Cafe Ballou & Deli

• resultFail
• critical violations0
• last inspectedDecember 10, 2019 →
• address939 N Western Ave, Chicago 60622

Is Cafe Ballou & Deli clean?

Cafe Ballou & Deli is no longer in business. Chicago Department of Public Health recorded it as out of business on May 12, 2020, 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 Fail on December 10, 2019. The record below is kept for history; it says nothing about whatever occupies the address now.

What did inspectors find at Cafe Ballou & Deli?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on December 10, 2019, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean
• ⚠️Previous Core Violation Corrected
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used

When was Cafe Ballou & Deli last inspected?

Cafe Ballou & Deli has 11 inspections on record going back to November 20, 2015.

Cafe Ballou & Deli vs West Town

West Town runs 77% clean across 1,250 tracked restaurants — 958 clean, 251 mid, 29 cooked.

Other spots in West Town

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• ✓! Mobil
  cooked · April 20, 2020
• ✓! En Hakkore 2.0
  cooked · May 24, 2019
• ✓ Jimmy's Vegan Cookies
  clean · November 24, 2015
• ✓ The Irish Nobleman
  clean · July 10, 2026

See every restaurant inspection 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.

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 December 10, 2019. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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