Blog — Chispections

Essays and analysis on Chicago food inspection data.

• How to Read a Chicago Health Inspection Report — 2026-03-08 — Chicago health inspection reports are public but nearly unreadable. Here's what each section actually means.
• What Does 'Pass with Conditions' Actually Mean? — 2026-03-06 — About 15% of Chicago inspections end with a conditional pass. Neither clean nor failed. Here's what that means.
• How Often Are Chicago Restaurants Inspected? — 2026-03-04 — Chicago uses risk-based scheduling. High-risk restaurants are supposed to get inspected twice a year. The word 'supposed' is doing a lot of work.
• What Happens When a Restaurant Fails a Health Inspection — 2026-03-02 — A failed health inspection doesn't mean what you think it means. Here's what actually happens next.
• Chicago's Dirtiest Neighborhoods: Roaches, Rodents & the Cleanest Kitchens — 2026-03-10 — We ranked every Chicago neighborhood by cockroach citations, rodent droppings, and restaurant pass rates. Some of these are not surprising. Some are.
• The 2026 Chicago Rat Map — 2026-03-12 — We mapped every rodent citation in the Chicago health inspection database. The distribution is not random.
• Is Your Favorite Chain Clean? Chicago Fast Food Safety Rankings — 2026-03-14 — We ranked Chicago's biggest fast food chains by health inspection pass rate. Chipotle is at the top. Domino's is not.
• What Inspectors Actually Look For — 2026-03-16 — A Chicago health inspector walks into your restaurant. Here's what they're checking, in what order, and which findings end your night.
• The Cleanest Neighborhoods for Eating Out in Chicago — 2026-03-18 — Some Chicago neighborhoods pass health inspections at rates 20 points above the city average. Here's where and why.

Browse more: All Chicago inspections | Rankings | Violation dictionary

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