Cooked?
La Esmeralda
- resultPass w/ Conditions
- critical violations1
- last inspectedMarch 17, 2026
- address1005 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago 60651
- cuisineGrocery Store
Is La Esmeralda clean?
La Esmeralda is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on March 17, 2026. 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 La Esmeralda?
These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on March 17, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.
- 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to codeFood & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED STAINED CUTTING BOARDS IN THE REAR PREP AREA.INSTRUCTED TO RESURFACE OR REPLACE THE CUTTING BOARDS AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED FROZEN MEATS STORED IN PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS IN THE CHEST FREEZER. INSTRUCTED TO USE ONLY FOOD GRADE STORAGE BAGS OR CONTAINERS AND MAINTAIN. • OBSERVED RAW WOOD SURFACES IN FRONT PREP AREA. INSTD TO SEAL/PAINT ALL RAW WOOD SURFACES SO AS TO BE NON POROUS AND EASILY CLEANABLE.
- 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcriticalManagement, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO WRITTEN EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY ON THE PREMISES.INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE A SIGNED EMPLOYEE HEALTH POLICY FOR EACH EMPLOYEE AND MAINTAIN AS REQUIRED.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-010, CITATION ISSUED.
- 🧊food not cooled down rightProper Date Marking And Disposition • OBSERVED READY-TO-EAT, TCS FOODS HELD FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS (COOKED CHICKEN) NOT DATE MARKED TO INDICATE THE DATE IN WHICH THE FOOD MUST BE CONSUMED OR DISCARDED.INSTRUCTED MANAGEMENT TO DATE MARK ALL READY-TO-EAT, TCS FOODS HELD MORE THAN 24 HOURS.MANAGEMENT VOLUNTARILY DISCARDED APPROXIMATELY 8#'S OF FOOD WORTH $30.00.PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005, CITATION ISSUED.
- ⚠️Sewage & Waste Water Properly Disposed • INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL GREASE TRAP BOX/INTERCEPTOR CONNECTED UNDERNEATH THE 3- COMPARTMENT SINK AND MAINTAIN.Sewage & Waste Water Properly Disposed • INSTRUCTED TO INSTALL GREASE TRAP BOX/INTERCEPTOR CONNECTED UNDERNEATH THE 3- COMPARTMENT SINK AND MAINTAIN.
- 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimyPhysical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED FOOD DEBRIS AND SPILLS ON THE FLOORS AND SURFACES THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN UNDER ALL SHELVING UNITS, INTERIOR OF THE REAR PREP/DISHWASHING AREA, AROUND PREP TABLES AND ALL COOKING EQUIPMENT TO REMOVE SPILLS, FOOD DEBRIS, AND DIRT BUILDUP. INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN AND MAINTAIN AT ALL TIMES.
- ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD SYSTEM TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF EXCESSIVE GREASE BUILD-UP AND MAINTAIN.Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • INSTRUCTED TO DETAIL CLEAN THE KITCHEN EXHAUST HOOD SYSTEM TO REMOVE ACCUMULATION OF EXCESSIVE GREASE BUILD-UP AND MAINTAIN.
- ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES PROVIDED ON THE PREMISES.MUST SHOW PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN.All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training • OBSERVED NO FOOD HANDLER CERTIFICATES PROVIDED ON THE PREMISES.MUST SHOW PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLING EMPLOYEES AND MAINTAIN.
When was La Esmeralda last inspected?
La Esmeralda has 3 inspections on record going back to June 10, 2021.
| date | result | score |
|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2026 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| July 10, 2025 | Pass w/ Conditions | |
| June 10, 2021 | Pass w/ Conditions |
La Esmeralda vs Humboldt Park
Humboldt Park runs 65% clean across 728 tracked restaurants — 467 clean, 112 mid, 143 cooked.
Against the 728 spots Cooked tracks in Humboldt Park, this one comes out cleaner than 24% of them.
Other spots in Humboldt Park
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 March 17, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.