What is Cafe 53's health inspection score?

Cafe 53 has a SafeDine safety score of 81 out of 100 (Grade B). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Cafe 53 last inspected?

Cafe 53 was last inspected on April 29, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Cafe 53 have?

Cafe 53 has 14 total violations across 3 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Cafe 53 safe to eat at?

Cafe 53 has a good safety record with a score of 81/100. While there are some noted violations, overall compliance is solid.

What type of cuisine does Cafe 53 serve?

Cafe 53 serves Cafe cuisine. Visit their SafeDine page for safety scores, inspection history, and more details.

Official Health Record

Cafe 53

Name: Cafe 53
Address: 1369 E 53RD ST, Chicago, 60615
Rating: 81

1369 E 53RD ST, Chicago

Last inspected 11mo ago

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0Good

Cafe•Hyde Park

Ranked #93 of 245 in Hyde ParkBetter than 82% of cafe restaurants

Stable

3 inspections

Last: Apr 29, 2025

medium confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

Clean Rate

4.7

Avg Violations

12 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

Pest issues

Evidence of pests found during inspection

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Other violation

Regulatory compliance issue

Facility condition

Building maintenance or structural issues

Permit/documentation

Administrative or documentation issue

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-19

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-0 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-2 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-7 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-7 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

+4 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

1369 E 53RD ST, Chicago, IL 60615

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Violation Timeline

Mar 2024

1 inspections

7 basic

Mar

Dec 2024

1 inspections

1 intermediate

3 basic

Apr 2025

1 inspections

3 basic

Apr

Inspection History

3 records on file

2 Canvass1 Complaint

Apr 25

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

3 Basic

3 total

94/100inspection score

−6 pts

Basic (3)

−6 pts

47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
INSTRUCTED MANAGER THAT POP AND/OR MILK CRATES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR PROPER ELEVATION. MUST BE ABLE TO EASILY CLEAN AND MONITOR UNDERNEATH.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN INTERIOR OF COOLERS, FREEZERS AND COUNTER TOPS.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
MUST DETAIL CLEAN THE FLOORS THROUGH OUT ALONG THE WALL BASE AND IN CORNERS TO REMOVE SPILLS AND/OR DEBRIS. ALSO CLEAN LEDGES IN THE PREP AREA TO REMOVE DBERIS.

Base deductions−6 pts

Dec 24

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Med3 Basic

4 total

89/100inspection score

−11 pts

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

38INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT−5
OBSERVED THE REAR EXTERIOR DOOR NOT TIGHT FITTING AT THE BOTTOM (1/4" GAP). MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN TO PREVENT POSSIBLE ENTRY POINT FOR PESTS.

Basic (3)

−6 pts

47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
OBSERVED CUTTING BOARD IN THE REAR WITH DEEP DARK SEEMS. MUST REPAIR AND/OR REPLACE.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
MUST CLEAN THE INTERIOR OF THE REACH IN COOLER SHELVING AND FAN COVER.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED THE CEILING AND WALLS IN THE PREP AREA DUSTY. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−11 pts

Mar 24

Complaint InspectionPass

7 Basic

7 total

86/100inspection score

−14 pts

Basic (7)

−14 pts

45SINGLE-USE/SINGLE-SERVICE ARTICLES: PROPERLY STORED & USED−2
OBSERVED GROCERY BAGS BEING USED FOR FOOD STORAGE FOR SOME FOOD ITEMS; INSTRUCTED TO USE FOOD GRADE BAGS FOR FOOD STORAGE.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
OBSERVED THE RUBBER GASKETS AT ONE REFRIGERATION UNIT AND ONE FREEZER IN POOR REPAIR; INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE TO AVOID AIR ESCAPING FROM UNITS.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
FOUND A LEAK FROM THE EXPOSED HANDSINK IN TH MENS WASHROOM; INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR LEAK AT SINK.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE FOLLOWING: THE FLOORS AND WALLS AROUND UNDER AND BEHIND KITCHEN EQUIPMENT, CLEAN FLOOR IN REAR STORAGE ROOM, CLEAN INTERIORS OF REFRIGERATION UNITS WHERE NEEDED, PREP TABLES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT IN KITCHEN AREA.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
INSTRUCTED TO ORGANIZE AND MAINTAIN REAR STORAGE CLOSET; REMOVE ANY UNNECESSARY ITEMS TO AVOID CLUTTER.
57ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING−2
INSTRUCTED THAT ALL FOOD HANDLERS THAT ARE NOT FOOD SERVICE MANAGERS MUST OBTAIN THE REQUIRED FOOD HANDLER TRAINING.
58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
INSTRUCTED THAT ALL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE MANAGERS MUST OBTAIN THE REQUIRED FOOD ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFCATE.

Base deductions−14 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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