At a glance
CleanCleaver food safety systematic review results
What happened?
83/ 100 · 17 points taken off
5 problems found · 1 marked critical · Routine county inspection · May 1, 2025
Is that a lot?
Most food places here got 2 to 15 points taken off. Taco Cantina 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 Taco Cantina?
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: Cooked food not cooled in time K09How to fixFix it
- No backflow test on file K41How to fixFix it
- Utensils or dishes stored wet or unwashed K36How 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 Taco Cantina's team
Is this your place?
Welcome, Taco Cantina. We'll walk through this together, one item at a time. To log the fixes, claim Taco Cantina 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 Taco CantinaWe'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: Cooked food not cooled in timeThe county found: “Inside the walk-in refrigerator: measured internal temperatures of cooked chicken tikka masala, mexican shredded beef,…”
First step: If you miss a stage
Then the next one: No backflow test on file
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 2-301.15, Food Code 4-603.16.
Try it yourself
Fix and log it: Cooked food not cooled in time
A practice run. Nothing is saved. Tap each step when it's done.
0 of 2 done
If you miss a stage
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 Taco CantinaWe'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.
Every visit
LatestMay 1, 2025Routine inspection83 out of 100 (Green placard)
This one: 83 out of 100 (Green placard), inspected May 1, 2025.
5 violations listed, 1 marked critical.
Critical (1)
Marked critical by County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health
Cooked food not cooled in time
The department's words
K09 Proper cooling methods
Inside the walk-in refrigerator: measured internal temperatures of cooked chicken tikka masala, mexican shredded beef, and beef fingers to be 47 - 50F. Employees stated foods had been cooked yesterday. Note: other foods in the walk-in refrigerator measured 39F. [CA] Whenever food has been prepared or heated so that it becomes PHF, it shall be rapidly cooled: • From 135°F to 70°F in 2 hours, AND • From 70°F to 41°F in 4 hours [COS] Foods were voluntarily discarded. See VCD form.
Critical items are the ones most likely to make someone sick. This one comes first. Here's how a kitchen fixes it.
Food Code 3-501.14
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
If you miss a stage
- Missed stage 1 (not 70°F by 2 hours): reheat to 165°F and start over, or throw it out.
- Missed stage 2 (not 41°F by 6 hours): throw it out.
How to cool fast
3 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Cooling food in two stages
The full guide has 3 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Taco Cantina? Fix it
Not critical (4)
No backflow test on file
The department's words
K41 Plumbing approved, installed, in good repair; proper backflow devices
Next to the ice machine and in the bar: observe lack of air gap between the drain pipes and the top rim of the floor sinks. [CA] Maintain a minimum one inch air gap between the bottom of the drain pipe and the top of the floor sink to prevent wastewater backflow.
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 Taco Cantina? Fix it
Utensils or dishes stored wet or unwashed
The department's words
K36 Equipment, utensils, linens: Proper storage and use
Inside the bulk corn starch bin: observed a plastic cup used as a scoop. [CA] Use approved scoops with handles to reduce contamination risk.
Food Code 4-901.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
Utensils and dishes stored clean and dry
In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
Are you Taco Cantina? Fix it
The department's words
K06 Adequate handwash facilities supplied, accessible
Observed one kitchen handwash sink's paper towel dispenser was empty. Another stocked handwash sink was located directly behind the wall. [CA] Keep paper towel dispensers stocked at all times.
Food Code 5-205.11
How can a restaurant or home fix this?
Hand sinks are for hands only
- Wash only at a handwashing sink.
- Never wash hands in the dish sink, a food prep sink, a mop sink, or a drink cooler.
- Never dump drinks, rinse utensils or fill pitchers at the hand sink.
From Food Code 2-301.15
Soap and hand sanitizer
4 more steps in the full guide Read the free guide
Handwashing
The full guide has 4 more parts. Sign up to open the full guide in the app.
Are you Taco Cantina? Fix it
Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair
The department's words
K45 Floor, walls, ceilings: built,maintained, clean
Observed accumulation of grease/food debris on floors behind the cooking equipment under the hood. [CA] Keep floors clean.
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 Taco Cantina? Fix it
EarlierDec 4, 2024Routine inspection95 out of 100 (Green placard)
2 violations listed, 0 marked critical.
Not critical (2)
Shelves and surfaces need cleaning
The department's words
K33 Nonfood contact surfaces clean
Observed heavy accumulation of grease on sides of cooking equipment, especially the griddle and deep fryer. [CA] Keep surfaces clean.
Food-contact surfaces not cleaned or sanitized right
The department's words
K14 Food contact surfaces clean, sanitized
Observed grey mold-like substance on the white baffle inside the ice machine. [CA] Keep inside of ice machine clean.
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 Taco Cantina, you can:
Learn how these get fixed
Free, step-by-step guides for each item.
- Cooked food not cooled in time Read the free guide
- No backflow test on file In CleanCleaver: Backflow device test
- Utensils or dishes stored wet or unwashed In CleanCleaver: Check a room top to bottom
- Hand sink not ready to use Read the free guide
- Floors, walls or ceilings need cleaning or repair In CleanCleaver: Sweep and mop
Call Taco Cantina
Ask for the manager. Taco Cantina 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.
About 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
- 83 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.