Topeka food inspections find baby roaches, rodent droppings, dead mouse floating in water

Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors found several Topeka establishments to be out of compliance with state law last month.

Some had baby cockroaches, others had rodent droppings, while one had a dead mouse floating in standing water and another had a moldy dishwasher.

Kansas law delegates to the Kansas Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate food establishments, food processing plants and lodging establishments. Violations can lead to various consequences, including the immediate closure of an establishment.

Kansas Department of Agriculture records show that while most Topeka service establishments passed inspections in August with either no violations or no serious ones, several failed. Most inspections were routine, but inspectors also visit after complaints, for licensing, follow-ups and other reasons.

Out of compliance establishments

The following establishments were listed as out of compliance with state law after inspections in August.

• Love's Travel Stop at 1811 N.W. Brickyard Road.

The Aug. 31 routine inspection found one violation: at least 10 flies plus at least 20 additional winged insects flying around the cappuccino machine and under the barrier for hot dogs and tornados.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 11.

• Subway at 2600 N.W. Rochester Road.

The routine inspection on Aug. 30 found three violations.

The inspector found more than 50 mouse droppings — both old and new — in three cabinets behind the counter and under the hand sink, writing that "everything in the Cabinet has been compromised and destroyed" by the person in charge, who also cleaned out the cabinets.

A hand sink had a stack of clean dishes in it, blocking its use as a sink for washing hands.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 11.

• BP Gas Station-Greyhound Bus Lines at 600 S.E. Quincy.

The Aug. 29 routine inspection found four violations.

The establishment was cited for a cook washing her hands in a dish sink instead of a hand sink, one hand sink not having hot water, another hand sink having no water pressure and holding turkey breasts past the maximum seven-day limit.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 8.

• Denny's at 3210 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

The Aug. 29 complaint inspection found seven violations.

The restaurant was cited for mashed potatoes, taco meat and nacho cheese that were not warm enough, as well as pot roast without a date mark. A dishwashing sink had no hot water and there was food debris built up in the microwave and elsewhere in the kitchen.

While there were no live pests observed, the two sticky traps had more than 50 dead cockroaches.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 8.

• Ling's Cafe at 2024 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

The Aug. 29 inspection after a modified complaint found five violations.

The restaurant was written up for not ceasing operations and notifying the KDA about "the imminent health hazard of improper Refrigeration and Pest on site."

The restaurant threw away a full case of eggs that had been in a broken refrigerator and also threw away cooked shrimp, shredded cabbage, raw chicken, cooked lo mein noodles and eggs that were too warm after being held in broken cold make tables. Cooks said the refrigerator had been out for the past week, with the cold make tables out for three days.

The inspector saw cockroaches in the restaurant, including two baby roaches on the dining room floor and six baby roaches walking around the drain by the pop station in the kitchen.

"In the Mongolian Grill area in the floor drain, a dead mouse floating in standing water," the inspector wrote.

The establishment agreed to voluntarily close. A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 8.

• Gas and Shop at 1900 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

The Aug. 28 routine inspection found seven violations.

A fridge had 3-month-old chili, there was no food thermometer, the hand sink was full of dirty dishes, the hand sink did not have towels, a bottle of liquid was not labeled and the mop sink hose had no backflow prevention.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 6.

• Hilton Garden Inn at 1351 S.W. Arvonia Place.

The Aug. 28 inspection for a modified complaint found two violations, one for the hot tub water being 3 degrees too hot, and another for the hot tub thermometer being off.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 7.

• Senate Suites at 900 Tyler St.

The Aug. 28 inspection, which was following up on past inspections in June, found eight violations, many of which were repeated from the past inspections.

Some rooms lacked evacuation routes, a stairwell didn't have emergency lighting, fire alarm systems needed a new heat and smoke sensor, there was no smoke detector for hearing-impaired people, one room had holes in a wall and a mattress had a dark red stain.

