Tel-Aviv Bakery

• resultFail
• critical violations3
• last inspectedDecember 15, 2025
• address2944 W Devon Ave, Chicago 60659
• cuisineBakery

Is Tel-Aviv Bakery clean?

Tel-Aviv Bakery is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on December 15, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Tel-Aviv Bakery?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on December 15, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON SITE. INSTRUCTED FACILITY TO ESTABLISH AN APPROPRIATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY AND MAINTAIN WITH VERIFIABLE SIGNED COPIES ON SITE FOR ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF REPORTING AGREEMENT. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-010. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🤒staff working while sickcritical
  Procedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN PROCEDURES OR SUPPLIES FOR RESPONDING TO VOMITING OR DIARRHEAL EVENTS. SUPPLIES MUST INCLUDE ADEQUATE SANITIZER THAT ELIMINATES NOROVIRUS. INSTRUCTED FACILITY TO PROVIDE CLEAN UP POLICY AND SUPPLIES TO PROPERLY HANDLE BODILY FLUID SPILLS ON SITE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED FACILITY FOOD HANDLERS PREPARING AND HANDLING TIME AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY(TCS) FOODS WITHOUT ORIGINAL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE MANAGER AND CERTIFICATE ON SITE. INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE CITY OF CHICAGO ORIGINAL FOOD SERVICE CERTIFICATE MUST REMAIN POSTED ON SITE AND CERTIFIED MANAGER ON SITE DURING TCS FOOD PREP, COOKING, SERVING AND OPERATING HOURS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • NOTED 2 HANGING FLY TRAPS HANGING DIRECTLY ABOVE SUGAR AND SALT CONTAINERS AND OVENS IN PREP AREA. INFORMED INSECT CONTROL DEVICES SHALL BE INSTALLED SO THAT THE DEVICES ARE NOT LOPCATED OVER A FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST RELOCATE EXISTING FLY TRAP DEVICES IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THIS RULE. • OBSERVED MULTIPLE LIVE RAT SIGTHING/ACTIVITY DURING INSPECTION. NOTE 1 LIVE RAT ON PREMISES ON PROOFER. ALSO OBSERVED RAT ALSO RUN UNDER STANDING MIXER. INSTRUCTED TO CONSULT PEST CONTROL AS ADDITIONAL SERVICES ARE NEEDED TO MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE ACTIVITY PRIOR TO RE-INSPECTION. EVIDENCE OF RODENT ACTIVITY ON THE PREMISES. ALSO NOTED APPROXIMATELY 50 RAT DROPPINGS ON THE FLOOR IN CORNER NEAR TWO COMPARTMENT SINK, NEAR PROOFER, IN REAR STORAGE AREA NEAR WALK IN COOLER, IN REAR STORAGE AREA ON FLOORS IN CORNERS, UNDER THREE-COMPARTMENT SINK. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND REMOVE ALL RODENT DROPPINGS FROM ALL AFFECTED AREAS. ADDITIONAL PEST CONTROL SERVICE IS NEEDED TO ELIMINATE THE PEST ACTIVITY. PRIORITY VIOLATION #7-38-020(A). CITATION ISSUED.
• ⚠️Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • OBSERVED FOOD CONTAINERS STORED ON THE FLOOR TRHOUGHOUT PREP AND STORAGE AREAS. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROPERLY STORE AND PROTECT FOOD ITEMS FROM CONTAMINATION WHILE STORED BY ELEVATING AT LEAST SIX INCHES FROM THE FLOOR ON RAISED SHELVING UNITS. • OBSERVED FOOD ITEMS STORED IN MAIN PREP AREA UNCOVERED. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOOD GRADE LIDS AND/OR COVERINGS WHEN STORING ALL FOOD ITEMS TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
  Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • OBSERVED FOOD CONTAINERS STORED ON THE FLOOR TRHOUGHOUT PREP AND STORAGE AREAS. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROPERLY STORE AND PROTECT FOOD ITEMS FROM CONTAMINATION WHILE STORED BY ELEVATING AT LEAST SIX INCHES FROM THE FLOOR ON RAISED SHELVING UNITS. • OBSERVED FOOD ITEMS STORED IN MAIN PREP AREA UNCOVERED. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOOD GRADE LIDS AND/OR COVERINGS WHEN STORING ALL FOOD ITEMS TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED TORN DOOR GASKET INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED RAW WOOD FLOORS, SHELVES, SURFACES THROUGHOUT MAIN PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO SEAL OR PAINT TO PROVIDE A SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE.
• ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • OBSERVED FACILITY WITHOUT A CHEMICAL TEST KIT FOR SANITIZER OR FOR MANUAL WAREWASHING AREA. INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE A TEST KIT THAT ACCURATELY MEASURES THE CONCENTRATION IN MG/L OF SANITIZING SOLUTION MUST BE PROVIDED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
  Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • OBSERVED FACILITY WITHOUT A CHEMICAL TEST KIT FOR SANITIZER OR FOR MANUAL WAREWASHING AREA. INFORMED PERSON IN CHARGE A TEST KIT THAT ACCURATELY MEASURES THE CONCENTRATION IN MG/L OF SANITIZING SOLUTION MUST BE PROVIDED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • OBSERVED BUILD-UP OF FOOD DEBRIS, FLOUR, DOUGH, ETC ON COOKING EQUIPMENT, WALLS, SURROUNDING FLOORS AND SHELVING UNITS IN THE KITCHEN/PREP AREAS. INSTRUCTED TO DEGREASE, CLEAN AND SANITIZE.
• ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE DUMPSTER WITH LIDS NOT CLOSED DUE TO TRASH OVERFLOWING. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT AND MAINTAIN TO ENSURE TIGHT FITTING LIDS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-020(B). CITATION ISSUED.
  Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED OUTSIDE DUMPSTER WITH LIDS NOT CLOSED DUE TO TRASH OVERFLOWING. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT AND MAINTAIN TO ENSURE TIGHT FITTING LIDS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION #7-38-020(B). CITATION ISSUED.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED FOOD DEBRIS AND SPILLS ON THE FLOORS AND SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN UNDER ALL SHELVING UNITS, INTERIOR OF PREP DISH AREA, AROUND DISH MACHINE, PREP TABLES AND ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE SPILLS, FOOD DEBRIS, DIRT BUILDUP AND/OR GREASE. INSTRUCTED TO INCREASE CLEANING FREQUENCY AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES. • OBSERVED THE CEILING IN THE FOOD PREP/STORAGE AREAS WITH LARGE HOLES AND EXPOSED PIPES IN POOR REPAIR. MUST REPAIR WITH A NON-ABSORBENT, NON-CORROSIVE, SMOOTH, EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLERS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN RECORDS AT ALL TIMES.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLERS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN RECORDS AT ALL TIMES.

When was Tel-Aviv Bakery last inspected?

Tel-Aviv Bakery has 20 inspections on record going back to March 9, 2011. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Tel-Aviv Bakery vs West Ridge

West Ridge runs 58% clean across 966 tracked restaurants — 557 clean, 174 mid, 233 cooked.

Against the 966 spots Cooked tracks in West Ridge, this one comes out cleaner than 22% of them.

Other spots in West Ridge

• ✓ M & M Food Mart
  clean · October 13, 2011
• ? Meesopotamia Club
  cooked · November 1, 2010
• ? Miraj Inc.
  cooked · November 1, 2011
• ✓ Tahoora Sweets & Bakery
  clean · January 7, 2025
• ✓ Fortuna Market, Grill, & Deli
  clean · October 25, 2011
• ? California Foods
  cooked · August 15, 2012

See every restaurant inspection in West Ridge →

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 December 15, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.