Tropical Smoothie Cafe

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations3
• last inspectedFebruary 19, 2026
• address3631 N Western Ave, Chicago 60618

Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe clean?

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on February 19, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Tropical Smoothie Cafe?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 19, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • PERSON IN CHARGE DOES NOT HAVE A CITY OF CHICAGO SANITATION CERTIFICATE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION.
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • FOUND NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WHILE TCS FOODS (CHICKEN, TURKEY, SANDWICHES, WRAPS, SMOOTHIES ETC) ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE, A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOODSERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE MUST BE PRESENT AT ALL TIMES WHEN HANDLING TCS FOODS. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012 CITATION ISSUED
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • OBSERVED NO HAND PAPER TOWELS PROVIDED AT THE FRONT AND REAR EXPOSED HAND WASHINGSINKSLOCATED IN FOOD PREPARATION AREAS. NSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE HAND PAPER TOWELSAT ALL EXPOSED HANDWASHING SINK AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES. MANAGEMENT PROVIDED HAND PAPER TOWELS DURING INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. 7-38-030(C) CITATION ISSUED.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Thermometers Provided & Accurate • VISIBLE AND WORKING THERMOMETER NEEDED IN THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER IN REAR FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • OBSERVED DIRT AND FOOD DEBRIS IN THE INTERIOR OF CABINETS UNDERNEATH ICE BIN IN FRONT FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED DIRT AND FOOD DEBRIS ON FLOOR UNDERNEATH 3-COMPARTMENT SINK UNDERNEATH FOOD STORAGE SHELVING AND THROUGHTOUT REAR FOOD PREPARATION AREA. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF FOOD HANDLER TRAINING CERTIFICATES FOR ALL THE REQUIRED EMPLOYEES.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF FOOD HANDLER TRAINING CERTIFICATES FOR ALL THE REQUIRED EMPLOYEES.
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGER DOES NOT HAVE ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED ABOVE THAT ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED FOR ALL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE A CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SANITATION CERTIFICATE. MUST COMPLETE TRAINING AND KEEP CERTIFICATE ON SITE.

When was Tropical Smoothie Cafe last inspected?

Tropical Smoothie Cafe has 9 inspections on record going back to June 10, 2022.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs North Center

North Center runs 41% clean across 976 tracked restaurants — 402 clean, 74 mid, 495 cooked.

Against the 976 spots Cooked tracks in North Center, this one comes out cleaner than 51% of them.

Other spots in North Center

• ✓ Mcdonald's
  cooked · May 23, 2023
• ✓ The Bakehouse Chicago
  clean · December 2, 2024
• ✓ Demo Brewing Company
  clean · August 24, 2023
• ✓ Kraken Sushi & Beyond
  clean · August 19, 2022
• ✓ Loba Pastry + Coffee
  clean · February 25, 2025
• ✓ Roost Chicken & Biscuits
  clean · March 24, 2026

See every restaurant inspection in North Center →

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 19, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.