LOGAN SQUARE — Could the curse of the Congress be spreading?
Congress Pizzeria, a restaurant and sports bar located half a block south of the Congress Theater on Milwaukee Avenue, failed its most recent health inspection Nov. 4, which found 18 violations, including "10 cockroaches on premises (behind ice machine and behind the reach-in freezer near the dining room doors)."
The eponymous theater at 2135 N. Milwaukee Ave. has been closed since May after the city revoked its liquor license and cited multiple building violations.
Congress Pizzeria manager Dora Reynoso said the restaurant didn’t “actually” fail.
"We're waiting for them to come back and re-inspect," said Reynosa, who has worked at Congress for three years. "We didn't fail."
"It's just procedure, they'll come back to make sure we follow through on their recommendations."
The city's Nov. 4 report recommended that the restaurant at 2033 N. Milwaukee Ave. "remove all pests," "contact a licensed pest control service" and "clean walls behind equipment."
Congress Pizzeria has failed inspection 11 times since June 2010, according to city records.
Following a failed inspection, restaurants typically have a few days to address the issues, but must then schedule a return visit from the city health inspectors to ensure they followed up.
As of Tuesday, the Chicago Department of Public Health had no pending requests for re-inspection at 2033 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to a department spokeswoman.
Requesting re-inspection requires business operators to fill out a form letter that's issued during the initial inspection.
“Apparently they didn’t send the letter,” she said.
Business has not been interrupted by the inspection, according to the restaurant, which is open from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
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