Cooked?
El Charro Mexican Food
- resultPass
- critical violations0
- last inspectedJanuary 13, 2026
- address2547 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago 60625
Is El Charro Mexican Food clean?
El Charro Mexican Food is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on January 13, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.
What did inspectors find at El Charro Mexican Food?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on January 13, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🪳pests in the houseInsects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • OBSERVED AN OPENING ON THE LEFT BOTTOM SIDE OF BACK DOOR. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT TO REPAIR OR CLOSE OPENING TO PREVENT PEST ENTRY.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeFood & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • MUST REPAIR TORN GASKETS ON THE INSIDE OF THE TWO DOOR REACH-IN COOLER AND THE INSIDE OF THE WALK-IN COOLER DOOR IN THE KITCHEN AREA.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED WET MOP STORED ON THE FLOOR IN THE REAR STORAGE AREA. INSTRUCTED TO HANG MOPS TO ALLOW TO DRY WHEN NOT IN USE.
- ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • NO PROOF OF FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES FOR ON SITE FOOD EMPLOYEES DURING INSPECTION. MUST PROVIDE AND KEEP CERTIFICATES ON SITE.All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • NO PROOF OF FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES FOR ON SITE FOOD EMPLOYEES DURING INSPECTION. MUST PROVIDE AND KEEP CERTIFICATES ON SITE.
- 🥜allergen training missingAllergen Training As Required • NO ALLERGEN TRAINING ON SITE FOR CITY OF CHICAGO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER. INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT THAT ALL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MANAGERS MUST COMPLETE ALLERGEN TRAINING AND KEEP CERTIFICATE ON SITE.
When was El Charro Mexican Food last inspected?
El Charro Mexican Food has 7 inspections on record going back to February 24, 2023.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| January 13, 2026 | Pass | |
| February 11, 2025 | Pass | |
| February 7, 2025 | Fail | |
| February 4, 2025 | Fail | |
| February 6, 2024 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| March 3, 2023 | Pass | |
| February 24, 2023 | Fail |
El Charro Mexican Food vs Lincoln Square
Lincoln Square runs 59% clean across 922 tracked restaurants — 536 clean, 152 mid, 228 cooked.
Against the 922 spots Cooked tracks in Lincoln Square, this one comes out cleaner than 44% of them.
Other spots in Lincoln Square
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 January 13, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.