Zenba Mexican Grill

• resultFail
• critical violations3
• last inspectedOctober 24, 2014
• address605 W Lake St, Chicago 60661

Is Zenba Mexican Grill clean?

Zenba Mexican Grill is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on October 24, 2014. Inspectors wrote up 3 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Zenba Mexican Grill?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on October 24, 2014, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Potentially Hazardous Food Meets Temperature Requirement During Storage, Preparation Display And Service • THE FOLLOWING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOODS FOUND HELD AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURES IN THE STEAM TABLE. APPROXIMATELY 1 LB BEANS AT 115F, 1 LB RICE (COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP) AT 115.3F, 3 LBS CHICKEN AT 130.1F. ALL FOODS DISCARDED. CRITICAL CITATION ISSUED 7-38-005(A).
• 🚰handwashing sink issuescritical
  Sanitizing Rinse For Equipment And Utensils: Clean, Proper Temperature, Concentration, Exposure Time • LOW TEMPERATURE CHLORINE CHEMICAL SANITIZER DISH MACHINE NOT PROPERLY DISPENSING SANITIZER WHILE DISHES WERE BEING WASHED INSIDE THE MACHINE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS MADE AND FOUND 0 PPM CHLORINE DISPENSED. MACHINE TAGGED HELD FOR INSPECTION AND MUST NOT USE UNTIL REPAIRED, PROPERLY SANITIZING AND CDPH CONTACTED FOR INSPECTION AND TAG REMOVAL. CRITICAL CITATION ISSUED 7-38-030.
• 🌡️food received at unsafe tempscritical
  Hand Washing Facilities: With Soap And Sanitary Hand Drying Devices, Convenient And Accessible To Food Prep Area • NO SOAP OR PAPER TOWELS AT THE EXPOSED HAND SINK. SINK WAS ALSO OBSTRUCTED BY STORED CLEAN POTS AND PANS AND OTHER KITCHEN ITEMS STORED INSIDE THE SINK. MANAGEMENT REMOVED ALL AND PROVIDED SOAP AND TOWELS. CRITICAL CITATION ISSUED 7-38-030.
• ☠️toxic items stored near food
  No Evidence Of Rodent Or Insect Outer Openings Protected/Rodent Proofed, A Written Log Shall Be Maintained Available To The Inspectors • NO PEST CONTROL LOG BOOK ON PREMISES OR REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION ON PREMISES. MUST HAVE A LICENSED PEST CONTROL CO. SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT AND PROVIDE ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION. SERIOUS CITATION ISSUED 7-38-020.
• 🌡️hot/cold holding temps off
  * Certified Food Manager On Site When Potentially Hazardous Foods Are Prepared And Served • NO VALID CITY OF CHICAGO SANITATION CERTIFICATE POSTED ON THE PREMISES. EXPIRED SANITATION CERTIFICATE (3-19-13) ON PREMISES OF A MICHAEL ALOVANE. THIS PERSON WAS TELEPHONED DURING THE INSPECTION AND ARRIVED WITH A LETTER FROM "PALADIN MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS" STATING A SANITATION COURSE WAS TAKEN IN DECEMBER OF 2013 AND A CERTIFICATE WOULD BE ISSUED IF THE EXAM WAS PASSED. NO OTHER DOCUMENTATION AVAILABLE.BUSINESS WAS OPEN OPERATING AT THIS TIME WITH A CUSTOMER AND FOODS BEING PREPARED IE: BEANS ON THE STOVE TOP AT 179.4F. SERIOUS CITATION ISSUED 7-38-012.
• ⚠️Dish Washing Facilities: Properly Designed, Constructed, Maintained, Installed, Located And Operated • THREE COMPARTMENT SINK NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED. SEVERE LEAK UNDER SINK INTO A BUCKET. HOT AND COLD WATER NOZZLE ONLY REACHES TWO OF THREE COMPARTMENTS TO FILL WITH WATER. A SPRAY NOZZLE IS ABLE TO REACH THE THIRD COMPARTMENT WITH AN EXTREMELY LOW PRESSURE OF WATER. NO STOPPERS PROVIDED AT SINK. PER SUPERVISOR, GIVEN 48 HOURS TO REPAIR SINK AND TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE FLOW OF HOT AND COLD RUNNING WATER TO THE THIRD COMPARTMENT AND PROPER STOPPERS TO ENABLE ADEQUATE WASHING, RINSING AND SANITIZING. SERIOUS CITATION ISSUED 7-38-030.
  Dish Washing Facilities: Properly Designed, Constructed, Maintained, Installed, Located And Operated • THREE COMPARTMENT SINK NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED. SEVERE LEAK UNDER SINK INTO A BUCKET. HOT AND COLD WATER NOZZLE ONLY REACHES TWO OF THREE COMPARTMENTS TO FILL WITH WATER. A SPRAY NOZZLE IS ABLE TO REACH THE THIRD COMPARTMENT WITH AN EXTREMELY LOW PRESSURE OF WATER. NO STOPPERS PROVIDED AT SINK. PER SUPERVISOR, GIVEN 48 HOURS TO REPAIR SINK AND TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE FLOW OF HOT AND COLD RUNNING WATER TO THE THIRD COMPARTMENT AND PROPER STOPPERS TO ENABLE ADEQUATE WASHING, RINSING AND SANITIZING. SERIOUS CITATION ISSUED 7-38-030.
• ⚠️Clean Multi-Use Utensils And Single Service Articles Properly Stored: No Reuse Of Single Service Articles • KNIVES BEING IMPROPERLY STORED BETWEEN COOKS LINE PREP TABLES. MUST PROVIDE PROPER KNIFE HOLDER OR STORE ON CLEAN PREP TABLE.
  Clean Multi-Use Utensils And Single Service Articles Properly Stored: No Reuse Of Single Service Articles • KNIVES BEING IMPROPERLY STORED BETWEEN COOKS LINE PREP TABLES. MUST PROVIDE PROPER KNIFE HOLDER OR STORE ON CLEAN PREP TABLE.
• ⚠️Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • SHELVING UNDER COOKS LINE FLAT GRILL WITH FOOD DEBRIS. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
  Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • SHELVING UNDER COOKS LINE FLAT GRILL WITH FOOD DEBRIS. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DIRTY FLOORS THROUGHOUT COOKS LINE AND UNDER THE THREE COMPARTMENT SINK. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. ALL STORED ITEMS THROUGHOUT MUST BE STORED ELEVATED FROM THE FLOOR 6" OR ABOVE.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DIRTY FLOORS THROUGHOUT COOKS LINE AND UNDER THE THREE COMPARTMENT SINK. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. ALL STORED ITEMS THROUGHOUT MUST BE STORED ELEVATED FROM THE FLOOR 6" OR ABOVE.

When was Zenba Mexican Grill last inspected?

Zenba Mexican Grill has 8 inspections on record going back to September 9, 2010.

Zenba Mexican Grill 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 5% of them.

Other spots in Near West Side

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  clean · October 21, 2013
• ✓! Dunkin Donuts
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• ? Madpoison Lounge, Inc.
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• ✓ Ricano's Restaurant
  clean · May 1, 2025
• ? Allonco, Inc.
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• ? Sandwicheria
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See every restaurant inspection 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 October 24, 2014. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.