Tamales Express

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedApril 8, 2026
• address3802 W Diversey Ave, Chicago 60647

Is Tamales Express clean?

Tamales Express is currently Pass from Chicago Department of Public Health, from an inspection on April 8, 2026. No critical violations were recorded at that visit. On Cooked's ladder that reads clean 😇.

What did inspectors find at Tamales Express?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on April 8, 2026, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🌡️thermometers missing
  Thermometers Provided & Accurate • OBSERVED BROKEN THERMOMETERS INSIDE UPRIGHT REFRIGERATION UNITS IN FRONT PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🛠️surfaces / setup not up to code
  Food & Non-Food Contact Surfaces Cleanable, Properly Designed, Constructed & Used • OBSERVED RUSTED SHELVING RACKS INSIDE UPRIGHT COCA COLA COOLING EQUIPMENT. INSTRUCTED TO RESURFACE OR REPLACE TO MAINTAIN IN GOOD REPAIR.
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED GARBAGE RECEPTACLE IN WOMENS TOILETROOM WITHOUT COVERING. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
  Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned • OBSERVED GARBAGE RECEPTACLE IN WOMENS TOILETROOM WITHOUT COVERING. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN.
• 🧹floors, walls, or ceilings grimy
  Physical Facilities Installed, Maintained & Clean • OBSERVED FLOORS IN REAR PREP AREA AROUND ALL HEAVY COOKING EQUIPMENT AND UNDER 3 COMPARTMENT SINK IN NEED OF CLEANING. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN FLOOR.
• ⚠️Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED INADEQUATE LIGHTING IN REAR PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE BURNED OUT BULBS AND MAINTAIN
  Adequate Ventilation & Lighting; Designated Areas Used • OBSERVED INADEQUATE LIGHTING IN REAR PREP AREA. INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE BURNED OUT BULBS AND MAINTAIN

When was Tamales Express last inspected?

Tamales Express has 7 inspections on record going back to October 18, 2022.

Tamales Express vs Hermosa

Hermosa runs 65% clean across 816 tracked restaurants — 527 clean, 160 mid, 127 cooked.

Against the 816 spots Cooked tracks in Hermosa, this one comes out cleaner than 38% of them.

Other spots in Hermosa

• ✓! Al Son De Mi Tierra Restaurant
  mid · November 4, 2022
• ✓ San's Chicago Style Hot Dogs & More
  clean · November 15, 2022
• ✓ Taco Pros
  clean · January 26, 2026
• ✓ Dona Blanca
  clean · October 17, 2025
• ✓ Omarcito's Latin Cafe
  clean · August 21, 2025
• ✓ Shell
  clean · December 28, 2022

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.

Source: Chicago Department of Public Health via Chicago Data Portal. Cooked refreshes this data daily — this listing's most recent inspection is dated April 8, 2026. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.