Dark Matter

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedNovember 10, 2025
• address2015 W Grand Ave, Chicago 60612

Is Dark Matter clean?

Dark Matter is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on November 10, 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 Dark Matter?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 10, 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 SIGNED EMPLOYEES' HEALTH POLICIES FOR ALL EMPLOYEES MUST BE PROVIDED AND MAINTAINED. (PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-010)(CITATION ISSUED)
• 🧼hand hygiene slippingcritical
  Proper Eating, Tasting, Drinking, Or Tobacco Use • OBSERVED EMPLOYEE DRINIKING FROM A COFFEE CUP WITHOUT A LID MUST PROVIDE COVER.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • MUST LABEL FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN ORIGINAL PACKAGE(SQUEEZE BOTTLES).
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED A GAP ALONG THE BOTTOM OF BOTH FRONT ENTRY DOOR AND REAR MAN DOOR ALONG THE BOTTOM AND SIDE MUST MAKE A TIGHT FITTING.
• ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLERS WITHOUT HAIR RESTRAINTS AND BEARD GUARDS MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLERS WITHOUT HAIR RESTRAINTS AND BEARD GUARDS MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED LIQUID DISH WASHING DISPENSING HOSES AT 3- COMPARTMENT SINK TO LONG MUST MAKE SHORTER.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED DOOR TRIM OF WALK IN COOLER. • MUST ELIMINATE CRATES USED FOR FOOD STORAGE AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELVING UNITS.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • MUST CLEAN FOOD DEBRIS BUILD UP FROM SERVICE COUNTER SHELVING UNITS,PREP TABLES THROUGHOUT,WALK IN COOLER FAN GUARD COVERS,INTERIOR PANEL & EXTERIOR OF ICE MACHINE.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW DEVICE ON ICE MACHINE TO BE SEEN FOR SERVICING.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED CEILING IN REAR STORAGE AREA,LOOSE WALL BASE IN PREP AREA. • MUST CLEAN DEBRIS BUILD UP FROM FLOOR UNDER,AROUND,ALONG WALL BASES THROUGHOUT PREMISES.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.

When was Dark Matter last inspected?

Dark Matter has 5 inspections on record going back to March 28, 2019.

Dark Matter vs West Town

West Town runs 72% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 1,475 clean, 422 mid, 160 cooked.

Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 42% of them.

Other spots in West Town

• ✓ Salsa Picante
  clean · September 18, 2019
• ✓ Wingstop
  clean · September 24, 2025
• ✓! Los Tacos Boys #1
  cooked · July 1, 2019
• ✓ King Catering
  clean · May 15, 2019
• ✓! Porto
  mid · September 24, 2019
• ✓ Sabroso
  clean · June 2, 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.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated November 10, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.