Cooked?
Cousta Coffee
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations2
- last inspectedJuly 19, 2016
- address4801 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago 60630
Is Cousta Coffee clean?
Cousta Coffee is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 19, 2016. 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 Cousta Coffee?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 19, 2016, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 📋certified manager paperwork missingcriticalFacilities To Maintain Proper Temperature • Observed the tall two door cooler in the kitchen at an internal temperature of 61.3f and the small 2 door prep cooler in the kitchen at 60.5f. Tagged both units held for inspection-do not use. Instructed to repair and maintain at 40f or below. Critical citation issued 7-38-005(a).
- 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcriticalPotentially Hazardous Food Meets Temperature Requirement During Storage, Preparation Display And Service • Found food at improper temperatures- in the tall 2 door cooler: 2lbs of beef at 54.6f, 3lbs of chicken at 56.2f, 5lbs of rice at 53.3f, 2lbs of milk at 55.0f, 1lb of lamb at 50.2f. In the small 2 door cooler: 2lbs of hummus at 58.4f, 2lbs of baba ganoush at 51.9f, 2lbs of chicken at 56.7f, and 1lb of beef at 58.6f. Operator discarded and denatured said items valued at $100 as stated by operator. Instructed facility to maintain all potentially hazardous foods at 40f or below or 140f or above. Critical citation issued 7-38-005(a).
- 🌡️hot/cold holding temps off* Certified Food Manager On Site When Potentially Hazardous Foods Are Prepared And Served • No city of Chicago certified foodservice manager on site at time of inspection while potentially hazardous foods are being prepared and or served (chicken, rice, beef, etc.) Instructed facility that a city of Chicago certified foodservice manager must be on site at all times when potentially hazardous foods are prepared and/or served. Serious citation issued 7-38-012(a).
- ⚠️Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • Observed water pooled in the bottom of the tall 2 door cooler in the kitchen and the small 2 door prep cooler in the kitchen. Instructed facility to repair and maintain dry.Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • Observed water pooled in the bottom of the tall 2 door cooler in the kitchen and the small 2 door prep cooler in the kitchen. Instructed facility to repair and maintain dry.
- ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • Observed dirt and debris on the floors throughout the kitchen. Instructed facility to clean and maintain.Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • Observed dirt and debris on the floors throughout the kitchen. Instructed facility to clean and maintain.
- ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • Observed heavy water damage on the wall and ceiling in the basement. Instructed facility to repair and maintain. Observed water damaged ceiling tiles near the front door. Instructed facility to replace and maintain.Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • Observed heavy water damage on the wall and ceiling in the basement. Instructed facility to repair and maintain. Observed water damaged ceiling tiles near the front door. Instructed facility to replace and maintain.
- 🌡️thermometers missingLighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded • Observed no light shield on the lights above the three compartment sink. Instructed facility to install and maintain.
- 🧻grimy wiping clothsPremises Maintained Free Of Litter, Unnecessary Articles, Cleaning Equipment Properly Stored • Observed clutter in the basement throughout. Instructed facility to remove unnecessary items, organize remaining, store 6 inches off floors and walls, and maintain to help facilitate proper cleaning and prevent pest harborage.
When was Cousta Coffee last inspected?
Cousta Coffee has 5 inspections on record going back to December 30, 2014.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2017 | closed by the city | |
| July 19, 2016 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| October 8, 2015 | — | |
| January 30, 2015 | Pass | |
| December 30, 2014 | Fail |
Cousta Coffee vs Portage Park
Portage Park runs 65% clean across 715 tracked restaurants — 462 clean, 142 mid, 107 cooked.
Against the 715 spots Cooked tracks in Portage Park, this one comes out cleaner than 17% of them.
Other spots in Portage 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 July 19, 2016. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.