Cantina On Madison

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedSeptember 23, 2025
• address69 E Madison St, Chicago 60603

Is Cantina On Madison clean?

Cantina On Madison is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on September 23, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Cantina On Madison?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on September 23, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • 2-101.11: OBSERVED NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOODSERVICE MANAGER ON PREMISES. INSTRUCTED CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOODSERVICE MANAGER MUST BE ON PREMISES AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • 2-101.11: OBSERVED NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOODSERVICE MANAGER ON PREMISES. INSTRUCTED CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOODSERVICE MANAGER MUST BE ON PREMISES AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. 7-38-012 CITATION ISSUED.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • 6-202.15: OBSERVED OPENINGS AT BASE OF PATIO ENTRANCE DOOR AND AT BASE AND LOWER CORNERS OF REVOLVING FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR. INSTRUCTED TO SEAL ALL OUTER OPENINGS TO PREVENT PEST ENTRANCE
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-501.11: OBSERVED MISSING GROUT IN BETWEEN TILES AND CRACKED FLOOR TILES IN DISHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO SMOOTHLY REGROUT IN BETWEEN TILES WHERE GROUT IS MISSING AND SMOOTHLY REPAIR OR REPLACE CRACKED FLOOR TILES IN DISHROOM FOR EASE OF CLEANABILITY. OBSERVED MISSING OR DAMAGED CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE ALL DAMAGED OR MISSING CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT BASEMENT AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11: OBSERVED NONWORKING OR DIM LIGHTING IN DISHROOM, NEAR FRYER AND IN AREA NEAR HANDWASHING SINK AND 1 COMPARTMENT SINK IN BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ALL NONWORKING OR DIM LIGHTING IN DISHROOM, NEAR FRYER AND IN AREA NEAR HANDWASHING SINK AND 1 COMPARTMENT SINK IN BASEMENT TO INCREASE LIGHT INTENSITY AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11: OBSERVED NONWORKING OR DIM LIGHTING IN DISHROOM, NEAR FRYER AND IN AREA NEAR HANDWASHING SINK AND 1 COMPARTMENT SINK IN BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ALL NONWORKING OR DIM LIGHTING IN DISHROOM, NEAR FRYER AND IN AREA NEAR HANDWASHING SINK AND 1 COMPARTMENT SINK IN BASEMENT TO INCREASE LIGHT INTENSITY AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Previous Priority Foundation Violation Corrected • OBSERVED PREVIOUS PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION FROM INSPECTION #2623895 DATED 09/16/2025 NOT CORRECTED. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-42-090 CITATION ISSUED. OBSERVED OVER 90 RAT DROPPINGS AND OVER 30 SMALL FLIES THROUGHOUT FACILITY. OBSERVED RAT DROPPINGS IN SUCH AREAS AS BASEMENT UNDERNEATH SHELVING UNIT NEAR STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR, BASEMENT LOCKER ROOM, STAIRCASE LEADING TO SECOND FLOOR AND SECOND FLOOR STORAGE AND UTILITY ROOMS. OBSERVED SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN AREAS SUCH AS STORAGE ROOM IN BASEMENT WITH DOOR, NEXT TO WALK IN COOLER, BAR, SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY AND SECOND FLOOR MEN'S WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO ELIMINATE RODENT ACTIVITY AND SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN FACILITY, REMOVE RAT DROPPINGS AND CLEAN AFFECTED AREAS, RECOMMENDED LICENSED PEST CONTROL COMPANY SERVICE FACILITY ON OR AFTER 9/16/2025. UPON REINSPECTION ON 9/23/2025 STILL OBSERVED 14 RAT DROPPINGS IN FACILITY, OBSERVED RAT DROPPINGS IN BASEMENT LOCKER ROOM UNDERNEATH LOCKERS AND IN TWO SECOND FLOOR UTILITY ROOMS. OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY 10 SMALL FLIES IN FACILITY. OBSERVED SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN HALLWAY OUTSIDE OF SECOND FLOOR WOMEN'S WASHROOM, IN MEN'S WASHROOM AND IN BASEMENT ON WALLS OUTSIDE OF STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR AND OUTSIDE ON DOOR OF STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR NEXT TO WALK IN COOLER. CORRECETED ON SITE BEFORE CONCLUSION OF INSPECTION RODENT DROPPINGS REMOVED AND AFFECTED AREAS CLEANED. SMALL FLIES ELIMINATED AND AFFECTED AREAS CLEANED BEFORE CONCLUSION OF INSPECTION.
  Previous Priority Foundation Violation Corrected • OBSERVED PREVIOUS PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION FROM INSPECTION #2623895 DATED 09/16/2025 NOT CORRECTED. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-42-090 CITATION ISSUED. OBSERVED OVER 90 RAT DROPPINGS AND OVER 30 SMALL FLIES THROUGHOUT FACILITY. OBSERVED RAT DROPPINGS IN SUCH AREAS AS BASEMENT UNDERNEATH SHELVING UNIT NEAR STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR, BASEMENT LOCKER ROOM, STAIRCASE LEADING TO SECOND FLOOR AND SECOND FLOOR STORAGE AND UTILITY ROOMS. OBSERVED SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN AREAS SUCH AS STORAGE ROOM IN BASEMENT WITH DOOR, NEXT TO WALK IN COOLER, BAR, SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY AND SECOND FLOOR MEN'S WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO ELIMINATE RODENT ACTIVITY AND SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN FACILITY, REMOVE RAT DROPPINGS AND CLEAN AFFECTED AREAS, RECOMMENDED LICENSED PEST CONTROL COMPANY SERVICE FACILITY ON OR AFTER 9/16/2025. UPON REINSPECTION ON 9/23/2025 STILL OBSERVED 14 RAT DROPPINGS IN FACILITY, OBSERVED RAT DROPPINGS IN BASEMENT LOCKER ROOM UNDERNEATH LOCKERS AND IN TWO SECOND FLOOR UTILITY ROOMS. OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY 10 SMALL FLIES IN FACILITY. OBSERVED SMALL FLY ACTIVITY IN HALLWAY OUTSIDE OF SECOND FLOOR WOMEN'S WASHROOM, IN MEN'S WASHROOM AND IN BASEMENT ON WALLS OUTSIDE OF STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR AND OUTSIDE ON DOOR OF STORAGE ROOM WITH DOOR NEXT TO WALK IN COOLER. CORRECETED ON SITE BEFORE CONCLUSION OF INSPECTION RODENT DROPPINGS REMOVED AND AFFECTED AREAS CLEANED. SMALL FLIES ELIMINATED AND AFFECTED AREAS CLEANED BEFORE CONCLUSION OF INSPECTION.

When was Cantina On Madison last inspected?

Cantina On Madison has 9 inspections on record going back to February 28, 2023.

Cantina On Madison vs Loop

Loop runs 44% clean across 3,616 tracked restaurants — 1,566 clean, 332 mid, 1,687 cooked.

Against the 3,616 spots Cooked tracks in Loop, this one comes out cleaner than 48% of them.

Other spots in Loop

• ✓ Cantina On Madison
  clean · March 2, 2023
• ✓ Nesh Mediterranean Grill
  cooked · February 11, 2025
• ✓ Paris Baguette
  clean · March 25, 2026
• ✓ Fresco Delicioso
  clean · May 12, 2026
• ✓ Kong Dog
  clean · January 22, 2026
• ✓! S2 Express Grill
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See every restaurant inspection in Loop →

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 September 23, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.