At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
90/ 100 · 10 points taken off
2 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Jan 9, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. El Cafecito got about the same as most.
Compared with 9,600 Santa Clara County food places. Each place's last routine inspection counts.
What was found out about El Cafecito?
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: Time as a control not marked or logged K08How to fixFix it
- Signs posted; last inspection report available K47How 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 El Cafecito's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, El Cafecito. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim El Cafecito 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 El CafecitoWe'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: Time as a control not marked or loggedThe county found: “Al pastor meat and rice were not time marked. Items measured at 80F. [CA] When time only, rather than time and…”
First step: The 4-hour option
Then the next one: Signs posted; last inspection report available
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 3-501.19.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Time as a control not marked or logged
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 4 done
The 4-hour option
From Food Code 3-501.19
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 Santa Clara County that keep their kitchens clean and put their guests' health first?
Claim El CafecitoWe'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 County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 2 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited once in the last 12 months (1 routine).
Fewer points taken off than last time (13 → 10). That takes a team.
Every visit
LatestJan 9, 2026Routine inspection90 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 90 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Jan 9, 2026.
2 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Time as a control not marked or logged
The department's words
K08 Time as a public health control; procedures & records
Al pastor meat and rice were not time marked. Items measured at 80F. [CA] When time only, rather than time and temperature is used as a public health control, PHFs shall be time marked to indicate when item is removed from temperature control, discarded if not consumed or served within 4 hours, and written procedures shall be readily available for review. [COS] Items were discarded onsite.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.19
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
The 4-hour option
- Start with food at 41°F or below, or 135°F or above.
- Mark the container with the discard time: 4 hours after it left temperature control.
- Cook and serve, serve, or throw it out by that time.
- Throw out any container with no time marked.
From Food Code 3-501.19
The 6-hour option (cold food only)
2 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Time as a public health control (the 4-hour rule)
The full guide has 2 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you El Cafecito? Fix it
Not critical (1)
Signs posted; last inspection report available
The department's words
K47 Signs posted; last inspection report available
Restroom handwash stations lack a handwash reminder sign. [CA] A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands shall be posted at all handwashing stations used by food employees.
EarlierJan 10, 2025Routine inspection87 out of 100 (Green placard)
3 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Under the service counter, on a shallow tray, al pastor quesadillas were found measuring at 99. Per PIC they were delivered from Mezcal around 30 minutes prior. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [COS] The tray of quesadillas were placed into the undercounter cooler at time of inspection for rapid cooling. Per staff they normally reheat the quesadillas in the turbofan oven for service. Per Chef, they use time as a public health control for their special menu items (quesadillas, enchiladas, flautas, etc). TPHC guidelines provided.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (2)
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
Facility presented the same Food Safety Certificate that was presented for a different facility. No other Food Safety Certificate was available upon request. [CA] Food facilities that prepare, handle, or serve non-prepackaged potentially hazard foods shall have a valid Food Safety Certificate available for review at all times. No certified person at a food facility may serve at any other food facility as the person required to be certified.
Signs posted; last inspection report available
The department's words
K47 Signs posted; last inspection report available
The Environmental Health Permit was not posted within public view. [CA] The health permit issued by this department shall be posted in a conspicuous place in the food facility.
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 El Cafecito, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Time as a control not marked or logged Read the free guide
Call El Cafecito
Ask for the manager. El Cafecito can only fix what it knows about.
Share this page
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 County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health (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.
About 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
- Routine inspection
- Result
- 90 out of 100 (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.