The Purple Pig

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations0
• last inspectedJanuary 18, 2019
• address500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago 60611

Is The Purple Pig clean?

The Purple Pig is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on January 18, 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 Purple Pig?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 18, 2019, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧽surfaces not properly sanitized
  Food-Contact Surfaces: Cleaned & Sanitized • OBSERVED A SLIGHT DIRT/DEBRIS ACCUMULATION ON THE INTERIOR OF THE ICE MACHINE. MUST REMOVE DIRT/DEBRIS, DETAIL CLEAN, SANITIZE, AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED FOODS ON THE COUNTER IN THE 1ST FLOOR PREP AREA AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURE. OBSERVED 1# OF GOAT CHEESE(68.7F), #1 OF FETA CHEESE(57.0F), 1# OF ROASTED EGGPLANT IN TOMATO SAUCE (64.6F). FACILITY CORRECTED VIOLATION ON SITE BY DISCARDING ALL OF THE FOODS AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURE. THE REPORTED TOTAL VALUE OF THE FOOD IS $30. PRIORITY VIOLATION#:7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🧪toxic chemicals mishandled
  Compliance With Variance/Specialized Process/Haccp • OBSERVED KIMCHI IN THE BASEMENT REAR PREP WALK IN COOLER. FACILITY STATES KIMCHI IS MADE IN HOUSE. A VARIANCE IS REQUIRED FOR APPROVAL FROM THE CDPH FOR KIMCHI PRODUCTION. FACILITY CORRECTED VIOLATION ON SITE BY DISCARDING THE KIMCHI. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#:7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• ⚠️Variance Obtained For Specialized Processing Methods • SEE VIOLATION 29. NO VARIANCE OR HAACP PLAN ON SITE FOR KIMCHI. MUST CONTACT CDPH AT [email protected] FOR VARIANCE APPROVAL. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#: 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
  Variance Obtained For Specialized Processing Methods • SEE VIOLATION 29. NO VARIANCE OR HAACP PLAN ON SITE FOR KIMCHI. MUST CONTACT CDPH AT [email protected] FOR VARIANCE APPROVAL. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#: 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED SOME CUTTING BOARDS IN THE BASEMENT REAR PREP AREA STAINED AND WITH DEEP BLACK GROOVES. MUST REPLACE OR RESURFACE.
• ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED THE OUTSIDE GREASE BOX WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE ON THE TOP OF THE BOX AND DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND/ACCUMULATING IN PUDDLES. FACILITY CORRECTED VIOLATION ON SITE BY REMOVING ALL EXCESS GREASE AND DETAIL CLEANING THE BOX AND SURROUNDING AREA. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#:7-38-020(B). CITATION ISSUED.
  Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • OBSERVED THE OUTSIDE GREASE BOX WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE ON THE TOP OF THE BOX AND DRIPPING ONTO THE GROUND/ACCUMULATING IN PUDDLES. FACILITY CORRECTED VIOLATION ON SITE BY REMOVING ALL EXCESS GREASE AND DETAIL CLEANING THE BOX AND SURROUNDING AREA. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION#:7-38-020(B). CITATION ISSUED.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED STAINED AND PEELING CEILING TILES IN THE 1ST FLOOR REAR FOOD PREP/DISHWASHING AREAS. MUST REPLACE.

When was The Purple Pig last inspected?

The Purple Pig has 23 inspections on record going back to June 17, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

The Purple Pig vs Near North Side

Near North Side runs 75% clean across 2,889 tracked restaurants — 2,147 clean, 530 mid, 203 cooked.

Against the 2,889 spots Cooked tracks in Near North Side, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Near North Side

• ✕ Cafe Parisi
  cooked · November 23, 2010
• ✓ Jiminy Chips
  clean · February 19, 2010
• ? Frontera Grill/Topolobamo/Xoco
  cooked · December 11, 2012
• ✓ Castelgandolfo
  cooked · October 14, 2010
• ✓! Whisper's Coffee
  cooked · February 18, 2011
• ✓ Room Service - Main
  cooked · April 21, 2011

See every restaurant inspection in Near North 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 January 18, 2019. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.