Tarboush Mediterranean Grill

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedJuly 7, 2022
• address1608 W North Ave, Chicago 60622

Is Tarboush Mediterranean Grill clean?

Tarboush Mediterranean Grill is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on July 7, 2022. A closure means inspectors found conditions serious enough to stop service — it is not the same as a restaurant choosing to shut down, and the listing can change once the problems are fixed and re-inspected.

What did inspectors find at Tarboush Mediterranean Grill?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 7, 2022, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED NO CERTIFIED CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER ON SITE AT START TIME OF INSPECTION WHILE MEDIRERRANEAN DISHES BEING COOKED. THE DESIGNATED PERSON IN CHARGE, WHO IS PHYSICALLY ON SITE, MUST OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A VALID CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION LICENSE. VIOLATION CORRECTED ON SITE; THE CERTIFIED CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER, MOUNIR ZEKKARI, ARRIVED ON SITE APPROX 40MINS THROUGH INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED
• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED BLANK COPIES OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON SITE. INSTRUCTED FACILITY TO MAINTAIN POLICY WITH VERIFIABLE SIGNED COPIES ON SITE FOR ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REPORTING AGREEMENT. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-010.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • OBSERVED NO LABEL FOR BULK STORAGE CONTAINER (SALT OR SUGAR) STORED ON THE DRY STORAGE SHELF. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE ALL BULK AND WORKING FOOD INGREDIENT CONTAINERS MUST BE LABELED WITH CONTENTS NAME.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • OBSERVED WET WIPING CLOTHS ON SEVERAL PREP SURFACE AREAS. INSTRUCTED TO PROPERLY STORE WIPING CLOTHS IN A SANITIZING SOLUTION BETWEEN USES TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION OF EQUIPMENT & FOOD. MUST MAINTAIN
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED FROZEN CHICKEN AND BEEF STORED IN PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS IN THE ONE DOOR FREEZER. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO USE PROPER FOOD GRADE STORAGE BAGS AND CONTAINERS ONLY.
• ⚠️Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • OBSERVED A NO WATER COMING OUT OF THE FACUET OF THE HAND SINK IN THE REAR DISH/FOOD PREP AREA. WATER IS NOT SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO MEET THE PEAK WATER DEMANDS.INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE FACILITY MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED. WATER PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. (COS) • OBSERVED NO HOT WATER ON PREMISES. HOT WATER IS NOT OBSERVED AT THE FOLLOWING SINKS: HANDSINKS (68.1) & (68.0), WASHBOWL SINKS (68.4) & (68.1), 1-COMPARTMENT SINK AND 3-COMPARTMENT SINK (70.1). INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE HOT WATER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE PEAK HOT WATER DEMANDS THROUGH THE RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENT. MUST CORRECT AND MAINTAIN. SERVICE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON SITE AND NOW ALL SINKS ARE MAINTAINED BETWEEN 102F - 105F. PRIORITY VIOLATION #7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED.
  Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • OBSERVED A NO WATER COMING OUT OF THE FACUET OF THE HAND SINK IN THE REAR DISH/FOOD PREP AREA. WATER IS NOT SUFFICIENT CAPACITY TO MEET THE PEAK WATER DEMANDS.INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE FACILITY MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED. WATER PRESSURE IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. (COS) • OBSERVED NO HOT WATER ON PREMISES. HOT WATER IS NOT OBSERVED AT THE FOLLOWING SINKS: HANDSINKS (68.1) & (68.0), WASHBOWL SINKS (68.4) & (68.1), 1-COMPARTMENT SINK AND 3-COMPARTMENT SINK (70.1). INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE HOT WATER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS SHALL BE SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE PEAK HOT WATER DEMANDS THROUGH THE RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENT. MUST CORRECT AND MAINTAIN. SERVICE TECHNICIAN ARRIVED ON SITE AND NOW ALL SINKS ARE MAINTAINED BETWEEN 102F - 105F. PRIORITY VIOLATION #7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED DRAINPIPE LEAKING UNDER HAND WASHING SINK IN MAIN FOOD PREP AREA AND THE HAND SINK IN THE REAR DISH AREA.OBSERVED LEAK UNDER 1ST COMPARTMENT AT THREE COMPARTMENT SINK. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR LEAKING DRAINPIPE.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED A FLICKERING LIGHT IN THE MAIN FOOD PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED DUST AND GREASE ACCUMULATION ON THE VENTILATION HOOD AND FILTERS ABOVE THE COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED A FLICKERING LIGHT IN THE MAIN FOOD PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED DUST AND GREASE ACCUMULATION ON THE VENTILATION HOOD AND FILTERS ABOVE THE COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN RECORDS AT ALL TIMES.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN RECORDS AT ALL TIMES.

When was Tarboush Mediterranean Grill last inspected?

Tarboush Mediterranean Grill has 10 inspections on record going back to September 3, 2014.

Tarboush Mediterranean Grill 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 0% of them.

Other spots in West Town

• ✓ Cy's King Crab Oyster Bar And Grill
  clean · November 20, 2014
• ✓ Maison Cuisine
  clean · January 15, 2015
• ✓ Artisan Bread Shoppe Co.
  cooked · May 14, 2015
• ✓ Liquor Park
  clean · October 28, 2014
• ✓ Azul
  clean · November 17, 2025
• ✓ Estate
  clean · April 9, 2015

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 July 7, 2022. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.