Pass

Real Kitchen at Walden

2145 W Walnut St, Chicago, IL 60612

Special Event ZIP 60612 Risk 1 (High)

Passed · as of May 5, 2026

Real Kitchen at Walden was last inspected on May 5, 2026 with a result of “Pass”. Inspectors found 2 violations.

Latest inspection

May 5, 2026 · Canvass Re-Inspection

Pass

Result: Pass

2 general
  • GeneralHygiene & sanitation

    Staff personal cleanliness was inadequate.

    Inspector’s note: 2-402.11: observed an employee with no hair restraint. Instructed all employees must wear adequate hair restriants while in food prep area.

    Official wording (code 40)

    Personal cleanliness

  • GeneralFacility upkeep

    Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

    Inspector’s note: 6-501.13: observed the floors under the deep fryers, grill station, and surrounding deep freezer units in rear prep area in need of cleaning. Instructed to remove grease and debris in mentioned areas.

    Official wording (code 55)

    Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

Inspection history

10 inspections on record

  1. Fail

    Canvass · Fail

    1 critical5 general Show violations
    • CriticalFood handling

      Specialized processes (curing, vacuum-packing, etc.) didn’t follow the approved plan.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no variance/haccp plan approval on site for vacuum packaging time and temperature control for safety foods. Found the following tcs foods vacuum sealed on site, approximately 7 bags of thawed/ frozen chicken, approximately 8 bags frozen of demi-glace (stock), approximately 5 bags of thawed/frozen pork. And two bags of cheese sauce. Mentioned food items were found on a black cart, down a ramp near, an exit door near the kitchen. Manager discarded and denatured a total weight 45lbs, at a total value of $377 worth of product. Instructed site not to use vacuum seal machine. Informed site that to use said machine, a haccp plan/variance must be obtained by cdph. Machine tagged during inspection. Instructed site not to use machine nor vacuum seal foods until haccp plan/variance is submitted to cdph and approval granted from cdpdh. Priority foundation violation 7-38-005, citation issued

      Official wording (code 29)

      Compliance with variance/specialized process/haccp

    • GeneralFood handling

      No approval obtained for a specialized processing method.

      Inspector’s note: Observed a vacuum packaging machine on site and assorted food items found that were vacuum packaged on site and no proof of haccp or variance per health code requirement. Instructed management discontinue the vacuum packaging process until the health department approves variance/ haccp. All food items found were discarded. Priority foundation 7-38-005, consolidated with violation #29.

      Official wording (code 32)

      Variance obtained for specialized processing methods

    • GeneralHygiene & sanitation

      Staff personal cleanliness was inadequate.

      Inspector’s note: Observed an employee with no hair restraint. Instructed all employees must wear adequate hair restriants while in food prep area.

      Official wording (code 40)

      Personal cleanliness

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Dishwashing equipment wasn’t set up, maintained, or used correctly.

      Inspector’s note: Found no irreversible registering temperature indicator on site. In hot water mechanical warewashing operations, an irreversible registering temperature indicator shall be provided and readily accessible for measuring the utensil surface temperature. Instructed to provide. Priority foundation violation 7-38-005, citation issued.

      Official wording (code 48)

      Warewashing facilities: installed, maintained & used; test strips

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Dishwashing equipment wasn’t set up, maintained, or used correctly.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no sanitizer test strip kit on-site at the time of inspection to test concentration of sanitizer in 3 compartment sink (quaternary), only chlorine test strips provided for low temperature dishwashing machine. Instructed to have proper a test strip kit on site at all times to monitor the strength of the sanitizer properly. Priority foundation 7-38-005, citation consolidated with above violation

      Official wording (code 48)

      Warewashing facilities: installed, maintained & used; test strips

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Observed the floors under the deep fryers, grill station, and surrounding deep freezer units in rear prep area in need of cleaning. Instructed to remove grease and debris in mentioned areas.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

  2. Pass

    Canvass · Pass

    1 general1 paperwork Show violations
    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Floors need cleaning in the kitchen around equipment and in the liquor storage room and behind the bar along the the wall base.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

    • PaperworkManagement & training

      Required allergen training was missing.

