Cooked?
Nina's Cafe
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations3
- last inspectedNovember 20, 2025
- address25 E Pearson St, Chicago 60611
Is Nina's Cafe clean?
Nina's Cafe is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on November 20, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Nina's Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 20, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 📋no certified food manager on dutycriticalPerson In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • NO PERSON IN CHARGE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. NO CITATION ISSUED.
- 📋certified manager paperwork missingcriticalCity Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • NOTED NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON DUTY WHILE TCS FOODS (PASTA, CHICKEN, DELI ETC.) WERE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT THAT A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER MUST BE PRESENT AT ALL TIMES TCS FOODS ARE PREPARED AND SERVED AND ALSO THE PERSON IN CHARGE MUST HAVE A CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFICATE BY NEXT INSPECTION (UPON BEING INSPECTED) PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED.
- 🚰handwashing sink issuescriticalHands Clean & Properly Washed • NOTED EMPLOYEES WASHING HANDS AT THE ONE COMPARTMENT SINK OF THE KITCHEN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO WASH HANDS AT THE HAND WASH SINK WITH SOAP AND PAPER TOWEL. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#7-38-010. CITATION ISSUED.
- 🚻bathroom / plumbing issuesPlumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • NOTED VERY LOW WATER PRESSURE AT THE HAND WASHING SINK OF THE KITCHEN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE THE WATER PRESSURE PER CITY CODE. NOTE SLOW DRAIN AT THE HAND WASING SINK AT THE DISH WASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • NOTED CRACKS ON FLOOR AT THE DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • NOTED EMPLOYEE BELONGINGS ON SHELVES AT THE DRY STORAGE AREA AND PREP AREA WITH FOOD ITEMS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A DESIGNATED AREA FOR EMPLOYEES TO STORE THEIR BELONGINGS.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • NOTED EMPLOYEE BELONGINGS ON SHELVES AT THE DRY STORAGE AREA AND PREP AREA WITH FOOD ITEMS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A DESIGNATED AREA FOR EMPLOYEES TO STORE THEIR BELONGINGS.
When was Nina's Cafe last inspected?
Nina's Cafe has 21 inspections on record going back to March 18, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| November 20, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| September 13, 2024 | Pass | |
| July 26, 2024 | — | |
| November 20, 2023 | Pass | |
| December 8, 2022 | Pass | |
| December 9, 2021 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| June 21, 2021 | Fail | |
| April 18, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| April 10, 2019 | Fail | |
| February 21, 2018 | Pass | |
| February 14, 2018 | Fail | |
| April 11, 2017 | Pass |
Nina's Cafe vs Near North Side
Near North Side runs 53% clean across 2,889 tracked restaurants — 1,514 clean, 253 mid, 1,113 cooked.
Against the 2,889 spots Cooked tracks in Near North Side, this one comes out cleaner than 39% of them.
Other spots in Near North 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 November 20, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.