Cooked?
Big Star To-Go
- resultFail
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJuly 20, 2026
- address1537 N Damen Ave, Chicago 60622
Is Big Star To-Go clean?
Big Star To-Go is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 20, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.
What did inspectors find at Big Star To-Go?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 20, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🏷️food improperly labeledFood Properly Labeled; Original Container • OBSERVED BULK CONTAINERS IN REAR WITHOUT A LABEL. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE THE COMMON NAME ON ALL BULK CONTAINERS TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY ITEM.(SALT, SUGAR, FLOUR ETC).
- ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • OBSERVED NO IRREVERSIBLE REGISTERING TEMPERATURE INDICATORS OR TEST STRIPS/STICKERS WERE PROVIDED TO MEASURE THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF UTENSILS INSIDE OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE DISH MACHINE. (HIGH TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE WITH GAUGE READING FINAL RINSE AT 180F). INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE SURFACE TEMPERATURE TEST STRIPS OR IRREVERSIBLE REGISTERING SURFACE THERMOMETER FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005, CITATION ISSUED.Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • OBSERVED NO IRREVERSIBLE REGISTERING TEMPERATURE INDICATORS OR TEST STRIPS/STICKERS WERE PROVIDED TO MEASURE THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF UTENSILS INSIDE OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE DISH MACHINE. (HIGH TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE WITH GAUGE READING FINAL RINSE AT 180F). INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE SURFACE TEMPERATURE TEST STRIPS OR IRREVERSIBLE REGISTERING SURFACE THERMOMETER FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE DISHMACHINE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005, CITATION ISSUED.
- ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS WITH OVERFLOWING TRASH LIDS PREVENTING PROPER LID CLOSURE.INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE SERVICE PICK-UP OR LARGER GARBAGE DUMPSTER MUST BE ABLE TO CLOSE AND REMAIN TIGH FITTING IN ORDER TO PREVENT RODENT HARBORAGE AND MAINTAIN.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(B), CITATION ISSUED.MUST KEEP OUTSIDE GARBAGE AREA MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES. (MANAGEMENT CORRECTED ON SITE).Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS WITH OVERFLOWING TRASH LIDS PREVENTING PROPER LID CLOSURE.INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE SERVICE PICK-UP OR LARGER GARBAGE DUMPSTER MUST BE ABLE TO CLOSE AND REMAIN TIGH FITTING IN ORDER TO PREVENT RODENT HARBORAGE AND MAINTAIN.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(B), CITATION ISSUED.MUST KEEP OUTSIDE GARBAGE AREA MAINTAINED AT ALL TIMES. (MANAGEMENT CORRECTED ON SITE).
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE CEILING VENTILATION COVERS ABOVE THE DISHWASHING 3-COMPARTMENT SINK AREA TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF DUSTS AND MAINTAIN.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE CEILING VENTILATION COVERS ABOVE THE DISHWASHING 3-COMPARTMENT SINK AREA TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF DUSTS AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED 2 (TWO) FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES WITHOUT A FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO SHOW PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN AS REQUIRED.All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED 2 (TWO) FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES WITHOUT A FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO SHOW PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN AS REQUIRED.
When was Big Star To-Go last inspected?
Big Star To-Go has 16 inspections on record going back to September 4, 2014. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| July 20, 2026 | Fail | |
| May 20, 2025 | Pass | |
| May 3, 2024 | Pass | |
| July 21, 2023 | Pass | |
| June 17, 2022 | Pass | |
| July 30, 2019 | Pass | |
| March 25, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| January 30, 2018 | Pass | |
| May 12, 2017 | Pass | |
| September 14, 2016 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| August 10, 2016 | closed by the city | |
| April 29, 2016 | Pass |
Big Star To-Go vs West Town
West Town runs 72% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 1,475 clean, 422 mid, 160 cooked.
Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 6% of them.
Other spots in West Town
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 20, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.