Trump’s Chicago hotel caught with flies, floods, and bad food storage

Chicago inspectors failed two Trump kitchens

A Chicago health inspector visited the Trump International Hotel & Tower on Dec. 17, 2025, and found problems in two of its food areas.

The main kitchen and the rooftop restaurant, Terrace 16, both failed their inspections. The hotel sits at 401 N. Wabash Ave. on the city’s Near North Side.

Two other spots in the building, the Rebar Lounge and banquet areas, passed without issues. The inspection records are public through the Chicago Data Portal.

How Chicago restaurant inspections work

Chicago routinely inspects every restaurant and food service spot in the city.

Inspectors from the Department of Public Health walk through kitchens and dining areas, document what they find, and tell managers what to fix.

A follow-up visit confirms whether the problems got taken care of. Failing an initial inspection is not unusual for restaurants across the city.

Many pass after they make corrections, and the Trump hotel is no exception there.

Wastewater pooled across the kitchen floor

The main kitchen had two big problems. Wastewater pooled on the floor every time three prep sinks drained, creating a mess that shouldn’t be anywhere near a working kitchen.

On top of that, the dishwasher was not properly sanitizing dishes and utensils. The inspector told the manager to fix both issues.

These are the kinds of violations that can lead to serious food safety risks if they go uncorrected for long.

Flies and debris turned up at Terrace 16

The rooftop restaurant had its own set of problems. Inspectors counted more than 10 small flies in the bar area and three more near the dish station.

A cracked lid on the ice machine needed replacing, and debris had built up inside the prep cooler and on the floor beneath sinks. The inspector told management to service every area where pests showed up.

Terrace 16, formerly known as Sixteen, sits on the hotel’s 16th floor.

Workers handled food without gloves

The inspection report noted that multiple food handlers were preparing items without wearing gloves. Workers were spotted assembling sushi toppings and handling burger buns with bare hands.

The employee bathroom also lacked hand soap, according to the report.

Neither Trump Hotels nor the Trump Organization responded to requests for comment from the outlet that first reported the inspection results. That silence has been a pattern across multiple properties.

Most issues cleared up within a week

The inspector came back on Dec. 23, just six days after the first visit. Both the main kitchen and Terrace 16 passed the follow-up inspection.

The only thing still unresolved was the cracked ice machine lid, which the inspector again told management to replace.

Quick turnarounds like this are common in the restaurant industry, where many places fix violations within days of getting flagged.

Bedminster golf club scored a 32 out of 100

The Chicago hotel is not the only Trump property to draw attention from health inspectors. In May 2025, the Somerset County Department of Health inspected Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.

Inspectors found 18 violations, and nine of them were considered critical.

The club scored 32 out of 100, the lowest among roughly 115 food spots inspected in the county that month. Violations included expired milk, improperly stored raw meat, and hand-washing sinks without soap.

Bedminster barely earned a B on reinspection

Hours after a news outlet first reported those results, inspectors came back for a reinspection. The score jumped from 32 to 86 out of 100, the lowest possible B grade.

Some problems stuck around, including food not kept at the right temperatures.

The club’s general manager, David Schutzenhofer, called the original inspection a “politically motivated attack.” Even with the improved score, 86 still placed the club at the bottom of the B range.

Westchester club had insects and rodents

In Nov. 2025, the Westchester County Department of Health inspected Trump National Golf Club Westchester in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. Inspectors reported seeing insects and rodents on site.

They also found dirty surfaces, rooms in disrepair, poor lighting and ventilation, and food that was uncovered, mislabeled, or stored on the floor. None of the five violations were considered critical.

Neither the club nor the Trump Organization responded to requests for comment.

Trump’s sons run the business now

The Trump Organization manages the president’s real estate properties while he serves in office. His sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, run the business day to day.

The organization has not publicly commented on the Chicago inspection findings.

Health inspections apply to every food service business in the country, from corner diners to five-star hotels, and the results are part of the public record.

You can look up inspection records yourself

Health inspections are a routine part of food safety across the country.

Every restaurant, hotel, golf club, and food service spot faces regular checks, and the results land in public records.

Many cities and counties publish inspection data online, so you can look up any place before you eat there. Chicago’s records are on the city’s data portal, and most state health departments offer similar tools.

It only takes a few minutes to check.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Steak ‘n Shake ditches microwaves chain-wide
• Kraft Heinz to ditch artificial dyes in all U.S. products by 2027
• FDA changes rule on what counts as "artificial colors" in food