A longtime Vietnamese restaurant in Uptown has been shut down after city health inspectors repeatedly found rat and mouse droppings, live roaches, and other sanitation failures inside. Nhà Hàng Vietnam, at 1032 W. Argyle St., failed two consecutive inspections this month, and as of Thursday the restaurant remained closed.
The Chicago Department of Public Health closed the restaurant on Oct. 14 after inspectors found numerous health violations, according to Block Club Chicago. The closure followed a complaint-driven inspection on Oct. 5, when city inspectors found several dozen rat and mouse droppings in the kitchen and dining area, along with live roaches, flying insects on the walls and in a food container, and dirty doors, walls and floors, per city records cited by the outlet.
When inspectors returned on Oct. 14 for a re-inspection, the problems hadn’t gone away. They found improperly stored rat bait in the kitchen and dining area, and rat droppings and live roaches were still present, leading the restaurant to fail two consecutive health inspections according to city records. The Chicago Department of Public Health instructed the restaurant, per the inspection report, to detail clean and sanitize all affected areas and to consult a pest control company for treatment.
A Decade-Plus Fixture on Argyle Street
Nhà Hàng Vietnam has operated in Uptown’s Asia on Argyle corridor since 2011, serving traditional Vietnamese dishes including pho and bánh mís. The restaurant isn’t a stranger to inspection trouble: it failed a health inspection in March 2024 but passed a re-inspection a week later, and it passed two inspections with conditions in February 2025 and another with conditions in March 2025, according to city records referenced by the outlet.
Restaurant representatives could not be reached for comment on the failed inspections or on what steps, if any, are being taken to address the violations, the outlet reported. The restaurant remained closed as of Thursday.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Pest Citations Citywide
Nhà Hàng Vietnam’s closure joins a string of Chicago restaurant shutdowns this year tied to rodents and insects. The cafeteria at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center had its license suspended after inspectors found more than 200 live cockroaches and black slime dripping onto ice meant for consumption, according to NBC Chicago.
Downtown, Magnolia Bakery at 108 N. State St. was shut down after inspectors found more than a dozen cockroaches and hundreds of small flies, with the city’s data portal listing its license as revoked, the Chicago Tribune reported. The same report noted that Stella’s Diner on North Broadway was shut down on July 9 after inspectors observed more than 50 trapped cockroaches and several dead ones, following an earlier failed inspection that turned up two live cockroaches. Kimberli Sushi Bar and Thai Cuisine was also temporarily closed after a complaint-driven inspection turned up 15 live cockroaches and 200 mouse droppings, while the Bagel Restaurant and Deli spent 17 days closed battling a heavy roach infestation before reopening on June 20 after passing a re-inspection.
ABC7 Chicago has reported similar findings elsewhere in the city: Taste of Canton in McKinley Park was cited for live roaches, 250 mouse droppings and food held between 50 and 103 degrees instead of the required 41, and LB Bistro & Patisserie at the Sheraton Grand Hotel was cited in August for a dead rat, six live roaches and 60 rodent droppings before passing a follow-up inspection, according to the station’s report.
No Confirmed Citywide Trend, Health Department Says
Despite the string of closures, a Chicago Department of Public Health spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune that there is no trend in the number of license suspensions and that the department manages them throughout the year. The city says restaurant inspections generally focus on food handling practices, product temperatures, personal hygiene, facility maintenance and pest control, with establishments subject to recurring checks including annual inspections, according to the City of Chicago.
It remains unclear what corrective steps, if any, Nhà Hàng Vietnam has taken since its Oct. 14 closure, as restaurant representatives have not been reached for comment. For now, the longtime Argyle Street restaurant sits closed, awaiting the inspection that will determine whether it can reopen.
