At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
85/ 100 · 15 points taken off
7 problems found · Routine county inspection · Jan 9, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. El Maestro Restaurant 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 Maestro Restaurant?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Permits available K49How to fixFix it
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair K44How 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 Maestro Restaurant's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, El Maestro Restaurant. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim El Maestro Restaurant 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 Maestro RestaurantWe'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: Permits availableThe county found: “The permit with the health department is expired. [CA] Renew the permit to avoid further action.”
Then the next one: Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
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 3-304.14, Food Code 3-305.11.
Want to join the restaurants in Santa Clara County that keep their kitchens clean and put their guests' health first?
Claim El Maestro RestaurantWe'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).
Every visit
LatestJan 9, 2026Routine inspection85 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 85 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Jan 9, 2026.
7 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (7)
Permits available
The department's words
K49 Permits available
The permit with the health department is expired. [CA] Renew the permit to avoid further action.
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K44 Premises clean, in good repair; Personal/chemical storage; Adequate vermin-proofing
Several shelves have clutter and unorganized storage areas. [CA] Thoroughly clean and organize storage shelves. Observed personal items stored on shelves suck as supplements and peroxide. [CA] these items must be stored in lockers with all other personal items.
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 Maestro Restaurant? Fix it
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
The green cutting boards are deteriorated with plastic particles falling off of them [CA] Discontinue use and repair with approved coting boards. Observed not working and unused refrigerators. [CA] Remove them from the facility.
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 Maestro Restaurant? Fix it
Hood filters need cleaning
The department's words
K38 Adequate ventilation/lighting; designated areas, use
The lighting is dim in several areas where food and/or drinks are stored or prepared. The lighting inside the walk in refrigerator is also dim. [CA] this lighting must be increased in these areas for proper cleaning and food safety.
Food Code 6-501.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Hood filters
Hood filters clean
In CleanCleaver: Hood filters
Are you El Maestro Restaurant? Fix it
Sewage or wastewater not disposed of right
The department's words
K22 Sewage and wastewater properly disposed
The beer tap machine is draining into a bucket full of water. [CA] Proper plumbing and disposal is required of the waste water.
Show 2 more
No backflow test on file
The department's words
K41 Plumbing approved, installed, in good repair; proper backflow devices
Observed drain pipes from food prep sinks and other items in the floor sink. [CA] Provide an air gap between the top of the floor sink and the drain pipe.
Food Code 5-205.15
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
Backflow test on file
In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
Are you El Maestro Restaurant? Fix it
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Observed the storage room floor to be very deteriorated. [CA] Repair the floor.
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 Maestro Restaurant? Fix it
EarlierOct 18, 2024Routine inspection88 out of 100 (Green placard)
6 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (6)
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Observed the used wiping towel on the counter top and no sanitizing bucket for the towels that are being actively used. [CA] Keep them in sanitizer between each use.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Observed clean lids in containers with food particles. [CA] Wash the storage bins that hold both the plastic and stainless steel lids. Keep clean item in clean containers
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
The floor in the walk in is deteriorated and pieces of tile are present in the walk in freezer. [CA] Repair the floor and thoroughly clean the soiled floors under shelves in the walk in freezer. Observed holes in the wall under the dish sink. [CA] Close up the holes in the walls. This will also help with rodent and insect proofing the kitchen.
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
The styrofoam cooler in the freezer is deteriorating. [CA] Discontinue using the deteriorating styrofoam cooler.
Utensils or dishes stored wet or unwashed
The department's words
K36 Equipment, utensils, linens: Proper storage and use
Observed rice directly in shopping bags in the warmer. [CA] These shopping bags are not meant for direct food contact in the steam table. Use food grade equipment to hold food with direct food contact. [COS] The cook took the rice out of the shopping bags.
Show 1 more
Hood filters need cleaning
The department's words
K38 Adequate ventilation/lighting; designated areas, use
The lighting in the walk in freezer is very dim. You are not able to see in there properly for cleaning purposes. The lighting in the area where the coffee is made is very dim. [CA] Increase lighting in all areas where it is dim for proper food prep visuals and food storage visuals.
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 Maestro Restaurant, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
- Equipment in poor repair In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
- Hood filters need cleaning In CleanCleaver: Hood filters
- No backflow test on file In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
Call El Maestro Restaurant
Ask for the manager. El Maestro Restaurant 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.
Do you work at or run El Maestro Restaurant?
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
- 85 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.