Pancake Cafe

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations1
• last inspectedFebruary 22, 2021
• address3801-3805 N Broadway, Chicago 60613

Is Pancake Cafe clean?

Pancake Cafe is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on February 22, 2021. A closure means inspectors found conditions serious enough to stop service — it is not the same as a restaurant choosing to shut down, and the listing can change once the problems are fixed and re-inspected.

What did inspectors find at Pancake Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 22, 2021, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • NOTED NO HOT RUNNING WATER AT HAND WASH SINK AT THE KITCHEN PREP AREA.WATER TEMPERATURE WAS 80.6F. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT THAT ALL HAND WASH SINK TEMPERATURES MUST HAVE A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 100F. PRIORITY VIOLATION #7-38-030(C).
• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitized
  Food-Contact Surfaces: Cleaned & Sanitized • NOTED A THICK BLACK AND SLIMY SUBSTANCE INSIDE THE INNER LINING OF ICE MACHINE DRIPPING ONTO THE ICE. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT NOT TO USE ICE MACHINE UNTIL EQUIPMENT IS DETAIL CLEANED AND SANITIZE. MANAGER IMMEDIATELY HAD EMPLOYEES START CLEANING THE ICE MACHINE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION #7-38-005
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • NOTED ASSORTED FOOD ITEMS INSIDE REFRIGERATION UNITS NOT PROPERLY LABELED. INSTRUCTED TO PROPERLY LABEL ALL FOOD ITEMS WITH PRODUCT NAME, INCLUDING BULK FOOD CONTAINERS.
• ⚠️Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • NOTED SODA DISPENSING SYRUP MACHINE STORED UNDERNEATH THE WASTE PIPELINES AT THE BASEMENT FOOD/STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE OR RELOCATE ITEMS FROM UNDER PIPES OR ENCASE PIPES.
  Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • NOTED SODA DISPENSING SYRUP MACHINE STORED UNDERNEATH THE WASTE PIPELINES AT THE BASEMENT FOOD/STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE OR RELOCATE ITEMS FROM UNDER PIPES OR ENCASE PIPES.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • NOTED SERVING PLATES ON SHELVES AT THE KITCHEN PREP AREA NOT PROPERLY STORED. INSTRUCTED TO INVERT ALL SERVING PLATES ON SHELVES TO PREVENT DUST ACCUMULATION.
  In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • NOTED SERVING PLATES ON SHELVES AT THE KITCHEN PREP AREA NOT PROPERLY STORED. INSTRUCTED TO INVERT ALL SERVING PLATES ON SHELVES TO PREVENT DUST ACCUMULATION.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • NOTED MISSING KNOTS ON LID OF SERVICE PREP COOLERS AT THE KITCHEN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • NOTED LEAKING FAUCET AT THE REAR PREP SINK (ONE COMPARTMENT SINK). INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.ALSO NOTED LEAKAGE AT THE BOTTOM PIPING OF THE 3 COMPARTMENT SINK BY THE DISH WASHER. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN FLOORS ALONG WITH WALL BASE ESPECIALLY UNDERNEATH THE COOKING EQUIPMENT AT THE KITCHEN PREP WITH GREASE, FLOORS AT THE BASEMENT FOOD/DRY STORAGE (2 BASEMENTS). • NOTED A LARGE CRACK ON WALL AT THE BASE OF THE BASEMENT FOOD/DRY STORAGE AREA INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN, SEAL ALL HOLES AND OPENINGS TO PREVENT HIDING PLACES FOR PEST. • NOTED CLUTTER AT THE BASEMENT FOOD/DRY STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN, ORGANIZE AND REMOVE ALL UNNECESSARY OR UNUSED ARTICLES AND EQUIPMENT TO PREVENT HIDING PLACES FOR PEST.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • NOTED DIRT AND GREASE ACCUMULATION INSIDE, ON PIPES/CONDUITS, AND EDGES OF THE EXHAUST HOOD AND FILTERS ABOVE COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN HOOD, FILTERS, AND PIPES/CONDUITS.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • NOTED DIRT AND GREASE ACCUMULATION INSIDE, ON PIPES/CONDUITS, AND EDGES OF THE EXHAUST HOOD AND FILTERS ABOVE COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN HOOD, FILTERS, AND PIPES/CONDUITS.
• ⚠️Previous Core Violation Corrected • NOTED THE FOLLOWING PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION #58 RULE #PA-100-0367 FROM INSPECTION REPORT #2382925 DATED 7/14/2020 NOT CORRECTED. OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATES ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE ALLERGEN TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WHO OBTAIN THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MANAGER CERTIFICATE.ALLERGEN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-42-090. NO CITATION ISSUED TODAY.
  Previous Core Violation Corrected • NOTED THE FOLLOWING PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION #58 RULE #PA-100-0367 FROM INSPECTION REPORT #2382925 DATED 7/14/2020 NOT CORRECTED. OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATES ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE ALLERGEN TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WHO OBTAIN THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MANAGER CERTIFICATE.ALLERGEN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-42-090. NO CITATION ISSUED TODAY.

When was Pancake Cafe last inspected?

Pancake Cafe has 11 inspections on record going back to May 17, 2018.

Pancake Cafe vs Lake View

Lake View runs 68% clean across 2,211 tracked restaurants — 1,492 clean, 440 mid, 272 cooked.

Against the 2,211 spots Cooked tracks in Lake View, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Lake View

• ✓ Linda's Magic Brownies
  clean · April 25, 2018
• ✓ Si-Pie
  cooked · April 23, 2018
• ✓ Jimmy Johns
  clean · May 12, 2025
• ✓ Otherworld Theatre
  cooked · May 25, 2018
• ✓ Craft & Barrel
  clean · July 16, 2018
• ✓ Ms. T's
  cooked · January 25, 2021

See every restaurant inspection in Lake View →

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 February 22, 2021. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.