Restaurant inspections: Roaches, moldy ice makers, flooded kitchen in Wichita KS area
Eleven Wichita-area restaurants and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food and lodging safety inspections conducted Sept. 11-17.
Among problems inspectors found: roaches crawling on and around areas where food is prepared, a flooded kitchen, mold in ice machines and a dirty ice scoop, flies landing in and on liquor bottles, prepackaged foods that were missing label information and sinks that were broken or didn’t work correctly.
Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Sept. 23, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More details are posted in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.
Business owners who want to clarify or comment on out-of-compliance inspection results can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Comments will be added to online stories. Businesses are listed alphabetically at the end of this article.
More than 70 businesses surveyed during Sept. 11-17 passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Failing an inspection doesn’t necessarily mean a business has to close; that’s rare. Most violations are minor and are immediately corrected during an inspection.
Businesses fall out of compliance with state rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that can increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness and also when a problem can’t be fixed right away, such as pest and plumbing issues.
When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.
To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
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Recent out-of-compliance inspections
Backyard Kitchen, 1201 S. Water in Wichita — One violation during a Sept. 16 follow-up inspection. Cited for not keeping refrigerated foods including ham and banana pudding cold enough. Next inspection: Nov. 16.
The Bunnery, 1025 W. 9th St. N. in Wichita — One violation during a Sept. 13 inspection listed as a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited over its use of shredded cheddar cheese on baked bread. The business treats the bread as a shelf-stable product even though the cheese, which requires refrigeration, is melted on loaves after baking. Next inspection: Oct. 13.
Club Billiards, 923 W. Douglas in Wichita — One violation during a Sept. 14 inspection listed as a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited for not having a dedicated hand-washing sink in its bar area. A portable hand-washing station the business had been using wasn’t working. Next inspection: Oct. 14.
El Azteca Mexican Restaurant, 111 N. Main in Haysville — Four violations during a Sept. 15 inspection listed as a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited for not keeping refrigerated foods including raw beef and birria cold enough in cooler, containers of pico de gallo and chili relleno weren’t labeled with preparation dates, package of corn dogs wasn’t labeled with opening date, unlabeled chemical bottle. Next inspection: Nov. 15.
Fat Ernie’s Family Dining, 2806 S. Hydraulic in Wichita — Eleven violations during a Sept. 16 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited for thawing pork patties at room temperature, not keeping heated sausage warm enough, raw fish was too warm, dirty can opener and deli slicer, “pink and black residue” in ice machine, foot-wide hole in ceiling, living and dead roaches, flying insects landing on boxes and bags of dried goods, cook didn’t wash hands after touching raw eggs, food debris on floor and underneath equipment, items in freezer weren’t frozen solid. Next inspection: Sept. 26.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, 6085 Aircap Dr. in Park City — One violation during a Sept. 15 inspection listed as a modified complaint. Cited for not having hot water at a hand-washing sink due to a faucet issue. Next inspection: Sept. 25.
Kimson Asian Market, 960 E. Pawnee in Wichita — Seventeen violations during a Sept. 15 joint inspection. Cited over dented bean sauce can, missing information on shellfish stock tags, raw pork stored above raw bean sprouts and raw rice noodles in coolers, raw pork was touching package of liver spread in cooler, business was thawing frozen pork in grain grinder pot, containers of leafy greens weren’t kept cold enough in cooler, not all ingredients were listed on pork rolls, leafy greens stored in containers that weren’t food grade, no probe-style food thermometer or testing kit for sanitizer on site, water not hot enough at kitchen sinks, roaches “crawling on the walls behind the food preparation sink” and on grain grinder handle, roach on fish sauce lid, business was storing can of ant and roach spray that wasn’t rated for use in a kitchen. Next inspection: Sept. 25.
Meals on Wheels/Friendship Meals, 10200 W. Maple in Wichita — Four violations during a Sept. 14 routine inspection. Cited for not labeling food with its initial temperature or the time it was taken out of refrigeration or heating, no probe-style food thermometer, not ceasing operations and notifying the Kansas Department of Agriculture about flooding in its kitchen. Next inspection: Sept. 24.
Meddys, 560 S. Ridge Rd. in Wichita — Nine violations during a Sept. 15 joint inspection. Cited for not washing hands after handling raw chicken, tongs stored on top of raw meat, garlic and orange sauces weren’t kept cold enough, broken spatulas, dirty ice scoop and mold on ice machines, sliding door to patio was left open allowing “easy entry for pests,” no paper towels at hand-washing sink, flies landing on food-contact surfaces behind bar including in bottle of old-fashioned mix and on spout of a pineapple vodka jar. Next inspection: Sept. 25.
Tacos Pina, 1207 S. Fern in Wichita — Four violations during a Sept. 17 follow-up inspection. Cited over missing information on churro packages including ingredient and business information, no approved method or equipment for cleaning and sanitizing items. Next inspection: Nov. 17.
Wendy’s, 6404 W. Kellogg Dr. in Wichita — One violation during a Sept. 16 follow-up inspection. Cited for not keeping refrigerated cheeses cold enough. Next inspection: Sept. 26.
