Mercadito Counter

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations0
• last inspectedFebruary 24, 2015
• address738 N Clark St, Chicago 60654

Is Mercadito Counter clean?

Mercadito Counter is currently listed as closed by Chicago Department of Public Health, as of its inspection on February 24, 2015. A closure means inspectors found conditions serious enough to stop service — it is not the same as a restaurant choosing to shut down, and the listing can change once the problems are fixed and re-inspected.

What did inspectors find at Mercadito Counter?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on February 24, 2015, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• ⚠️Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OUTSIDE DUMPSTER AND GREASE CONTAINER SURROUNDING AREAS NOT MAINTAINED . WITH DEBRIS(CARDBOARD, OLD SWEATER, CIGARETTE BUTTS, GARBAGE BAGS,ETC) ALL AROUND THE DUMPSTER AND GREASE CONTAINER. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. CITATION ISSUED SERIOUS 7-38-020. MANAGER ASKED ONE OF THE EMPLOYEE TO CLEAN THE SURROUNDING AREAS DURING INSPECTION.
  Outside Garbage Waste Grease And Storage Area; Clean, Rodent Proof, All Containers Covered • OUTSIDE DUMPSTER AND GREASE CONTAINER SURROUNDING AREAS NOT MAINTAINED . WITH DEBRIS(CARDBOARD, OLD SWEATER, CIGARETTE BUTTS, GARBAGE BAGS,ETC) ALL AROUND THE DUMPSTER AND GREASE CONTAINER. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN. CITATION ISSUED SERIOUS 7-38-020. MANAGER ASKED ONE OF THE EMPLOYEE TO CLEAN THE SURROUNDING AREAS DURING INSPECTION.
• ⚠️Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • MUST CLEAN TTHE FLOOR THRU-OUT BASEMENT STORAGE AREA. ELEVATE ALL ITEMS/ARTICLES OFF THE FLOOR TO PREVENT RODENT/INSECTS HARBORAGE. ALSO CLEAN FLOOR INSIDE THE MOP SINK CLOSET AND MAINTAIN.
  Floors: Constructed Per Code, Cleaned, Good Repair, Coving Installed, Dust-Less Cleaning Methods Used • MUST CLEAN TTHE FLOOR THRU-OUT BASEMENT STORAGE AREA. ELEVATE ALL ITEMS/ARTICLES OFF THE FLOOR TO PREVENT RODENT/INSECTS HARBORAGE. ALSO CLEAN FLOOR INSIDE THE MOP SINK CLOSET AND MAINTAIN.
• ⚠️Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • WALLS INSIDE THE MOP SINK CLOSET NEEDS DETAIL CLEANING AND MAINTAIN. FILTER /HOOD CANOPY WITH GREASE BUILD-UP. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
  Walls, Ceilings, Attached Equipment Constructed Per Code: Good Repair, Surfaces Clean And Dust-Less Cleaning Methods • WALLS INSIDE THE MOP SINK CLOSET NEEDS DETAIL CLEANING AND MAINTAIN. FILTER /HOOD CANOPY WITH GREASE BUILD-UP. MUST CLEAN AND MAINTAIN.
• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Lighting: Required Minimum Foot-Candles Of Light Provided, Fixtures Shielded • BURNED OUT LIGHT BULBS X2, IN THE HOOD/CANOPY ON THE COOK LINE IST FLOOR. MUST REPLACE.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Ventilation: Rooms And Equipment Vented As Required: Plumbing: Installed And Maintained • NO GREASE TRAP BOX UNDER THE TWO 3 COMPARTMENT SINK, IST FLOOR AND BASEMENT. MUST INSTALL ONE OR SHOW EXISTANCE OF THE CATCH BASIN.

When was Mercadito Counter last inspected?

Mercadito Counter has 3 inspections on record going back to August 27, 2014.

Mercadito Counter vs Near North Side

Near North Side runs 75% clean across 2,889 tracked restaurants — 2,147 clean, 530 mid, 203 cooked.

Against the 2,889 spots Cooked tracks in Near North Side, this one comes out cleaner than 0% of them.

Other spots in Near North Side

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• ✓ Fig & Olive
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• ✓ Fig & Olive
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See every restaurant inspection in Near North 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 February 24, 2015. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.