The Tamale Lady

• resultPass
• critical violations0
• last inspectedMay 7, 2024 →
• address2021 W Cermak Rd, Chicago 60608

Is The Tamale Lady clean?

The Tamale Lady is no longer in business. Chicago Department of Public Health recorded it as out of business on April 11, 2025, which is an administrative result rather than a health finding — the business closed or moved, it was not shut down over conditions. Its last actual inspection result was Pass on May 7, 2024. The record below is kept for history; it says nothing about whatever occupies the address now.

What did inspectors find at The Tamale Lady?

These are the violations recorded at the most recent inspection on May 7, 2024, in plain English, with the city's own wording underneath.

• 🏷️food improperly labeled
  Food Properly Labeled; Original Container
• ⚠️Warewashing Facilities: Installed, Maintained & Used; Test Strips
• ⚠️Toilet Facilities: Properly Constructed, Supplied, & Cleaned
• 🧹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 The Tamale Lady last inspected?

The Tamale Lady has 7 inspections on record going back to March 14, 2023.

The Tamale Lady vs Lower West Side

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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 May 7, 2024. Inspection results describe one moment in a kitchen's life, not a permanent verdict.

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