CAVA
1484 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622 · Restaurant
Inspection summary
CAVA has been inspected 6 times by Chicago Department of Public Health since February 14, 2024. The most recent inspection, on August 7, 2025, recorded 2 infractions.
3 of 6 inspections on record found no infractions at all. No inspections are on record from the past 12 months. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Pests, Protecting food from contamination and Food temperature control.
Recent inspections have recorded more infractions than earlier ones, so it is worth reading the latest reports closely.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
PestsHigher risk
Signs of mice, rats, cockroaches or flies, or gaps and clutter that let them get in or hide. Pests carry bacteria and can contaminate food and surfaces, so evidence of activity is treated seriously and usually triggers a follow-up visit.
Recorded once on August 7, 2025. For example:
INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded once on August 7, 2025. For example:
CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded once on May 17, 2024. For example:
PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on May 17, 2024. For example:
NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded once on March 6, 2024. For example:
ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
About this data
These results come from Chicago Department of Public Health, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
6 inspections
- Canvass
2 infractions
- 38. INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT
- Fly trap placed above food prep table, Instructed to remove.
- 39. CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY
- Open garbage receptacle placed next to clean utensils rack, Instructed to keep away.
- 38. INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT
- Short Form Complaint
0 infractions
- Complaint
2 infractions
- 22. PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES
- OBSERVED VARIOUS TCS FOODS STORED AT INADEQUATE TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 45-49 F. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO ENSURE ALL COLD TCS FOODS ARE HELD AT 41 F AND BELOW. THE MANAGER DISCARDED 2 POUNDS OF MIXED GREENS 1/2 POUND COOKED VEGETABLES ($35) PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED.
- 49. NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN
- OBSERVED SOIL BUILD UP ON COUNTER TOPS AND NEAR GRIDDLE AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN.
- 22. PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES
- License Re-Inspection
0 infractions
- License
1 infraction
- 10. ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
- OBSERVED HAND WASHING SINK NOT LOCATED IN CONVENIENT LOCATION FOR REAR FOOD PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO INSTALL HAND WASHING SINK IN LOCATION THAT IS CONVENIENTLY ACCESSIBLE FOR FOOD PREP STAFF. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-030(C) NO CITATION ISSUED.
- 10. ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
- License
0 infractions
Nearby inspected facilities
- NATIVE FOODS CAFE
1484 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
1 inspection
- MAX'S WINE DIVE
1482 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
2 inspections
- KIZUKI RAMEN AND IZAKAYA
1482 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
2 inspections
- Covo Gyro Market
1482 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
1 inspection
- VELVET TACO
1482 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
5 inspections
- RAPHA
1514 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
7 inspections
- SEOULSPICE
1480 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
2 inspections
- HEALTHY SUBSTANCE CANTINA
1480 N MILWAUKEE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60622
7 inspections