La Vaca

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedMay 14, 2025
• address1160 W 18Th St, Chicago 60608

Is La Vaca clean?

La Vaca is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on May 14, 2025. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at La Vaca?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 14, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Thermometers Provided & Accurate • OUTSIDE THERMOMETER ON THE HALL COOLER IS BROKEN. INSTRUCTED TO FIX OR PROVIDE AN INTERNAL THERMOMETER FOR SAID COOLER. MAINTAIN SAME.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • BOTH REAR EXIT DOORS WITH 1/4"-1/2" GAPS AT THE TOP/SIDE/BOTTOM OF DOOR AND IS NOT RODENT/INSECT PROOFED. INSTRUCTED TO SEAL OPENINGS-RODENT/INSECT PROOF DOORS AND MAINTAIN.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • MUST PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SHELVING FOR THE UPSTAIRS STORAGE AREA AND STORE STOCK ITEMS 6" FROM THE FLOOR. MAINTAIN SAME.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • INTERIOR OF FRYERS WITH GREASE, FOOD AND DIRT BUILD UP. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN FRYERS.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • TRASH RECEPTACLES INSIDE OF STALLS WITH NO LIDS IN THE WOMEN'S CUSTOMER TOILET ROOM. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE TRASH RECEPTACLES WITH LIDS AND MAINTAIN SAME.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • TRASH RECEPTACLES INSIDE OF STALLS WITH NO LIDS IN THE WOMEN'S CUSTOMER TOILET ROOM. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE TRASH RECEPTACLES WITH LIDS AND MAINTAIN SAME.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • BROKEN/DAMAGED AND/OR MISSING FLOOR TILES ON THE STEPS AND FLOOR BY THE REAR HAND WASHING SINK IN THE PREP AREA. -PITTED FLOOR INSIDE OF REAR WALK IN COOLER WITH STANDING WATER. INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR/REPLACE FLOOR/FLOOR TILES TO MAINTAIN A SMOOTH AND EASILY CLEANABLE SURFACE. • MOPS NOT PROPERLY STORED, STORED INSIDE OF THE MOP BUCKETS, WHEN NOT IN USE. INSTRUCTED TO STORE HANGING UP FOR PROPER AIR DRYING. MAINTAIN SAME. • GRAFFITI ON THE WALLS OF THE MEN'S TOILET ROOM. INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER (CFM) ON SITE FOOD ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE EXPIRED. INSTRUCTED TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN A VALID ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE.

When was La Vaca last inspected?

La Vaca has 45 inspections on record going back to May 6, 2011. The 12 most recent are shown below.

La Vaca vs Lower West Side

Lower West Side runs 68% clean across 1,153 tracked restaurants — 775 clean, 162 mid, 205 cooked.

Against the 1,153 spots Cooked tracks in Lower West Side, this one comes out cleaner than 34% of them.

Other spots in Lower West Side

• ✓ Carniceria Maribel Inc
  clean · July 8, 2025
• ✓ Pollo Express
  clean · September 30, 2021
• ✓ Benny's Pizza
  clean · October 9, 2014
• ? El Pilsen Caffe
  cooked · April 4, 2012
• ? Dave's Ice Cream
  cooked · August 19, 2013
• ✓ Taqueria Guerrero
  clean · January 3, 2012

See every restaurant inspection in Lower West Side →

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 May 14, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.