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Three Restaurants Shut By City Health Department
Health Code Violations Will Not Be ToleratedThree restaurants were ordered closed today after Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) inspectors discovered critical violations of the city health code.
The Original Pancake House, 2020 N. Lincoln Park West, was shut down after Health Department inspectors discovered live cockroaches in the kitchen, at the wait station, and in a dry storage area.
The inspection was triggered by a customer who called 311 to complain of seeing a live roach crawling on the table while he was eating.
Sky Chop Suey, 8616 S. Kedzie, was shut down after CDPH inspectors discovered numerous live cockroaches throughout the restaurant, as well as food stored at unsafe temperatures (20 pounds each of cooked chicken, beef and shrimp—all of which was ordered to be discarded), an employee washroom in need of a thorough cleaning, and an outside dumpster overflowing with garbage.
The inspection was triggered by a customer who called 311 to report finding a bug in her food.
Thai Oscar, 4638 N. Western, was shut down after Health Department inspectors discovered no compliance with a July 9 order to fix a three-compartment sink that was leaking from compartment to compartment. (Three-compartment sinks are used to wash, rinse and sanitize dishes, drinking glasses, cups, utensils and other food service items, as required by law.)
Representatives of all three restaurants will be required to appear before the Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings next month and pay fines expected to total $500 (Original Pancake House), $1,000 (Thai Oscar), and $1,500 (Sky Chop Suey).
The enforcement actions were the 113th, 114th and 115th times in 2008 that Health Department inspectors have shut a food establishment for violations of the Chicago Health Code.
Chicagoans who believe that a restaurant or other food establishment is operating in an unsafe manner are encouraged to dial 311 and report it.