At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
85/ 100 · 15 points taken off
4 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Jan 13, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. El Pollo Loco #3516 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 Pollo Loco #3516?
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
- Equipment in poor repair K35How to fixFix it
- Hot food below 135°F K07How 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 Pollo Loco #3516's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, El Pollo Loco #3516. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim El Pollo Loco #3516 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 Pollo Loco #3516We'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: “Observed lack of paper towels at the handwash station in both restrooms. [CA] Handwash sinks shall be fully stocked…”
First step: Hand sinks are for hands only
Then the next one: Equipment in poor 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 2-301.15, 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.
Want to join the restaurants in Santa Clara County that keep their kitchens clean and put their guests' health first?
Claim El Pollo Loco #3516We'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 · 3 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 (18 → 15). That takes a team.
Every visit
LatestJan 13, 2026Routine inspection85 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 85 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Jan 13, 2026.
4 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
Observed lack of paper towels at the handwash station in both restrooms. [CA] Handwash sinks shall be fully stocked with soap and single use towels at all times. [COS] Employees restocked the paper towels dispenser in the restroom.
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 Pollo Loco #3516? Fix it
Not critical (3)
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
Measured the ambient temperature of the 1-door under counter cooler nearby the drivethrough at 49F. [CA] Refrigeration units shall maintain foods at 41F or below. Discontinue storage of Potentially Hazardous Foods until this unit is repaired.
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 Pollo Loco #3516? Fix it
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
In the 1-door under counter cooler nearby the drivethrough, measured creamy cilantro sauce, flan, and guacamole from 45-49F. Per time marking, items were prepared less than 4 hours prior to temperature measurement. [CA] Potentially Hazardous Foods shall be kept at 41F or below or 135F or above. [SA] All food was relocated to a functioning cooler to facilitate proper cooling.
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 El Pollo Loco #3516? Fix it
No backflow test on file
The department's words
K41 Plumbing approved, installed, in good repair; proper backflow devices
1) Observed active leak in the piping underneath the preparation sink. [CA] Plumbing fixtures shall be maintained in good repair. 2) Observed drainpipes from the central grill station extend directly into the floor sink. [CA] Provide air gap between the drain pipes and floor sink that is at least twice the diameter of the inlet and no less than one inch.
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 Pollo Loco #3516? Fix it
EarlierNov 27, 2024Follow-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.
EarlierNov 15, 2024Routine inspection82 out of 100 (Yellow placard)
3 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 both restroom handwash stations. [CA] Refill the paper towel dispenser immediately. The PIC refilled the supplies (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
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
The sanitizer concentration on the kitchen's three compartment warewash sink was measured at 0 ppm chlorine. [CA] Whenever sanitizing of utensils/equipment is conducted using a three compartment warewash sink, there must be a 100-ppm residual chlorine or 200 ppm quaternary ammonia sanitizer level on the sanitizing compartment. The person in charge refill one sink of the warewash sink with lukewarm water and added bleach manually to create a 100-ppm chlorine solution to sanitize the utensils (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 (1)
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
During the time of the inspection, contractors were remodeling part of the dining area, and excessive dust was diffusing into the kitchen area. The facility was conducting a drive through service. If remodeling is being conducted in the facility, the whole kitchen must remain closed, or at least the area where food preparation, storage, and service is conducted must been properly protected. [CA] Food must be properly protected from a possible contamination during storage, preparation, and service. The contractor brought chipwood and plastic and protected the kitchen area from any dust that might be generated in the dining area from the remodeling or cleaning. Excessive dust accumulation was observed on the floor below the cooking area and on the floor sinks back in the kitchen area. [CA] Please conduct a thorough cleaning on the floor and floor sink areas.
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 Pollo Loco #3516, 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
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- No backflow test on file In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
Call El Pollo Loco #3516
Ask for the manager. El Pollo Loco #3516 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 Pollo Loco #3516?
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.