New violations included one room with an extended-stay occupant that hadn't been serviced at least every five days and a corridor with wired lighting hanging from the ceiling.

"General Manager said he has a staff member to perform maintenance on all electrical because it sparks when he attempt any maintenance," the inspector wrote.

Another follow-up inspection was scheduled for Oct. 28.

• Fuzzy's Taco Shop at 2614 S.W. 17th St.

The modified complaint inspection on Aug. 22 found eight violations.

The inspector saw two live cockroaches on the floor near a kitchen trash can, plus one more in the basement on a trash can near an office desk, as well as dead cockroaches at the front counter area. There were also more than 20 flies throughout the restaurant. The person in charge said pest control was visiting monthly and treating for German cockroaches, with the last visit on Aug. 16.

A gap at the bottom of the back door was a possible entrance point for pests, and cardboard boxes with old paperwork were a possible harborage area. On the floor behind the fryers was a grease puddle with food debris, which was also a possible pest control concern.

One dish basket for the dishwasher had what appeared to be black mold, as well as mold buildup inside the machine.

The restaurant had a trash can collecting wastewater from the mop sink, which was then poured in a basement floor drain.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Oct. 1.

• El Sabor Mexican Restaurant at 601 E. US-24 in Rossville.

The Aug. 12 routine inspection found four violations.

The restaurant did not have thermometers, which the person in charge said had been left in his other car, there were no test strips for dish sanitizers, a kitchen hand sink had no paper towels and there was no consumer advisory about eating undercooked meat.

A follow-up inspection Aug. 29 found no violations.

• Relax Inn & Suites at 3802 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

The Aug. 11 modified complaint inspection found eight violations.

There had been complaints of no hot water at the establishment. The person in charge said Kansas Gas Service turned off the gas due to a leak, which had since been fixed.

A gas hot water heater had been modified into an electric heater, which was against building and plumbing codes. Fire and property management inspectors explained there was an imminent danger of a potential explosion and "the magnitude of destruction if they do explode."

The person in charge offered to provide rooms to occupants that were farther away from the mechanical room, and the inspector drained the hot water tanks and disconnected them from the electrical supply.

The inspector noted a missing fire extinguisher from one building that was reportedly stolen, eight out-of-date fire extinguishers, a lack of smoke detectors in mechanical rooms, a lack of cleaning of some extended stay rooms, laundry water draining outside onto the ground and exposed wiring connections.

The establishment was back in compliance during a follow-up inspection on Aug. 28, which found no violations.

• Sonic Drive In at 3520 S.E. 29th St.

The complaint inspection on Aug. 10 found one violation concerning pests.

The inspector found more than 10 live cockroaches near the ware-washing sink, the dump grease tank and under the dry storage shelves. There were also some dead cockroaches.

The person in charge immediately called pest control, and the restaurant was back in compliance during a follow-up inspection Aug. 22.

• Springhill Suites at 2745 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

The routine inspection Aug. 10 found four violations.

The establishment had an open bag of shredded cheese that had not been marked with the open date, there was no food thermometer and a hand sink a the bar had no soap and no towels to dry your hands.

The hotel was in compliance during a follow-up inspection Aug. 22.

• Pizza Parlor at 1401 N.E. Seward Ave.

Inspectors found one violation during an Aug. 7 inspection following up on a July 27 inspection that noted pest control problems, among other violations.

"Roaches are still alive in kitchen area," the inspector wrote in the Aug. 7 report, noting roaches on the floor, the backside of a make table, one by the wall and fryer and one in a cabinet behind the bar.

The person in charge said pest control had been coming every other day but had no reports on hand for the inspector to verify.

Another follow-up inspection was scheduled for Oct. 9.

• American Bottling Co. at 1401 N.W. Moundview Drive, Suite D.

The Aug. 2 joint inspection found nine violations.

Spiders, spider webs, cobwebs and gnats were throughout the facility, especially in areas of pooled liquid on the floor that had leaked from damaged product.

