Cooked?
Saja Food Mart
- resultFail
- critical violations2
- last inspectedJune 9, 2025
- address7337 S South Shore Dr, Chicago 60649
- cuisineGrocery Store
Is Saja Food Mart clean?
Saja Food Mart is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 9, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.
What did inspectors find at Saja Food Mart?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 9, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🤒staff working while sickcriticalProcedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events • NO VOMIT AND DIARRHEA CLEAN UP KIT ON PREMISES AS REQUIRED; MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE A VOMIT AND DIARRHEA CLEAN UP KIT TO USE IN THE EVENT OF A VOMIT AND DIARRHEAL INCIDENT. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-010.
- 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecriticalAdequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • MUST PROVIDE HANDWASHING SIGNAGE AT ALL HANDSINKS.
- 🧫food prep surfaces dirtyProper Cooling Methods Used; Adequate Equipment For Temperature Control • REFRIGERATION AND FREEZER UNITS NOT ON AT THIS TIME. ALL UNITS MUST BE ON AND HOLDING AT PROPER TEMPERATURES OF 41F AND 0F. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005.
- 🌡️thermometers missingThermometers Provided & Accurate • NO THERMOMETERS FOUND IN REFRIGERATION AND FREEZER UNITS; MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • INSTRUCTED OWNER THAT HE MUST OBTAIN A LOG BOOK WITH NECESSARY DOCUMENTS VERIFYING SERVICE FOR PEST CONTROL FROM A LICENSED COMPANY. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(C) • OBSERVED 200 OR MORE MOUSE DROPPINGS ON THE SELLING FLOOR WHERE SHELVING WAS REMOVED, ON TOP OF THE GREASE RECEPTOR AT THE THREE COMP SINK, IN REAR STORAGE ROOM ON THE FLOOR, ON THE PRODUCE STORAGE BIN ON THE SELLING FLOOR AND INSIDE OF ALL CABINETS NEXT TO THE THREE COMP SINK. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN ALL AREAS AND HAVE PEST CONTROL COMPANY SERVICE PREMISES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-020(A). • OBSERVED A DEAD MOUSE IN THE REAR STORAGE ROOM ON THE FLOOR; INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeFood & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED RUBBER GASKETS AT DOORS OF THE REFRIGERATION UNITS AND FREEZER UNIT IN POOR REPAIR; INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE GASKETS WHERE NEEDED.
- 🚿plumbing acting upNon-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN ALL COUNTER TOPS TO REMOVE DUST/DIRT. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN INTERIORS OF REFRIGERATION AND FREEZER UNITS. REMOVE RUST STAINS FROM SHELVES AND BOTTOM OF UNITS.
- ⚠️Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • UNABLE TO OBTAIN HOT RUNNING WATER FROM SINKS ON PREMISES; INSTRUCTED TO HAVE HOT RUNNING WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL SINKS. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030(C)Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • UNABLE TO OBTAIN HOT RUNNING WATER FROM SINKS ON PREMISES; INSTRUCTED TO HAVE HOT RUNNING WATER AVAILABLE AT ALL SINKS. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030(C)
- 🚻bathroom / plumbing issuesPlumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED A FAUCET KNOB MISSING FROM THE EXPOSED HANDSINK IN THE DISHWASHING AREA. OBSERVED ALL SINKS ON PREMISES IN NEED OF CLEANING TO REMOVE DIRT, DEBRIS AND RUST; CLEAN AND MAINTAIN SINKS. (EXPOSED AND THREE COMP). OBSERVED THE THIRD COMPARTMENT OF THE THREE COMP SINK CLOGGED; INSTRUCTED TO UNCLOG SINK.
- ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • FOUND NO DOOR TO THE TOILET ROOM, MUST PROVIDE A DOOR TO THE TOILET ROOM. • NO SELF CLOSING DEVICE AT TOILET ROOM DOOR, MUST INSTALL A SELF CLOSING DEVICE ON TOILET ROOM DOOR ONCE DOOR IS INSTALLED. • THE PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE WASHROOM NEED CLEANING; INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN SINK AND TOILET IN WASHROOM AND MAINTAIN.Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • FOUND NO DOOR TO THE TOILET ROOM, MUST PROVIDE A DOOR TO THE TOILET ROOM. • NO SELF CLOSING DEVICE AT TOILET ROOM DOOR, MUST INSTALL A SELF CLOSING DEVICE ON TOILET ROOM DOOR ONCE DOOR IS INSTALLED. • THE PLUMBING FIXTURES IN THE WASHROOM NEED CLEANING; INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN SINK AND TOILET IN WASHROOM AND MAINTAIN.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED THE FLOORS IN SOME AREAS IN POOR REPAIR; INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR FLOORS WHERE NEEDED OBSERVED A HOLE IN THE WALL IN THE REAR STORAGE ROOM WHERE THE DEAD MOUSE WAS FOUND; INSTRUCTED TO SEAL HOLE IN WALL. OBSERVED A HOLE IN THE WASHROOM BEHIND THE SINK AND NEXT TO THE TOILET AND A HOLE IN THE WALL BEHIND THE UTILITY SINK; INSTRUCTED TO SEAL ALL HOLES. • OBSERVED MISSING CEILING TILE THROUGHOUT; MUST PROVIDE CEILING TILE WHERE NEEDED AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED THE FLOORS THROUGHOUT THE STORE NEED DETAIL CLEANING; CLEAN FLOORS THROUGHOUT.
When was Saja Food Mart last inspected?
Saja Food Mart has 1 inspection on record going back to June 9, 2025.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| June 9, 2025 | Fail |
Saja Food Mart vs South Shore
South Shore runs 63% clean across 279 tracked restaurants — 173 clean, 49 mid, 53 cooked.
Against the 279 spots Cooked tracks in South Shore, this one comes out cleaner than 11% of them.
Other spots in South Shore
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 9, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.