Restaurants

What does “Pass with Conditions” mean in Chicago?

Chicago reports restaurant inspections as Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail. Here's what each result means.

Updated Jun 22, 2026

Unlike New York's letter grades, Chicago publishes an inspection outcome. There are three, and the middle one confuses people the most.

The three results

  • Pass — no critical or serious violations at the time of inspection.
  • Pass with Conditions — violations were found, but they were corrected on site during the inspection or scheduled for a follow-up.
  • Fail — critical or serious violations that couldn't be resolved, which can lead to closure or re-inspection.

“Pass with Conditions” is not a failure — it means problems were caught and addressed. But it's worth checking what those conditions were, and whether they recur across inspections.

Where the data comes from

Chicago publishes food-inspection results as open data through the City of Chicago. Radius normalizes those results and shows inspection history so you can see whether a place consistently passes clean.

Frequently asked

Is “Pass with Conditions” bad in Chicago?
No — it means violations were found but corrected on site or scheduled for follow-up, and the restaurant passed. Look at how often it happens across a restaurant's history for the fuller picture.
Does Chicago give letter grades?
No. Chicago reports Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail rather than an A/B/C letter grade. Radius shows the official result and normalizes it for comparison with other cities.

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