Mariano Cafe

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedJune 14, 2024
• address4825 W Armitage Ave, Chicago 60639

Is Mariano Cafe clean?

Mariano Cafe is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 14, 2024. 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 Mariano Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 14, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚿water/temperature at the sink offcritical
  No Bare Hand Contact With Rte Food Or A Pre-Approved Alternative Procedure Properly Allowed • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLER TOUCH READY-TO-EAT FOOD STEAK SANDWICH, BREAD WITH BARE HANDS AND ADD CUT TOMATOES AND CHEESE IN KITCHEN AT FOOD LINE. FOOD EMPLOYEES’ MAY NOT CONTACT EXPOSED, READY-TO-EAT FOOD WITH THEIR BARE HANDS. MUST USE SUITABLE UTENSILS SUCH AS DELI TISSUE, SPATULAS, TONGS, SINGLE-USE GLOVES, OR DISPENSING EQUIPMENT. PRIORITY VIOLATION. 7-38-010. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINK IN 1ST FLOOR PREP RENDERED INACCESSIBLE BY WIPING CLOTH AND HANDWASHING SINK IN BASEMENT RENDERED INACCESSIBLE BY CONTAINER, BRUSHES BEING PLACED INSIDE IT. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN ALL EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINKS OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE FOR HAND WASHING. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED. • OBSERVED NO PAPER TOWELS AT EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINK IN BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN PAPER TOWELS AT ALL EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINKS AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-030(C). CITATION COMBINED WITH ABOVE VIOLATION.
• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED TCS FOODS AT IMPROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURE SUCH AS 3 DOZEN OF EGGS RANGING BETWEEN 54-75.0F. TCS FOODS MUST BE HELD AT 41.0F OR BELOW INSIDE A COLD HOLDING UNIT. EMPLOYEE VOLUNTARILY DISCARDED FOOD. PRIORITY VIOLATION. 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED
• 🧊food not cooled down right
  Proper Date Marking And Disposition • OBSERVED TCS FOOD STEAK SANDWICHES HELD FOR OVER 24 HOURS WITH OUT A DISCARD DATE. INSTRUCTED FACILITY TO PROVIDE DISCARD DATE FOR ANY TCS FOODS HELD FOR OVER 24 HOURS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • OBSERVED SUGAR OUT OF THE ORIGINAL CONTAINERS WITHOUT LABELS CONTAINING THE PRODUCT NAME. INSTRUCTED TO LABEL ALL FOODS AND SPICES WITH COMMON NAME THAT ARE OUT OF THE ORIGINAL CONTAINERS.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED CUTTING BOARD IN THE KITCHEN COVERED DEEP GROOVES AND DARK STAINS. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE AND MAINTAIN IN GOOD CONDITION. • OBSERVED TORN GASKET IN THE 2 DOOR COOLER IN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE AND MAINTAIN
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • OBSERVED ACCUMULATED GREASE AND FOOD DEBRIS ON INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SURFACES OF COOKING EQUIPMENT, PREP TABLES, COOLERS, FREEZERS, SHELVING UNITS. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED SOILED MOP HEADS NOT PROPERLY STORED. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO HANG MOP HEADS TO PREVENT INSECT BREEDING. • OBSERVED A HEAVY ACCUMULATION OF DIRT, DUST, GREASE, FOOD SPLATTER AND FOOD DEBRIS ON THE WALLS AND FLOORS ESPECIALLY ALONG THE HOT FOOD SERVICE LINE UNDER AND AROUND THE COOKING EQUIPMENT AND NON COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL AREAS.

When was Mariano Cafe last inspected?

Mariano Cafe has 16 inspections on record going back to February 23, 2015. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Mariano Cafe vs Hermosa

Hermosa runs 65% clean across 816 tracked restaurants — 527 clean, 160 mid, 127 cooked.

Against the 816 spots Cooked tracks in Hermosa, this one comes out cleaner than 17% of them.

Other spots in Hermosa

• ✓ Burger King
  clean · February 18, 2025
• ✓ Gordo's Market
  clean · December 18, 2014
• ✓ Chilango's Place
  clean · April 1, 2015
• ✓ El Cubanito
  clean · October 24, 2025
• ✓ Paleteria Y Neveria Fresita
  clean · October 6, 2016
• ✓ Ay Jalisco No Te Rajes Restaurant & Taqueria
  clean · March 20, 2015

See every restaurant inspection in Hermosa →

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 June 14, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.