El Paisano Tacos

• resultPass
• critical violations1
• last inspectedDecember 10, 2025
• address2429 W Division St, Chicago 60622

Is El Paisano Tacos clean?

El Paisano Tacos is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on December 10, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at El Paisano Tacos?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on December 10, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • 6-301.14 : OBSERVED NO HAND WASHING SIGNS AT HAND SINKS IN REAR PREP AREAS. MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • 3-602.11(A; B:1-4,6,7; C; D) : MUST LABEL REPACKAGED DESSERTS ON DISPLAY FOR SALE WITH PROPER INFORMATION GIVEN AND MAINTAIN. • 3-302.12 : MUST LABEL FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN ORIGINAL PACKAGES SUCH AS (SHAKERS,BULK CONTAINERS,SQUEEZE BOTTLES,ETC)
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • 6-202.15 : OBSERVED A GAP ALONG BOTTOM OF DOUBLE DOORS BEHIND A WALL OF COOLERS IN DINING AREA AND ALONG SIDE OF FRONT DOOR MUST MAKE DOORS TIGHT FITTING TO PREVENT INSECT ENTRY.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • 3-304.14 : OBSERVED SEVERAL HEAVILY SOILED WIPING CLOTHS STORED ON SURFACES THROUGHOUT PREP AREAS AND COUNTERS MUST REPLACE SOILED TOWELS AND STORE THEM IN A SANITIZING SOLUTION WHEN NOT IN USE.
• ⚠️In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • 3-304.12 : OBSERVED ICE SCOOP ,BOWLS AND SCOOPS STORED ON TOP RACK IN REAR STORAGE AREA AND INSIDE OF BULK FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS MUST REMOVE AND STORE IN A PROPER MANNER.
  In-Use Utensils: Properly Stored • 3-304.12 : OBSERVED ICE SCOOP ,BOWLS AND SCOOPS STORED ON TOP RACK IN REAR STORAGE AREA AND INSIDE OF BULK FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS MUST REMOVE AND STORE IN A PROPER MANNER.
• ⚠️Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • 4-903.11 (A;B;D) : MUST INVERT MULTI-USE UTENSILS ON DISH STORAGE SHELVES.
  Utensils, Equipment & Linens: Properly Stored, Dried, & Handled • 4-903.11 (A;B;D) : MUST INVERT MULTI-USE UTENSILS ON DISH STORAGE SHELVES.
• ⚠️Single-Use/Single-Service Articles: Properly Stored & Used • 4-903.11(A;C) : MUST STORE PLASTIC WEAR WITH HANDLES IN UPRIGHT POSITION TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
  Single-Use/Single-Service Articles: Properly Stored & Used • 4-903.11(A;C) : MUST STORE PLASTIC WEAR WITH HANDLES IN UPRIGHT POSITION TO PREVENT CONTAMINATION.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • 4-501.11 : MUST PROVIDE SINK STOPPERS FOR 3- COMPARTMENT SINK.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED DOOR GASKETS ON 2-DOOR REACH IN COOLER AND 1- DOOR GLASS REACH IN COOLER. • 4-102.11 : OBSERVED PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS BEING USED FOR FOOD STORAGE IN FREEZERS AND AT FRONT PREP AREA MUST USE FOOD GRADE BAGS FOR FOOD STORAGE. • : 4-501.12 : OBSERVED SOILED,WORN AND PITTED CUTTING BOARDS ON TOPSIDE OF FRONT PREP COOLER AND ON REAR PREP TABLES MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE TO BE IN GOOD REPAIR. • 4-101.19 : OBSERVED FOIL BEING USED ON LOWER SHELF OF PREP TABLE MUST REMOVE AND MAINTAIN A CLEAN SURFACE.
• ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.12 : OBSERVED POTS AND STORAGE BINS TO LARGE TO SUBMERGED INTO 3- COMPARTMENT SINK MUST REMOVE POTS & BINS,PROVIDE A LARGER SINK OR PROVIDE A WRITTEN PROCEDURE ON HOW TO PROPERLY SANITIZE MULTI-USE UTENSILS.
  Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips • 4-301.12 : OBSERVED POTS AND STORAGE BINS TO LARGE TO SUBMERGED INTO 3- COMPARTMENT SINK MUST REMOVE POTS & BINS,PROVIDE A LARGER SINK OR PROVIDE A WRITTEN PROCEDURE ON HOW TO PROPERLY SANITIZE MULTI-USE UTENSILS.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • 4-601.11(C) : MUST CLEAN EXCESSIVE GREASE AND FOOD DEBRIS BUILD UP FROM FRYER CABINETS, GRILL TABLES, PREP TABLES, REACH IN & PREP COOLERS,WHEEL BASES,UNDERSIDES OF OVERHEAD SHELVING UNIT ABOVE FRONT PREP COOLER,SERVICE COUNTER SHELVING UNITS,INTERIOR PANEL OF ICE MACHINE.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • 5-204.12 : OBSERVED NO BACKFLOW DEVICE TO BE SEEN FOR SERVICING ON ICE MACHINE AND PROVIDE BACKFLOW DEVICES ON THREADED FAUCETS AT MOPSINK.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • 6-501.19 : MUST ADJUST SELF CLOSING DEVICE ON TOILET ROOM DOOR TO CLOSE TIGHTLY.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • 6-501.19 : MUST ADJUST SELF CLOSING DEVICE ON TOILET ROOM DOOR TO CLOSE TIGHTLY.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • 6-201.11 : MUST CLEAN EXCESSIVE GREASE,FOOD DEBRIS BUILD UP AND DIRT FROM ALL WALLS THROUGHOUT PREMISES. • 6-501.114 : MUST REMOVE EXCESSIVE CLUTTER FROM PREP TABLES AND STORE PROPERLY. • 6-501.13 : MUST CLEAN EXCESSIVE FOOD DEBRIS AND DIRT FROM FLOOR UNDER,AROUND AND ALONG WALL BASES.
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • : 2-102.13 : OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • : 2-102.13 : OBSERVED EXPIRED FOOD HANDLERS TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.

When was El Paisano Tacos last inspected?

El Paisano Tacos has 16 inspections on record going back to December 8, 2016. The 12 most recent are shown below.

El Paisano Tacos vs West Town

West Town runs 46% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 955 clean, 252 mid, 850 cooked.

Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 54% of them.

Other spots in West Town

• ✓ Alba's Restaurant
  clean · May 25, 2017
• ✓ Haute & Ready Catering
  clean · January 18, 2017
• ✓! Korfusion
  cooked · October 19, 2017
• ✓ Komorebi
  clean · November 12, 2025
• ✓! En Hakkore
  cooked · August 25, 2023
• ✓ Beatnik
  cooked · August 3, 2017

See every restaurant inspection in West Town →

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 December 10, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.