At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
88/ 100 · 12 points taken off
5 problems found · Routine county inspection · Dec 5, 2025
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. El Tule Mexican 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 Tule Mexican Restaurant?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- Hood filters need cleaning K38How to fixFix it
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair K45How to fixFix it
- Dish sink or dish machine not set up right K34How 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 Tule Mexican Restaurant's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, El Tule Mexican Restaurant. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim El Tule Mexican 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 Tule Mexican 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: Hood filters need cleaningThe county found: “Light was out in employee restroom. [CA] Repair/replace light.”
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 4-301.12, Food Code 4-603.16, Food Code 6-501.112.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Dish sink or dish machine not set up right
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 3 done
Set up
From Food Code 4-301.12
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 Tule Mexican 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
LatestDec 5, 2025Routine inspection88 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 88 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Dec 5, 2025.
5 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (5)
Hood filters need cleaning
The department's words
K38 Adequate ventilation/lighting; designated areas, use
Light was out in employee restroom. [CA] Repair/replace light.
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 Tule Mexican Restaurant? Fix it
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Observed unapproved ceiling finish in dry storage area. [CA] Discontinue storing items in the attic. [CA] Ceilings of all rooms where nonprepackaged food is handled shall be smooth, of durable construction, and of nonabsorbent material that is easily cleanable.
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 Tule Mexican Restaurant? Fix it
Dish sink or dish machine not set up right
The department's words
K34 Warewash facilities: installed/maintained; test strips
Chlorine test strips were not available at time of inspection. [CA] Testing equipment and materials shall be provided to adequately measure the applicable sanitization method used during manual or mechanical warewashing.
Food Code 4-301.12
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Set up
- 1. Wash your hands at the hand sink (never at this sink).
- 2. Clean and sanitize all three sinks and both drainboards.
- 3. Sink 1 (WASH): detergent and water at 110°F or hotter.
From Food Code 4-301.12
Washing, step by step
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
The three-compartment sink, step by step
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you El Tule Mexican Restaurant? Fix it
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Chlorine in mechanical warewash measured 0ppm. [CA] Maintain chlorine in mechanical warewash machine at 50 PPM. Facility will use chlorine in two compartment sink to sanitize equipment.
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 El Tule Mexican Restaurant? Fix it
Pests seen inside: fruit flies
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
Observed what appeared to be fruit flies in the dry storage area. [CA] Food facility shall be kept free of non-disease carrying insects, weevils, ants, gnats, and fruit flies.
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 El Tule Mexican Restaurant? Fix it
EarlierDec 11, 2024Routine inspection90 out of 100 (Green placard)
2 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
FOUND THE CHICKEN IN RED SAUCE AT 121F. IN THE HOT HOLDING UNIT. [CA] KEEP HOT POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD AT 135F OR ABOVE. REHEAT THE FOOD TO 165F THEN HOT HOLD AT 135F MINIMUM.
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)
Shelves and surfaces need cleaning
The department's words
K33 Nonfood contact surfaces clean
FOUND MOLD LIKE SUBSTANCE ON THE INSIDE WHITE PLASTIC FLAP OF THE ICE MACHINE. [CA] CLEAN THIS PART MORE OFTEN.
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 Tule Mexican Restaurant, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hood filters need cleaning In CleanCleaver: Hood filters
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
- Dish sink or dish machine not set up right Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
- Pests seen inside: fruit flies Read the free guide
Call El Tule Mexican Restaurant
Ask for the manager. El Tule Mexican 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 Tule Mexican 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
- 88 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.