      Inspector’s note: The city certified manager on duty has no allergen training as required. Must provide and maintain.

      Official wording (code 58)

      Allergen training as required

  3. Pass

    Canvass · Pass

    No violations

  4. Pass

    Canvass · Pass

    1 general Show violations
    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Observed excessive build up floor drains in kitchen prep area and bar area of black mold-like residue. Instructed person in charge to clean and maintain.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

  5. Pass

    Canvass · Pass

    1 general Show violations
    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Observed grease and other food debris around oven and grill. Must clean and maintain.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

  6. Conditional

    Canvass · Pass w/ Conditions

    2 critical5 general2 paperwork Show violations
    • CriticalManagement & training

      Staff weren’t trained on, or didn’t follow, the rules for reporting illness.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no signed employees health policies for employees.must provide and maintain.(priority foundation 7-38-010)

      Official wording (code 3)

      Management, food employee and conditional employee; knowledge, responsibilities and reporting

    • CriticalHygiene & sanitation

      Hand sinks were missing, blocked, or not stocked with soap and towels.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no hand washing signs at hand sinks in prep/dish washing areas.

      Official wording (code 10)

      Adequate handwashing sinks properly supplied and accessible

    • GeneralPests

      Insects, rodents, or animals were present, or the building wasn’t sealed against them.

      Inspector’s note: Observed an appx."1/2-3/4" gap in center of double entry doors.must make door tight fitting.

      Official wording (code 38)

      Insects, rodents, & animals not present

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Dishwashing equipment wasn’t set up, maintained, or used correctly.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no temperature measuring device at the plate for a high temperature dish machine.must provide and maintain.(priority foundation 7-38-005)

      Official wording (code 48)

      Warewashing facilities: installed, maintained & used; test strips

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Equipment and surfaces were dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Must clean debris build up on grill table.

      Official wording (code 49)

      Non-food/food contact surfaces clean

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Must seal gap between wall base and floor in 2nd fl. Bar area.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Must remove wet mops from mop sink basin and hang to dry.

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

    • PaperworkManagement & training

      Not all food employees had food-handler training.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no food handlers training for employees.must provide and maintain.

      Official wording (code 57)

      All food employees have food handler training

    • PaperworkManagement & training

      Required allergen training was missing.

      Inspector’s note: Observed no food allergen training for food manager.must provide and maintain.

      Official wording (code 58)

      Allergen training as required

  7. No Entry

    Non-Inspection · No Entry

    No violations

  8. Pass

    License Re-Inspection · Pass

    1 general Show violations
    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Observed 2 coolers in the hallway next to the prep area not in use. Instructed to remove and maintain

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

  9. Conditional

    License · Pass w/ Conditions

    3 general Show violations
    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Equipment or surfaces were in poor repair or made of material that can’t be cleaned.

      Inspector’s note: Observed the window sil and the brick wall in the bar prep area not smooth and easily cleanable. Instructed to smooth and seal the concrete sil and tuck point the brick and maintain

      Official wording (code 47)

      Food & non-food contact surfaces cleanable, properly designed, constructed & used

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Dishwashing equipment wasn’t set up, maintained, or used correctly.

      Inspector’s note: OBSERVED THE LOW TEMP DISH WASHER IN THE BAR AREA NOT REACHING PROPER TEMPERATURE. The temperature of the wash solution in spray-type warewashers that use chemicals to SANITIZE may not be less than 49oC (120oF).INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-025

      Official wording (code 48)

      Warewashing facilities: installed, maintained & used; test strips

    • GeneralFacility upkeep

      Floors, walls, or ceilings were damaged or dirty.

      Inspector’s note: Observed 2 coolers in the hallway next to the prep area not in use. Instructed to remove and maintain

      Official wording (code 55)

      Physical facilities installed, maintained & clean

More in ZIP 60612

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) open data, refreshed hourly. Last inspection 6 months ago. Always confirm with the official record.