Fruteria El Mercado

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations1
• last inspectedNovember 4, 2011 →
• address2759 S Spaulding Ave, Chicago 60623
• cuisineGrocery Store

Is Fruteria El Mercado clean?

Fruteria El Mercado is no longer in business. Chicago Department of Public Health recorded it as out of business on December 5, 2014, which is an administrative result rather than a health finding — the business closed or moved, it was not shut down over conditions. Its last actual inspection result was Pass w/ Conditions on November 4, 2011. The record below is kept for history; it says nothing about whatever occupies the address now.

What did inspectors find at Fruteria El Mercado?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on November 4, 2011, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Source Sound Condition, No Spoilage, Foods Properly Labeled, Shellfish Tags In Place
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Food And Non-Food Contact Equipment Utensils Clean, Free Of Abrasive Detergents
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Premises Maintained Free Of Litter, Unnecessary Articles, Cleaning Equipment Properly Stored

When was Fruteria El Mercado last inspected?

Fruteria El Mercado has 4 inspections on record going back to August 26, 2010.

Fruteria El Mercado vs South Lawndale

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

Other spots in South Lawndale

• ✓ Chava Produce,Inc.
  clean · December 7, 2011
• ✓ Subway
  clean · January 8, 2026
• ✓ Stella's Sandwich Shop Ltd.
  cooked · January 9, 2012
• ✓ La Catedral Cafe
  clean · August 27, 2026
• ✓ Taqueria El Molino
  clean · February 19, 2026
• ✓ Alex Deli
  cooked · November 30, 2012

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 November 4, 2011. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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