Cooked?
Red Barrel
- resultPass
- critical violations0
- last inspectedFebruary 13, 2026
- address5214-5220 S Archer Ave, Chicago 60632
Is Red Barrel clean?
Red Barrel is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on February 13, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at Red Barrel?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 13, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • 6-202.15: OBSERVED OPENINGS ON ENTRANCE AND EXIT DOORS OF FACILITY. OBSERVED OPENINGS ON RIGHTSIDE OF FRONT ENTRANCE OUTER DOOR, OBSERVED OPENING IN MIDDLE OF BOTH DOORS AND AT BASE OF RIGHT DOOR OF DOUBLE EXIT DOOR LEADING TO DUMPSTER AREA AND OBSERVED OPENING AT BASE OF LEFT CORNER OF EXIT DOOR IN BANQUET HALL. INSTRUCTED TO SEAL ALL OUTER OPENINGS TO PREVENT PEST ENTRANCE.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeFood & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • 4-101.19: OBSERVED BOXES, CONTAINERS AND RACKS STORED ON FLOOR OR ON MILK CRATES IN FACILITY. OBSERVED BOXES, CONTAINERS OR RACKS STORED ON FLOOR OR ON MILK CRATES IN DRY STORAGE/DISHWASHING AREA AND ARCHER REAR EXIT DOOR IN HALLWAY NEXT TO PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELVING TO ELEVATE ALL FOOD AND NON FOOD ITEMS AT LEAST SIX INCHES OFF FLOOR FOR EASE OF CLEANABILITY.
- 🚻bathroom / plumbing issuesPlumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • 4-301.16: OBSERVED NO PREP/DUMP SINK IN BEVERAGE STATION. INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL A PREP/DUMP SINK IN BEVERAGE STATION A MINIMUM OF ONE SINK USED FOR FOOD PREPARATION, OBTAINING WATER AND DISCARDING LIQUID WASTE IS REQUIRED IN ANY PREPARATION AREA. • 5-205.15: OBSERVED RIGHT HANDWASHING SINK IN MEN'S WASHROOM AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURE OF 76.8F. INSTRUCTED A HANDWASHING SINK SHALL BE EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE WATER AT A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 100F THROUGH A MIXING VALVE OR COMBINATION FAUCET. NOTE: THERE IS ONE OTHER PROPERLY FUNCTIONING HANDWASHING SINK IN THE MEN'S WASHROOM.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-501.11: OBSERVED DAMAGED FLOOR TILES AND MISSING GROUT IN BETWEEN FLOOR TILES IN AREA NEAR BROILER AND OVEN. INSTRUCTED TO SMOOTHLY REPAIR FLOOR TILES AND REGROUT IN BETWEEN FLOOR TILES WHERE GROUT IS MISSING IN SAID AREA FOR EASE OF CLEANABILITY. OBSERVED STAINED OR DUSTY CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT FACILITY. OBSERVED STAINED OR DUSTY CEILING IN PREP/DISHWASHING AREA AND STOREROOM WITH HOT WATER TANK INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE ALL STAINED OR DUSTY CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT FACILITY AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11: OBSERVED NON WORKING LIGHTS IN HOOD. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE/REPAIR NON WORKING LIGHTS IN HOOD AND MAINTAIN.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-303.11: OBSERVED NON WORKING LIGHTS IN HOOD. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE/REPAIR NON WORKING LIGHTS IN HOOD AND MAINTAIN.
- 🥜allergen training missingAllergen Training As Required • 2-102.13: AT TIME OF INSPECTION FACILITY PROVIDED NO PROOF OF ALLERGEN AWARENESS TRAINING CERTIFICATES FOR ONE EMPLOYEE WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF ALLERGEN TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATES.
When was Red Barrel last inspected?
Red Barrel has 15 inspections on record going back to October 3, 2017. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| February 13, 2026 | Pass | |
| January 30, 2026 | Fail | |
| May 30, 2025 | Pass | |
| May 29, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| March 15, 2024 | Pass | |
| March 1, 2024 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| April 13, 2023 | Pass | |
| April 4, 2023 | Fail | |
| July 2, 2021 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| March 26, 2021 | — | |
| October 3, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| October 1, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions |
Red Barrel vs West Elsdon
West Elsdon runs 76% clean across 399 tracked restaurants — 299 clean, 61 mid, 35 cooked.
Against the 399 spots Cooked tracks in West Elsdon, this one comes out cleaner than 27% of them.
Other spots in West Elsdon
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 13, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.