What is Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches's health inspection score?

Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches has a SafeDine safety score of 93 out of 100 (Grade A). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches last inspected?

Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches was last inspected on July 9, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches have?

Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches has 11 total violations across 6 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches safe to eat at?

Yes, Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches has an excellent safety record with a score of 93/100. This indicates strong compliance with health and safety standards.

What type of cuisine does Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches serve?

Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches serves Vietnamese cuisine. Visit their SafeDine page for safety scores, inspection history, and more details.

Official Health Record

Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches

Name: Lotus Cafe & Banh MI Sandwiches
Address: 719 W MAXWELL ST, Chicago, 60607
Rating: 93

719 W MAXWELL ST, Chicago

Last inspected 10mo ago

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0Excellent

Vietnamese•West Loop

Ranked #175 of 1000 in West LoopBetter than 96% of vietnamese restaurants

Stable

6 inspections

Last: Jul 9, 2025

medium confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

33%

Clean Rate

1.8

Avg Violations

11 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

Temperature control

Food not kept at safe temperatures — risk of bacterial growth

HandwashingHigh Priority

Employees not properly washing hands — contamination risk

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Sanitation

Equipment or surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitized

Other violation

Regulatory compliance issue

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-11

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-0 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-2 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-2 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-7 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

+4 pts

100

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

100

3rd

30% weight

Real-time Score: 89/100 — This score includes today's freshness penalty and may differ slightly from the displayed score (93/100) 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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719 W MAXWELL ST, Chicago, IL 60607

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Violation Timeline

May 2022

1 inspections

1 intermediate

May

Apr 2023

1 inspections

2 intermediate

1 basic

Apr 2024

2 inspections

1 high priority

2 basic

Apr

Jul 2025

2 inspections

1 intermediate

3 basic

Inspection History

6 records on file

2 Canvass Re-Inspection4 Canvass

Jul 25

Canvass Re-Inspection InspectionLatestCleanPass

No violations

100/100inspection score

Jul 25

Canvass InspectionFail

1 Med3 Basic

4 total

89/100inspection score

−11 pts

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

25CONSUMER ADVISORY PROVIDED FOR RAW/UNDERCOOKED FOOD−5
OBSERVED NO CONSUMER ADVISORY DISCLOSURE OR REMINDER STATEMENT ON THE MENU FOR FOODS THAT ARE SERVED RAW OR UNDERCOOKED (SUNNY SIDE UP EGGS AS A SIDE AND ON SUNNY SIDE BEEF SANDWICH). MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO DISCLOSE OR DESCRIBE WHICH FOODS CAN BE ORDERED RAW OR UNDERCOOKED AND LINK THOSE ITEMS TO A REMINDER STATEMENT ON THE MENU BOARD AND ORDERING KIOSK. MUST ADD THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE BEFORE THE REMINDER STATEMENT:"THESE FOODS CAN BE ORDERED RAW OR UNDERCOOKED OR MAY CONTAIN RAW OR UNDERCOOKED INGREDIENTS." PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005.

Basic (3)

−6 pts

48WAREWASHING FACILITIES: INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & USED; TEST STRIPS−2
OBSERVED DIRTY DISHES IN THE LEFT COMPARTMENT OF THE 2-COMPARTMENT SINK AND SANITIZER (200 PPM QAC) IN THE RIGHT COMPARTMENT OF THE 2-COMPARTMENT SINK. THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK MUST BE USED TO WASH, RINSE AND SANITIZE ALL UTENSILS. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-025. CITATION ISSUED.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
THE COLD WATER HANDLE FOR THE EXPOSED HAND WASHING SINK NEXT TO THE 3-COMPARTMENT SINK IS NOT OPERATIONAL. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR THE HANDLE.
57ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING−2
OBSERVED SEVERAL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES WITHOUT A VALID FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATE. MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTED THAT ALL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES MUST SHOW VALID PROOF OF FOOD HANDLER TRAINING.

Base deductions−11 pts

Apr 24

Canvass Re-Inspection InspectionCleanPass

No violations

100/100inspection score

Apr 24

Canvass InspectionFail

1 High2 Basic

3 total

86/100inspection score

−14 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

10ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE−10
OBSERVED MISSING HANDWASH SIGN AT FRONT PREP HANDSINK. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.

Basic (2)

−4 pts

53TOILET FACILITIES: PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED, SUPPLIED, & CLEANED−2
OBSERVED NO COVERED RECEPTACLE FOR PROPER DISPOSAL OF SANITARY NAPKINS IN THE WOMENS WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE COVERED WASTE RECEPTACLE.
60PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION CORRECTED−2
PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION FROM REPORT #2574147 ON 4/12/23 WAS NOT CORRECTED: 47 -NOTED THE LEFT DOOR ON THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER LOCATED IN THE FRONT PREP AREA BROKEN. MUST REPAIR/REATTACH THE DOOR TO THE COOLER AND MAINTAIN. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-42-090.

Base deductions−14 pts

Apr 23

Canvass InspectionPass w/ Conditions

2 Med1 Basic

3 total

88/100inspection score

−12 pts

Intermediate (2)

−10 pts

21PROPER HOT HOLDING TEMPERATURES−5
FOUND HOT TCS FOOD AT IMPROPER HOT HOLDING TEMPERATURE; OBSERVED COOKED RICE INSIDE A HOT HOLDING UNIT AT 128F. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT THAT ALL HOT-HOLDING FOODS MUST BE AT 135F OR ABOVE AT ALL TIMES. FOOD DISCARDED. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
22PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES−5
FOUND COLD TCS FOODS AT IMPROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES INSIDE THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER ACROSS FROM THE GRILL. FOUND COOKED TOFU AND COOKED NOODLES AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 54F TO 55F. INSTRUCTED TO DISCARD AND DENATURE SAID TCS FOODS AND ALWAYS MAINTAIN ALL COLD-HOLDING TCS FOODS AT OR BELOW 41F. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005. REFER TO VIOLATION #21 FOR CITATION. FOOD DISCARDED.

Basic (1)

−2 pts

47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
NOTED THE LEFT DOOR ON THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER LOCATED IN THE FRONT PREP AREA BROKEN. MUST REPAIR/REATTACH THE DOOR TO THE COOLER AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−12 pts

May 22

Canvass InspectionPass

1 Med

1 total

95/100inspection score

−5 pts

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
INSTRUCTED TO LABEL BULK FOOD CONTAINERS WITH COMMON NAME TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY.

Base deductions−5 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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