El Caldero

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedApril 22, 2026
• address5145 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago 60632

Is El Caldero clean?

El Caldero is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on April 22, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at El Caldero?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on April 22, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-304.11: OBSERVED NO MECHANICAL VENTILATION INSTALLED IN ALL GENDER WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL MECHANICAL VENTILATION OF SUFFICIENT CAPACITY IN ALL GENDER WASHROOM. • 6-303.11: OBSERVED FLICKERING LIGHT IN REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE FLICKERING LIGHT IN REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA TO INCREASE LIGHT INTENSITY.
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • 6-304.11: OBSERVED NO MECHANICAL VENTILATION INSTALLED IN ALL GENDER WASHROOM. INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL MECHANICAL VENTILATION OF SUFFICIENT CAPACITY IN ALL GENDER WASHROOM. • 6-303.11: OBSERVED FLICKERING LIGHT IN REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE FLICKERING LIGHT IN REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA TO INCREASE LIGHT INTENSITY.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • 6-202.15: OBSERVED OPENING AT LOWER LEFT CORNER OF REAR EXIT DOOR. INSTRUCTED TO SEAL ALL OUTER OPENINGS TO PREVENT PEST ENTRANCE.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • 5-204.12: UNABLE TO LOCATE BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE ON ICE MACHINE. INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICE ON ICE MACHINE SO THAT IT SHALL BE LOCATED SO THAT IT MAY BE SERVICED AND MAINTAINED.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-501.16: OBSERVED MOP STORED IN BUCKET. INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL MOP DRYING RACK FOR PROPER DRAINING AND DRYING OF MOPS TO PREVENT PEST BREEDING • 6-501.11: OBSERVED DAMAGED AND MISSING FLOOR TILES IN REAR DISHWASHING AREA. INSTRUCTED TO SMOOTHLY REPAIR OR REPLACE ALL MISSING OR DAMAGED FLOOR TILES IN REAR DISHWASHING AREA AND MAINTAIN. OBSERVED MISSING BASEBOARD UNDERNEATH FRONT CABINETS IN FRONT PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO SMOOTHLY REPLACE ALL MISSING BASEBOARDS IN FRONT PREP AREA UNDERNEATH FRONT CABINETS FRONT CABINETS IN FRONT PREP AREA. OBSERVED HOLES ON LOWER WALL UNDERNEATH FRONT CABINETS IN FRONT PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO SMOOTHLY REPAIR HOLES IN LOWER WALL UNDERNEATH FRONT CABINETS IN FRONT PREP AREA AND MAINTAIN.
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • 2-102.13: AT TIME OF INSPECTION FACILITY PROVIDED NO ALLERGEN AWARENESS TRAINING CERTIFICATES FOR EMPLOYEE WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATE. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF ALLERGEN TRAINING FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WITH CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION CERTIFICATES.

When was El Caldero last inspected?

El Caldero has 2 inspections on record going back to April 8, 2026.

El Caldero vs West Elsdon

West Elsdon runs 76% clean across 399 tracked restaurants — 299 clean, 61 mid, 35 cooked.

Against the 399 spots Cooked tracks in West Elsdon, this one comes out cleaner than 27% of them.

Other spots in West Elsdon

• ✓ El Mercado Fresco
  clean · May 6, 2026
• ? La Locanda
  not rated · May 26, 2026
• ✕ Red Lobster Restaurant #277
  cooked · August 21, 2014
• ✓ Chop Suey Express
  clean · April 21, 2016
• ✓! Burger King
  mid · November 26, 2019
• ✓ Jackys Hot Dogs
  clean · December 15, 2025

See every restaurant inspection in West Elsdon →

How Chicago grades restaurants

Chicago does not use letter grades. Every inspection ends in one of three official results: Pass, Pass with Conditions, or Fail. Pass with Conditions means violations were found but corrected on the spot or under a deadline — the restaurant is open, with homework. A Fail means serious violations went uncorrected, and it usually brings a re-inspection within days. Chicago also flags “priority” violations, the ones most likely to actually make someone sick. Cooked reads Pass as clean, Pass with Conditions as mid, and Fail as cooked, and shows the itemized violations behind each result.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated April 22, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.