Among other violations, there was one door with a gap, pallets being stored against the wall left insufficient space for sanitation, the walls had holes, trash and debris were around the warehouse and the dock doors were open without protective screens, potentially allowing pests and birds to ender the facility.

A follow-up inspection was scheduled for Sept. 2.

• Golden Dragon at 1101 S. Kansas Ave.

The Aug. 2 complaint inspection found three violations.

The refrigerator posed a cross contamination risk because multiple raw meats were stored above raw vegetables. The refrigerator also was not keeping the food cold enough, so all of those items were thrown away. The food safety requirement for cold holding is 41 degrees, but the fridge's ambient air temperature was 62 degrees.

The inspector also noted at least 20 rat droppings, some fresh and some old, on the floor by the mop sink, the pop syrup boxes and by the back door. Pest control hadn't visited in six months.

The restaurant voluntarily closed. The restaurant had no violations during an Aug. 3 reopening inspection.

Inspections found these establishments were in compliance

The following service establishments were in compliance when inspectors visited in August with either no violations or only relatively minor ones.

• Brass Rail Tavern at 401 Emmett St.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill at 2040 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 103.

• Eisenhower Middle School at 3305 S.E. Minnesota Road.

• Advisors Excel at 4115 S.W. Huntoon St.

• Dollar Tree at 2180 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Doughboyz Pizzeria at 1312 N. Kansas Ave.

• Golden Corral at 1601 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• McDonalds at 1640 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Round Table Bookstore at 826 N. Kansas Ave.

• Baskin-Robbins at 2837 S.E. California.

• 7 Brew Coffee at 1115 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Auburn Elementary School at 810 N. Commercial in Auburn.

• Country Club Motel at 3732 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Dollar General at 1420 Washington St. in Auburn.

• Nothing Bundt Cakes at 2121 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 101-A.

• Taco Tico at 2102 N. Topeka Blvd.

• 7.8.5. Kitchen at 2028 S.W. Gage Blvd.

• Berryton Elementary School at 2921 S.E. 69th St. in Berryton.

• Washburn Rural Middle School at 5620 S.W. 61st St.

• 2 Chefs Catering at 2518 S.W. 17th St.

• Antojitos Bermudez at 2102 S.E. California Ave.

• Indian Bistro at 2919 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite A.

• McDonald's at 2001 N. Topeka Blvd.

• Paletas Royale at 5621 N.E. Getty St.

• Randolph Elementary School at 1400 Randolph.

• Washburn University Mabee Study Grounds at 1700 S.W. College Ave.

• Wings Etc. Grill & Pub at 2139 S.W. Fairlawn Plaza Drive.

• Cici's Pizza at 2130 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 110.

• Hardees at 2100 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Jimmy Johns at 2007 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Pauline Central Primary School at 6625 S.W. Westview.

• Pauline South Intermediate School at 7035 S.W. Morrill Road in Wakarusa.

• Potwin Drug Store at 124 N.W. Fillmore St.

• Dillons at 800 N.W. 25th St.

• HuHot Mongolian Grill at 5900 Huntoon Road, Suite E.

• Olive Garden Italian Restaurant at 1925 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Super 8 at 5968 S.W. 10th Ave.

• Spangles at 635 N.W. US-24 highway.

• Big E's KCQ & Smoke at 4415 S.E. Michigan Ave.

• Chartwells at C-Store Washburn University at 1700 College Ave.

• Cookies by Gayla at 1801 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• El Mezcal at 511 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Love's Travel Stop / Godfather's Pizza at Kansas Turnpike mile marker 188.

• Tiltons Westside at 1100 W. Sixth St.

• Coco Asian & Chinese Cuisine at 1707 S.E. 29th St., Suite 700.

• El Gallo Negro at 2018 S.W. Swygart.

• Love's Travel Stop / Chester's at 1811 N.W. Brickyard Road.

• McDonald's at 5525 S.W. 21st St.

