El Mercadito

2815 N Central Ave, Chicago, IL 60634

Perfect · Mar 4, 2026 Directions
96
Excellent BiteKarma score 96 out of 100
How the BiteKarma score works

Each routine inspection starts at 100 and loses 7 points for every critical violation and 2 for every other one, half again as much when the same problem was cited at one of the two inspections before. A failed inspection counts as 69 at most. The score averages the five newest routine inspections, with the most recent counting most, and stays below 70 for 90 days after a fail unless the restaurant passes again. 90 and up is excellent, 80s good, 70s fair, and below 70 poor.

At a glance

  • Last inspected Mar 4, 2026: perfect, no violations.
  • Passed 7 of 9 graded inspections since 2020.
  • Keeps coming up: Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean, cited 4 times, plus 15 other repeat issues.

Inspection history 10 visits

  1. 2026
  2. Perfect Mar 4

    Canvass

    No violations

  3. 2025
  4. Passed Mar 25

    Canvass

    3 violations
    • Adequate ventilation and lighting; designated areas used
    • Allergen training as required
    • Previous core violation corrected
  5. 2024
  6. Passed Jul 29

    Canvass

    5 violations
    • All food employees have food handler training
    • Physical facilities installed, maintained and clean
    • Previous core violation corrected
    • Adequate handwashing sinks properly supplied and accessible
    • Toilet facilities: properly constructed, supplied, and cleaned
  7. 2023
  8. Passed Sep 5

    Canvass

    5 violations
    • Insects, rodents, and animals not present
    • Food properly labeled; original container
    • Allergen training as required
    • Sewage and wastewater properly disposed
    • Proper eating, tasting, drinking, or tobacco use

Nearby

BiteKarma scores around El Mercadito, which is the dark pin. Zoom in to see the dots' scores, and tap a pin marked + to see everything at that address.

  1. 92 Dulce Mesa 100 ft
  2. 98 Jimenez Restaurant 0.2 mi
  3. 86 Cafe Habibi 0.2 mi
  4. 85 Valle Lindo Coffee Shop 0.2 mi
  5. 96 Golden Nugget Pancake House 0.2 mi