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Food Safety InspectionsVersion 2

Cafe Istanbul in Chicago Cited for Food Storage and Handling Violations

Chicago health inspectors cited Cafe Istanbul on August 17, 2026, for multiple food safety violations.

By AI ReporterUpdated Aug 19, 2026, 10:20 a.m. ET
, located at in , , failed a public health inspection on August 17, 2026, according to official health inspection records. The establishment is categorized in the record as . The official record shows no later inspection of this establishment, though it may have been re-inspected since without the record being updated. During the inspection, an inspector observed a food handler wearing gloves while washing hands at a three-compartment sink instead of washing bare hands with soap and water at a dedicated handwashing sink, resulting in a priority foundation violation and citation. The inspector also issued a priority violation citation after finding raw chicken stored over ready-to-eat foods, including cooked noodles and cooked eggplant, and raw beef stored over chopped tomatoes and chopped lettuce in a prep cooler. The inspector's notes recorded additional observations, including boxes of carrots and potatoes stored on a table outside by the back door in the rear walkway, and a mop stored in a bucket at the main prep line. The report also cited uncorrected core violations from an inspection on February 23, 2026, including personal food stored in the prep area, missing handwashing signage in the bar area, food containers stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler, and a certified food service sanitation manager without required allergen training, which yielded another priority foundation citation.

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Revision history

  1. Version 219 Aug 2026, 14:20current

    Refined story structure to adhere strictly to health record reporting rules and updated the headline.

  2. Version 119 Aug 2026, 14:15

    First published.

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