Cooked?
Cheflife 19
- resultFail
- critical violations1
- last inspectedDecember 17, 2025
- address3438 N Clark St, Chicago 60657
Is Cheflife 19 clean?
Cheflife 19 is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on December 17, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.
What did inspectors find at Cheflife 19?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on December 17, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcriticalManagement, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON PREMISES. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE A SIGNAGE EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-010.CITATION ISSUED.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • PERSON IN CHARGE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE PEST CONTROL LOGBOOK. INSTRUCTED ABOVE MUST HAVE A COMPLETE PEST CONTROL LOGBOOK ON PREMISES CONTAINING RECENT INVOICES LICENSE PEST CONTROL IDPH COPY, MAP OF THE FACILITY ETC. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(C). CITATION ISSUED.
- ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED INSIDE ICE BIN IN FRONT JUICE BAR. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED INSIDE ICE BIN IN FRONT JUICE BAR. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
- ⚠️Single-Use/Single-Service Articles: Properly Stored & Used • OBSERVED ITEMS STORED ON FLOOR INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER, REAR OF BASEMENT AND INSIDE FURNANCE ROOM. MUST ELEVATED ITEMS FOR THE EASY OF CLEANING AND PEST MONITORING.Single-Use/Single-Service Articles: Properly Stored & Used • OBSERVED ITEMS STORED ON FLOOR INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER, REAR OF BASEMENT AND INSIDE FURNANCE ROOM. MUST ELEVATED ITEMS FOR THE EASY OF CLEANING AND PEST MONITORING.
- 🚻bathroom / plumbing issuesPlumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINK IN KITCHEN FOOD PREP AREA DRAINING SLOW. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN. OBSERVED SLOW LEAK PIPE UNDERNEATH 3-COMPARTMENT SINK IN REAR DISHWASHING AREA. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • MANAGEMENT MUST HAVE A GREASE CONTAINER TO PROPERLY DISPOSED OF THE GREASE. ABOVE IS USING OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS TO DISPOSE OF GREASE.Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • MANAGEMENT MUST HAVE A GREASE CONTAINER TO PROPERLY DISPOSED OF THE GREASE. ABOVE IS USING OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTERS TO DISPOSE OF GREASE.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DUST BUILD UP ON VENTILATION VENTS ABOVE COOKING EQUIPMENT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED CLUTTER AND UNNECESSARY ITEMS IN FRONT OF KITCHEN FOOD PREP AREA, INSIDE FURNANCE ROOM AND IN THE BASEMENT. MUST REMOVE CLUTTER AND UNNECESSARY ITEMS INCLUDING ONE DOOR TALL UNUSED REFRIGERATOR LOCATED IN KITCHEN AREA TO PREVENT RODENT HARBORAGE • OBSERVED OPENINGS INTO CEILING IN FRONT OF KITCHEN PREP AREA ALSO OBSERVED OPENINGS INTO WALL IN THE BASEMENT AND INSIDE FURNACE ROOM. MUST SEAL OPENING AND MAINTAIN FACILITY IN A GOOD REPAIR. OBSERVED DIRT AND GREASE ON FLOOR UNDER AROUND AND BEHIND ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
- 🥜allergen training missingAllergen Training As Required • OBSERVED CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGER WITHOUT ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE. MUST OBATIN PROOF OF ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE.
- ⚠️Previous Core Violation Corrected • OBSERVED PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATIONS NOT CORRECTED FROM INSPECTION REPORT#2613348 ON 03/07/2025 #55. NOTED BASEMENT SOUTH WALL STAINED WITH SIGNS OF WATER DAMAGE AND CHIPPED PAINT, INSTRUCTED TO RESTORE WALL TO A NON-POROUS SMOOTH AND EASY TO CLEAN SURFACE AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-090 CITATION ISSUED.Previous Core Violation Corrected • OBSERVED PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATIONS NOT CORRECTED FROM INSPECTION REPORT#2613348 ON 03/07/2025 #55. NOTED BASEMENT SOUTH WALL STAINED WITH SIGNS OF WATER DAMAGE AND CHIPPED PAINT, INSTRUCTED TO RESTORE WALL TO A NON-POROUS SMOOTH AND EASY TO CLEAN SURFACE AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-090 CITATION ISSUED.
When was Cheflife 19 last inspected?
Cheflife 19 has 4 inspections on record going back to March 7, 2025.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| January 13, 2026 | — | |
| December 17, 2025 | Fail | |
| December 9, 2025 | — | |
| March 7, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions |
Cheflife 19 vs Lake View
Lake View runs 68% clean across 2,211 tracked restaurants — 1,492 clean, 440 mid, 272 cooked.
Against the 2,211 spots Cooked tracks in Lake View, this one comes out cleaner than 11% of them.
Other spots in Lake View
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 December 17, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.