UNDERGROUND CHICAGO
56 W ILLINOIS ST, CHICAGO, IL 60610 · Restaurant
Inspection summary
UNDERGROUND CHICAGO has been inspected 11 times by Chicago Department of Public Health since December 3, 2014. The most recent inspection, on October 16, 2025, found no infractions.
9 of 11 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: Handwashing and staff hygiene, Protecting food from contamination and Cleaning and sanitizing.
The last 5 inspections in a row found no infractions. Recent inspections have recorded fewer infractions than earlier ones, so the record is improving.
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.
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 2 times on November 19, 2021. For example:
ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
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 November 19, 2021. For example:
CONSUMER ADVISORY PROVIDED FOR RAW/UNDERCOOKED FOOD
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 November 19, 2021. For example:
WAREWASHING FACILITIES: INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & USED; TEST STRIPS
Building, plumbing and upkeepLower risk
Floors, walls and ceilings must be smooth and clean, with working lighting, ventilation, plumbing, hot and cold water, and washrooms. These are rarely an immediate food-safety risk on their own, but persistent problems can lead to pest or sanitation issues.
Recorded 3 times on November 19, 2021. For example:
PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES
Food safety training and certificationLower risk
Most jurisdictions require a certified food handler or manager on site, and some require allergen or food-worker training. These findings mean the paperwork or the trained person was missing at the time. They do not by themselves mean food was handled unsafely.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on October 30, 2023. For example:
ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING
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.
11 inspections
- Canvass
0 infractions
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Canvass
1 infraction
- 57. ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING
- OBSERVED 6 EXPIRED FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATIONS ON SITE. FACILITY MUST PROVIDE UPDATES FOOD HANDLER CERTIFCATIONS AND PROVIDE COPIES ON SITE AT ALL TIMES.
- 57. ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Canvass
0 infractions
- Non-Inspection
0 infractions
- Complaint
8 infractions
- 3. MANAGEMENT, FOOD EMPLOYEE AND CONDITIONAL EMPLOYEE; KNOWLEDGE, RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORTING
- 10. ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
- OBSERVED NO SOAP AT HAND SINKS IN WEST BAR, AND IN SERVICE BAR. INSTRUCTED MUST PROVIDE SOAP AT ALL HAND SINKS AT ALL TIMES. PIC PROVIDED SOAP AT ALL HAND SINKS DURING INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-030(C). CITATION ISSUED.
- 10. ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
- OBSERVED NO HAND DRYING PROVISION AT HAND SINKS AT WEST BAR AND SERVICE BAR. INSTRUCTED MUST PROVIDE SANITARY MEANS TO DRY HANDS AT ALL HAND SINKS AT ALL TIMES. PIC PROVIDE PAPER TOWELS DURING INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-030(C). SEE ABOVE VIOLATION 6-301.11 FOR CITATION.
- 25. CONSUMER ADVISORY PROVIDED FOR RAW/UNDERCOOKED FOOD
- OBSERVED CONSUMER ADVISORY STATEMENT WITHOUT CORRECT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MUST PROVIDE DISCLOSURE, REMINDER AND FOOTNOTE. Instructed to identify such foods by asterisking them to a foot note that states: "Items can be served raw or undercooked or contain undercooked ingredients" and add a statement that says: "Consuming raw or undercooked animal products may increase your risk of food borne illness, especially if you have medical conditions". PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005.
- 48. WAREWASHING FACILITIES: INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & USED; TEST STRIPS
- OBSERVED NO IRREVERSIBLE REGISTERING TEMPERATURE INDICATORS ON THE PREMISES TO MEASURE THE UTENSIL SURFACE TEMPERATURE INSIDE OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE DISH MACHINE. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005
- 51. PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES
- OBSERVED HOT WATER HANDLE AT 3 COMPARTMENT SINK IN DISREPAIR (STRIPPED) IN WEST BAR. OBSERVED HAND SINKS SLOW DRAINING IN KITCHEN, SERVICE BAR AND EAST BAR. MUST MAKE ALL REPAIRS. MUST MAINTAIN SAME.
- 55. PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN
- OBSERVED OPENING AROUND HOT WATER HANDLE IN UTILITY SINK AREA. OBSERVED OPENING AROUND POWER OUTLET OVER 1 COMPARTMENT SINK. MUST SEAL ALL HOLES TO PREVENT PEST ENTRY. MUST MAINTAIN SAME.
- 56. ADEQUATE VENTILATION & LIGHTING; DESIGNATED AREAS USED
- OBSERVED LARGE OVEN (ON WHEELS) NOT LOCATED UNDER VENTILATION. INSTRUCTED ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT MUST BE LOCATED UNDER PROPER VENTILATION.
- Canvass
0 infractions
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