At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
80/ 100 · 20 points taken off
6 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · May 26, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Metro Balderas #3 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 Metro Balderas #3?
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
- Thermometer missing or reading wrong K39How to fixFix it
- No person in charge on duty K01How 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 Metro Balderas #3's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Metro Balderas #3. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Metro Balderas #3 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 Metro Balderas #3We'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: “PHFs measured at improper holding temperatures Major: held next to stove top <2h: cooked onions (99F), cooked…”
First step: If food is out of range
Then the next one: Thermometer missing or reading wrong
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 4-603.16, Food Code 3-304.14, Food Code 3-305.11.
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.
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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.
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Inspections
From County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health · 5 inspections on record · Last checked Oct 6, 2026
The county visited 3 times in the last 12 months (2 routine, 1 follow-up).
Every visit
LatestMay 26, 2026Routine inspection80 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 80 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected May 26, 2026.
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
PHFs measured at improper holding temperatures Major: held next to stove top <2h: cooked onions (99F), cooked peppers (110F) held in prep refrigerator <2h : prepackaged containers of red and green salsa (53F-55F) Minor: held in prep refrigerator at cookline <4h between 44F- 46F: cheese, cactus, chicken, shrimp, ham, hot dogs. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [COS] PHFS will be discarded within 4 hours of removal from temperature control.
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 Metro Balderas #3? Fix it
Not critical (5)
Thermometer missing or reading wrong
The department's words
K39 Thermometers provided, accurate
Refrigeration units at cookline and at front lack thermometers. [CA] A thermometer +/- 2°F shall be provided and correctly located in each hot and cold holding unit containing potentially hazardous foods.
Food Code 4-203.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Ice-water method
- 1. Fill a large glass with crushed ice, then add cold water to the top. Stir.
- 2. Put the probe in the center, not touching the sides or bottom. A dial thermometer goes at least 2 inches deep, past the dimple.
- 3. Wait 30 seconds, or until the reading stops moving.
- 4. It should read 32°F. If not, adjust it (dial: turn the nut under the head with a wrench; digital: press reset per the maker). Replace it if it can't be adjusted.
Using and cleaning it
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Thermometers and calibration
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Metro Balderas #3? Fix it
The department's words
K01 Demonstration of knowledge; food safety certification
Manger Food Safety Certificate not available upon request. [CA] Food facilities that prepare, handle, or serve non-prepackaged potentially hazard foods shall have a valid Food Safety Certificate available for review at all times.
Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food
The department's words
K27 Food separated and protected
In prep refrigerator at cookline : raw eggs stored directly above ready to eat food. [CA] All food shall be separated and protected from cross-contamination. Store all raw meat or other raw products of animal origin below ready-to-eat food items.
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 Metro Balderas #3? Fix it
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Chlorine at the 3-comp sink measured at 50 ppm during active warewashing. [CA] Manual sanitization shall be accomplished in the final sanitizing rinse by contacting a chlorine solution of 100 PPM concentration for at least 30 seconds or by contacting a quaternary ammonium solution of 200 PPM concentration for at least 60 seconds. [COS]
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 Metro Balderas #3? Fix it
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
MEasured ambient temperature inside prep refrigerator (cookline) at 44F. [CA] Refrigeration must be capable of maintaining PHFs at 41°F or below.
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 Metro Balderas #3? Fix it
EarlierFeb 3, 2026Follow-up inspectionGreen placard
1 violation listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (1)
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
EarlierJan 29, 2026Routine inspection84 out of 100 (Green placard)
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
Food prep table near the walk in unit has an ambient temperature of 44F and some food items were also measured 44F. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [SA] Only keep non PHF in the prep cooler near the walk in unit. Container of beef and bacon next to flat grill was measured 130F - 125F. It was cooked one hour ago. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [SA] PHF shall be kept hot holding on a grill or discarded after 4 hours.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (4)
Utensils or dishes stored wet or unwashed
The department's words
K36 Equipment, utensils, linens: Proper storage and use
Salsa and chicken containers has small bowl for scooping food. [CA] Store scoop handle in such a way that the handle does not come in direct contact with food to prevent contamination. Ice scoop was left flat in the ice machine. [CA] Handle to ice scoop shall be stored so that it is not in direct contact with ice.
Wiping cloths left out of sanitizer
The department's words
K40 Wiping cloths: properly used, stored
Dirty wiping cloths were left on a prep table. [CA] Wiping towels shall be stored in sanitizing solution of an approved concentration when not in use (100 ppm - chlorine, 200 ppm - quaternary ammonium).
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
Prep cooler behind the counter with salsa was measured 50F. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [SA] Repair/fix the prep cooler with salsa it can measured 41F and below.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Boxes of meat was left on floor inside the walk in freezer. [CA] Food shall be stored at least 6 inches above the floor to prevent contamination.
EarlierJul 29, 2025Routine inspection87 out of 100 (Green placard)
3 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
REPEAT VIOLATION: FOOD PREP COOLER WITH MEAT IS MEASURED 45F. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above. [SA] Only keep small portions in that prep cooler until it is fixed. CHICKEN PASTERO AND BASCON WERE MEASURED BELOW 130F. [CA] Hot holding temperature for PHF shall measure at 135F and above.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Not critical (2)
No hot or cold water at a sink
The department's words
K21 Hot and cold water available
Handwashing facility at employee restroom was measured 87F. [CA] Handwashing facilities shall be equipped to provide minimum 100°F water under pressure for a minimum of 15 seconds.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Both walk in coolers have carton of meat and buckets of meat on floor. [CA] Food shall be stored at least 6 inches above the floor to prevent contamination.
EarlierOct 9, 2024Routine inspection93 out of 100 (Green placard)
3 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (3)
The department's words
K07 Proper hot and cold holding temperatures
Food prep table with meat options is at 45F. [CA] PHFs shall be held at 41°F or below or at 135°F or above.
Thermometer missing or reading wrong
The department's words
K39 Thermometers provided, accurate
Food prep tables lack monitoring thermometer. [CA] A thermometer +/- 2°F shall be provided and correctly located in each hot and cold holding unit containing potentially hazardous foods.
Food on the floor or under drips
The department's words
K30 Food storage: food storage containers identified
Multiple meat boxes were on floor inside the walk in freezer and vegetable crates on floor inside the walk in refrigeration. [CA] Food shall be stored at least 6 inches above the floor to prevent contamination. Obtain more shelving inside ethe walk in units.
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 Metro Balderas #3, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Thermometer missing or reading wrong Read the free guide
- Raw food not kept apart from ready-to-eat food Read the free guide
- Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right Read the free guide
- Equipment in poor repair In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
Call Metro Balderas #3
Ask for the manager. Metro Balderas #3 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 Metro Balderas #3?
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
- 80 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.