Cooked?
The Coffee Alley
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations3
- last inspectedFebruary 13, 2019
- address1152 W Taylor St, Chicago 60607
Is The Coffee Alley clean?
The Coffee Alley is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on February 13, 2019. 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 The Coffee Alley?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 13, 2019, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcriticalManagement, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY PROVIDED ON THE PREMISES. INSTRUCTED TO HAVE A SIGNED EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-010. NO CITATION ISSUED.
- 🤒staff working while sickcriticalProcedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events • 2-501.11 NO CLEAN-UP PROCEDURE ON PREMISES FOR VOMIT AND DIARRHEAL EVENTS. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A CLEAN-UP PROCEDURE AND SUPPLIES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
- 🚰handwashing sink issuescriticalHands Clean & Properly Washed • OBSERVED FOOD HANDLER HANDLING MONEY AND FOOD WITHOUT WASHING HANDS PRIOR TO GLOVE USE. INSTRUCTED MANAGER AND FOOD HANDLER TO WASH HANDS BEFORE GLOVE USE. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-010 CITATION ISSUED.
- 🧊food not cooled down rightProper Date Marking And Disposition • ALL READY TO EAT FOR PRODUCTS IN REACH IN COOLERS MUST BE PROPERLY DATED WITH DATE OF DISCARD. MUST CORRECT AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005 NO CITATION ISSUED
- 🏷️food improperly labeledFood Properly Labeled; Original Container • ALL PREPACKAGED FOODS FOR SALE MUST HAVE ALL INGRIEDIENTS IDENTIFIED. MUST CORRECT AND MAINTAIN. • ALL ALLERGENS MUST BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED ON ALL PREPACKAGED ITEMS FOR SALE. MUST CORRECTLY AND COMPLETELY IDENTIFY. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005 NO CITATION ISSUED.
- 🧻grimy wiping clothsWiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • ALL WIPING CLOTHS MUST BE STORED IN A CLEAN SANITIZING SOLUTION WHEN NOT IN USE. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
- ⚠️Gloves Used Properly • GLOVES MUST BE DISCARDED AFTER EVERY USE. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.Gloves Used Properly • GLOVES MUST BE DISCARDED AFTER EVERY USE. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • FOUND NO HOT WATER ON SITE AT TIME OF INSPECTION. WATER AT HANDWASH SINKS IN WASHROOMS 68.0, 3 COMPARTMENT SINK 69.0, HANDSINK IN PREP AREA 67.8. ALL SINKS MUST BE FULLY FUNCTIONING WITH HOT WATER AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030(C) CITATION ISSUED PLUMBER ARRIVED ON SITE AND CORRECTED ISSUED. HOT WATER NOW AVAILABLE.Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure • FOUND NO HOT WATER ON SITE AT TIME OF INSPECTION. WATER AT HANDWASH SINKS IN WASHROOMS 68.0, 3 COMPARTMENT SINK 69.0, HANDSINK IN PREP AREA 67.8. ALL SINKS MUST BE FULLY FUNCTIONING WITH HOT WATER AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-030(C) CITATION ISSUED PLUMBER ARRIVED ON SITE AND CORRECTED ISSUED. HOT WATER NOW AVAILABLE.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • ALL WALLS MUST BE SMOOTH AND EASLIY CLEANABLE. NO BRICK WALLS ALLOWED IN FOOD PREP AREA. MUST CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • LIGHTS IN PREP AREA MUST HAVE PROPER SHEILDS. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • LIGHTS IN PREP AREA MUST HAVE PROPER SHEILDS. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.
- 🥜allergen training missingAllergen Training As Required • PA 100-0367 THE CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER DID NOT HAVE THE ALLERGEN TRAINING. MUST SHOW PROOF OF TRAINING
When was The Coffee Alley last inspected?
The Coffee Alley has 14 inspections on record going back to October 26, 2012. The 12 most recent are shown below.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| August 14, 2020 | closed by the city | |
| February 13, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| April 17, 2018 | Pass | |
| May 26, 2017 | Pass | |
| November 30, 2016 | Pass | |
| October 26, 2016 | Pass | |
| January 15, 2016 | Pass | |
| March 6, 2015 | Pass | |
| February 27, 2015 | Fail | |
| November 10, 2014 | Pass | |
| February 5, 2014 | Pass | |
| July 10, 2013 | Pass |
The Coffee Alley vs Near West Side
Near West Side runs 50% clean across 2,033 tracked restaurants — 1,019 clean, 227 mid, 774 cooked.
Against the 2,033 spots Cooked tracks in Near West Side, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.
Other spots in Near West Side
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 February 13, 2019. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.