Will's Northwoods Inn

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations3
• last inspectedJuly 1, 2025
• address3032-3034 N Racine Ave, Chicago 60657

Is Will's Northwoods Inn clean?

Will's Northwoods Inn is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 1, 2025. 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 Will's Northwoods Inn?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 1, 2025, 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 CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE.
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED NO CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGER ON SITE NOR CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVIE SANITATION CERTIFICATE POSTED ON PREMISES WHILE TCS FOODS ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED SUCH AS HAMBURGERS, CHICKEN WINGS ETC. INSTRUCTED ABOVE TO OPERATE WITH A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER AND PROVIDE A CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANIATION CERTIFICATE AT ALL TIMES TCS FOODS ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012. 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 IN FRONT AND OUTSIDE BAR AREAS AND INSIDE THE UNISEX CUSTOMERS/EMPLYEES WASHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE SIGNS OR POSTERS.
• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED COLD TCS FOODS STORED AT IMPROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURE INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER LOCATED ON THE BASEMENT. OBSERVED RAW BURGERS AT INTERNAL TEMPERATURE RANGING BETWEEN 51.2F TO 52.7F AND RAW CHICKEN AT TEMPERATURE OF 49.9F TO 52.6F. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN ALL COLD TCS FOODS AT TEMPERATURE OF 41.00F OR BELOW. MANAGER IMMEDIATELY AND VOLUNTARILY DISCARDED 90# OF FOOD VALUE OF $316. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OUTER OPENINGS NOT PROTECTED OBSERVED FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR WITH A GAP BETWEEN DOOR AND FRAME. MUST MAKE DOOR RODENT PROOF TO PREVENT PEST ENTRY.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • OBSERVED WIPING CLOTHS STORED ON TOP OF SINKS IN FRONT BAR AREAS AND ON PREP TABLES IN THE KITCHEN FOOD PREP AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE WIPING CLOTHS IN A SANITIZING SOLUTION WHEN NOT IN USE.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED INSIDE ICE BINS IN FRONT BAR AREA AND OUTSIDE BAR AREA. MUST PROPERLY STORE ICE SCOOPS IN A CLEAN CONTAINER TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
  In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • OBSERVED ICE SCOOPS STORED INSIDE ICE BINS IN FRONT BAR AREA AND OUTSIDE 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 LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT. MUST REPAINT OR REPLACE SHELVING.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLE PROVIDE INSIDE THE UNISEX CUSTOMERS/EMPLYEES WASHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE A COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLE AND MAINTAIN.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED NO COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLE PROVIDE INSIDE THE UNISEX CUSTOMERS/EMPLYEES WASHROOMS. MUST PROVIDE A COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLE AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED GREASE BUILD UP ON VENTILATION VENTS AND FILTERS ABOVE COOKING EQUIPMENT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED GREASE BUILD UP ON VENTILATION VENTS AND FILTERS ABOVE COOKING EQUIPMENT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.

When was Will's Northwoods Inn last inspected?

Will's Northwoods Inn has 17 inspections on record going back to July 12, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

Will's Northwoods Inn vs Lake View

Lake View runs 68% clean across 2,211 tracked restaurants — 1,492 clean, 440 mid, 272 cooked.

Against the 2,211 spots Cooked tracks in Lake View, this one comes out cleaner than 13% of them.

Other spots in Lake View

• ✓ Chili Mac's 5-Way Chili
  clean · June 13, 2012
• ✓ Snow Factory
  clean · May 16, 2018
• ✓ Kai Sushi
  clean · November 14, 2025
• ✓ 1914 Club & Maker's Mark Barrel Room
  clean · August 6, 2025
• ✓ 1914 Club & Maker's Mark Barrel Room
  clean · April 4, 2018
• ✓! West Town Bakery
  mid · January 30, 2023

See every restaurant inspection in Lake View →

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 1, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.