WEST RIDGE — After being forced to close by public health officials earlier this week, The Angry Crab's owners hope to reopen Monday, but the restaurant failed a re-inspection Friday, city officials said.
The restaurant at 5665 N. Lincoln Ave. was closed Tuesday after inspectors found some seafood stored well above the 40 degree temperature required by city law. In total, the city found 12 health code violations, according to a city inspection record.
The business failed a re-inspection Friday after the city found that a walk-in cooler was still maintaining improper temperatures, city records show.
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On Friday, co-owner David Nguyen said that of the violations the city found, "everything is minor." He blamed the problems on the incredible workload at the restaurant, which has been jammed with customers since the flagship West Ridge location opened nearly 21 months ago, followed by the opening of a second Wicker Park spot more recently.
"We've been running two years nonstop, no break," Nguyen said.
The most serious violation found Tuesday was inadequate temperatures within a walk-in cooler, according to city records. The cooler was found to be at temperatures as high as 60-70.5 degrees, "with potentially hazardous food inside, including shrimp, oysters and clams," records show. Other food, including sausage and clams, were found at temperature at 50 degrees.
Nguyen said the issue was caused by a delivery that was made the day of the inspection Tuesday. The refrigerator's door was constantly open to make way for the delivery, making the temperature inside temporarily higher than codes require, he said.
"You keep opening the door, so of course it's going to be over," he said.
He called the issue "overstated." Six of the violations found were considered "minor," city records show.
The restaurant hopes to reopen Monday after a "tune up" to the refrigerator, Nguyen said.
But the restaurant failed another inspection Friday morning and must pass a re-inspection before it can reopen, said Brian Richardson, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The re-inspection Friday found the cooler problem persists, with ambient temperatures found at 42.6 degrees. The city has told the restaurant to reinstall reach-in coolers to store its food before reopening, according to city records.
"At this time establishment remains closed by the CDPH, due to lack of adequate refrigeration for the facility," the report reads.
Nguyen could not be reached for comment about the re-inspection later Friday.
The inspection Friday did find that five of the code violations had been corrected and no pests were observed at the restaurant. Inspectors on Friday said they found a "black mildew like substance" in the ice portion of the pop machine, a problem similar to one found Tuesday, according to city records.
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According to the first inspection, the Department of Public Health was notified of at least one customer who claims to have fallen ill after eating at the Angry Crab.
The Angry Crab, opened in February 2015, was an immediate success, and routinely sees customers lined up down the block. It opened up a Wicker Park location this summer.
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