At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
71/ 100 · 29 points taken off
7 problems found · 2 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Aug 18, 2026
At the routine inspection on Aug 18, 2026. The latest visit, on Aug 20, 2026, was a follow-up inspection. No notes were taken at it.
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria got more than most.
Compared with 9,600 Santa Clara County food places. Each place's last routine inspection counts.
What was found out about Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Marked critical: Hand sink not ready to use K06How to fixFix it
- Marked critical: Hot food below 135°F K07How to fixFix it
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair K45How to fixFix it
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
We review Santa Clara County health data to make this report. We are not the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health.
Visit them directly at deh.santaclaracounty.gov (opens the department's site) · How we review
For Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria 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 Cardenas #222 - Deli / TaqueriaWe'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: Hand sink not ready to useThe county found: “There was no paper towel supply on the only front handwash sink. [CA] Refill the wall-mounted paper towel dispenser…”
First step: Hand sinks are for hands only
Then the next one: Hot food below 135°F
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 2-301.15, Food Code 3-304.14, Food Code 6-501.112, Food Code 4-603.16.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Hand sink not ready to use
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 3 done
Hand sinks are for hands only
From Food Code 2-301.15
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.
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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.
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Inspections
From County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 6 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited 3 times in the last 12 months (2 routine, 1 follow-up).
Nice work, Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria. At the follow-up two days later, the county listed no items still open.
You cleared the re-check in two days. We're proud of you.
Every visit
LatestAug 20, 2026Follow-up inspection
No notes were taken, but there was an interaction, likely addressing some or all of the prior report. No inspector comment was found. See the official report (opens the department's site) for more information.
This one: a follow-up inspection on Aug 20, 2026. A follow-up visit re-checks earlier items. The last routine inspection was Aug 18, 2026: 71 out of 100 (Yellow placard).
EarlierAug 18, 2026Routine inspection71 out of 100 (Yellow placard)
7 violations listed, 2 marked critical.
Critical (2)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K06 Adequate handwash facilities supplied, accessible
There was no paper towel supply on the only front handwash sink. [CA] Refill the wall-mounted paper towel dispenser immediately. Until the wall-mounted paper towel dispenser is refilled, a roll-type paper supply may be used. The person in charge provided a roll-type paper towel (SA).
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
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 Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Some potentially hazardous food stored on the deli's preparation table like chicken and mixed potato were measured between 120 °F and 130 °F. [CA] All potentially hazardous foods like garlic in oil, cut melons, raw sprouts; cooked foods of plant origin; foods of animal origin and any other food capable of supporting the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms or the slower growth of Clostridium botulinum shall always be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. The store manager said all the food products were cooked less than two hours, and he is told to either reheat the products to 165 OF and keep them at or above 135 oF or time code all to use within the next two hours. The chef stored the products on an ice bath to rapidly chill the products to 70 oF with in the first two hours, and then to 41 oF with another four hours (SA).
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.16(A)(1)
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If food is out of range
- Hot food below 135°F for less than 2 hours: reheat to 165°F.
- Cold food above 41°F for less than 2 hours: chill it right away.
- Unknown time or longer: throw it out.
Which foods need temperature control (TCS)
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Hot and cold holding
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Not critical (5)
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Food residue and trash accumulations were observed on the floor sinks located below the preparation and wash sinks. [CA] Conduct thorough and regular cleaning on the floor areas. Excessive water accumulation was observed on the floor below dishwashing and working sinks. [CA] Keep the floor areas neat, clean, and dry all the time.
Food Code 6-101.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
Floors, walls and ceilings clean and in repair
In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
Are you Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Multiple wet/soiled wiping cloths were stored on the counters, cutting boards, and preparation tables. [CA] Wet/soiled wiping cloths must be stored in a bucket that has standard sanitizer concentration in between use which is 200 ppm quaternary ammonia or 100 ppm chlorine (bleach).
Food Code 3-304.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Keep the bucket strong
- Wet cloths sit in sanitizer between uses: chlorine 50–99 ppm, or quat at label strength.
- Test with the cloths in the bucket when you mix it and every 2 hours.
- Remake it at once if it tests low or has food or dirt in it. Never just add more sanitizer to a dirty bucket.
From Food Code 3-304.14
Keep cloths apart
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Wiping cloths and sanitizer buckets
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Food Code 3-501.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If you miss a stage
- Missed stage 1 (not 70°F by 2 hours): reheat to 165°F and start over, or throw it out.
- Missed stage 2 (not 41°F by 6 hours): throw it out.
How to cool fast
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Cooling food in two stages
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Pests seen inside: drain flies
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
Multiple drain flies were observed in the janitorial sink, warewash sink, and some in the kitchen warewash sink areas. [CA] Eliminate vermin from the facility by a legal method.
Food Code 6-501.111
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
What to do
- Any sign of mice, rats or roaches: act now. Protect or throw out affected food, clean the area, and call the pest control operator the same day.
- Flies or ants in food areas: act within 24 hours.
- Insects in food: throw that food out and check the stock around it.
From Food Code 6-501.112
What NOT to do
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Signs of pests and what to do
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Some recently sanitized utensils were stacked together on the utensil storage shelf. [CA] Air dry all clean utensils before staking them together.
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 Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria? Fix it
EarlierMar 26, 2026Routine inspection88 out of 100 (Green placard)
5 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (5)
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Excessive water accumulation was observed on the floor below dishwashing and working sinks. [CA] Keep the floor areas neat, clean, and dry all the time. There is a missing ceiling panel near the HVAC system of the BBQ room. [CA] To prevent insect/rodent infestation, please replace the missing ceiling panel immediately.
