Philadelphia Chicken Restaurant Cited for Multiple Health Code Violations During Inspection

[Editor’s note: The report mentioned here is from inspections conducted on July 8 and may not represent the future health inspection status of the food establishments.]

The Philadelphia Department of Health conducted a routine health inspection at CM Chicken on July 8. The report identified several health code violations in the restaurant, including employees wearing gloves without washing their hands, inaccessible handwashing facilities, and evidence of insect and rodent activity.

WhatNow has reached out to the restaurant for comment and will update the story upon receiving a response.

CM Chicken

When: July 8, 2026

Where: 3180 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States

CM Chicken (Choong Man’s Chicken) is a well-known Korean-style fried chicken spot. According to the inspection report, the violations included the following:

At the beginning of the inspection, the food-safety-certified person was not present. The PIC arrived at the end of the inspection and did not have the Food Manager Food Safety Certificate issued by the department.
The PIC was advised to apply for the City of Philadelphia manager food-safety certificate. The application for the Philadelphia Manager Food Safety Certificate was emailed to the restaurant with the inspection report.
A partially eaten piece of bread was found in the food preparation area. During the inspection, an employee removed the food from the food preparation area.
The report noted that employees were wearing single-use gloves without washing their hands first. The PIC was instructed to take immediate corrective action.
The handwashing sink in the rear food preparation area was blocked by a table and was not accessible for employees to use at all times. During the inspection, an employee removed the table and made the handwashing sink area accessible.
The handwashing sink in the warewashing area had no soap available, as the soap dispenser was inoperable. The PIC provided soap in a container at the time of inspection.
The inspection report stated that inside the reach-in freezer, raw beef was stored above shrimp. The PIC was instructed to rearrange the storage order so the shrimp was stored above the raw beef.
The sanitizing solution in the 3-bay ware-washing sink had 100 ppm of quaternary ammonium concentration instead of 200-400 ppm as per the required use directions by the manufacturer. PIC was asked to take immediate corrective action and prepare the sanitizing solution as per the required guidelines.

Screenshot of the violations mentioned in the inspection report (Image Credit: philadelphia-pa.healthinspections.us)

The report noted that potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food items, which were prepared in a food facility, were stored for more than 48 hours. The food items, including white sauce and diced radish, were kept in the walk-in cooler without date markings. The restaurant PIC was instructed to correct it immediately.
Two insecticides in the warewashing area were not labeled for use in the facility. The report instructed the restaurant that these insecticides cannot be used in the facility.
The report noted physical evidence of insect and rodent activity in the ware-washing and rear food preparation area (flies) and mouse droppings in the storage area.
A non-NSF or ANSI-approved microwave was found in the kitchen. The restaurant also lacked sanitizer QAC test strips to monitor sanitizer concentration.
The report also stated that the restaurant had accumulated grease on the side of the fryers and food debris around the floor perimeter in the walk-in cooler. Dust accumulation was found on the shelving inside the walk-in cooler.
The dumpster lids were missing. The report also observed dust on the ceiling tiles in the kitchen, ware-washing area, and rear food-prep area.
The restaurant had missing ceiling tiles in the kitchen and storage area, and the floor drain in the ware-washing area was also missing its cover.
Behind the ice machine, dirt accumulation was also noted. One walk-in unit was not in use in the rear storage area.
The inspection report found a mix of old and new mouse droppings in the storage area. The restaurant was instructed to clean and sanitize all the surfaces.
The broom and dustpan were kept on the floor in the storage area instead of being kept elevated in the utility tool rack. A light bulb was inoperable in the walk-in cooler.
In both the men’s and women’s washrooms, the fans were covered with dust.
Employees’ food (ice cream and ham) was stored in the reach-in freezer and walk-in refrigerator.

A detailed inspection report is available here.

Follow-Up Inspection

Official inspection report screenshot — A screenshot of the comments stated in the official inspection report (Image Credit: philadelphia-pa.healthinspections.us)

The Department of Health cited the restaurant for multiple health code violations and unsatisfactory conditions. The restaurant is required to correct all the violations before requesting a reinspection.

The restaurant was also instructed to apply and submit the associated fee for the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health Food Establishment Personnel Food Safety Certificate within 30 days of the inspection.