Cleo's Southern Cuisine

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedDecember 1, 2025
• address2826 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago 60657

Is Cleo's Southern Cuisine clean?

Cleo's Southern Cuisine is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on December 1, 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 Cleo's Southern Cuisine?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on December 1, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON PREMISES. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A SIGNAGE EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-010 NO CITATION ISSUED AT THIS TIME.
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGNS OR POSTERS PROVIDED NEAR HAND WASHING SINKS IN BOTH UNISEX WAHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OUTER OPENINGS NOT PROTECTED. OBSERVED REAR RECEIVING SIDE DOOR NOT RODENT PROOF. DOOR HAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH OPENING ON BOTTOM DOOR. MUST MAKE DOOR TIGHT FITTING TO PREVENT RODENT ENTRY.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED RUSTY FOOD STORAGE SHELVING IN REAR KITCHEN FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST REPAINT OR REPLACE SHELVING. • OBSERVED NO STOPPERS PROVIDED AT THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK LOCATED IN REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA. MUST PROVIDE WORKING STOPPERS AT THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK AND MAINTAIN.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED SLOW LEAKING PIPE UNDERNEATH ONE OF THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINKS LOCATED IN REAR DISHWASHING AREA. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLES PROVIDED IN BOTH UNISEX WASHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLES PROVIDED IN BOTH UNISEX WASHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DIRT AND DEBRIS ON FLOOR BEHIND FOOD PREP TABLES IN REAR KITCHEN FOOD PREP AREA. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED DIRT AND DEBRIS ON FLOOR DRAINS IN REAR DISHWASHIG AREA. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DUST BUILD UP ON CEILING VENTILATION VENT ABOVE MOP SINK. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.

When was Cleo's Southern Cuisine last inspected?

Cleo's Southern Cuisine has 2 inspections on record going back to November 19, 2025.

Cleo's Southern Cuisine 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 14% of them.

Other spots in Lake View

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  clean · August 1, 2025
• ✓ Stars And Garters
  clean · December 29, 2025
• ✓ Libra Coffee Lounge
  clean · December 23, 2025
• ✓ Breakfast House
  clean · January 6, 2026
• ✓ Cielito Paradise
  clean · April 8, 2026
• ✓! The Hallmark
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See every restaurant inspection 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 1, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.