Leona's Pizza

• resultFail
• critical violations2
• last inspectedMarch 16, 2022
• address3877 N Elston Ave, Chicago 60618

Is Leona's Pizza clean?

Leona's Pizza is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on March 16, 2022. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Leona's Pizza?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 16, 2022, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • PERSON IN CHARGE AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION DOES NOT HAVE A CITY OF CHICAGO SANITATION CERTIFICATE. PRIORITY VIOLATION. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE DURING THE INSPECTION WHILE TCS FOODS WERE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. IE:COOKED EGGS AT 38.5F. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012 CITATION ISSUED.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • OBSERVED SEVERAL BULK STORAGE CONTAINERS IN DRY STORAGE WITH NO LABEL. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO LABEL BULK STORAGE CONTAINERS [SUGAR, SALT, SEASONINGS].
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED FRONT DOOR AND REAR EXIT DOOR WITH 1/4 INCH GAPS IN THEM. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO TIGHTEN DOORS IN ORDER TO AVOID PEST HARBORAGE.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • OBSERVED WIPING CLOTHS USED FOR WIPING COUNTERS AND EQUIPMENT FOUND ON COUNTERS. WIPING CLOTHS IN USE FOR COUNTERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT MUST BE KEPT IN A SANITIZER SOLUTION BETWEEN USES. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PLACE CLOTHS IN A SANITIZER SOLUTION.
• ⚠️Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • EQUIPMENTS IN DISH ROOM FOUND STORED UNDER ROOF DRAIN PIPE. EQUIPMENT MUST NOT BE STORED UNDER ANY POTENTIAL SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION. INSTRUCTED MANAGER ENCASE PIPE OR SOFFIT.
  Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • EQUIPMENTS IN DISH ROOM FOUND STORED UNDER ROOF DRAIN PIPE. EQUIPMENT MUST NOT BE STORED UNDER ANY POTENTIAL SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION. INSTRUCTED MANAGER ENCASE PIPE OR SOFFIT.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED SOILED CAN OPENER IN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN CAN OPENER. • OBSERVED DAMAGED GASKETS ON WALK IN COOLER AND ON PREP COOLERS IN SERVICE AREA. OBSERVED ICE BUILD UP ON CONDENSER UNIT IN WALK IN FREEZER. OBSERVED WATER LEAKING FROM WATER PUMP IN BACK OF ICE MACHINE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REPAIR GASKETS, REMOVE ICE AND FIX WATER PUMP.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • OBSERVED SEVERAL SHELVES IN THE FOOD PREP AREA, IN THE WALK IN COOLER, AND IN THE DISH MACHINE ROOM SOILED WITH DUST AND DEBRIS. OBSERVED BUILD UP OF DEBRIS ON INTERIOR OF DISH MACHINE OBSERVED SOIL BUILD UP ON INTERIOR OF COOLERS IN FOOD PREP AREA OBSERVED CARDBOARD BEING UTILIZED AS SHELVING INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN ALL SHELVING, INTERIOR OF COOLERS AND INTERIOR OF DISH MACHINE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REMOVE ALL CARDBOARD SHELVING.
• ⚠️Sewage & Waste Water Properly Disposed • OBSERVED FLOODING OF WASTE WATER FROM HAND SINK IN DISH ROOM. SINK IS UNABLE TO BE UTILIZED WITHOUT WASTE WATER CONTAMINATING FLOOR. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REPAIR SINK SO THAT WASTE WATER IS PROPERLY DISPOSED AS REQUIRED PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030 (C) CITATION ISSUED.
  Sewage & Waste Water Properly Disposed • OBSERVED FLOODING OF WASTE WATER FROM HAND SINK IN DISH ROOM. SINK IS UNABLE TO BE UTILIZED WITHOUT WASTE WATER CONTAMINATING FLOOR. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REPAIR SINK SO THAT WASTE WATER IS PROPERLY DISPOSED AS REQUIRED PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030 (C) CITATION ISSUED.
• ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTER NOT MAINTAINED: WASTE GREASE CONTAINER WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE ON TOP OF LID AND OIL SPILLAGE ONTO GROUND FLOOR THROUGHOUT DUMPSTER AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO MAINTAIN WASTE GREASE CONTAINERS TO PREVENT PEST HARBORAGE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(b), CITATION ISSUED.
  Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE GARBAGE DUMPSTER NOT MAINTAINED: WASTE GREASE CONTAINER WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE ON TOP OF LID AND OIL SPILLAGE ONTO GROUND FLOOR THROUGHOUT DUMPSTER AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO MAINTAIN WASTE GREASE CONTAINERS TO PREVENT PEST HARBORAGE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(b), CITATION ISSUED.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED BROKEN TILES IN KITCHEN UNDERNEATH DISH MACHINE OBSERVED CEILING CAVED IN NORTHWEST CORNER OF DISH ROOM • FLOOR IN PREP AREA CONTSTRUCTED OF UNAPPROVED BUILDING MATERIALS AND IS NOT SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REPAIR FLOOR TO BE SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • VENTILATION HOODS ABOVE GRIDDLE AREA FOUND WITH AN ACCUMULATION OF DUST AND GREASE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN VENTILATION HOOD. • OBSERVED LIGHT SHEILD MISSING OVER LIGHTS IN FOOD PREP AREA ABOVE HOT HOLDING FOOD. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE LIGHT SHEILD • OBSERVED INADEQUATE LIGHTING INSIDE WALK IN COOLER. SEVERAL ITEMS COULD NOT BE SEEN WITHOUT FLASH LIGHT. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING FOR WALK IN COOLER
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • VENTILATION HOODS ABOVE GRIDDLE AREA FOUND WITH AN ACCUMULATION OF DUST AND GREASE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN VENTILATION HOOD. • OBSERVED LIGHT SHEILD MISSING OVER LIGHTS IN FOOD PREP AREA ABOVE HOT HOLDING FOOD. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE LIGHT SHEILD • OBSERVED INADEQUATE LIGHTING INSIDE WALK IN COOLER. SEVERAL ITEMS COULD NOT BE SEEN WITHOUT FLASH LIGHT. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE LIGHTING FOR WALK IN COOLER
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • MANAGER ON SITE DOES NOT HAVE FOOD ALLERGEN TRAINING. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO ACQUIRE FOOD ALLERGEN CERTIFICATION.

When was Leona's Pizza last inspected?

Leona's Pizza has 9 inspections on record going back to May 22, 2019.

Leona's Pizza vs Irving Park

Irving Park runs 64% clean across 804 tracked restaurants — 516 clean, 141 mid, 146 cooked.

Against the 804 spots Cooked tracks in Irving Park, this one comes out cleaner than 16% of them.

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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 March 16, 2022. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.