi Para Too
  cooked · December 17, 2013
• ✓! Burwood Tap
  mid · August 23, 2018
• ? Charlie's Ale House
  cooked · October 20, 2010
• ✓ Potbelly Sandwich Works
  clean · January 13, 2025
• ? Chicago Red Eyes
  cooked · August 29, 2014
• ✓ Ethan's Cafe
  cooked · May 11, 2010

See every restaurant inspection in Lincoln 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.

Read the Chicago ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated May 31, 2017. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

check your own block 📸

Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.