• Seaman High School at 4850 N.W. Rochester Road.

• Snouthern's Food Truck at 4307 S.W. 30th St.

• Sonic Drive In at 3820 S.W. 29th St.

• Topeka High School at 800 S.W. 10th.

• Williams Magnet School at 1301 S.E. Monroe.

• Highland Park Central Elementary School at 2717 S.E. Illinois.

• Kwik Shop at 5700 S.W. 21st St.

• Linn Education Center School at 200 S.E. 40th St.

• St. Matthew's Catholic School at 1000 S.E. 28th St.

• Sweet Bites at 3801 S.E. Humboldt St.

• Zeta Tau Alpha at 1845 S.W. Jewell.

• Most Pure Heart of Mary School at 1750 S.W. Stone.

• Poblanos Grill at 3035 S.E. Sixth Ave.

• Ryan's Pub at 2910 S.W. Oakley Ave.

• Shaner Early Learning Academy at 1600 S.W. 34th St.

• Specks Bar & Grill at 2105 S.W. Mission Ave.

• Walmart at 2600 N.W. Rochester Road.

• Crossmark inside Sam's Club at 1401 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Family Dollar at 1313 S.W. 21st St.

• McDonald's at 2933 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Oleander at 714 S.W. Gage Blvd.

• Sam's Club at 1401 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Taco Bell at 1560 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Sweet Kernels at 4221 N.W. Morley Road.

• Abilgails at 3701 S.W. Plaza Drive.

• Washburn Institute of Technology at 5724 S.W. Huntoon.

• Cosmos Court at 909 S. Kansas Ave.

• Family Dollar at 501 S.E. 21st St.

• Kwik Shop at 1114 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Stumpy's Smoked Cheese at 1605 N.W. 50th St.

• Supermarket El Torito at 3000 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Barnes & Noble Booksellers at 6130 S.W. 17th St.

• Culvers at 1035 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Great Life Golf & Fitness at 913 S.E. 29th St.

• Herman's Meat & Smokehouse at 4211 S.W. Huntoon.

• Long John Silver's at 2746 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• McAlister's Deli at 1129 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite B.

• Monsoon Indian Grill at 2040 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 104.

• Quality Inn at 1240 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Taco Tico at 5222 S.W. 17th St.

• Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant at 1835 N.W. Topeka Blvd., Suite 191.

• Oma's Travelin Kitchen at 422 S.W. Western Ave. Apt. 1.

• Topeka BBQ Shop at 5331 S.W. 22nd Place.

• Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant at 417 S.W. 37th St.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill at 2001 S.E. 28th St.

• Kwik Shop at 1700 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Antojitos La Michoacana at 3112 S.E. Michigan Ave.

• El Cafecito at 1521 N.E. Atchison Ave.

• Manila Snow Cone Company at 1939 N. Kansas Ave.

• Tropical Treats at 5330 S.W. Fairlawn.

• Chuck E Cheese's at 2215 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Michaela's at 2041 S.E. Washington St.

• Red Lobster at 2011 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Thunderbirds Grille at 2920 S.E. Croco.

• Wood Oil Company at 101 N.E. US-24.

• Hyatt Place at 6021 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Big R's Barbecue and More at 2133 S.E. Turnpike Ave.

• Gerardo's Mexican Food at 3506 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Honey Creek Catering Co. at 13043 S.W. 13th St.

• Los Amigo's at 5145 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Mijos Coffee and Eatery at 610 S.W. Wayne.

• Panera Bread at 1421 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Walmart at 2630 S.E. California Ave.

• Bimbo Bakeries USA at 4100 S.W. Martin Drive.

• Classic Bean at 722 S. Kansas Ave.

• International Paper at 7215 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Low Cost at 3101 S.E. Sixth Ave., Suite A.

• Soul Fire Food Company at 2305 S.E. Carnahan.

Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Where Topeka restaurant inspections found mold, roaches, spoiled food