What is Cafe Nova's health inspection score?

Cafe Nova has a SafeDine safety score of 68 out of 100 (Grade C). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Cafe Nova last inspected?

Cafe Nova was last inspected on February 25, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Cafe Nova have?

Cafe Nova has 16 total violations across 4 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Cafe Nova safe to eat at?

Cafe Nova has a safety score of 68/100, which suggests room for improvement. Review the detailed inspection history on SafeDine for more information.

What type of cuisine does Cafe Nova serve?

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

Official Health Record

Cafe Nova

Name: Cafe Nova
Address: 6431 N SHERIDAN RD, Chicago, 60626
Rating: 68

6431 N SHERIDAN RD, Chicago

Data may be outdated — inspected 2/25/2025

▼Declining

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0Fair

Cafe•Rogers Park

Ranked #141 of 203 in Rogers ParkBetter than 45% of cafe restaurants

Declining

3 inspections

Last: Feb 25, 2025

low confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

Clean Rate

5.3

Avg Violations

15 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

Cross-contamination

Raw and cooked foods not properly separated

Temperature control

Food not kept at safe temperatures — risk of bacterial growth

HandwashingHigh Priority

Employees not properly washing hands — contamination risk

Pest issues

Evidence of pests found during inspection

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-34

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-3 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-10 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-7 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-12 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

-7 pts

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

3rd

30% weight

Real-time Score: 66/100 — This score includes today's freshness penalty and may differ slightly from the displayed score (68/100) 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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6431 N SHERIDAN RD, Chicago, IL 60626

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Violation Timeline

Sep 2022

1 inspections

6 basic

Sep

Feb 2024

1 inspections

1 high priority

2 basic

Feb 2025

1 inspections

3 intermediate

4 basic

Feb

Inspection History

3 records on file

2 Canvass1 License

Feb 25

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

3 Med4 Basic

7 total

77/100inspection score

−23 pts

Intermediate (3)

−15 pts

36THERMOMETERS PROVIDED & ACCURATE−5
FOUND A COOKING THERMOMETER INSIDE THE TWO DOOR REACH-IN COOLER AT 180F. INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE AND PROVIDED PROPER TERMOMETER FOR COLD HOLDING:41F AND BELOW.
37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
STORED FOOD IN CONTAINERS THROUGHOUT THE KITCHEN MUST BE LABELED WITH COMMON NAME OF THE PRODUCT:FLOUR,SUGAR ETC,
38INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT−5
FRONT MAIN DOOR NOT PROTECTED,A GAP OF 1/4" TO 1/2" BETWEEN BOTTOM DOOR.INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR ISSUE TO MINIMIZE PEST/INSECT ENTRY.

Basic (4)

−8 pts

39CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY−2
SPLASH GUARD IS NEEDED BETWEEN SPICES TABLE BY THE COOKING EQUIPMENT AND HANDWASHING SINK SURFACE MUST BE SMOOTH,CLEANABLE AND NON-ABSORBENT SURFACE.
41WIPING CLOTHS: PROPERLY USED & STORED−2
OBSERVED USED WIPING CLOTHS ON TOP PREP TABLES AND CUTTING BOARDS.MUST STORE WIPING CLOTHS IN PREP AREAS IN SANITIZER BUCKET BETWEEN USES TO PREVENT CROSS CONTAMINATION. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN.
51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
NO BACK FLOW PREVENTION DEVICE PROVIDED AT NEW INSTALLED ICE MACHINE AND ESPRESSO MACHINE AT FRONT COUNTER IN DINING AREA. MUST INSTALL SO BACK FLOW PREVENTION DEVICE MAY BE LOCATED TO BE SERVICED AND MAINTAIN.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
DEBRIS ON FLOOR UNDER FRONT COUNTER AND NORTH SITE OF THE KITCHEN.CLEAN AND MAINTAIN

Base deductions−23 pts

Feb 24

Canvass InspectionPass w/ Conditions

1 High2 Basic

3 total

86/100inspection score

−14 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

10ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE−10
HANDWASHING SINK AT REAR DISHROOM AREA NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR FOR HANDWASHING. IN FRONT OF IT A LARGE SHELF WITH STORED CHEMICALS. UNABLE TO WASH HANDS. ALL HANDWASHING SINKS MUST BE ACCESSIBLE FOR USE AND USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF HAND WASHING. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION:7-38-030(C),CITATION UPON MY RETURN ON 2-6-2024 SHELF WAS REMOVED SINK IS ACCESSIBLE FOR PROPER HANDWASHING

Basic (2)

−4 pts

57ALL FOOD EMPLOYEES HAVE FOOD HANDLER TRAINING−2
ADDITIONAL FOOD HANDLER TRAINING CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED ON SITE,INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE
58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATES PROVIDED ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOR ALL CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGERS

Base deductions−14 pts

Sep 22

License InspectionPass

6 Basic

6 total

88/100inspection score

−12 pts

Basic (6)

−12 pts

39CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY−2
FRONT SMOOTHIE STATION AREA DOES HAVE A SPLASH GUARD BETWEEN PREP-TABLE AND FRONT HAND SINK. FACILITY MUST PROVIDE SPLASH GUARD WHERE SMOOTIE STATION AREA IS NOT EXPOSED TO SPLASH OR OTHER CONTAMINATION.
49NON-FOOD/FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEAN−2
PREP-LINE UNIT GASKET IS SOILED IN FRONT SMOOTHIE STATION AREA. FACILITY MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
UNNECESSARY ITEMS / NONFUNCTIONAL EQUIPMENT ARE STORED IN THE COOKLINE AND AREA NEAR DISH AREA. THE PREMISES SHALL BE FREE OF ITEMS UNNECESSARY TO THE OPERATION OR MAINTENANCE OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. THIS INCLUDES EQUIPMENT THAT IS NONFUNCTIONAL OR NO LONGER USED.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED RAW WOOD UNDER FRONT HOT HOLDING STATION---HOLES IN WALL NEAR HAND SINK IN DISH AREA, DRYWALL IN BACK COOLER AREA---FACILITY MUST PROVIDE A SMOOTH, EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE, AND NON-ABSORBENT.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED SOILED FLOORS AND WALLS THROUGHOUT KITCHEN PREP-AREA-----OBSERVED DIRTY DRAIN AREA UNDER 3COMPARTMENT SINK. THE FACILITY MUST BE CLEAN AND MAINTAINED.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
SINK FIXTURES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY HAS A GAP BETWEEN WALL THAT CAN EASILY BE EXPOSED TO MOISTURE AND DEBRIS. THE FACILITY MUST PROVIDE CAULK WITH SINK FIXTURES ADJACENT TO THE WALL TO PROVIDE A SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE.

Base deductions−12 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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