At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
93/ 100 · 7 points taken off
3 problems found · Routine county inspection · May 26, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. La Cueva Mex Grill 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 La Cueva Mex Grill?
It's fair to care about this. Here's what the county found. Tap any item to see how a kitchen fixes it.
- No backflow test on file K41How to fixFix it
- Hot food below 135°F K07How to fixFix it
- Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food K27How 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 La Cueva Mex Grill's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, La Cueva Mex Grill. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim La Cueva Mex Grill 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 La Cueva Mex GrillWe'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: No backflow test on fileThe county found: “Drain lines from the ice machine extends into the floor sink. [CA] Provide a minimum of a 1 inch air gap between the…”
Then the next one: Hot food below 135°F
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 3-302.11, Food Code 3-305.11, Food Code 7-201.11.
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 La Cueva Mex GrillWe'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.
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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 (14 → 7). That takes a team.
Every visit
LatestMay 26, 2026Routine inspection93 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 93 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected May 26, 2026.
3 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (3)
No backflow test on file
The department's words
K41 Plumbing approved, installed, in good repair; proper backflow devices
Drain lines from the ice machine extends into the floor sink. [CA] Provide a minimum of a 1 inch air gap between the end of equipment drain lines and the rim of the floor sink to protect equipment from back flow contamination.
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 La Cueva Mex Grill? Fix it
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Potentially hazardous foods, raw fish and cheese, are over stacked in the food prep unit insert, and measured at 45F - 47F [CA] Potentially hazardous foods when cold holding shall be held at or below 41F.
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 La Cueva Mex Grill? Fix it
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Inside the food prep unit, observed raw shrimp stored above ready-to-eat foods. [CA] Store raw foods separate or below ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross contamination.
Food Code 3-302.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Top to bottom
- 1. Top: ready-to-eat food (salads, desserts, cut fruit, cooked leftovers, deli meat, cheese, drinks)
- 2. Raw fish and seafood (cooked to 145°F)
- 3. Whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb; raw shell eggs (145°F)
From Food Code 3-302.11
Keep raw meat types apart
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 La Cueva Mex Grill? Fix it
EarlierJun 20, 2025Routine inspection86 out of 100 (Green placard)
4 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
Potentially hazardous foods measured at improper hot holding temperature by the grill. Beef, chicken, beans measured at 104F to 121F. Per employee items were prepared within the last hour. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods when hot holding shall be held at or above 135F. [COS] Employee reheated the food at the cook top and the grill.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (3)
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Boxes and containers of food observed stored on the floor inside the walk-in cooler. [CA] Food shall be stored a minimum of 6 inches off the floor.
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
Inside the walk-in cooler, observed raw meats stored above ready-to-eat foods. [CA] Store raw meats separate or below ready-to-eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.
Chemicals unlabeled or stored near food
The department's words
K29 Toxic substances properly identified, stored, used
Multiple spray bottles in the kitchen are not labeled. [CA] Spray bottles used in a food facility shall be labeled to identify it's contents.
EarlierNov 27, 2024Routine inspection94 out of 100 (Green placard)
2 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (2)
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
Food handler cards for employees are expired. [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.
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
In the walk-in cooler, rice stored in sealed bags measured at 46-60F. Per employee the rice was cooked in the morning and in the process of cooling. [CA] When cooling potentially hazardous foods, the food shall be left uncovered or loosely covered to allow for rapid and proper cooling.
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 La Cueva Mex Grill, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- No backflow test on file In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food Read the free guide
Call La Cueva Mex Grill
Ask for the manager. La Cueva Mex Grill 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 La Cueva Mex Grill?
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
- 93 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.