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
A couple of wet/soiled wiping cloths were stored on the handwash sink located in the BBQ room. [CA] Wet/soiled wiping cloths must be stored in a bucket that has standard sanitizer concentration in between use which is 200 ppm quaternary ammonia or 100 ppm chlorine (bleach).
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Many food products on boxes were stored directly on the floor or on milk crate back in the storage area. [CA] To prevent insect hiding and breading and for easy cleaning of the floor area, please store all food products at least six inches off the floor on an approved shelf or dunnage rack.
The department's words
K13 Food in good condition, safe, unadulterated
Some freshly sanitized utensils were stacked together on the utensil storage shelf. [CA] Air dry all clean utensils before staking them together.
Pests seen inside: drain flies
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
Couple of drain flies were observed back in the preparation area and some near the janitorial sink area. [CA] Eliminate all insects and rodents from the facility by a legal method.
EarlierJul 15, 2025Routine inspection81 out of 100 (Green placard)
5 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Pinto and refried beans cooked yesterday were measured at or above 50 oF inside the walk-in cooler in big containers. [CA] All potentially hazardous food products must be cooled from 135 OF to 70 OF within the first two hours and from 70 OF to 41 OF with another four hours using ice bath, rapid chiller, or smaller portions. Since the chicken were more than two hours in the preparation table. The manager voluntarily condemned and destroyed about 10 gallons of beans stored inside the walk-in cooler above 50 oF (COS).
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (4)
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Some potentially hazardous foods stored on the taqueria preparation fridge( ice bath, including shredded cheese and guacamole were measured between 45°F and 50 °F. [CA] All potentially hazardous foods like meat, seafood, poultry, dairy products, cooked vegetables, cooked cereals, greens, and diced tomatoes shall always be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. Please monitor the temperature and use of the cold-holding unit regularly.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Many food products on boxes were stored directly on the floor or on milk crate back in the storage area. [CA] To prevent insect hiding and breading and for easy cleaning of the floor area, please store all food products at least six inches off the floor on an approved shelf or dunnage rack.
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
Multiple drain and some houseflies were observed back in the produce wash station and some in the kitchen area. [CA] Eliminate all insects and rodents from the facility by a legal method.
No hot or cold water at a sink
The department's words
K21 Hot and cold water available
The maximum warm water temperature on one of the kitchen's handwash sink was measured at 85 oF. [CA] Raise the water temperature on the handwash sink to 100 oF immediately.
EarlierFeb 6, 2025Follow-up inspectionGreen placard
No notes were taken, but there was an interaction, likely addressing some or all of the prior report. No inspector comment was found. See the official report (opens the department's site) for more information.
EarlierFeb 4, 2025Routine inspection77 out of 100 (Yellow placard)
5 violations listed, 2 marked critical.
Critical (2)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Employee was observed washing dishes in the three compartment warewash sink without any sanitizer. [CA] Whenever utensils, equipment, and food contact surfaces are cleaned, they need to be washed with soapy water, rinse with clean water, and sanitized with 200 ppm quaternary ammonia sanitizer or 100 ppm chlorine. The manager was demonstrated on the proper washing procedures. The dishwasher was demonstrated on the proper method of dishwashing. The utensils were rewashed accordingly (COS).
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Some potentially hazardous food stored on one of the hot-holding case including chicken legs, ribs, and fried bananas were measured between 125°F. [CA] All potentially hazardous foods like garlic in oil, cut melons, raw sprouts; cooked foods of plant origin; foods of animal origin and any other food capable of supporting the rapid and progressive growth of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms or the slower growth of Clostridium botulinum shall always be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. The chef reheated the products (COS).
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (3)
Signs posted; last inspection report available
The department's words
K47 Signs posted; last inspection report available
Current Environmental Health permit was not posted on public view. [CA] The most current Environmental Health permit must be posted on public view at all the time.
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Couple of wet/soiled wiping cloths were stored on the counters. [CA] Wet/soiled wiping cloths must be stored in a bucket that has standard sanitizer concentration in between use which is 200 ppm quaternary ammonia or 100 ppm chlorine (bleach). There was very low sanitizer concentration on one of the sanitizer buckets. [CA] Maintain the sanitizer concentration on the sanitizer buckets at 200 ppm quaternary ammonia. 100 ppm chlorine (bleach), 272 ppm -700 ppm lactic acid levels.
The department's words
K06 Adequate handwash facilities supplied, accessible
There was no paper towel supply on one of the kitchen’s handwash sinks. [CA] Refill the wall-mounted paper towel dispenser immediately. Until the wall-mounted paper towel dispenser is refilled, you use a roll-type paper towel or napkins.
Source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health. 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 Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hand sink not ready to use Read the free guide
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
- Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer Read the free guide
- Cooked food not cooled in time Read the free guide
- Pests seen inside: drain flies Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
Call Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria
Ask for the manager. Cardenas #222 - Deli / Taqueria can only fix what it knows about.
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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.
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Address thisAbout this record
Opens the county's own page for this place.
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. Santa Clara County takes points off for each problem. Big ones take off more.
The county posts a green, yellow or red placard after each inspection, and gives routine inspections a score. In the county's data, a routine inspection with no violations listed scored 100, and the score drops as violations are found. The county's page does not say which scores or findings give each color: ask the department.
- Inspection type
- Follow-up inspection
- Result
- Green placard
- Source
- County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
This is not an official ranking or grade. See the official source: County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (opens the department's site) .
Information on this page may be out of date. Check the original source to confirm.