The Rookery

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations3
• last inspectedJuly 31, 2019
• address2109 W Chicago Ave, Chicago 60622

Is The Rookery clean?

The Rookery is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on July 31, 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 Rookery?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 31, 2019, 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 • THE PERSON IN CHARGE UNABLE TO PROVIDE EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A HEALTH EMPLOYEE POLICY AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-010. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• 🤒staff working while sickcritical
  Procedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events • THE PERSON IN CHARGE UNABLE TO PROVIDE PROCEDURE FOR EMPLOYEE TO FOLLOW WHEN RESPONDING TO VOMITING AND DIARRHEAL EVENTS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGNS OR POSTERS NEAR HAND WASHING SINKS THROUGHOUT PREMISES. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧊food not cooled down right
  Proper Date Marking And Disposition • OBSERVED IMPROPER DATE MARKING ON TCS FOODS HELD MORE THAN 24 HOURS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• 📄consumer advisory missing
  Consumer Advisory Provided For Raw/Undercooked Food • : MENU DOES NOT DISCLOSE AND INFORM CONSUMER THE SPECIFIC MENU ITEMS THAT ARE RAW OR UNDER COOKED AND POTENTIAL HAZARD OF CONSUMING SUCH FOODS. MUST PROVIDE A CONSUMER ADVISORY AND DISCLOSE SUCH FOODS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005. NO CITATION ISSUED.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • MUST PROPERLY LABEL STORAGE CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • OBSERVED WIPING CLOTHS STORE ON TOP OF PREP TABLE. MUST PROPERLY STORE WIPING CLOTHS IN A SANITIZING SOLUTION WHEN NOT IN USE.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORE ON TOP OF ICE MACHINE LOCATED ON THE 2ND FLOOR BAR AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
  In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORE ON TOP OF ICE MACHINE LOCATED ON THE 2ND FLOOR BAR AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED RUSTY FOOD STORAGE SHELVING INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER. MUST REPAINT OR REPLACE SHELVING.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • OBSERVED SLOW LEAK ON PIPE UNDER 3-COMPARTMENT SINK IN REAR DISH WASHING AREA. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DIRT AND DEBRIS ON FLOOR UNDERNEATH DISH MACHINE AND UNDER FOOD STORAGE SHELVING. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED HEAVY DUST BUILD UP ON CEILING VENTILATION VENTS INSIDE WASHROOMS. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED HEAVY DUST BUILD UP ON CEILING VENTILATION VENTS INSIDE WASHROOMS. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • FOOD HANDLERS REQUIREMENTS NOT MET NO LOGS RECORDS ON SITE AS REQUIRED. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • FOOD HANDLERS REQUIREMENTS NOT MET NO LOGS RECORDS ON SITE AS REQUIRED. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • OBSERVED CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WITHOUT THE REQUIRED ALLERGEN TRAINING. INSTRUCTED THAT ALL CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGERS MUST COMPLETE FOOD ALLERGEN.

When was The Rookery last inspected?

The Rookery has 22 inspections on record going back to March 11, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

The Rookery vs West Town

West Town runs 46% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 955 clean, 252 mid, 850 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

• ✓ Isabel's Pantry
  cooked · October 31, 2024
• ✓ Chicago Carryouts, Inc.
  cooked · June 25, 2013
• ✓! La Havana Cafe
  cooked · May 31, 2016
• ✓! Bp Amoco
  mid · September 22, 2020
• ✓ Piece Out
  cooked · April 25, 2024
• ✓ Bella's Pizza
  cooked · January 17, 2014

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 31, 2019. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.