El Nopal

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations0
• last inspectedAugust 16, 2024 →
• address3648 W 26Th St, Chicago 60623
• cuisineBakery

Is El Nopal clean?

El Nopal is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on August 16, 2024. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at El Nopal?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on August 16, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Proper Cooling Methods Used; Adequate Equipment For Temperature Control
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Thermometers Provided & Accurate
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used

When was El Nopal last inspected?

El Nopal has 8 inspections on record going back to July 26, 2018.

El Nopal vs South Lawndale

South Lawndale runs 77% clean across 287 tracked restaurants — 220 clean, 40 mid, 24 cooked.

Against the 287 spots Cooked tracks in South Lawndale, this one comes out cleaner than 18% of them.

Other spots in South Lawndale

• ✓! La Escondida
  mid · August 2, 2018
• ✓ Los Mangos
  cooked · May 12, 2021
• ✓! Chicano Hamburger & Wings Llc
  cooked · October 17, 2018
• ✓ Es La Hora Del Chivo
  clean · January 9, 2026
• ✓ Osito's Tap
  clean · November 7, 2019
• ✓! Fruteria Andy #2
  mid · January 29, 2019

See every restaurant inspection in South Lawndale →

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.

Read the Chicago ratings guide →

Inspection findings and available history come from the authority’s published records. Cooked checks daily; publication can lag behind an inspection. Read the date on each result and check the official source for newer information.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated August 16, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

check your own block 📸

Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.