Cooked?
Erik's Deli
- resultPass
- critical violations1
- last inspectedMay 28, 2024
- address525 W Van Buren St, Chicago 60607
Is Erik's Deli clean?
Erik's Deli is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on May 28, 2024. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Erik's Deli?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 28, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecriticalAdequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGN AT HAND WASHING SINK IN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeFood & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED MILK CRATES BEING USED AS SHELVING THROUGHOUT THE PREP AND STORAGE AREAS. MUST REMOVE AND PROVIDE SHELVING 6" OFF THE FLOOR AND PROVIDE FLOOR ACCESSIBILITY TO ENSURE ADEQUATE FACILITY CLEANING.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED LOOSE DEBRIS, DIRT, AND DUST BUILDUP ON THE FLOORS AND CORNERS IN THE REAR PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND INCREASE CLEANING FREQUENCY OF FLOORS. MUST MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
When was Erik's Deli last inspected?
Erik's Deli has 12 inspections on record going back to November 27, 2017.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2025 | — | |
| May 28, 2024 | Pass | |
| June 23, 2023 | Pass | |
| June 16, 2023 | Fail | |
| June 22, 2022 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| April 2, 2020 | — | |
| August 6, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| July 29, 2019 | Fail | |
| November 5, 2018 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| January 23, 2018 | Pass | |
| December 6, 2017 | Pass | |
| November 27, 2017 | Fail |
Erik's Deli vs Near West Side
Near West Side runs 50% clean across 2,033 tracked restaurants — 1,019 clean, 227 mid, 774 cooked.
Against the 2,033 spots Cooked tracks in Near West Side, this one comes out cleaner than 50% of them.
Other spots in Near West Side
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 May 28, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.