What is Black Dog Gelato's health inspection score?

Black Dog Gelato has a SafeDine safety score of 49 out of 100 (Grade C). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Black Dog Gelato last inspected?

Black Dog Gelato was last inspected on October 3, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Black Dog Gelato have?

Black Dog Gelato has 15 total violations across 3 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Black Dog Gelato safe to eat at?

Black Dog Gelato has a safety score of 49/100, which suggests room for improvement. Review the detailed inspection history on SafeDine for more information.

Official Health Record

Black Dog Gelato

Name: Black Dog Gelato
Address: 859 N DAMEN AVE, Chicago, 60622
Rating: 49

859 N DAMEN AVE, Chicago

Last inspected 7mo ago

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0Poor

Wicker Park

Ranked #447 of 583 in Wicker Park

Declining

3 inspections

Last: Oct 3, 2025

medium confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

33%

Clean Rate

Avg Violations

8 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

HandwashingHigh Priority

Employees not properly washing hands — contamination risk

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Employee hygiene

Personal hygiene practices not followed

Pest issuesHigh Priority

Evidence of pests found during inspection

Facility condition

Building maintenance or structural issues

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-52

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-0 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-0 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-12 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-3 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

-49 pts

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

100

3rd

30% weight

Real-time Score: 48/100 — This score includes today's freshness penalty and may differ slightly from the displayed score (49/100) which is computed during our regular data sync.

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

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859 N DAMEN AVE, Chicago, IL 60622

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Violation Timeline

Jun 2023

1 inspections

Jun

Jul 2024

1 inspections

3 basic

Oct 2025

1 inspections

4 high priority

8 basic

Oct

Inspection History

3 records on file

3 Canvass

Oct 25

Canvass InspectionLatestPass w/ Conditions

4 High8 Basic

12 total4 risk factors

24/100inspection score

−56 pts

High Priority (4)

−40 pts

1PERSON IN CHARGE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFORMS DUTIESRisk Factor−10
PIC DOESN'T HAVE A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGERS CERTIFICATE MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.(PRIROITY FOUNDATION 7-38-012)
2CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATERisk Factor−10
OBSERVED NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER CERTIFICATE POSTED TO VIEW WHILE TCS FOODS ARE BEING PREPARED.HANDLED AND SERVED SUCH AS (SLICED TURKEY,PESTO,ARUGULA,PASTRAMI,GELATO,ETC)MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.(PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-012)(CITATION ISSUED)
8HANDS CLEAN & PROPERLY WASHEDRisk Factor−10
OBSERVED POOR HYGIENIC PRACTICES BY MALE FOOD HANDLER OBSERVED HIM GO INTO WALK IN FREEZER AND COME BACK OUT,THEN PUT A MAGNET ON SIDE OF WALK IN COOLER THEN PUT ON PLASTIC GLOVES AND HANDLED A TURKEY SANDWICH THAT WAS ON TOPSIDE OF PREP COOLER TO PUT IN DELI PAPER WITHOUT WASHING HANDS.MUST WASH HANDS AFTER EVERY POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION.(PRIORITY 7-38-010)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)
8HANDS CLEAN & PROPERLY WASHEDRisk Factor−10
OBSERVED MALE FOOD HANDLER WASH HIS HANDS AT 3- COMPARTMENT SINK FAR RIGHT COMPARTMENT SINK,AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO WASH HIS HANDS AFTER EVERY POSSIBLE CONTAMINATION .INSTRUCTED TO WASH HANDS AT DESIGNATED HAND WASHING SINK. (COS)(PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-010)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)

Basic (8)

−16 pts

46GLOVES USED PROPERLY−2
OBSERVED IMPROPER USAGE OF PLASTIC GLOVES BY FOOD HANDLER.
47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
MUST ELIMINATE CRATES USED FOR FOOD STORAGE IN WALK IN COOLER AND 1ST FL. DRY STORAGE AREA.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE LEAKY AIR CONDITIONING UNIT IN TOILET ROOM AND LEAKY CONDENSER IN WALK IN COOLER.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
MUST CLEAN FOOD SPLATTER FROM WALL IN WALK IN FREEZER.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE MISSING FLOOR TILE IN WALK IN COOLER.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
MUST CLEAN DEBRIS BUILD UP FROM FLOOR IN BASEMENT AND STANDING WATER ON FLOOR BEHIND REACH IN FREEZER.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
MUST ELEVATE,REMOVE OR ORGANIZE ARTICLES OFF OF FLOOR AND AWAY FROM WALLS IN BASEMENT.
57ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING−2
OBSERVED NO FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−56 pts

Risk factor bonus (4× +5)−20 pts

Jul 24

Canvass InspectionPass

3 Basic

3 total

94/100inspection score

−6 pts

Basic (3)

−6 pts

43IN-USE UTENSILS: PROPERLY STORED−2
OBSERVED SCOOP STORED IN SUGAR WITH HANDLE DIRECTLY TOUCHING SUGAR. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO STORE SCOOP WITH HANDLE FACING UP OR OUTSIDE OF CONTAINER ON A FOOD-GRADE SURFACE.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
OBSERVED INTERIOR OF MICROWAVE WITH DEBRIS BUILD UP. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO CLEAN.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
OBSERVED MISSING GROUT AT HAND WASHING SINK IN TOILET ROOM. THE SINK APPEARS DETACHED FROM THE WALL. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO REPAIR.

Base deductions−6 pts

Jun 23

Canvass InspectionCleanPass

No violations

100/100inspection score

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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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