Taco Palate

• resultPass w/ Conditions
• critical violations4
• last inspectedMay 5, 2025
• address1608 W North Ave, Chicago 60622

Is Taco Palate clean?

Taco Palate is currently Pass w/ Conditions from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on May 5, 2025. Inspectors wrote up 4 critical violations — the kind most directly linked to foodborne illness. On Cooked's ladder that reads mid 😬.

What did inspectors find at Taco Palate?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 5, 2025, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🥜allergen training missing
  Allergen Training As Required • OBSERVED NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON SITE WITH FOOD ALLERGEN CERTIFICATES. INSTRUCTED MANAGER TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS.
• 📋no certified food manager on dutycritical
  Person In Charge Present, Demonstrates Knowledge, And Performs Duties • PIC DOESN'T HAVE A CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGERS CERTIFICATE MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.(PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-012)
• 📋certified manager paperwork missingcritical
  City Of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate • OBSERVED NO CERTIFIED FOOD MANAGER ON DUTY WHILE TCS FOODS ARE BEING PREPARED,HANDLED AND SERVED SUCH AS (STEAK,PORK,RICE,SALSA)MUST BE ON SITE AT ALL TIMES.(PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-012)(CITATION ISSUED)
• 🤒sick-employee policy not followedcritical
  Management, Food Employee And Conditional Employee; Knowledge, Responsibilities And Reporting • OBSERVED NO SIGNED EMPLOYEES HEALTH POLICIES MUST PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.(PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-010)(CITATION ISSUED)
• 🚰handwashing sink blocked or barecritical
  Adequate Handwashing Sinks Properly Supplied And Accessible • MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE SLOW DRAIN AT HAND SINK IN WOMEN'S TOILET ROOM.
• 🌡️hot/cold holding temps off
  Proper Hot Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED IMPROPER TEMPERATURES OF TCS FOODS SUCH AS 2 LBS. COOKED STEAK AT 74.1°F ON TOPSIDE OF UNUSED GRILL. PRODUCT WAS DISCARDED BY MANAGER MUST HAVE HOT HOLDING FOODS AT 135.0F OR BELOW.APPX. 2LBS.$10.(PRIORITY 7-38-005)(COS)(CITATION ISSUED)
• 🧊cold food not cold enough
  Proper Cold Holding Temperatures • OBSERVED IMPROPER TEMPERATURES OF TCS READY TO EAT AND COOKED FOODS, SUCH AS 5 LBS. RED & GREEN SALSAS 47.8F-52.2F.2.5LBS. SOUR CREAM-59.0F.1LB. DICED TOMATO-45.5F.1LB. SHREED LETTUCE-53.6F.2LBS. COOKED PORK-51.4F.1.5LBS. COOKED CHIROZO-47.8F.1LB. COOKED CHICKEN-45.5F.5LBS. COOKED RICE-59.7F.15LBS. RAW BEEF STEAK-52.9F INSIDE OF FRONT 2-DOOR PREP COOLER & REAR REFRIGERATOR. THE PRODUCT WAS DISCARDED BY EMPLOYEE MUST HAVE COLD HOLDING FOODS AT 41.0F OR BELOW. APPX.34LBS. $300.(PRIORITY 7-38-005)(CITATION ISSUED)(CONSOLIDATED VIOLATION )(COS)
• 🧫food prep surfaces dirty
  Proper Cooling Methods Used; Adequate Equipment For Temperature Control • OBSERVED IMPROPER TEMPERATURE OF 2-DOOR FRONT PREP COOLER AT 45.9F AND REAR REFRIGERATOR AT 60.9F WITH TCS FOODS STORED INSIDE. A HELD FOR INSPECTION TAG HAS BEEN PLACED ON UNITS. ONCE REPAIRED, EMAIL:[email protected] HAVE COLD HOLDING UNITS AT 41.0F OR BELOW. (PRIORITY 7-38-005)(CITATION ISSUED)(COS)
• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container • MUST LABEL FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS WHEN FOOD IS NOT IN ORIGINAL PACKAGE.
• 🪳pests in the house
  Insects, Rodents, & Animals Not Present • MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE WORN DOOR SWEEP ALONG BOTTOM OF FRONT DOOR MUST MAKE TIGHT FITTING.
• ⚠️Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • MUST ELEVATE LARGE FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS OFF OF FLOOR IN REAR FOOD STORAGE AREA.
  Contamination Prevented During Food Preparation, Storage & Display • MUST ELEVATE LARGE FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS OFF OF FLOOR IN REAR FOOD STORAGE AREA.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • MUST REMOVE RUST FROM EXTERIOR OF GREASE TRAP AT 3- COMPARTMENT SINK.
• 🚿plumbing acting up
  Non-Food/Food Contact Surfaces Clean • MUST CLEAN GREASE AND FOOD DEBRIS BUILD UP FROM EXTERIOR & INTERIOR OF UNUSED GRILL,FRYER CABINET,UNUSED WALK IN COOLER SHELVING UNITS.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • MUST PROVIDE A HOOKING SYSTEM TO HANG UP WET MOPS. • MUST REPAIR OR REPLACE HOLE IN FLOOR IN HOT WATER TANK/FURNANCE ROOM,BROKEN AND DAMAGED WALL BASES IN PREP AREAS.

When was Taco Palate last inspected?

Taco Palate has 4 inspections on record going back to February 7, 2023.

Taco Palate vs West Town

West Town runs 72% clean across 2,068 tracked restaurants — 1,475 clean, 422 mid, 160 cooked.

Against the 2,068 spots Cooked tracks in West Town, this one comes out cleaner than 41% of them.

Other spots in West Town

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• ✓ Mr. P Beverage Depot
  clean · September 13, 2022
• ✓! Bodega Bay Mart
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• ✓ Bodega Bay Mart
  clean · January 10, 2023
• ✓ Four Star Mushrooms
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• ✓ Cafe Colao
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See every restaurant inspection in West Town →

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 5, 2025. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.