What is Tamale Lady Inc's health inspection score?

Tamale Lady Inc has a SafeDine safety score of 78 out of 100 (Grade B). This score is calculated from official government health inspection data, factoring in violation severity, recency, and trends.

When was Tamale Lady Inc last inspected?

Tamale Lady Inc was last inspected on January 8, 2026. SafeDine tracks official health department inspections and updates scores automatically.

How many health violations does Tamale Lady Inc have?

Tamale Lady Inc has 12 total violations across 4 inspections on record. Violations are categorized by severity: high priority, intermediate, and basic.

Is Tamale Lady Inc safe to eat at?

Tamale Lady Inc has a good safety record with a score of 78/100. While there are some noted violations, overall compliance is solid.

Official Health Record

Tamale Lady Inc

Name: Tamale Lady Inc
Address: 1932 W CERMAK RD, Chicago, 60608
Rating: 78

1932 W CERMAK RD, Chicago

Last Inspected: 1/8/2026

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0Good

Pilsen

Ranked #221 of 405 in Pilsen

Declining

4 inspections

Last: Jan 8, 2026

high confidence

Directions Order

Inspections

25%

Clean Rate

Avg Violations

3 months ago

Last Inspected

Top Concerns

Most common issues from recent inspections

HandwashingHigh Priority

Employees not properly washing hands — contamination risk

Temperature controlHigh Priority

Food not kept at safe temperatures — risk of bacterial growth

Cross-contamination

Raw and cooked foods not properly separated

Pest issues

Evidence of pests found during inspection

Other violation

Regulatory compliance issue

Score Analysis

How the SafeDine score is calculated

Live Data Feed

Starting Score

100

Total Deductions

-22

Final Score

Impact Breakdown

High Priority

-7 pts

Direct health hazards • 10 pts each

Intermediate

-9 pts

Potential hazards • 5 pts each

Basic

-5 pts

Best practices • 2 pts each

Inspection Timeline

-14 pts

Latest

100% weight

2nd

60% weight

3rd

30% weight

How scoring works: Every restaurant starts at 100 points. Points are deducted for violations found during inspections.

Recent inspections are weighted more heavily. High priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact.

Location

1932 W CERMAK RD, Chicago, IL 60608

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Violation Timeline

Feb 2025

1 inspections

Feb

Mar 2025

2 inspections

1 high priority

1 intermediate

3 basic

Jan 2026

1 inspections

1 high priority

3 intermediate

3 basic

Jan

Inspection History

4 records on file

1 Canvass1 License Re-Inspection2 License

Jan 26

Canvass InspectionLatestPass

1 High3 Med3 Basic

7 total

69/100inspection score

−31 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

10ADEQUATE HANDWASHING SINKS PROPERLY SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE−10
HANDWASHING SIGNS IN NEED OF REPLACING. WET/DRY CURLED UP INSTRUCTED TO REPLACE AND MAINTAIN

Intermediate (3)

−15 pts

35APPROVED THAWING METHODS USED−5
OBSERVED A BAG OF FROZEN CHILIES (NON TCS) THAWING ON COUNTER. INSTRUCTED TO THAW ALL TCS FOOD ITEMS UNDER COLD RUNNING WATER OR UNDER REFRIGERATION.
37FOOD PROPERLY LABELED; ORIGINAL CONTAINER−5
ALL BULF ITEMS SHOULD BE STORED IN A CLEAN CONTAINER WITH IDENTIFIYING MARKERS. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT AND MAINTAIN
38INSECTS, RODENTS, & ANIMALS NOT PRESENT−5
REAR EXIT DOOR NOT RODENT PROOFED. INSTRUCTED TO CORRECT AND MAINTAIN

Basic (3)

−6 pts

55PHYSICAL FACILITIES INSTALLED, MAINTAINED & CLEAN−2
FLOORS AT BASEMENT PREP AREA IN NEED OF CLEANING TO REMOVE ALL STANDING WATER. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN DRY. CORRECT AND MAINTAIN
56ADEQUATE VENTILATION & LIGHTING; DESIGNATED AREAS USED−2
HOOD VENT AT 1ST FLOOR PREP IN NEED OF CLEANING TO REMOVE GREASE AND HOOD AT BASEMENT PREP AREA IN NEED OF CLEANING TO REMOVE DUST BUILD UP. INSTRUCTED TO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN
58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
ALLERGEN CERTIFICATE NEEDED FOR MANAGER ON SITE. INSTRUCTED TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN

Base deductions−31 pts

Mar 25

License Re-Inspection InspectionPass

1 Basic

1 total

98/100inspection score

−2 pts

Basic (1)

−2 pts

58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
2-102.13 OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE WAS PROVIDED FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER. INSTRUCTED ALL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGERS MUST MEET REQUIREMENT.

Base deductions−2 pts

Mar 25

License InspectionFail

1 High1 Med2 Basic

4 total

81/100inspection score

−19 pts

High Priority (1)

−10 pts

33PROPER COOLING METHODS USED; ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL−10
4-301.11 OBSERVED THE WALK-IN COOLER AND A PREP COOLER NOT TURNED ON AND MAINTAINING AN ADEQUATE COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURE DURING THE INSPECTION. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 41F OR BELOW AT ALL TIMES. OBSERVED A HOT HOLDING UNIT NOT TURNED ON AND MAINTAINING AN ADEQUATE HOT HOLDING TEMPERATURE. INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 135F OR ABOVE FOR ALL HOT HOLDING UNITS. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005.

Intermediate (1)

−5 pts

25CONSUMER ADVISORY PROVIDED FOR RAW/UNDERCOOKED FOOD−5
3-603.11 OBSERVED NO CONSUMER ADVISORY DISCLOSURE ON THE MENU FOR ITEMS THAT CAN BE ORDERED UNDERCOOKED OR RAW, SUCH AS EGG ITEMS. INSTRUCTED TO PROVIDE A CONSUMER ADVISORY DISCLOSURE FOR ALL ITEMS ORDERED UNDERCOOKED OR RAW. PRIORITY FOUNDATION 7-38-005.

Basic (2)

−4 pts

39CONTAMINATION PREVENTED DURING FOOD PREPARATION, STORAGE & DISPLAY−2
3-306.11 OBSERVED MULTIPLE POTS STORED OUTSIDE IN THE BACKYARD AREA OF THE FACILITY. INSTRUCTED THAT ALL EQUIPMENT MUST BE STORED INSIDE OF THE FACILITY. PRIORITY VIOLATION 7-38-005.
58ALLERGEN TRAINING AS REQUIRED−2
2-102.13 OBSERVED NO ALLERGEN TRAINING CERTIFICATE WAS PROVIDED FOR THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGER. INSTRUCTED ALL CITY OF CHICAGO FOOD SERVICE SANITATION MANAGERS MUST MEET REQUIREMENT.

Base deductions−19 pts

Feb 25

License InspectionCleanNot Ready

No violations

100/100inspection score

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Community Safety Reports

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Data source: Chicago CDPH · Official government inspection records

Grading System

85 – 100

Excellent

70 – 84

Good

Below 70

Fair

About SafeDine Scores

Scores are calculated using official government inspection data. High Priority violations (direct health hazards) have the greatest impact, followed by Intermediate and Basic violations. Community reviews can adjust the score by up to 5 points when 3+ reviews are submitted.

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