Mariscos El Barbas

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations2
• last inspectedJune 24, 2025
• address4569 N Elston Ave, Chicago 60630

Is Mariscos El Barbas clean?

Mariscos El Barbas is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on June 24, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 2 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Mariscos El Barbas?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on June 24, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • EXCESS WEEDS AROUND THE OUTSIDE GARBAGE CONTAINERS IN THE ALLEY,AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, WOODS ETC BEHIND THE GARBAGE CONTAINERS.REMOVE ITEMS,CLEAN THE AREA AND KEEP IT CLEAN
  Garbage & Refuse Properly Disposed; Facilities Maintained • EXCESS WEEDS AROUND THE OUTSIDE GARBAGE CONTAINERS IN THE ALLEY,AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL, WOODS ETC BEHIND THE GARBAGE CONTAINERS.REMOVE ITEMS,CLEAN THE AREA AND KEEP IT CLEAN
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • HOLES ON WALLS AND CEILING IN REAR AREA.
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • NO PAPER TOWELS PROVIDED AT HANDWASHING SINK AT PREP AREA.PAPER TOWEL WAS PROVIDED AFTER MY REQUEST.REVIEWED HAND WASHING PROCEDURE.MUST KEEP PAPER TOWELS AT SAID SINK AT ALL THE TIME FOR PROPER HANDWASHING PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-030(C) CITATION ISSUED. • NO SOAP PROVIDED AT HANDWSHING AT BAR AREA,PROVIDED UPON MY REQUEST,REVIEWED HAND WASHING PROCEDURE FOR PROPER HANDWASHING. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-030(C) CONSOLIDATE WITH ABOVE VIOLATION
• ⚠️Required Records Available: Shellstock Tags, Parasite Destruction • NO-TAG WAS PROVIDED FOR 45 EACH FRESH OYSTER IN CONTAINER STORED INSIDE THE 2-REACH-IN COOLER. TAG MUST REMAIN WITH PRODUCTS;MUST DATE WHEN THE LAST OYSTER IS CONSUMED ON THE SAID TAG, MUST BE RETAINED TAG FOR A MINIMUM OF 90 DAYS. PRESENT OYSTER DISCARDED AND DENATURED:45 EACH, VALUE 34. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005, CITATION ISSUED.critical
  Required Records Available: Shellstock Tags, Parasite Destruction • NO-TAG WAS PROVIDED FOR 45 EACH FRESH OYSTER IN CONTAINER STORED INSIDE THE 2-REACH-IN COOLER. TAG MUST REMAIN WITH PRODUCTS;MUST DATE WHEN THE LAST OYSTER IS CONSUMED ON THE SAID TAG, MUST BE RETAINED TAG FOR A MINIMUM OF 90 DAYS. PRESENT OYSTER DISCARDED AND DENATURED:45 EACH, VALUE 34. PRIORITY FOUNDATION VIOLATION 7-38-005, CITATION ISSUED.
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • LABEL DRY FOOD WITH COMMON NAME
• 🧻grimy wiping cloths
  Wiping Cloths: Properly Used & Stored • MUST STORE WIPING CLOTHS IN PREP AREAS IN SANITIZER BUCKET BETWEEN USES TO PREVENT CROSS CONTAMINATION. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • PREP TABLE BASE IN THE KITCHEN IS RUSTY UNABLE TO CLEAN.SURFACE MUST BE SMOOTH CLEANABLE AND NON-ABSORBENT SURFACE.
• 🚻bathroom / plumbing issues
  Plumbing Installed; Proper Backflow Devices • ADDITIONAL HOT WATER FLOW IS REQUIRED AT HANDLE OF HANDWASHING SINK AT BAR AREA.
• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATES PROVIDED ON SITE FOR THE NEW MANAGER. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE FOR ALL CERTIFIED FOOD SERVICE MANAGERS

When was Mariscos El Barbas last inspected?

Mariscos El Barbas has 12 inspections on record going back to September 15, 2020.

Mariscos El Barbas vs Albany Park

Albany Park runs 58% clean across 828 tracked restaurants — 478 clean, 149 mid, 198 cooked.

Against the 828 spots Cooked tracks in Albany Park, this one comes out cleaner than 26% of them.

Other spots in Albany Park

• ✓ Sushi Place
  clean · May 19, 2021
• ✓ Coffee Chat
  clean · October 3, 2023
• ✓! Foremost Liquors
  mid · September 29, 2020
• ✓! El Quetzal
  mid · July 18, 2024
• ✓ Ryan Foods Store
  clean · October 27, 2020
• ✓! Night Market Restaurant
  mid · May 10, 2021

See every restaurant inspection in Albany 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 24, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.