At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
94/ 100 · 6 points taken off
3 problems found · Routine health department inspection · Nov 20, 2025
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 1 to 4 points taken off. Mely's Pupuseria got more than most.
Compared with 992 Pasadena food places. Each place's last routine inspection counts.
What was found out about Mely's Pupuseria?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Hands not washed when needed K005How to fixFix it
- Hand sink not ready to use K006How to fixFix it
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right K014How to fixFix it
Source: City of Pasadena Public Health Department
We review Pasadena health data to make this report. We are not the City of Pasadena Public Health Department.
Visit them directly at cityofpasadena.net (opens the department's site) · How we review
For Mely's Pupuseria's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Mely's Pupuseria. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Mely's Pupuseria first; we check that you run it.
Your whole team can help. Each person gets one next step, and everyone can see what's done.
This is my place: claim Mely's PupuseriaWe'll help you get every item done. You don't have to do it alone.
We know an inspection can feel heavy, especially when it's busy.
Fix it together
Follow the steps for each item, with the rule beside it.
Next: Hands not washed when neededThe health department found: “Hands clean and properly washed; gloves used properly”
First step: When to wash
Then the next one: Hand sink not ready to use
Log it
Your team logs the fix on their phones, with the time and who did it.
Show what you did
Saying what you fixed, in your own words, builds trust. Families and regulars respect a kitchen that owns it and fixes it.
Each fix step comes from the rule it names: Food Code 2-301.14, Food Code 2-301.15, Food Code 4-603.16, Food Code 6-501.112.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Hands not washed when needed
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 3 done
When to wash
From Food Code 2-301.14
Logged
That's one done. We'll be here for the next.
What people see now
Today, people see the department's words and nothing from you.
What people see after you fix and log it
Example reply
CleanCleaverBusiness reply
Your business replied to this with the public statement:
We fixed this the same day. Now our team logs it on their phones at open and close.
The date of your reply
This is not an official update to the health inspection report. The county's record is unchanged.
Most kitchens get something cited at some point. What people remember is that you fixed it.
Want to join the restaurants in Pasadena that keep their kitchens clean and put their guests' health first?
Claim Mely's PupuseriaWe'll set it up with you. 25 days free.
Replies are part of a paid plan. We read each one before it goes up. You can take it down any time. Only the department can change its record.
Do you work there, and someone else owns it? I work there
What people see next
Under each item here, people see what you fixed, in your words.
Left alone, or fixed together
Left alone, the same items can come back at the next inspection. Fixed together, they're done.
Not your place?
CleanCleaver puts these same items on your team's phones, with the rule beside each one. Your binder is ready when the inspector is.
25 days free. Cancel anytime.
Inspections
From City of Pasadena Public Health Department · 6 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 8, 2026
The health department visited once in the last 12 months (1 routine).
Fewer points taken off than last time (8 → 6). That takes a team.
The City's Environmental Health Division inspects each permanent food facility on its own schedule. A routine score of 85 to 100 is a Pass, 75 to 84 a Conditional Pass.
Every visit
LatestNov 20, 2025Routine inspection94 out of 100
This one: 94 out of 100, inspected Nov 20, 2025.
3 violations listed.
Violations (3)
The department's words
K005 Hands clean and properly washed; gloves used properly
2 points
Food Code 2-301.12
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
When to wash
- Before you start food work and before you put on gloves
- After the restroom (wash twice; see below)
- After touching your face, hair, nose or body
From Food Code 2-301.14
How to wash
4 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Handwashing
The full guide has 4 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Mely's Pupuseria? Fix it
The department's words
K006 Adequate handwashing facilities supplied & accessible
2 points
Food Code 5-205.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Hand sinks are for hands only
- Wash only at a handwashing sink.
- Never wash hands in the dish sink, a food prep sink, a mop sink, or a drink cooler.
- Never dump drinks, rinse utensils or fill pitchers at the hand sink.
From Food Code 2-301.15
Soap and hand sanitizer
4 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Handwashing
The full guide has 4 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Mely's Pupuseria? Fix it
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K014 Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized
2 points
Food Code 4-602.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Clean first, then sanitize
- 1. Scrape off food.
- 2. Wash with detergent and warm water.
- 3. Rinse off the soap (soap weakens sanitizer).
From Food Code 4-603.16
When to clean food-contact surfaces
4 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Cleaning vs sanitizing, and sanitizer strengths
The full guide has 4 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Mely's Pupuseria? Fix it
EarlierFeb 6, 2025Routine inspection92 out of 100
5 violations listed.
Violations (5)
The department's words
K001 Demonstration of knowledge; food handler card
2 points
The department's words
K005 Hands clean and properly washed; gloves used properly
2 points
No backflow test on file
The department's words
K041 Plumbing; proper backflow devices
1 point
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K044 Premises; personal/cleaning items; vermin-proofing
1 point
EarlierAug 22, 2024Routine inspection96 out of 100
2 violations listed.
Violations (2)
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K014 Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized
2 points
EarlierApr 10, 2024Routine inspection94 out of 100
2 violations listed.
Violations (2)
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K014 Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized
2 points
EarlierNov 8, 2023Routine inspection97 out of 100
2 violations listed.
Violations (2)
The department's words
K026 Approved thawing methods used, frozen food
1 point
EarlierJun 15, 2023Routine inspection90 out of 100
4 violations listed.
Violations (4)
The department's words
K001 Demonstration of knowledge; food handler card
2 points
The department's words
K005 Hands clean and properly washed; gloves used properly
2 points
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K014 Food contact surfaces: clean and sanitized
2 points
Source: City of Pasadena Public Health Department. This is the department's data, not CleanCleaver's. See the department's full record (opens the department's site)
What you can do
As a customer of Mely's Pupuseria, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hands not washed when needed Read the free guide
- Hand sink not ready to use Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
Let Mely's Pupuseria know
Ask for the manager. Mely's Pupuseria can only fix what it knows about.
The department lists no phone for this place.
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Use CleanCleaver at home
Families clean together. Chores and food dates for everyone at home.
Complain directly to the health department
We are not the health department. You can report to them on their site. Report to City of Pasadena Public Health Department (opens the department's site)
When regulars speak up kindly and kitchens fix things, the whole neighborhood eats well. Now you know what the inspector found, and what you can do about it.
Do you work at or run Mely's Pupuseria?
See the plan to fix each item and show what you did.
Address thisAbout this record
Open the City's Health Inspection Search, choose Restaurant/Market, and search for the name. Inspections before December 2025 are on its second page.
Most people don't know what a normal result looks like for a place that's open every day. The ranges use each place's last routine inspection in this area. No other county is mixed in.
100 means the inspector found no problems. Pasadena takes points off for each problem. Big ones take off more.
Each inspection starts at 100 points and points come off for each violation. 85 to 100 is a Pass, 75 to 84 a Conditional Pass, and below 75 a permit suspension hearing is scheduled. Closed means the permit was suspended. The City uses no letter grade. Its guide is from 2014: confirm the numbers with the department.
- Listed as
- Restaurant/Market
- Inspection type
- Routine inspection
- Result
- 94 out of 100
- Source
- City of Pasadena Public Health Department
This is not an official ranking or grade. See the official source: City of Pasadena Public Health Department (opens the department's site) .
Information on this page may be out of date. Check the original source to confirm.