Big Bricks

• resultPass
• critical violations1
• last inspectedAugust 18, 2020
• address3830-3832 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago 60613

Is Big Bricks clean?

Big Bricks is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on August 18, 2020. 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 Big Bricks?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on August 18, 2020, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGNS OR POSTERS NEAR HAND WASHING SINKS IN FRONT BAR AREA, FRONT SERVICE STATION AREA AND REAR FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • MUST PROPERLY LABEL FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED REAR NORTH SIDE DOOR NOT TIGHT FITTING. MUST MAKE DOOR TIGHT FITTING TO PREVENT PEST ENTRY.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED ON TOP OF ICE BIN IN FRONT BAR AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
  In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED ON TOP OF ICE BIN IN FRONT BAR AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLES PROVIDED AT THE WOMEN'S WASHROOM LOCATED IN THE 1ST FLOOR. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLES PROVIDED AT THE WOMEN'S WASHROOM LOCATED IN THE 1ST FLOOR. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DUST AND DIRT BUILD UP ON CEILING LIGHT SHIELDS ABOVE PREP COOLERS AND ABOVE DISH WASHING AREA. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED DIRT AND DEBRIS ON FLOOR THROUGHOUT FOOD PREPARATION IN BASEMENT. MUST CLEAN FLOOR AND MAINTAIN AND MUST MAINTAIN FLOOR DRY AT ALL TIMES TO PREVENT PEST BREADING. • UNUSED REFRIGERATOR IN BASEMENT FOOD PREPARATION AREA MUST BE REMOVE FROM PREMISES. ALL UNNECESSARY ITEMS MUST BE REMOVED FROM BASEMENT TO PREVENT PEST HARBORAGE.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED MECHANICAL VENTILATION NOT WORKING IN CUSTOMERS WASHROOMS LOCATED IN THE 2ND FLOOR. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED MECHANICAL VENTILATION NOT WORKING IN CUSTOMERS WASHROOMS LOCATED IN THE 2ND FLOOR. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.

When was Big Bricks last inspected?

Big Bricks has 20 inspections on record going back to January 24, 2012. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Big Bricks vs North Center

North Center runs 68% clean across 976 tracked restaurants — 657 clean, 151 mid, 163 cooked.

Against the 976 spots Cooked tracks in North Center, this one comes out cleaner than 32% of them.

Other spots in North Center

• ✓ Big Bricks
  clean · January 24, 2012
• ✓ Northdown
  clean · August 30, 2016
• ✓ Northdown Cafe & Taproom
  clean · April 22, 2011
• ✓ Automatic Icemakers
  clean · May 11, 2011
• ✓ Mangi's
  clean · July 24, 2023
• ✓ Earth's Healing Cafe
  clean · March 18, 2016

See every restaurant inspection in North Center →

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 18, 2020. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.