Cooked?
Popeye's Chicken
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJune 26, 2025
- address2556 S California Ave, Chicago 60608
Is Popeye's Chicken clean?
Popeye's Chicken is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 26, 2025. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Popeye's Chicken?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 26, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🧫food prep surfaces dirtyProper Cooling Methods Used; Adequate Equipment For Temperature Control • THE REAR REACH IN THE FREEZER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS 48.4F. INSTRUCTED PIC TO REMOVE THE TCS FOODS (ITEMS WERE 40.2-41.4F) AND RELOCATE ITEMS TO COLD HOLDING UNITS IN FRONT PREP AREA. MUST HAVE UNIT SERVICED AND FIXED TO WHERE IT HOLDS AN AMBIENT FREEZING TEMPERATURE. THE UNIT WAS TAGGED AND CAN NOT BE USED UNTIL REINSPECTED BY A CDPH INSPECTOR. PRIORITY 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED
- ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • FOOD HANDLERS NOT WEARING A HAIR RESTRAINT WHILE HANDLING FOOD/IN THE FOOD PREP AREAS. INSTRUCTED TO HAVE ANYONE IN THE FOOD PREP AREAS AND/OR HANDLING FOOD TO WEAR A HAIR RESTRAINT. MAINTAIN SAME.Personal Cleanliness • FOOD HANDLERS NOT WEARING A HAIR RESTRAINT WHILE HANDLING FOOD/IN THE FOOD PREP AREAS. INSTRUCTED TO HAVE ANYONE IN THE FOOD PREP AREAS AND/OR HANDLING FOOD TO WEAR A HAIR RESTRAINT. MAINTAIN SAME.
- 🚿plumbing acting upNon-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • STORAGE RACKS IN THE WALK IN COOLER AND STORAGE AREAS WITH FOOD AND DIRT BUILD UP. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN STORAGE RACKS.
- 🚻bathroom / plumbing issuesPlumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • LEAK AT THE BASE OF THE REAR HAND WASHING SINK AND AT BOTH FAUCETS ON THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK. INSTRUCTED TO FIX LEAKS AND MAINTAIN GOOD PLUMBING.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • FLOORS IN THE CORNERS, UNDER THE FRYERS AND COOLERS WITH GREASE, FOOD, DIRT AND DEBRIS. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN FLOORS. • FLOORS IN REAR PREP AND DISH WASHING AREA NEED TO BE REGROUTED. INSTRUCTED TO REGROUT FLOORS AND MAINTAIN A SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE.
- ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • FOOD HANDLERS ON SITE WITH NO FOOD HANDLERS CERTIFICATES. INSTRUCTED TO HAVE ALL FOOD HANDLERS OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A VALID FOOD HANDLERS CERTIFICATE.All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • FOOD HANDLERS ON SITE WITH NO FOOD HANDLERS CERTIFICATES. INSTRUCTED TO HAVE ALL FOOD HANDLERS OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A VALID FOOD HANDLERS CERTIFICATE.
When was Popeye's Chicken last inspected?
Popeye's Chicken has 27 inspections on record going back to July 18, 2012. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| June 26, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| October 22, 2024 | Pass | |
| October 15, 2024 | Fail | |
| September 25, 2023 | Pass | |
| September 15, 2023 | Fail | |
| November 18, 2022 | Pass | |
| November 10, 2022 | Fail | |
| October 18, 2021 | Pass | |
| October 8, 2021 | Fail | |
| September 10, 2020 | Pass | |
| September 3, 2020 | Fail | |
| October 10, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions |
Popeye's Chicken vs South Lawndale
South Lawndale runs 64% clean across 668 tracked restaurants — 427 clean, 92 mid, 146 cooked.
Against the 668 spots Cooked tracks in South Lawndale, this one comes out cleaner than 32% of them.
Other spots in South Lawndale
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 26, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.