The Great American Bagel
1154 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60607 · West Loop · Restaurant · High risk
Clean record — passed all 9 inspections
Last Inspected
2025-04-03
What You Should Know
✓ 9 consecutive passes, most recently 2025-04-03
✓ No failures across all 9 inspections on record
⚠ Employee Hygiene issues found across 4 inspections
⚠ Documentation & Training issues found across 4 inspections
Advertisement · 300×250
Types of Issues Found
🧼 Employee Hygiene critical 4×
🌡 Food Temperature serious 4×
📋 Documentation & Training critical 4×
📦 Food Storage & Handling minor 2×
Inspection History
1 ▾
minor Food Storage & Handling
FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER
OBSERVED FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WITHOUT LABELS CONTAINING THE COMMON NAME OF FOODS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
CRITICAL 3 ▾
critical Employee Hygiene
ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
OBSERVED MISSING HANDWASH SIGNAGE AT THE BASEMENT EMPLOYEE RESTROOM. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
minor Food Storage & Handling
CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY
OBSERVED FOOD CONTAINERS STORED ON THE FLOOR IN THE WALK-IN COOLER, PREP AND STORAGE AREAS. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO PROPERLY STORE AND PROTECT FOOD ITEMS FROM CONTAMINATION WHILE STORED BY ELEVATING AT LEAST SIX INCHES FROM THE FLOOR ON RAISED SHELVING...
minor Employee Hygiene
PERSONAL CLEANLINESS
OBSERVED FOOD HANDLERS PREPPING FOOD WITHOUT HAIR RESTRAINTS. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE THAT ALL FOOD HANDLERS MUST WEAR A HAIR RESTRAINT.
2023-03-28 Pass Canvass Re-Inspection ▾
2023-03-14 Pass w/ Conditions Canvass 4 ▾
serious Food Temperature
PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES
FOUND COLD TCS FOODS AT IMPROPER COLD-HOLDING TEMPERATURES INSIDE THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER LOCATED TO THE LEFT OF THE HOT-HOLDING STATION. SLICED TURKEY, MOZZARELLA, TUNA SALAD, AND CHICKEN SALAD WERE FOUND AT TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 48F TO 53F. INST...
minor Food Temperature
PROPER COOLING METHODS USED; ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL
EQUIPMENT NOT MAINTAINING PROPER TEMPERATURE. NOTED THE TEMPERATURE OF THE 2-DOOR PREP COOLER TO THE LEFT OF THE HOT-HOLDING STATION TO BE IMPROPER AT 52.0 F. UNIT TAGGED AND HELD FOR INSPECTION BY THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND MAY NOT ...
serious Employee Hygiene
PLUMBING INSTALLED; PROPER BACKFLOW DEVICES
OBSERVED A LEAK COMING FROM THE FRONT PREP HANDWASHING SINK FAUCET. MUST REPAIR AND MAINTAIN.
minor Documentation & Training
ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED
OBSERVED THE CURRENT CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MANAGER'S ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE TO BE EXPIRED. INSTRUCTED THAT ALL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MANAGERS MUST COMPLETE ALLERGEN TRAINING AND KEEP NON-EXPIRED CERTIFICATES ON SITE.
2022-04-28 Pass w/ Conditions Canvass Re-Inspection CRITICAL 2 ▾
critical Documentation & Training
PERSON IN CHARGE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATES KNOWLEDGE, AND PERFORMS DUTIES
NO PERSON IN CHARGE DURING TIME OF INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. NO CITATION ISSUED.
critical Documentation & Training
CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE
NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WHILE TCS FOODS (SAUSAGE) ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER MUST BE ON SITE AT ALL TIMES WHILE TCS FOODS ARE BEING PREPARED AND SERVED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION. 7-38-012. CITATION ISSUED.
2022-03-30 Pass w/ Conditions Canvass 2 ▾
serious Food Temperature
PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURES
OBSERVED SLICED TURKEY AT IMPROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURE AT 50.3F. ALSO OBSERVED THE FOLLOWING TCS FOODS AT IMPROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERTATURE. SALMON FOUND AT 44.5F, SLICED HAM FOUND AT 46.4F, IMPOSSIBLE SAUSAGE FOUND AT 50.7F, CHEDDAR CHEESE FOU...
minor Food Temperature
PROPER COOLING METHODS USED; ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL
OBSERVED IMPROPER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE INSIDE OF PREP COOLER AT 44.2F. PROPER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE INSIDE OF A COLD HOLDING UNIT MUST BE AT 41.0F OR BELOW. PRIORITY VIOLATION. 7-38-005. CITATION ISSUED.
CRITICAL 2 ▾
critical Employee Hygiene
ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE
OBSERVED NO HANDWASHING SIGNAGE IN THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
minor Documentation & Training
FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER
OBSERVED PACKAGED FOOD ITEMS AT CHECKOUT REGISTER (COOKIES, CAKE PIECES, AND MUFFINS) AND PACKAGED REFRIGERATED FOODS (YOGURT PARFAITS AND SALADS) NOT PROPERLY LABELED WITH INGREDIENTS. INSTRUCTED PERSON IN CHARGE TO PROPERLY LABEL ALL PACKAGED FOOD ...
1 ▾
minor Sanitation
PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN
INSTRUCTED TO SWEEP THE FLOOR INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER AND IN CORNER AREAS. CLEAN FLOOR DRAINS AT SINKS IN PREP AREAS. CLEAN VENT FAN IN EMPLOYEE WASHROOM TO REMOVE DUST OBSERVED ON VENT.
1 ▾
minor Sanitation
PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN
WALL AND CEILING ABOVE TOASTER, PANINI MACHINE IN NEED OF CLEANING TO REMOVE ALL BUILD UP. CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.'
Data sourced from Chicago Dept. of Public Health ·
Score calculated from inspection outcomes, violation severity & recency.
· How we score
View official record on city data portal →
Eat or Beat scores are independent editorial analysis of public records and do not represent official government ratings.