What is Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2's health inspection score?

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 has a SafeDine safety score of 87 out of 100 (Grade A). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 last inspected?

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 was last inspected on July 25, 2025. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 have?

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 has 14 total violations across 5 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 safe to eat at?

Yes, Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 has an excellent safety record with a score of 87/100. This indicates strong compliance with health and safety standards.

What type of cuisine does Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 serve?

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2 serves Mexican cuisine. Visit their SafeDine page for safety scores, inspection history, and more details.

Official Health Record

Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2

Name: Penelope's Vegan Taqueria #2
Address: 5204 N CLARK ST, Chicago, 60640
Rating: 87

5204 N CLARK ST, Chicago

Last inspected 8mo ago

▲Improving

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0Excellent

Mexican•Uptown

Ranked #109 of 747 in UptownBetter than 80% of mexican restaurants

Improving

5 inspections

Last: Jul 25, 2025

medium confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

20%

Clean Rate

2.8

Avg Violations

9 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

Temperature control

Food not kept at safe temperatures — risk of bacterial growth

Cross-contamination

Raw and cooked foods not properly separated

Plumbing issues

Plumbing or waste disposal problems

Pest issuesHigh Priority

Evidence of pests found during inspection

SanitationHigh Priority

Equipment or surfaces not properly cleaned/sanitized

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-13

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-1 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-1 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-3 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Freshness Penalty

-3 pts

Score reduced due to stale inspection data

Inspection Timeline

+14 pts

Latest

100% weight

100

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

5204 N CLARK ST, Chicago, IL 60640

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Violation Timeline

Mar 2023

1 inspections

2 basic

Mar

Jun 2023

1 inspections

1 intermediate

2 basic

Oct 2024

1 inspections

3 high priority

1 intermediate

3 basic

Oct

Nov 2024

1 inspections

Jul 2025

1 inspections

2 basic

Jul

Inspection History

5 records on file

3 Canvass1 Canvass Re-Inspection1 License

Jul 25

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

2 Basic

2 total

96/100inspection score

−4 pts

Basic (2)

−4 pts

47FOOD & NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES CLEANABLE, PROPERLY DESIGNED, CONSTRUCTED & USED−2
OBSERVED CUTTING BOARD AT THE PREP LINE WITH OPEN SEAMS AND STAINS. MUST REFINISH OR REPLACE DAMAGED OR STAINED CUTTING BOARDS.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED WET MOP STORED IN THE BUCKET IN THE HALLWAY LEADING TO BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED TO HANG MOPS IN UTILITY AREA TO ALLOW TO DRY WHEN NOT IN USE.

Base deductions−4 pts

Nov 24

Canvass Re-Inspection InspectionCleanPass

No violations

100/100inspection score

Oct 24

Canvass InspectionFail

3 High1 Med3 Basic

7 total2 risk factors

49/100inspection score

−41 pts

High Priority (3)

−30 pts

1PERSON IN CHARGE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFORMS DUTIESRisk Factor−10
PERSON IN CHARGE DOES NOT HAVE A CITY OF CHICAGO SANITATION CERTIFICATE. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION.
2CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATERisk Factor−10
FOUND NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WHILE TCS FOODS (MEXICAN RICE, REFRIED BEANS, TACOS, BURRITOS ETC) ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE, A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOODSERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE MUST BE PRESENT AT ALL TIMES THAT TIME/TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR SAFETY (TCS) FOOD IS BEING HANDLED. (CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ARRIVED 45 MINUTES LATER) PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-012 CITATION ISSUED
16FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES: CLEANED & SANITIZED−10
INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN INTERIOR SURFACES OF ICE MACHINE WITH MINIMAL MINERAL DEPOSITS IN FRONT PREP AREA.

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

36THERMOMETERS PROVIDED & ACCURATE−5
INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE THERMOMETER VISIBLE INSIDE ALL COOLERS.

Basic (3)

−6 pts

39CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY−2
INSTRUCTED TO PROPERLY STORE BOXES 6" OFF THE FLOOR TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION AND FOR EASY ACCESS ON CLEANING IN THE BASEMENT STORAGE.
58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER WITH EXPIRED ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT, ANY PERSON WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE TO COMPLY WITH CURRENT ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATION.
60PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATION CORRECTED−2
PREVIOUS CORE VIOLATIONS NOT CORRECTED FROM INSPECTION REPORT# 2576610 ISSUED ON 06-01-2023 PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-42-090 CITATION ISSUED #37 - OBSERVED BULK FOOD CONTAINERS ON SHELVING UNIT WITH NO LABELS IN REAR PREPARATION AREA. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE LABELS WITH FOOD NAMES ON ALL BULK FOOD CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND MAINTAIN. #51 - OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE FOR THE UTILITY SINK LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE A BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE LOCATED SO THAT IT MAY BE SERVICED AND MAINTAINED.

Base deductions−41 pts

Risk factor bonus (2× +5)−10 pts

Jun 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 FOOD CONTAINERS ON SHELVING UNIT WITH NO LABELS IN REAR PREPARATION AREA. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE LABELS WITH FOOD NAMES ON ALL BULK FOOD CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN ITS ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND MAINTAIN.

Basic (2)

−4 pts

51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
5-204.12 OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE FOR THE UTILITY SINK LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE A BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE LOCATED SO THAT IT MAY BE SERVICED AND MAINTAINED.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED EXPOSED BRICK WALLS IN THE FRONT PREPARATION AREA. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO SEAL THE EXPOSED BRICK WALL TO ENSURE A SMOOTH, NONABSORBENT, AND EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE AND MAINTAIN.

Base deductions−9 pts

Mar 23

License InspectionPass

2 Basic

2 total

96/100inspection score

−4 pts

Basic (2)

−4 pts

51PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES−2
OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE FOR THE UTILITY SINK LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROVIDE A BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE LOCATED SO THAT IT MAY BE SERVICED AND MAINTAINED.
55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
OBSERVED SOME DIRT ON THE FLOOR IN THE REAR PREPARATION AREA. INSTRUCTED THE PERSON IN CHARGE TO DETAIL CLEAN FLOORS AND MAINTAIN THEM.

Base deductions−4 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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