La Palapita

• resultFail
• critical violations1
• last inspectedJune 15, 2015
• address4263 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago 60641

Is La Palapita clean?

La Palapita is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 15, 2015. Inspectors wrote up 1 critical violation — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at La Palapita?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 15, 2015, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️Previous Serious Violation Corrected, 7-42-090 • PREVIOUS SERIOUS VIOLATION FROM 6-8-15 NOT CORRECTED #29- PREVIOUS MINOR VIOLATIONS FROM 1-12-15 NOT CORRECTED. #45- FOOD HANDLER TRAINING REQUIREMENT NOT MET.NO CERTIFICATES OR PROOF OF TRAINING. MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLERS.#30- ALL PREPARED READY TO EAT FOODS MUST BE LABELED AND DATED.#32-DIRTY SHELVING UNDER FRONT SERVICE COUNTER. MUST CLEAN. MUST NOT USE TIN FOIL AS LINER FOR SHELVING THROUGHOUT THE KITCHEN. COOKS LINE CUTTING BOARD IN POOR REPAIR WITH DEEP BLACKENED GROOVES. MUST RESURFACE/REPLACE. LARGE HOLES IN DOOR TO REAR PREP AREA. MUST REPAIR/REPLACE.#33- THE FOLLOWING NEED CLEANING. EXCESSIVE GREASE DRIPPING FROM HOOD EXHAUST. INTERIOR OF FRONT BOX FREEZER AND BOTH UNUSED COOLERS IN REAR STORAGE. INTERIOR OF THE FRONT PREP EXPOSED HAND SINK. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL.#34- FLOOR UNDER THE FLAT TOP GRILL WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE AND DIRT, FOOD DEBRIS BEHIND REAR PREP TALL REACH-IN COOLER AND INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL.#35- WALL COVING NEXT TO FLAT GRILL AND ENTRANCE TO WASHROOMS PEELING FROM THE WALL. MUST REPAIR/REPLACE. DIRTY WALLS WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE THROUGHOUT THE FRONT PREP COOKS LINE. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. WATER DAMAGED CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT FRONT AND REAR PREP AREAS. MUST REPLACE.#38-VENTILATION IN THE MENS WASHROOM NOT OPERATIONAL. MUST REPAIR.CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-42-090.critical
  Previous Serious Violation Corrected, 7-42-090 • PREVIOUS SERIOUS VIOLATION FROM 6-8-15 NOT CORRECTED #29- PREVIOUS MINOR VIOLATIONS FROM 1-12-15 NOT CORRECTED. #45- FOOD HANDLER TRAINING REQUIREMENT NOT MET.NO CERTIFICATES OR PROOF OF TRAINING. MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF TRAINING FOR ALL FOOD HANDLERS.#30- ALL PREPARED READY TO EAT FOODS MUST BE LABELED AND DATED.#32-DIRTY SHELVING UNDER FRONT SERVICE COUNTER. MUST CLEAN. MUST NOT USE TIN FOIL AS LINER FOR SHELVING THROUGHOUT THE KITCHEN. COOKS LINE CUTTING BOARD IN POOR REPAIR WITH DEEP BLACKENED GROOVES. MUST RESURFACE/REPLACE. LARGE HOLES IN DOOR TO REAR PREP AREA. MUST REPAIR/REPLACE.#33- THE FOLLOWING NEED CLEANING. EXCESSIVE GREASE DRIPPING FROM HOOD EXHAUST. INTERIOR OF FRONT BOX FREEZER AND BOTH UNUSED COOLERS IN REAR STORAGE. INTERIOR OF THE FRONT PREP EXPOSED HAND SINK. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL.#34- FLOOR UNDER THE FLAT TOP GRILL WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE AND DIRT, FOOD DEBRIS BEHIND REAR PREP TALL REACH-IN COOLER AND INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL.#35- WALL COVING NEXT TO FLAT GRILL AND ENTRANCE TO WASHROOMS PEELING FROM THE WALL. MUST REPAIR/REPLACE. DIRTY WALLS WITH EXCESSIVE GREASE THROUGHOUT THE FRONT PREP COOKS LINE. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. WATER DAMAGED CEILING TILES THROUGHOUT FRONT AND REAR PREP AREAS. MUST REPLACE.#38-VENTILATION IN THE MENS WASHROOM NOT OPERATIONAL. MUST REPAIR.CRITICAL VIOLATION 7-42-090.
• 🧪toxic chemicals mishandled
  Previous Minor Violation(S) Corrected 7-42-090 • SEE VIOLATION #14.
• ⚠️Clean Multi-Use Utensils And Single Service Articles Properly Stored: No Reuse Of Single Service Articles • KNIVES IMPROPERLY STORED BETWEEN CUTTING BOARD AND PREP COOLER. MUST PROVIDE PROPER KNIFE HOLDER.
  Clean Multi-Use Utensils And Single Service Articles Properly Stored: No Reuse Of Single Service Articles • KNIVES IMPROPERLY STORED BETWEEN CUTTING BOARD AND PREP COOLER. MUST PROVIDE PROPER KNIFE HOLDER.
• ⚠️Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • STEAM TABLE CUTTING BOARD IN EXTREMELY POOR REPAIR. MUST REPLACE.MUST NOT USE CARDBOARD AS A LINER FOR SHELVING.
  Food And Non-Food Contact Surfaces Properly Designed, Constructed And Maintained • STEAM TABLE CUTTING BOARD IN EXTREMELY POOR REPAIR. MUST REPLACE.MUST NOT USE CARDBOARD AS A LINER FOR SHELVING.
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DIRTY FLOORS THROUGHOUT ESTABLISHMENT AND INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • DIRTY FLOORS THROUGHOUT ESTABLISHMENT AND INSIDE WALK-IN COOLER. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • GREASE AND FOOD DEBRIS, STAINS, ON WALLS THROUGH-OUT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL WALLS.
  Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • GREASE AND FOOD DEBRIS, STAINS, ON WALLS THROUGH-OUT. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN ALL WALLS.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Ventilation: Rooms And Equipment Vented As Required: Plumbing: Installed And Maintained • MUST PROVIDE A BACK FLOW PREVENTION DEVICE ON THE UTILITY MOP SINK FAUCETS. A HOSE WAS NOTED.
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Premises Maintained Free Of Litter, Unnecessary Articles, Cleaning Equipment Properly Stored • STORAGE AREAS AND OFFICE CLUTTERED AND UNORGANIZED. MUST REMOVE ALL UNNECESSARY ITEMS AND STORE ALL NEATLY AND ELEVATED OFF FLOOR FOR EASE OF CLEANING AND TO PREVENT HARBORAGE.

When was La Palapita last inspected?

La Palapita has 18 inspections on record going back to January 28, 2010. The 12 most recent are shown below.

La Palapita vs Portage Park

Portage Park runs 65% clean across 715 tracked restaurants — 462 clean, 142 mid, 107 cooked.

Against the 715 spots Cooked tracks in Portage Park, this one comes out cleaner than 12% of them.

Other spots in Portage Park

• ? Jeffs Grill Restaurant
  cooked · February 27, 2017
• ✓ Bally Total Fitness
  clean · July 6, 2011
• ? Cardinal Liquors
  cooked · February 14, 2023
• ✓ Jewel Food Store
  clean · April 23, 2026
• ? Chester's Food Deli, Inc.
  cooked · July 11, 2013
• ? Mr Steer Restaurant
  cooked · April 15, 2011

See every restaurant inspection in Portage 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 June 15, 2015. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.