Cooked?
Tu Cafe
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJune 8, 2026
- address555 W Adams St, Chicago 60661
Is Tu Cafe clean?
Tu Cafe is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 8, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at Tu Cafe?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 8, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🧽surfaces not properly sanitizedFood-Contact Surfaces: Cleaned & Sanitized • OBSERVED INTERIOR FOOD- AND NONFOOD-CONTACT SURFACES (BOUNCE PLATE) AT THE FRONT SERVICE AREA ICE MACHINE TO BE SOILED BUILD UP OF WITH DUST DEBRIS. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN FOOD- AND NONFOOD-CONTACT SURFACES OF EQUIPMENT AT ADEQUATE FREQUENCY TO PREVENT BUILD UP OF DUST DEBRIS AND OTHER SOILS AND MAINTAIN.
- 🧊cold food not cold enoughProper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED THE FOLLOWING TCS FOOD ITEMS AT IMPROPER COLD-HOLDING TEMPERATURES: RAW BEEF AT 46.8F, TUNA AT 48.0F, TURKEY AT 47.0F, HAM AT 50.0F AT THE FRONT SERVICE LINE COOLER; CHEESE AT 49.0F, YOGURT AT 47.5F, CHICKEN AT 46.5F AT THE REAR AREA 2-DOOR UPRIGHT COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO DENATURE AND DISCARD ALL TCS FOOD ITEMS AT IMPROPER COLD-HOLDING TEMPERATURES AND MAINTAIN ALL TCS FOOD ITEMS AT 41.0F OR BELOW FOR COLD-HOLDING. APPROXIMATELY 70.0 LBS. OF FOOD VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $800.00 DISCARDED ON-SITE. PERSON-IN-CHARGE DENATURED AND DISCARDED ALL LISTED TCS FOOD ITEMS ON-SITE AT TIME OF INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED.
- 🧫food prep surfaces dirtyProper Cooling Methods Used; Adequate Equipment For Temperature Control • OBSERVED COOKED CHICKEN STORED IN THE 2-DOOR UPRIGHT COOLER COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP WHILE COOLING. INSTRUCTED TO STORE TCS FOOD ITEMS LOOSELY-COVERED OR UNCOVERED (IF PROTECTED FROM OVERHEAD CONTAMINATION) WHILE COOLING TO FACILITATE HEAT TRANSFER AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED 2-DOOR UPRIGHT COOLER IN THE REAR KITCHEN AREA (ADJACENT TO OVENS) IN POOR REPAIR, INTERNAL AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE OF 49.0F AT TIME OF INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO CEASE USE OF COOLER UNTIL REPAIRED OR REPLACED AND MAINTAIN ALL COLD-HOLDING EQUIPMENT SUFFICIENT AT MAINTAINING TCS FOOD ITEMS AT 41.0F OR BELOW. TAGGED EQUIPMENT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT CDPH ONCE COOLER IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED AND PRIOR TO USE. PRIORITY VIOLATION. 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED.
- 🥜allergen training missingAllergen Training As Required • OBSERVED ONE PERSON-IN-CHARGE WITH CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER CERTIFICATE MISSING ALLERGEN AWARENESS TRAINING AND CERTIFICATE AT TIME OF INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE ALL CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGERSW WITH ADDITIONAL ALLERGEN AWARENESS TRAINING AND MAINTAIN CERTIFICATE(S) ON-SITE FOR INSPECTOR REVIEW AT ALL TIMES.
When was Tu Cafe last inspected?
Tu Cafe has 12 inspections on record going back to November 13, 2013.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| June 8, 2026 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| July 3, 2025 | Pass | |
| August 5, 2024 | Pass | |
| December 8, 2023 | Pass | |
| March 18, 2019 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| February 1, 2018 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| July 21, 2017 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| November 4, 2016 | Pass | |
| March 11, 2016 | Pass | |
| January 30, 2015 | Pass | |
| July 31, 2014 | Pass | |
| November 13, 2013 | Pass |
Tu Cafe vs Near West Side
Near West Side runs 72% clean across 2,033 tracked restaurants — 1,463 clean, 406 mid, 151 cooked.
Against the 2,033 spots Cooked tracks in Near West Side, this one comes out cleaner than 19% 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 June 8, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.