Islands Cafe

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedApril 22, 2024
• address5212 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago 60625

Is Islands Cafe clean?

Islands Cafe is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on April 22, 2024. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at Islands Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on April 22, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED STAINED CUTTING BOARD ON TOP OF THE PREP LINE COOLER NEXT COOKING EQUIPMENTS.INSTRUCTED TO RESURFACE OR REPLACE THE CUTTING BOARDS AND MAINTAIN • INSTRUCTED TO TRANSFER FOOD PRODUCTS FROM AN OPEN ORIGINAL CAN CONTAINER INTO FOOD GRADE CONTAINER FOR PROPER FOOD STORAGE AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED RUST ON THE WIRE STORAGE RACKS INSIDE THE WALK-IN COOLER.INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE RUST AND REPAINT OR REPLACE THE SHELVES AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DIRTY FLOORS WITH SPILLED DEBRIS BEHIND THE REAR CHEST FREEZER.INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN FLOORS IN DETAIL AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD/FILTERS TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF GREASE BUILD-UP AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED MECHANICAL VENTILATION INSIDE THE UNISEX WASHROOM NOT WORKING.INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VENTILATION AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD/FILTERS TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF GREASE BUILD-UP AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED MECHANICAL VENTILATION INSIDE THE UNISEX WASHROOM NOT WORKING.INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN ADEQUATE VENTILATION AND MAINTAIN.

When was Islands Cafe last inspected?

Islands Cafe has 4 inspections on record going back to June 6, 2023.

Islands Cafe vs Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square runs 59% clean across 922 tracked restaurants — 536 clean, 152 mid, 228 cooked.

Against the 922 spots Cooked tracks in Lincoln Square, this one comes out cleaner than 44% of them.

Other spots in Lincoln Square

• ✓ Mr. Farooj
  clean · January 6, 2025
• ✓ Gorilla Sushi Western
  clean · July 18, 2025
• ✓ Budlong Hot Chicken
  clean · January 9, 2026
• ✓ Ka Cafe
  clean · July 22, 2025
• ✓ Mix Mex-Cue
  clean · May 14, 2026
• ✓ Ashar International Market
  clean · June 8, 2023

See every restaurant inspection in Lincoln 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 April 22, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.