At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
81/ 100 · 19 points taken off
5 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Sep 29, 2025
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Gardenia Los Gatos 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 Gardenia Los Gatos?
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: Hot food below 135°F K07How to fixFix it
- Pests seen inside: fruit flies K23How to fixFix it
- Food on the floor or under drips K30How 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 Gardenia Los Gatos' team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Gardenia Los Gatos. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Gardenia Los Gatos 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 Gardenia Los GatosWe'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: Hot food below 135°FThe county found: “At the front pastry display counter, measured a bacon, egg and cheese pastry at 72F. At the downstairs 2 door reach in…”
First step: If food is out of range
Then the next one: Pests seen inside: fruit flies
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 6-501.112, Food Code 3-305.11, Food Code 4-603.16.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Hot food below 135°F
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 3 done
If food is out of range
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 Gardenia Los GatosWe'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 lists no visits in the last 12 months.
Fewer points taken off than last time (20 → 19). That takes a team.
Every visit
LatestSep 29, 2025Routine inspection81 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 81 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Sep 29, 2025.
5 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
At the front pastry display counter, measured a bacon, egg and cheese pastry at 72F. At the downstairs 2 door reach in refrigerator, measured various potentially hazardous foods including scallops, fish, cheese, and cooked vegetables between 48F and 52F. Per operator, bacon, egg and cheese pastry stored from the morning at 9:00am. Per operator, various potentially hazardous foods stored from about 2 hours prior in the 2 door reach in refrigerator. [CA] Ensure potentially hazardous foods are held cold at 41F and below or held hot at 135F and above. [SA] Operator discarded bacon, egg and cheese pastry and moved all potentially hazardous foods from the 2 door reach in refrigerator to nearby walk-in refrigerator to facilitate proper holding temperatures.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.16(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 Gardenia Los Gatos? Fix it
Not critical (4)
Pests seen inside: fruit flies
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
At the bar area, observed multiple fruit flies around the dump sink. At the downstairs prep area, observed several flies and fruit flies. [CA] Ensure facility is kept free of fly activity to prevent possible contamination of food.
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 Gardenia Los Gatos? Fix it
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
In the downstairs prep and storage area, observed open bags of powdered sugar, sugar, flour, and bonito stored. [CA] Ensure all open bags of dry food are immediately transferred to food grade containers and covered with a fitted lid.
Food Code 3-305.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Where food may never be stored
- Keep food at least 6 inches off the floor.
- Never in restrooms, locker or dressing rooms, garbage rooms, or mechanical rooms (furnace, water heater, electrical).
- Never under stairs, or under sewer lines, leaking water lines or fire sprinkler lines.
From Food Code 3-305.11
Top to bottom
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Fridge and freezer storage order
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Gardenia Los Gatos? Fix it
No plan for a special process
The department's words
K18 Compliance with variance/ROP/HACCP Plan
In the walk-in refrigerator, observed reduced oxygen packaging (ROP) used on potentially hazardous foods including chicken and loco moco patties stored past the listed date/time. [CA] Ensure all potentially hazardous foods intended for reduced oxygen packaging (vacuum packaging) is labeled with a date and time when packaged, and removed from the package within 48 hours. Any potentially hazardous foods intended from reduced oxygen packaging with a time frame greater than 48 hours shall ONLY be allowed through an approved HACCP plan from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). [SA] Operator discarded reduced oxygen packaged items from refrigeration.
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
At the bar area, at the warewash machine, measured chlorine sanitizer at 10 PPM. [CA] Ensure chlorine sanitizer at the warewash machine is maintained at least 50 PPM to allow for proper cleaning and sanitizing of utensils and 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 Gardenia Los Gatos? Fix it
EarlierOct 31, 2024Routine inspection80 out of 100 (Green placard)
6 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
At the bar area, in the barista side 3 door undercounter refrigerator, measured whole milk, half and half, fat free milk, almond milk, and oat milk at 53F. Measured ambient air temperature of 3 door undercounter refrigerator between 53F and 54F. Per operator, food items stored in refrigeration from 12:00pm. [CA] Ensure potentially hazardous foods are held cold at 41F or below to prevent bacterial growth. [SA] Operator to discontinue use of barista side 3 door undercounter refrigerator until it can be repaired and maintain potentially hazardous foods at 41F and below. Container of whole milk, half and half, fat free milk, almond milk, and oat milk was VC&D due to time and temperature abuse. In the steam table/cold wells, measured cooked corn at 68F. In the 2 door prep unit, measured double stacked containers of cheese curds and cooked potatoes at 54F. Per operator, cooked corn was placed in the steam table about 30 minutes prior, and cheese curds and cooked potatoes stored in the insert prep top of the 2 door prep unit about 30 minutes prior. [CA] Ensure potentially hazardous foods are held cold at 41F or below, or held hot at 135F and above to prevent bacterial growth. [SA] Operator reheated cooked corn on the stove prior to replacing in the steam table, and rearranged containers in the insert prep top of the 2 door prep unit to be placed directly in contact with cold airflow.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (5)
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
At the bar area, measured ambient air temperature of 3 door undercounter refrigerator (used by barista) at 53F to 54F. [CA] Ensure refrigeration is repaired and able to maintain potentially hazardous foods at 41F or below to prevent bacterial growth.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
In the downstairs dry storage room, observed open bags of dry food stored in the area. [CA] Ensure open bags of dry food are placed in a food grade container with a fitted lid, or transferred to a food grade container with a fitted lid.
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
Employee food handler cards are unavailable for review. [CA] Ensure all employees that handle food obtain a valid food handler card. Food handler cards shall be available on-site for review.
Pests seen inside: fruit flies
The department's words
K23 No rodents, insects, birds, or animals
In the downstairs prep room, observed fruit flies by the ice machines and soda lines. [CA] Ensure facility is kept free of fruit flies to prevent possible contamination of food.
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
In the kitchen area, to the right of the employee service station, observed cracks and crevices to the on the ceiling above the wastewater pipe. Underneath the 3 compartment sink, observed a crevice forming between cove base tiles. In the downstairs prep area, observed gaps between stainless steel panels in the wall corner/edges. In the bar area, by the floor sinks, observed accumulation of debris and refuse in the area. [CA] Ensure floors are frequently cleaned and maintained to prevent harborage of vermin.
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 Gardenia Los Gatos, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Pests seen inside: fruit flies Read the free guide
- Food on the floor or under drips Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
Call Gardenia Los Gatos
Ask for the manager. Gardenia Los Gatos 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 Gardenia Los Gatos?
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
- 81 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.