Cooked?
Happy Cafe
- resultPass
- critical violations0
- last inspectedMay 7, 2026
- address2351 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago 60616
Is Happy Cafe clean?
Happy Cafe is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on May 7, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Happy Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 7, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED THE DOOR SWEEP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR EXIT DOOR IN POOR REPARI; INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL A NEW DOOR SWEEP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR EXIT DOOR.
- 🧻grimy wiping clothsWiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • OBSERVED WIPING CLOTHS ON PREP TABLE NOT IN USE; INSTRUCTED TO STORE IN A SANITIZING SOLUTION WHEN NOT IN USE. CORRECTED ON SITE.
- 🚿plumbing acting upNon-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN PREP TABLES, INTERIOR OF FREEZER AND SHELVES INSIDE OF WALK-IN COOLER AND MAINTAIN.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN THE FLOOR UNDER COOKING EQUIPMENT AND INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN THE CEILING VENTS IN DINING AREA TO REMOVE DUST AND THE VENT FAN ON THE CEILING OF THE WASHROOM TO REMOVE DUST.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR AREA OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM ABOVE THE COOKING EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE GREASE.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN THE INTERIOR AREA OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM ABOVE THE COOKING EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE GREASE.
- ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES; INSTRUCTED TO HAVE FOOD HANDLERS OBTAIN VALID CERTIFICATES.All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES; INSTRUCTED TO HAVE FOOD HANDLERS OBTAIN VALID CERTIFICATES.
When was Happy Cafe last inspected?
Happy Cafe has 12 inspections on record going back to January 16, 2018.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | Pass | |
| May 6, 2025 | Pass | |
| January 17, 2024 | Pass | |
| January 10, 2024 | Fail | |
| April 3, 2023 | Pass | |
| June 3, 2022 | Pass | |
| September 24, 2020 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| August 26, 2020 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| June 12, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| September 19, 2018 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| September 10, 2018 | Fail | |
| January 16, 2018 | Pass |
Happy Cafe vs Armour Square
Armour Square runs 75% clean across 644 tracked restaurants — 481 clean, 114 mid, 46 cooked.
Against the 644 spots Cooked tracks in Armour Square, this one comes out cleaner than 28% of them.
Other spots in Armour Square
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 7, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.