Cooked?
El Malecon
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations2
- last inspectedFebruary 24, 2026
- address9706 S Commercial Ave, Chicago 60617
Is El Malecon clean?
El Malecon is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on February 24, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.
What did inspectors find at El Malecon?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 24, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 📋certified manager paperwork missingcriticalCity Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • 2-101.11 OBSERVED NO VALID CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER'S CERTIFICATE POSTED NOR ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO ALWAYS HAVE AN ORIGINAL AND VALID CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER'S CERTIFICATE ON SITE AND POSTED. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. CITATION ISSUED 7-38-012.
- 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecriticalAdequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • 6-301.14 OBSERVED A HANDWASHING SIGN IS NEEDED AT THE REAR FOOD PREP AREA HANDWASHING SINK. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
- ⚠️Toxic Substances Properly Identified, Stored, & Used • 7-102.11 OBSERVED A CONTAINER OF A CHEMICAL OUT OF IT'S ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND IN A SPRAY BOTTLE HANGING BY THE 3 COMPARTMENT SINK WITHOUT A LABEL CONTAINING THE CHEMICAL'S COMMON NAME. INSTRUCTED TO LABEL ALL BOTTLES THAT CONTAIN CHEMICAL WHEN THE CHEMICAL IS NOT STORED IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING. MANAGER PROVIDED A LABEL FOR THE SPRAY BOTTLE DURING THE INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. CITATION ISSUED 7-38-015.Toxic Substances Properly Identified, Stored, & Used • 7-102.11 OBSERVED A CONTAINER OF A CHEMICAL OUT OF IT'S ORIGINAL PACKAGING AND IN A SPRAY BOTTLE HANGING BY THE 3 COMPARTMENT SINK WITHOUT A LABEL CONTAINING THE CHEMICAL'S COMMON NAME. INSTRUCTED TO LABEL ALL BOTTLES THAT CONTAIN CHEMICAL WHEN THE CHEMICAL IS NOT STORED IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING. MANAGER PROVIDED A LABEL FOR THE SPRAY BOTTLE DURING THE INSPECTION. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. CITATION ISSUED 7-38-015.
- 🏷️food improperly labeledFood Properly Labeled; Original Container • 3-302.12 OBSERVED DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS INADEQUATELY LABEL WITH THE COMMON NAME OF THE PRODUCT. OBSERVED A CONTAINER WITH THE LABEL "SAL" ON THE FRONT HOWEVER THE CONTAINER WAS A RICE STORAGE CONTAINER. INSTRUCTED TO LABEL ALL DRY STORAGE CONTAINERS PROPERLY.
- ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.13 OBSERVED A DRAINBOARD IS NEEDED AT THE FRONT FOOD PREP AREA 3 COMPARTMENT SINK. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.13 OBSERVED A DRAINBOARD IS NEEDED AT THE FRONT FOOD PREP AREA 3 COMPARTMENT SINK. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-501.12 OBSERVED VENTS ABOVE THE COOKING EQUIPMENT WITH MINOR ACCUMULATED DEBRIS. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN.
- ⚠️Summary Report Displayed And Visible To The Public • 8-304.11(A) OBSERVED THE MOST PREVIOUS INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY DATED 1/6/25 NOT POSTED FOR THE PUBLIC'S VIEW. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THE FACILITY HAD THE INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FROM 4/25/24 POSTED. INSTRUCTED TO ALWAYS POST THE MOST RECENT INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FOR THE PUBLIC'S VIEW AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. CITATION ISSUED 7-42-010(B).Summary Report Displayed And Visible To The Public • 8-304.11(A) OBSERVED THE MOST PREVIOUS INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY DATED 1/6/25 NOT POSTED FOR THE PUBLIC'S VIEW. AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION THE FACILITY HAD THE INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FROM 4/25/24 POSTED. INSTRUCTED TO ALWAYS POST THE MOST RECENT INSPECTION REPORT SUMMARY FOR THE PUBLIC'S VIEW AT ALL TIMES. PRIORITY FOUNDATION. CITATION ISSUED 7-42-010(B).
When was El Malecon last inspected?
El Malecon has 4 inspections on record going back to April 25, 2024.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| February 24, 2026 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| February 9, 2026 | — | |
| January 6, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| April 25, 2024 | Pass |
El Malecon vs East Side
East Side runs 64% clean across 189 tracked restaurants — 119 clean, 48 mid, 20 cooked.
Against the 189 spots Cooked tracks in East Side, this one comes out cleaner than 13% of them.
Other spots in East Side
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 February 24, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.