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Borinken Cakes
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations1
- last inspectedNovember 25, 2025
- address5328 S Archer Ave, Chicago 60632
- cuisineBakery
Is Borinken Cakes clean?
Borinken Cakes is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on November 25, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Borinken Cakes?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 25, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🏷️food improperly labeledFood Properly Labeled; Original Container • OBSERVED FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WITHOUT LABELS CONTAINING THE COMMON NAME OF FOODS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
- 📋certified manager paperwork missingcriticalCity Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED FACILITY FOOD HANDLERS PREPARING, HANDLING AND SERVING TIME AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY (TCS) FOODS WITHOUT A CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE MANAGER ON SITE. INSTRUCTED THAT A CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE MANAGER MUST BE ON SITE DURING OPERATING HOURS WHILE TCS FOODS ARE STORED, PREPPED, HANDLED AND STORED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. 7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED.
- 🌡️thermometers missingThermometers Provided & Accurate • OBSERVED NO AMBIENT AIR THERMOMETER INSIDE THE REACH IN DISPLAY COOLER AT THE FRONTLINE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED A SMALL GAP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENTRANCE DOOR. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A TIGHT-FITTING SEAL AT ALL OUTER OPENINGS TO PREVENT THE ENTRY OF PESTS.
- ⚠️Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • OBSERVED FOOD CONTAINERS STORED IMPROPERLY ON THE FLOOR IN THE REAR OF THE FACILITY. INSTRUCTED TO STORE PROPERLY BY ELEVATING AT LEAST SIX INCHES FROM THE FLOOR ON RAISED SHELVING UNITS.Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • OBSERVED FOOD CONTAINERS STORED IMPROPERLY ON THE FLOOR IN THE REAR OF THE FACILITY. INSTRUCTED TO STORE PROPERLY BY ELEVATING AT LEAST SIX INCHES FROM THE FLOOR ON RAISED SHELVING UNITS.
- ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLERS PREPPING FOOD WITHOUT HAIR RESTRAINTS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLERS PREPPING FOOD WITHOUT HAIR RESTRAINTS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED THE EXHAUST ABOVE THE PREP AREA IN NEED OF CLEANING. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED THE EXHAUST ABOVE THE PREP AREA IN NEED OF CLEANING. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN.
When was Borinken Cakes last inspected?
Borinken Cakes has 3 inspections on record going back to March 18, 2021.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| November 25, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| December 12, 2024 | Pass | |
| March 18, 2021 | Pass |
Borinken Cakes vs West Elsdon
West Elsdon runs 76% clean across 399 tracked restaurants — 299 clean, 61 mid, 35 cooked.
Against the 399 spots Cooked tracks in West Elsdon, this one comes out cleaner than 14% of them.
Other spots in West Elsdon
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 November 25, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.