At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
86/ 100 · 14 points taken off
4 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · Jun 19, 2026
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Panda Express 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 Panda Express?
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
- Equipment in poor repair K35How to fixFix it
- No person in charge on duty K24How 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 Panda Express' team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Panda Express. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Panda Express 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 Panda ExpressWe'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: “Potentially hazardous foods held in the food prep unit located across the cook line is measured at improper cold…”
First step: If food is out of range
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 our free guides, built on the FDA Food Code your state uses.
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 Panda ExpressWe'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
LatestJun 19, 2026Routine inspection86 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 86 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected Jun 19, 2026.
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 held in the food prep unit located across the cook line is measured at improper cold holding temperatures. Inside the drawers, tofu, raw beef, raw chicken, and cooked brisket measured at 46F to 51F. Per employee, items were in the unit since the night before. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods when cold holding shall be held at or below 41F. [COS] Employee discarded the food into the trash.
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 Panda Express? Fix it
Not critical (3)
Equipment in poor repair
The department's words
K35 Equipment, utensils: Approved, in good repair, adequate capacity
Food prep unit located across from the cook line has an ambient temperature measured at 50F. [CA] Refrigeration must be capable of maintaining potentially hazardous foods at 41°F or below. Per discussion with manager via the phone. The manager was aware of issues with the unit and had already submitted a service request for repairs. Refrigeration units that are unable to hold food at the proper temperature shall not be used for potentially hazardous foods.
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 Panda Express? Fix it
The department's words
K24 Person in charge present and performing duties
A person in charge (PIC) was not available on site at time of inspection. [CA] A PIC who is responsible or familiar with the operation of the facility shall be present at the food facility during all hours of operation.
Hood filters need cleaning
The department's words
K38 Adequate ventilation/lighting; designated areas, use
Flat top grill is partially outside the overhang of the ventilation hood. Observed minor yellowing on the ceiling in location where the flat top grill is located. [CA] Cooking equipment shall be operated under the ventilation hood overhang to remove gases, heat, grease, vapors & smoke.
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 Panda Express? Fix it
EarlierJun 13, 2025Routine 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
Minced garlic in oil by the cook line was measured at 55F. [CA] Potentially hazardous foods shall either be cold holding at or below 41F; or hot holding at or above 135F. [SA] Per employee, the item was taken out within the hour and agreed to put it on time control where it shall be discarded if not used within the next 3 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 (1)
Hood filters need cleaning
The department's words
K38 Adequate ventilation/lighting; designated areas, use
Filters of the exhaust hood ventilation are in disrepair leaving gaps between the filters. [CA]All hood ventilation filters shall be in good repair.
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 Panda Express, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Hot food below 135°F Read the free guide
- Equipment in poor repair In CleanCleaver: Look over the equipment; report anything broken
- Hood filters need cleaning In CleanCleaver: Hood filters
Call Panda Express
Ask for the manager. Panda Express 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 Panda Express?
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
- 86 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.