RIVER NORTH — The Boss himself — former Mayor Richard J. Daley — wouldn't be proud of a recent Health Department inspection that closed his namesake Boss Bar at 420 N. Clark St. this week.
A city inspector responding to a complaint Monday found "over 50 live cockroaches nesting and crawling on kitchen walls next to [the] grill and chest freezer, also found roaches in bar area and on the way to the basement," according to a preliminary Chicago Department of Public Health food establishment inspection report obtained by DNAinfo Chicago.
The inspection also found "over 100 live fruit flies" in the kitchen and bar area, exposed insulation and heavy ice buildup on freezers, which had grease and dead insects on the shelves, according to the report.
Faucet and pipe leaks that caused waste water to drain into the three-compartment sink were reported, as was a crack in the ceiling above the basement icemaker that was "damaged and shedding." Spills, debris and ashtrays with ash residue also were seen in the bar and kitchen area, according to the report.
A woman who answered the phone at Boss Bar Tuesday but declined to be identified said the bar was temporarily closed but expected to reopen "by Thursday or Friday," citing a "Health Department issue."
"Once they resolve the issue, they can request a reinspection, at which point we will send an inspector back to the establishment to determine if it meets the health code requirements," a Health Department representative said Tuesday.
In all, the late-night establishment received six "minor violations," one "serious violation" for not having a certified food manager on site, and a "critical violation," the most severe, for the insect infestation.
