Lito's Tamales

• resultFail
• critical violations5
• last inspectedJuly 27, 2026 →
• address4242 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago 60639

Is Lito's Tamales clean?

Lito's Tamales is currently Fail from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on July 27, 2026. Inspectors wrote up 5 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads cooked 🪳.

What did inspectors find at Lito's Tamales?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on July 27, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate
• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting
• 🤒staff working while sickcritical
  Procedures For Responding To Vomiting And Diarrheal Events
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used
• ⚠️Hot & Cold Water Available; Adequate Pressure
• ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean
• ⚠️All Food Employees Have Food Handler Training
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required

When was Lito's Tamales last inspected?

Lito's Tamales has 7 inspections on record going back to October 19, 2023.

Lito's Tamales vs Hermosa

Hermosa runs 78% clean across 364 tracked restaurants — 282 clean, 65 mid, 15 cooked.

Against the 364 spots Cooked tracks in Hermosa, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Hermosa

• ✓ Slamming Mini Mart
  clean · May 8, 2024
• ✓ North Ave Tobacco & Grocery
  cooked · December 11, 2023
• ✓ K&R Food Mart
  cooked · December 26, 2023
• ✓ Paisans Pizzeria
  clean · May 26, 2026
• ✓ Paisans Pizzeria
  clean · November 2, 2023
• ✓ Paisans Pizzeria
  clean · November 2, 2023

See every restaurant inspection in Hermosa →

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 July 27, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

check your own block 📸

Cooked covers 10 cities on official inspection data — see who's clean, mid, or cooked near you.