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 currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on November 4, 2011. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

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 • All food shall be from sources approved by health authorities and safe for human consumption.OBSERVED A ASSORTED VARIETY OF PREPACKAGED COOKIES FOR SALE .NO INVOICE OR RECEIPT FROM A APPROVED SUPPLIER,UNKNOWN SOURCE OF FOOD SUPPLIER & PRODUCT.PRODUCT WAS REMOVED FROM PREMISES.MUST PROVIDE A RECEIPT/INVOICE FROM A APPROVED SUPPLIER AT ALL TIMES.(CRITICAL 7-38-005B)CITATION ISSUED.APPX.11LBS.$22
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Food And Non-Food Contact Equipment Utensils Clean, Free Of Abrasive Detergents • All food and non-food contact surfaces of equipment and all food storage utensils shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized daily.MUST CLEAN SOME REACH IN COOLER SHELVING UNITS.
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • The floors shall be constructed per code, be smooth and easily cleaned, and be kept clean and in good repair.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED & MISSING FLOOR TILES WHERE NEEDED,BROKEN CONCRETE FLOOR IN PRODUCE WALK IN COOLER,HOLES IN FLOOR IN REAR STORAGE AREA.MUST CLEAN FLOOR THROUGHOUT.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • The floors shall be constructed per code, be smooth and easily cleaned, and be kept clean and in good repair.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED & MISSING FLOOR TILES WHERE NEEDED,BROKEN CONCRETE FLOOR IN PRODUCE WALK IN COOLER,HOLES IN FLOOR IN REAR STORAGE AREA.MUST CLEAN FLOOR THROUGHOUT.
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • The walls and ceilings shall be in good repair and easily cleaned.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED WALL TRIM LEADING TO REAR STORAGE AREA,LOOSE WALL BASES WHERE NEEDED,WORN FRONT DOOR SWEEP,CEILING ON SALES FLOOR IN POOR REPAIR & PEELING PAINT.
  Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • The walls and ceilings shall be in good repair and easily cleaned.MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE DAMAGED WALL TRIM LEADING TO REAR STORAGE AREA,LOOSE WALL BASES WHERE NEEDED,WORN FRONT DOOR SWEEP,CEILING ON SALES FLOOR IN POOR REPAIR & PEELING PAINT.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded • Shielding to protect against broken glass falling into food shall be provided for all artificial lighting sources in preparation, service, and display facilities.MUST PROVIDE END CAPS ON LIGHT SHIELDS IN PRODUCE WALK IN COOLER.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Premises Maintained Free Of Litter, Unnecessary Articles, Cleaning Equipment Properly Stored • All parts of the food establishment and all parts of the property used in connection with the operation of the establishment shall be kept neat and clean and should not produce any offensive odors.MUST ELEVATE ARTICLES OFF OF FLOOR & AWAY FROM WALLS IN REAR STORAGE AREA.

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 64% clean across 668 tracked restaurants — 427 clean, 92 mid, 146 cooked.

Against the 668 spots Cooked tracks in South Lawndale, this one comes out cleaner than 27% of them.

Other spots in South Lawndale

• ✓ Chava Produce,Inc.
  clean · December 7, 2011
• ✓ Subway
  clean · January 8, 2026
• ✓ Stella's Sandwich Shop Ltd.
  clean · January 9, 2012
• ✓ La Catedral Cafe
  clean · June 3, 2026
• ✓ Taqueria El Molino
  clean · February 19, 2026
• ✓ Alex Deli
  clean · 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.

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.