Taste of Chicago vendors face record health code violations
Inspectors logged over 160 infractions at the July festival, including 800 pounds of food discarded due to temperature issues.
By Aiko Sato ·
City health inspectors documented more than 160 code violations at this summer’s Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. Records obtained from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events show that 58 of the 81 food vendors had at least one citation during the five-day event. Two specific vendors received nine violations each.
Temperature control was the primary source of the infractions. Inspectors issued 82 citations for holding food at incorrect temperatures and seven for faulty cooling facilities. These temperature-related issues accounted for more than half of all violations recorded at the festival. As a result, vendors discarded at least 800 pounds of food, including pork, plantains, lettuce, and tomatoes, because it was not stored safely.
Some violations involved basic sanitation issues. Inspectors noted overflowing garbage, backed-up sinks, and employees working without proper hair restraints. In other cases, food was prepared in unusual locations, such as on folding tables behind tents along the park hedges. One vendor, Josephine’s Southern Cooking, was cited for washing dishes and preparing food on site, actions that are not permitted under festival rules.
The application process for the festival requires vendors to submit a clean health inspection from a brick-and-mortar location or food truck within six months of applying. However, fewer than half of the 81 vendors met this requirement. Nine restaurants failed inspections at their permanent locations between applying and the festival start date. Ponce Restaurant, located at 4313 W. Fullerton Ave., failed an inspection in late June after inspectors found evidence of rodent activity, including 35 mouse droppings in the storage area. The restaurant was later passed a week before the festival but failed three of four inspections on the first day of Taste.
Food truck Yummy Halal also faced scrutiny. An inspection 22 days before the festival found rat droppings on the truck floor and wastewater leaking onto the street. During the festival, the truck failed five inspections and was shut down for one day because a certified manager was not on site. Richard Little, manager of Oooh Wee Smothered, said the shared refrigeration trailers provided by the city malfunctioned on the first day. He noted that inspectors gave mixed messages about what could be prepared on site, such as chopping green tomatoes.
The Department of Public Health stated that no foodborne illness was linked to the 2026 event. The last major outbreak associated with the festival occurred in 2007, when a Salmonella case from a hummus dish sickened more than 300 people. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the city continues to prioritize strengthening food safety inspections and enforcement efforts.
City sanitarians inspect major sponsored events like RibFest Chicago and Square Roots Festival. However, private events such as Lollapalooza and Riot Fest are not inspected by the department, even though they take place on public property. Jacob Martin, an information coordinator for the health department, said the agency prioritizes events with higher numbers of vendors, which often includes neighborhood street fests.
