Schwa

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedOctober 31, 2025
• address1466 N Ashland Ave, Chicago 60622

Is Schwa clean?

Schwa is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on October 31, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Schwa?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on October 31, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚿water/temperature at the sink offcritical
  No Bare Hand Contact With Rte Food Or A Pre-Approved Alternative Procedure Properly Allowed • OBSERVED BARE HAND CONTACT WITH READY TO EAT COOKED MUFFINS BY FOOD HANDLER INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE GLOVES OR UTENSILS TO HANDLE FOODS.PRODUCT WAS DISCARDED BY MANAGER.(PRIORITY 7-38-010)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGN IN TOILET ROOM MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED IMPROPER TEMPERATURES OF TCS FOODS INSIDE OF 3- DOOR REACH IN COOLER SUCH AS 12 OZ. SHRIMP DUMPLINGS-56.4F.5LBS. RAW TROUT-49.0F-51.1F.PRODUCT WAS DISCARDED BY MANAGER MUST HAVE COLD HOLDING FOODS AT 41.0F OR BELOW.APPX. 5.12 LBS.$75.(PRIORITY 7-38-005)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)
• ⚠️Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED NO BEARD GUARD FOR MALE FOOD HANDLERS MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  Personal Cleanliness • OBSERVED NO BEARD GUARD FOR MALE FOOD HANDLERS MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Gloves Used Properly • OBSERVED NO USAGE OF DIPOSABLE GLOVES FOR HANDLING OF READY TO EAT FOODS.(COS)
  Gloves Used Properly • OBSERVED NO USAGE OF DIPOSABLE GLOVES FOR HANDLING OF READY TO EAT FOODS.(COS)
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • MUST ELIMINATE CRATES USED FOR STORAGE IN BASEMENT AND PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELVING UNITS.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW DEVICES ON FAUCETS OF MOPSINK WITH GARDEN HOSES ATTACHED TO FILL UP BUCKET MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • MUST SEAL HOLE IN FLOOR UNDER 3- COMPARTMENT SINK. • MUST ELEVATE ,REMOVE OR ORGANIZE BOXES AND ARTICLES OFF OF FLOOR AND AWAY FROM WALLS IN BASEMENT.
• ⚠️Compliance With Clean Indoor Air Ordinance • OBSERVED EVIDENCE OF APPX. 25 OR MORE CIGARETTE BUTTS IN STAFF BREAK AREA/EQUIPMENT STORAGE AREA IN THE BASEMENT SCATTERED ON THE FLOOR BEING USED AS AN ASH TRAY INSTRUCTED MANAGER THAT THERE IS NO SMOKING OR STORAGE OF SMOKING MATERIALS ALLOWED ON PREMISES.MUST REMOVE AND CLEAN AREA.(7-32-020(C)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)
  Compliance With Clean Indoor Air Ordinance • OBSERVED EVIDENCE OF APPX. 25 OR MORE CIGARETTE BUTTS IN STAFF BREAK AREA/EQUIPMENT STORAGE AREA IN THE BASEMENT SCATTERED ON THE FLOOR BEING USED AS AN ASH TRAY INSTRUCTED MANAGER THAT THERE IS NO SMOKING OR STORAGE OF SMOKING MATERIALS ALLOWED ON PREMISES.MUST REMOVE AND CLEAN AREA.(7-32-020(C)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)

When was Schwa last inspected?

Schwa has 23 inspections on record going back to September 15, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Schwa vs West Town

West Town runs 72% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 1,475 clean, 422 mid, 160 cooked.

Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 10% of them.

Other spots in West Town

• ✓! Green Arch Food Mart
  mid · April 29, 2020
• ? Windy City Mini Market
  cooked · December 9, 2013
• ✓ River West Healthy Eatery
  clean · June 19, 2013
• ✓ Big Star Mariscos
  clean · April 29, 2025
• ✓ Jukin ' Pizza
  clean · January 13, 2010
• ✓ Wynwood
  clean · September 13, 2022

See every restaurant inspection in West Town →

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 October 31, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.