The Heartland Café, closed by city health inspectors last week, is back in business.

Department of Public Health spokesman Tim Hadac says the popular Rogers Park restaurant, known for its left-leaning politics, passed an inspection after being shut down for a number of critical violations, including mouse feces throughout the restaurant, food kept at unsafe temperatures and cross-contamination in an ice machine.

The Heartland Café staff spent much of the last week refurbishing the restaurant.

“The inspector on the scene told me that the work Heartland did to get back in compliance was ‘impressive,’ and that’s saying something, because our inspectors are very exacting,” Hadac says.

James says the restaurant, located at 7000 N. Glenwood, spent between $2,500 and $3,000 on materials to resurface the kitchen and dish room floors, rebuild the stage, caulk possible rodent entrances and a number of projects that health inspectors did not require.

“We did a lot more than we were required to do because we had this opportunity,” James says. He says more than 70 people volunteered their time to give the restaurant a makeover.

James says the restaurant lost between $20,000 and $30,000 over the weekend, but he insists the restaurant will benefit in the long run.

“We’re really grateful that it turned from chaos to us to opportunity,” he says.