Cockroach infestation, mouse feces, old pozole. Wichita KS restaurant inspections

Amy Renee Leiker
·8 min read
1

Eight restaurants, stores and other businesses in and around Wichita were out of compliance during food safety and lodging inspections conducted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture last week.

Their problems include a cockroach infestation, dead bugs and other filth attracting pests, old food, businesses without hot water and functioning food thermometers, mouse feces by areas where food is prepared or stored, bottles of chemicals that weren’t labeled with their contents, and foods that weren’t stored in ways or at temperatures that are safe for the public, according to inspection reports.

Information about the food establishments and a summary of their violations appear below. The list includes inspections conducted in Sedgwick County from March 24-30. The list was compiled April 3.

Nearly 60 establishments passed inspections during that same time. Some may have been non-compliant in previous weeks.

Business owners or managers can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com to comment on inspection results that appear in this story.

More details about the inspection results are in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.

Out-of-compliance inspections

13th Street Market, 1802 E. 13th St., Suite 600 in Wichita — Six violations on March 29 during a routine inspection. Dozens of fresh and old mouse feces under kitchen counter and behind coolers, no soap or paper towels at hand-washing sink in employee bathroom, employees were washing their hands in the kitchen after using restroom, probe food thermometer didn’t work, no backflow prevention at mop sink, mouse feces was by packaged condiments and under sodas and in other areas with food, mouse hole chewed through wall. Next inspection: April 8.

Carousel Skate Center, 312 N. West St. in Wichita — Two violations on March 29 during a follow-up inspection. Bottles of cleaning and sanitizing chemicals weren’t labeled with common names, no test strips for measuring concentration of chlorine sanitizer for dishwasher. Next inspection: April 8.

Dollar Tree, 3701 N. Maize Road in Wichita — Two violations on March 25 during a follow-up inspection. No water under pressure because the water heater was being repaired, no hot water in building. Next inspection: April 5.

Little Caesars Pizza, 5000 S. Broadway in Wichita — Two violations on March 25 during a modified complaint inspection. Sanitizer dispenser wasn’t working at the three-compartment sink while dishes were being washed, restaurant didn’t have the correct test strips for Quaternary sanitizer. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.

Saigon Oriental Restaurant, 1103 N. Broadway in Wichita — Three violations on March 28 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. At least a dozen dead cockroaches in building need to be removed so they don’t attract more pests, living cockroaches under freezer and reach-in cooler and dead cockroaches under equipment, dead cockroach on preparation table and more living cockroaches under wok station in kitchen and on floor under equipment, grease and food debris accumulated under equipment and under wok stations and fryer are food sources for pests. Next inspection: May 28.

Taqueria La Chona, 3415 E. Harry in Wichita — Five violations on March 28 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Bottles of bleach and degreaser weren’t labeled with contents, cooked beans weren’t stored in a way that allowed them to cool down within the required time period, buckets of beans and birria sauce and pozole weren’t cold enough in walk-in cooler, old pozole, containers in clean storage were soiled with sticker residue and food debris. Next inspection: May 28.

VenuWorks of Wichita Catering at Hartman Arena, 8151 N. Hartman Arena Drive in Park City — Two violations on March 30 during a follow-up inspection. Old garlic in oil and sour cream, no hot water in men’s bathroom. Next inspection: May 30.

Walt’s, 7732 E. Central, Suite 110 in Wichita — Twelve violations on March 28 during a joint inspection. Raw tilapia was thawed in intact vacuum packaging which can encourage toxins that cause botulism to grow, no hot water at hand-washing sink in employee bathroom, potato salad and butter were sitting out at room temperature, cheeses weren’t cold enough, cracked and heat-deformed food containers, probe food thermometer wasn’t calibrated correctly, spray bottle of sanitizer was stored with the nozzle facing a bag of sliced almonds, backflow prevention at mop sink is installed in a way that could put the clean water supply at risk of contamination, sanitizer in dish washer wasn’t working, raw chicken was stored above raw sirloin steaks in cooler, containers soiled with food and sticker residue were in clean storage, French fries that are double cooked were sitting out at room temperature between their first and second cooks, wall plaque with a consumer advisory about the risks of consuming undercooked steaks didn’t list hamburger steaks even though the restaurant serves them cooked to order. Next inspection: April 7.

Cook licked finger, poked food. Cockroaches. Blood. Wichita KS restaurant inspections

Dog in grocery store. Dead mice. Old food. Mold. Wichita KS restaurant inspections

How establishments fail

Most violations are minor and are corrected during an inspection.

Businesses fall out of compliance when they have too many violations, issues that can cause foodborne illnesses or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, such as bug and rodent infestations. Typically, establishments are re-inspected within 10 days.

