So Soulful Eatery

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations3
• last inspectedJuly 6, 2026
• address3944 W Chicago Ave, Chicago 60651

Is So Soulful Eatery clean?

So Soulful Eatery is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 6, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at So Soulful Eatery?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 6, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • OBSERVED NO PERSON-IN-CHARGE PRESENT WITH CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED MANAGER CERTIFICATE.
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE OR VALID DOCUMENTATION ON THE PREMISES WHILE TCS FOODS (MACARONI W/CHEESE, CABBAGE, GRAVY ETC.) IS BEING HANDLED AND PREPARED.INSTRUCTED THE PERSON-IN-CHARGE THAT A CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGER WITH AN ORIGINAL CITY OF CHICAGO SANITATION CERTIFICATE MUST BE ON THE PREMISES AT ALL TIMES WHEN (TCS FOODS) ARE PREPARED, HANDLED, AND/OR SERVED.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012, CITATION ISSUED.
• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON THE PREMISES.INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN SIGNED EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY FOR EACH EMPLOYEE WORKING ON SITE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-010, CITATION ISSUED.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Thermometers Provided & Accurate • OBSERVED NO THERMOMETER INSIDE THE 1 DOOR COKE STAND-UP COOLER CONSPICUOUSLY POSTED TO MONITOR THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF EQUIPMENT.INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE ALL REFRIGERATION UNITS WITH VISIBLE, ACCURATE AND WORKING THERMOMETERS AND MAINTAIN.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED GAP OPENINGS APPROX:1/4" INCH ON THE REAR METAL EXIT DOOR.INSTRUCTED TO MAKE DOOR TIGHT FITTING TO PREVENT PEST ENTRY AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • INSTRUCTED TO PROPERLY STORE AND INVERT ALL CLEAN POTS/PANS MULTI-USE UTENSILS TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION BEFORE USE (HANDLES-UP).
  Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • INSTRUCTED TO PROPERLY STORE AND INVERT ALL CLEAN POTS/PANS MULTI-USE UTENSILS TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION BEFORE USE (HANDLES-UP).
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT AND MAINTAIN: PREP TABLES (TOPS AND BOTTOMS), EXTERIOR SURFACES OF FRYERS AND OTHER COOKING EQUIPMENTS, UNDER GRILLS AND SHELVES INSIDE OF REFRIGERATION UNITS AND STORAGE RACKS THROUGHOUT THE FOOD PREP/DISHWASHING AREA AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED FOOD DEBRIS AND SPILLS ON THE FLOORS AND SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE FOOD PREP/DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN UNDER ALL SHELVING UNITS, UNDER AND AROUND THE DISHWASHING 3-COMPARTMENT SINK, PREP TABLES AND ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE SPILLS, FOOD DEBRIS, AND DIRT BUILDUP.INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD SYSTEM/FILTERS TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF HANGING DUST BULD-UP AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD SYSTEM/FILTERS TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF HANGING DUST BULD-UP AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Previous Core Violation Corrected • PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION NOT CORRECTED FROM INSPECTION REPORT#2613629 DATED:03/12/2025 #58---2-102.13: **C** Allergen Training - All certified food service sanitation managers employed by a restaurant must receive or obtain training in basic allergen awareness principles within 30 days after employment and every 3 years thereafter. Training programs must be accredited by the American National Standards Institute or another reputable accreditation agency under the ASTM International E2659-09 (Standard Practice for Certificate Programs). OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE POSTED FOR CFM WITH FOOD SERVICE MANAGER CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE. INSTRUCTED TO COMPLY AND MAINTAIN AS REQUIRED.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-090, CITATION ISSUED.
  Previous Core Violation Corrected • PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION NOT CORRECTED FROM INSPECTION REPORT#2613629 DATED:03/12/2025 #58---2-102.13: **C** Allergen Training - All certified food service sanitation managers employed by a restaurant must receive or obtain training in basic allergen awareness principles within 30 days after employment and every 3 years thereafter. Training programs must be accredited by the American National Standards Institute or another reputable accreditation agency under the ASTM International E2659-09 (Standard Practice for Certificate Programs). OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE POSTED FOR CFM WITH FOOD SERVICE MANAGER CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE. INSTRUCTED TO COMPLY AND MAINTAIN AS REQUIRED.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-090, CITATION ISSUED.
• ⚠️Summary Report Displayed And Visible To The Public • PREVIOUS INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FROM (03/12/2025) WAS NOT DISPLAYED FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW.TODAY'S INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY WAS ISSUED AND DISPLAYED AND VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-010 (B),CITATION ISSUED.
  Summary Report Displayed And Visible To The Public • PREVIOUS INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FROM (03/12/2025) WAS NOT DISPLAYED FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW.TODAY'S INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY WAS ISSUED AND DISPLAYED AND VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-010 (B),CITATION ISSUED.

When was So Soulful Eatery last inspected?

So Soulful Eatery has 4 inspections on record going back to September 17, 2024.

So Soulful Eatery vs Humboldt Park

Humboldt Park runs 65% clean across 728 tracked restaurants — 467 clean, 112 mid, 143 cooked.

Against the 728 spots Cooked tracks in Humboldt Park, this one comes out cleaner than 20% of them.

Other spots in Humboldt Park

• ✓ Tamara 1 Food Mart
  clean · December 11, 2025
• ✓ Ha Grocery
  clean · October 10, 2024
• ✓ Suncatcher Brewing
  clean · October 15, 2024
• ✓ Suncatcher Brewing
  clean · October 15, 2024
• ✓ Hermosa Bodega
  clean · April 14, 2025
• ✓ Jj Food Market, Inc.
  clean · November 25, 2024

See every restaurant inspection in Humboldt Park →

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 July 6, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.