Buffalo Sam

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations4
• last inspectedApril 24, 2025
• address508 S Kostner Ave, Chicago 60624

Is Buffalo Sam clean?

Buffalo Sam is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on April 24, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 4 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Buffalo Sam?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on April 24, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WITH VALID ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE WHILE PREAPRING AND SERVING, CHICKEN, FISH, SHRIMP, BURGERS, SLICED TOMATOES. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE CERTIFICATE HOLDER ON SITE WHILE OPEN AND OPERATING. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. #7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🤒staff working while sickcritical
  Procedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events • OBSERVED NO CLEAN UP PROCEDURE POSTED OR NECESSARY ITEMS OUTLINED IN THE POLICY AVAILABLE ON SITE FOR RESPONDING TO VOMIT AND DIARHEAL EVENTS THAT CAN OCCUR IN THE FOOD ESTABLISHMENT. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. #7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  Hands Clean & Properly Washed • OBSERVED 3 FOOD HANDLERS WASHING HANDS IMPROPERLY IN 3 COMPARTMENT SINKS DURING TIME OF INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE THAT FOOD EMPLOYEES SHALL ONLY WASH HANDS IN THE HANDWASHING SINK ONLY AS REQUIRED, NOT WHERE FOOD PREP OR WAREWASHING TAKES PLACE.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. #7-38-010. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGNAGE AT HANDSINK LOCATED IN PREP/DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
• 🌡️hot/cold holding temps off
  Proper Hot Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY 35 LBS OF COOKED CHICKEN WINGS AND FISH FILETS STORED IN BULK CONTAINERS ON PREP TABLE SHELF DURING TIME OF INSPECTION AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURES. NOTED TEMPERATURES RANGING BETWEEN 70°F-82°F. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE TO HOLD ALL TCS HOT FOODS AT 135°F OR HIGHER AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY VIOLATION. #7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED. THE PERSON IN CHARGE VOLUNTARILY DISCARDED THE SAID FOOD ITEM AT THIS TIME. TOTAL COST OF DICARDED FOOD @$100.
• ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED ALL FOOD HANDLERS OPERATING WITHOUT EFFECTIVE HAIR RESTRAINTS DURING TIME OF INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN TO PREVENT POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION.
  Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED ALL FOOD HANDLERS OPERATING WITHOUT EFFECTIVE HAIR RESTRAINTS DURING TIME OF INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN TO PREVENT POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOOD HANDLER CERFTIFICATES FOR ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN ON SITE FOR REVIEW.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOOD HANDLER CERFTIFICATES FOR ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN ON SITE FOR REVIEW.

When was Buffalo Sam last inspected?

Buffalo Sam has 2 inspections on record going back to February 28, 2024.

Buffalo Sam vs West Garfield Park

West Garfield Park runs 69% clean across 620 tracked restaurants — 424 clean, 107 mid, 85 cooked.

Against the 620 spots Cooked tracks in West Garfield Park, this one comes out cleaner than 14% of them.

Other spots in West Garfield Park

• ✓ Seafood Fish & Chicken Crib
  clean · September 13, 2023
• ✓ Supermarket Madison
  clean · February 8, 2024
• ✓! P And L Mini Mart Inc.
  mid · September 28, 2023
• ✓! Crispy Chris
  mid · October 26, 2023
• ✓ Gulf
  clean · October 26, 2023
• ✓ Citgo
  clean · November 14, 2023

See every restaurant inspection in West Garfield 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.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated April 24, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.