At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
83/ 100 · 17 points taken off
5 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Mar 4, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. El Grullo Mexican Food 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 El Grullo Mexican Food?
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
- No person in charge on duty K01How to fixFix it
- Equipment in poor repair K35How 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 Grullo Mexican Food's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, El Grullo Mexican Food. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim El Grullo Mexican Food 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 Grullo Mexican FoodWe'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: “Food utensils are observed inside the hand sink. Paper towel dispenser is empty at the employee restroom. [CA]…”
First step: Hand sinks are for hands only
Then the next one: No person in charge on duty
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 4-301.12, Food Code 3-305.11, Food Code 7-201.11.
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.
Want to join the restaurants in Santa Clara County that keep their kitchens clean and put their guests' health first?
Claim El Grullo Mexican FoodWe'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.
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CleanCleaver puts these same items on your team's phones, with the rule beside each one. Your binder is ready when the inspector is.
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Inspections
From County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 4 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited 2 times in the last 12 months (1 routine, 1 follow-up).
Every visit
LatestMar 4, 2026Routine inspection83 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 83 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Mar 4, 2026.
5 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K06 Adequate handwash facilities supplied, accessible
Food utensils are observed inside the hand sink. Paper towel dispenser is empty at the employee restroom. [CA] Handwashing facility shall be clean, unobstructed, and accessible at all times. [CA] Single-use sanitary towels shall be provided in dispensers; heated-air hand drying device may be substituted for single-use towels. [COS] Specialist directed staff to remove utensils and add paper towels in the dispenser.
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 El Grullo Mexican Food? Fix it
Not critical (4)
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
Food handler cards are not provided for the employees working in the kitchen. [CA] Each food handler shall maintain a valid food handler card for the duration of his or her employment as food handler. A valid food handler card shall be provided within 30 days of after the date of hire.
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
Walk-in cooler gaskets are torn. [CA] Repair gaskets.
Food Code 4-101.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
Equipment in good repair
In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
Are you El Grullo Mexican Food? Fix it
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Food residue and debris observed behind chest freezers in the back. [CA] Walls and/or floors in food preparation area shall be kept clean.
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 El Grullo Mexican Food? Fix it
Shelves and surfaces need cleaning
The department's words
K33 Nonfood contact surfaces clean
Food residue and dust accumulation observed on walk-in cooler shelving and fan covers. [CA] Nonfood-contact surfaces of equipment shall be kept free of an accumulation of dust, dirt, food residue, and other debris.
Food Code 4-602.13
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
Shelves, handles and outsides of equipment clean
In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
Are you El Grullo Mexican Food? Fix it
EarlierOct 29, 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.
EarlierOct 24, 2025Routine inspectionYellow placard
10 violations listed, 2 marked critical.
Critical (2)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Pozole and birria were found being stored on a prep table in small metal pots. Per staff the PHFs had been there for about 30 minutes as they reheated too much for an oder. PHFs measured between 110-133. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [COS] Items were reheated to 165 within 2 hours and placed on the flat grill to keep warm.
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
K06 Adequate handwash facilities supplied, accessible
1. In the employee restroom, at the only handwash sink, there were no paper towels available. [CA] Single-use sanitary towels shall be provided in dispensers; heated-air hand drying device may be substituted for single-use towels. [COS] Staff restocked the dispenser at time of the inspection. 2. In the employee restroom, at the only handwash sink, the water pressure for both the clod and hot water is too low for effective handwashing. [CA] All food facilities shall provide an operable handwashing station. [SA] Staff to use the employee restroom until water is restored. All other plumbing fixtures were functioning normally.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (8)
Dish sink or dish machine not set up right
The department's words
K34 Warewash facilities: installed/maintained; test strips
Facility lacked testing materials for their choice of sanitizer, chlorine. [CA] Testing equipment and materials shall be provided to adequately measure the applicable sanitization method used during manual or mechanical warewashing.
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
There are numerous amounts of gaps and holes in the walls and tiles in disrepair. [CA] Ensure to maintain the floors, walls, and ceilings of the facility clean and in good repair.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Food was found stored on the floor of the walk in cooler. [CA] Food shall be stored at least 6 inches above the floor to prevent contamination.
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K44 Premises clean, in good repair; Personal/chemical storage; Adequate vermin-proofing
Numerous doors to the outside are maintained open. [CA] Ensure to maintain doors closed to prevent entrance and harborage of vermin. Use screen doors or other measures to adequately prevent vermin entrane.
No hot or cold water at a sink
The department's words
K21 Hot and cold water available
THe employee restroom handwash sink lacks an adequate supply of water. [CA] An approved, adequate, protected, pressurized, potable supply of hot water and cold water shall be provided.
Show 3 more
Chemicals unlabeled or stored near food
The department's words
K29 Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
Chlorine sanitizer measured at over 100 PPM in the three compartment sink. [CA] Ensure to maintain chlorine sanitizer solution at 100 PPM when manually washing dishes.
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Raw meats were found stored above produce (cabbage) in the walk in cooler. [CA] All food shall be separated and protected from cross-contamination. Store all raw meat or other raw products of animal origin below ready-to-eat food items.
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
1. Several small flies were observed in the facility. 2. Three old rodent droppings were found in the storage room near the chest freezer and entryway to the bathroom. [CA] Ensure to maintain the facility free of animals, pests, and vermin.
EarlierJan 14, 2025Routine inspection89 out of 100 (Green placard)
5 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (5)
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
REPEAT VIOLATION Several containers and baskets of vegetable and food stored on the floor in walk-in fridge. [CA] Food shall be stored at least 6 inches above the floor to prevent contamination.
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
REPEAT VIOLATION No food handler cards available to review at the time of inspection. [CA] Each food handler shall maintain a valid food handler card for the duration of his or her employment as food handler. A valid food handler card shall be provided within 30 days of after the date of hire.
Dish sink or dish machine not set up right
The department's words
K34 Warewash facilities: installed/maintained; test strips
Chlorine test strip is not available at the time of inspection. Per PIC, they used up the test strip. [CA] Testing equipment and materials shall be provided to adequately measure the applicable sanitization method used during manual or mechanical warewashing.
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Broken floor tiles under 6 gas stove at cookline. Observed food debris built up in broken floor tile. [CA] Replace broken floor tiles with a smooth and of durable construction and nonabsorbent material that is easily cleanable.
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Raw beef and raw shrimp were stored on top of fruits and vegetable in walk-in fridge. [CA] All food shall be separated and protected from cross-contamination. Store all raw meat or other raw products of animal origin below ready-to-eat food items.
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 Grullo Mexican Food, 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
- Equipment in poor repair In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
- Shelves and surfaces need cleaning In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
Call El Grullo Mexican Food
Ask for the manager. El Grullo Mexican Food can only fix what it knows about.
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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.
Do you work at or run El Grullo Mexican Food?
See the plan to fix each item and show what you did.
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
- Routine inspection
- Result
- 83 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.