It’s rare for a facility to shut down over a failed inspection. But it can happen due to things like sewage backups, pest problems, and water or power outages. Usually, closures are temporary.

You can search food and lodging inspection results in any Kansas county at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

How to complain

If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.

To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a report at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.

Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at https://agriculture.ks.gov/kda-services/complaint-form/food-safety-and-lodging-complaint.

For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

These businesses passed inspections last week

  • ABC Discount Liquor, 301 S. Tyler Road in Wichita

  • Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant, 452 S. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • Bionic Burger, 660 N. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, 125 N. Quentin in Wichita

  • Bostic Traditional Magnet Elementary School, 8103 E. Gilbert in Wichita

  • Brooks Center for STEM & Arts Magnet Middle School, 3802 E. 27th St. North in Wichita

  • Buckner Performing Arts Magnet Elementary School, 3530 E. 27th St. North in Wichita

  • Burger King, 4220 E. Harry in Wichita

  • Carniceria El Guero 1, 524 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Chili’s Grill & Bar, 7887 E. Central in Wichita

  • Clark Elementary School, 650 S. Apache in Wichita

  • Clearwater High School, 1201 E. Ross in Clearwater

  • Courtyard by Marriott Wichita East, 2975 N. Webb in Wichita

  • Derby High School, 920 N. Rock Road in Derby

  • Derby Hills Elementary School, 2230 N. Woodlawn in Derby

  • Dog-N-Shake, 8800 W. Maple in Wichita

  • Eisenhower High School, 1230 S. 167th St. West in Goddard

  • El Sonorense Mexican Food Truck (mobile vendor/food truck), 255 N. Exposition in Wichita

  • Excaret Mexico Bar & Grill, 424 W. Grand in Haysville

  • Explorer Elementary School, 16746 W. Explorer in Goddard

  • Firehouse Subs, 2413 N. Greenwich, Suite 103 in Wichita

  • Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 1025 E. Douglas in Wichita

  • Food Production Center for Wichita Public Schools, 3850 N. Hydraulic in Wichita

  • Goodcents, 1212 S. Tyler Road in Wichita

  • Gordon Parks Elementary School, 2201 E. 25th St. North in Wichita

  • Guelaguetza Market, 2835 S. Hydraulic in Wichita

  • Haysville Middle School, 900 W. Grand in Haysville

  • Il Primo Espresso Caffe, 6422 E. Central in Wichita

  • ITzcali Tapas & Tequilas, 2819 E. Central in Wichita

  • Jersey Mike’s Subs, 2564 N. Greenwich, Suite 550 in Wichita

  • Just A Sip, 2126 N. Webb in Wichita

  • Little Caesars Pizza, 4100 E. Harry, Suite 30 in Wichita

  • LongHorn Steakhouse, 2720 N. Maize Road in Wichita

  • Lowe’s Home Improvement, 2626 N. Maize Road in Wichita

  • Lowe’s Home Improvement, 333 S. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • McDonald’s, 1421 N. West St. in Wichita

  • McDonald’s, 10321 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, 2240 N. Tyler Road, Suite 100 in Wichita

  • Panaderia El Guero, 512 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Park City BMX McLean Park, 1628 E. Ravena in Wichita

  • Parkhill Elementary School, 1500 E. Woodbrook in Derby

  • Pat’s Concessions, 1700 N. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • The Peaceful Pachyderm, 141 E. Kay in Derby

  • Rex Elementary School, 1100 W. Grand in Haysville

  • RibCrib BBQ, 500 S. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • Riverside Elementary School, 1001 N. Porter in Wichita

  • Robinson Middle School, 328 N. Oliver in Wichita

  • Sowers Alternative High School, 2400 E. Wassall in Wichita

  • Spangles, 453 N. Hillside in Wichita

  • Swaney Elementary School, 501 English in Derby

  • Tacos El Tapatio, 1721 N. Broadway in Wichita

  • Tacos La Pesada (mobile vendor/food truck), 102 E. 29th St. North in Wichita

  • Tanglewood Elementary School, 830 N. Ridgecrest in Derby

  • Tortilleria Los III Potrillos, 318 W. 29th St. North in Wichita

  • Two Shoes Entertainment (mobile vendor/food truck), 751 S. George Washington Blvd. in Wichita

  • Wendy’s, 4821 S. Broadway in Wichita

  • Wheatland Elementary School, 15200 E. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Wichita Inn, 5500 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita

  • Yoder Meats, 6458 E. Central in Wichita

Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.

Flashback Friday: Red Mesa Grill was a spicy restaurant pioneer on Wichita’s west side

West Wichita cafe has new owners, and they plan to continue the founder’s mission