ChicagoJun 4, 2026
Chicago's inspection system compared to other major cities
New York grades restaurants A/B/C in the window. LA does color codes. What does Chicago do differently — and is our system better or worse?
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
Blog
Chicago restaurant inspections, food safety, and the stories behind the data.
ExplainersJun 1, 2026
What the violation numbers actually mean (#38, #22, etc.)
Every Chicago violation has a code number. Here's the cheat sheet — what they map to, and how to skim a report by number alone.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
DataMay 28, 2026
The worst violation types by frequency across Chicago
Some violations are almost universal across failed Chicago inspections. We crunched the numbers — here's what shows up most.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
ExplainersMay 25, 2026
How to read a Chicago health inspection report
The reports are dense and full of jargon, but you can extract the meaningful information in about two minutes. Here's how.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
Consumer TipsMay 21, 2026
Seasonal food safety — what changes in summer vs winter
Heat waves, holiday catering, patio season — different times of year stress kitchens in different ways. Here's what shifts and why.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
ExplainersMay 18, 2026
What 'Risk 1 (High)' vs 'Risk 2 (Medium)' means for your meal
Every Chicago restaurant is assigned a risk level that determines how often inspectors visit. Here's what those levels actually represent.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
ChicagoMay 14, 2026
How clean are Lincoln Park kitchens?
Lincoln Park is one of Chicago's most iconic dining neighborhoods. We pulled five years of inspection data to see how its restaurants actually perform.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
ExplainersMay 11, 2026
The most common violations Chicago inspectors find
Out of the hundreds of possible citations, a few specific violation numbers show up on almost every report. Here are the ones inspectors flag most often.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
IndustryMay 7, 2026
Why restaurants fail — the most common reasons from 5 years of data
After looking at thousands of failed Chicago inspections, the same handful of issues come up over and over. Here are the patterns.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff
ExplainersMay 4, 2026
How Chicago's health inspection process works
Who shows up, when, and what they're actually checking. A behind-the-scenes look at how the city decides whether your favorite spot is safe to eat at.
By IsTheKitchenClean Staff