What is LA Cantina Grill's health inspection score?

LA Cantina Grill has a SafeDine safety score of 76 out of 100 (Grade B). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was LA Cantina Grill last inspected?

LA Cantina Grill was last inspected on April 14, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does LA Cantina Grill have?

LA Cantina Grill has 15 total violations across 5 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is LA Cantina Grill safe to eat at?

LA Cantina Grill has a good safety record with a score of 76/100. While there are some noted violations, overall compliance is solid.

Official Health Record

LA Cantina Grill

Name: LA Cantina Grill
Address: 1911 S MICHIGAN AVE, Chicago, 60616
Rating: 76

1911 S MICHIGAN AVE, Chicago

Last inspected 11mo ago

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0Good

Chinatown

Ranked #264 of 459 in Chinatown

Declining

5 inspections

Last: Apr 14, 2025

medium confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

Clean Rate

Avg Violations

12 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

HandwashingHigh Priority

Employees not properly washing hands — contamination risk

Cross-contamination

Raw and cooked foods not properly separated

Temperature control

Food not kept at safe temperatures — risk of bacterial growth

SanitationHigh Priority

Equipment or surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitized

Facility condition

Building maintenance or structural issues

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-24

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-6 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-4 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-6 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-7 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

-12 pts

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

3rd

30% weight

How scoring works: Every restaurant starts at 100 points. Points are deducted for violations found during inspections.

Recent inspections are weighted more heavily. High priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact.

Location

1911 S MICHIGAN AVE, Chicago, IL 60616

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Violation Timeline

Nov 2022

1 inspections

1 high priority

1 intermediate

2 basic

Nov

Dec 2022

1 inspections

1 basic

Nov 2023

1 inspections

1 intermediate

2 basic

Nov

Jun 2024

1 inspections

1 basic

Apr 2025

1 inspections

1 high priority

1 intermediate

4 basic

Apr

Inspection History

5 records on file

3 Canvass1 Complaint Re-Inspection1 Complaint

Apr 25

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

1 High1 Med4 Basic

6 total

77/100inspection score

−23 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

10ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE−10
OBSERVED NO HANDWASHING SIGNAGE AT THE HANDWASHING SINK AT THE BAR AREA. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
OBSERVED DRY INGREDIENT CONTAINERS NOT LABELED IN THE REAR FOOD PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO LABEL AND MAINTAIN.

Basic (4)

−8 pts

39CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY−2
OBSERVED PANS OF WHOLE FRUITS STORED ON THE FLOOR IN THE WALK-IN COOLER. INSTRUCTED TO REFRAIN FROM STORING FOOD ITEMS ON THE FLOOR AND MAINTAIN.
44UTENSILS, EQUIPMENT & LINENS: PROPERLY STORED, DRIED, & HANDLED−2
OBSERVED A CONTAINER OF CLEAN COOKING UTENSILS STORED ON THE FLOOR ACROSS FROM THE COOKING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO REFRAIN FROM STORING CLEAN UTENSILS ON THE FLOOR AND MAINTAIN.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
OBSERVED THE SLIGHT BLACK LIKE SUBSTANCE BUILD UP ON THE PANEL ABOVE THE ICE, IN THE INTERIOR OF THE ICE MACHINE. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
56ADEQUATE VENTILATION & LIGHTING; DESIGNATED AREAS USED−2
OBSERVED ONE BLOWN OUT LIGHT BULB ABOVE THE VENTILATION HOOD. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−23 pts

Jun 24

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Basic

1 total

98/100inspection score

−2 pts

Basic (1)

−2 pts

55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED THE FRONT BAR AREA WITH DIRT AND SMALL DEBRIS BUILD UP ON THE FLOOR, ALSO OBSERVED DIRT AND SMALL DEBRIS ON THE FLOOR IN THE REAR FOOD PREP AREA UNDER COOKING AND NON COOKING EQUIPMENT ALSO REAR DISH WASHING AREA WITH STANDING WATER UNDER THE DISH WASHING MACHINE. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL AREAS.

Base deductions−2 pts

Nov 23

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Med2 Basic

3 total

91/100inspection score

−9 pts

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
OBSERVED BULK ITEMS IN NON ORIGINAL CONTAINERS NOT LABELED WITH COMMON NAME. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE TO LABEL ALL BULK CONTAINERS WITH COMMON NAME OF INGREDIENT AND MAINTAIN.

Basic (2)

−4 pts

49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
OBSERVED SMALL PREP TABLE IN BAR AREA TO BE RUSTED. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE TO REPAIR TO BE SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE AND MAINTAIN.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED BUILD UP OF GRIME ON FLOOR IN DISH ROOM UNDER EQUIPMENT. OBSERVED BUILD UP OF FOOD DEBRIS IN FLOOR DRAIN IN DISH ROOM. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−9 pts

Dec 22

Complaint Re-Inspection InspectionPass

1 Basic

1 total

98/100inspection score

−2 pts

Basic (1)

−2 pts

55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
FLOOR TILES IN LADIES ROOM HAVE WATER POOLING IN AND AROUND THE TILES. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT TO REMOVE STANDING WATER.

Base deductions−2 pts

Nov 22

Complaint InspectionFail

1 High1 Med2 Basic

4 total

81/100inspection score

−19 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

16FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES: CLEANED & SANITIZED−10
FOUND A PINK SUBSTANCE AT THE CHUTE AREA OF THE ICE MACHINE. INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE ALL ICE AND DETAIL CLEAN INTERIOR OF ICE MACHINE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

22PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES−5
FOUND THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN WALK IN COOLER AT IMPROPER TEMPERATURE. COOKED STEAK IN METAL SEALED CONTAINER AT 53.5 DEGREES 50 LBS, COOKED CHICKEN IN METAL SEALED CONTAINER 57.3 DEGREES 75 LBS, COOKED RICE IN A METAL SEALED CONTAINER 55.4 DEGREES 50 LBS ALL PRODUCT HAS BEEN DISCARDED AND DENATURED AT THIS TIME. 175 LBS $450 VALUE PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005 CITATION ISSUED

Basic (2)

−4 pts

47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
BAR GUN DRAIN LINES MUST DRAIN INTO DUMP SINK OR OPEN DRAIN LINES. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT AND MAINTAIN.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
FLOOR TILES IN LADIES ROOM HAVE WATER POOLING IN AND AROUND THE TILES. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT TO REMOVE STANDING WATER.

Base deductions−19 pts

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Community Safety Reports

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Data source: Chicago CDPH · Official government inspection records

Grading System

85 – 100

Excellent

70 – 84

Good

Below 70

Fair

About SafeDine Scores

Scores are calculated using official government inspection data. High Priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact, followed by Intermediate and Basic violations. Community reviews can adjust the score by up to 5 points when 3+ reviews are submitted.

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