Bug in liquor, cockroaches, no hand-washing, old olives & more at Wichita restaurants
Eleven restaurants, hotels and other businesses that serve or sell food in Wichita and surrounding towns were out of compliance during food safety and lodging inspections conducted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2.
The businesses were cited for a number of violations, including cockroaches, employees who didn’t change their gloves or wash their hands, old food, dirty equipment, foods that weren’t stored properly, missing plans and labels, a bug in a bottle of liquor, flies, food that wasn’t kept cold enough and more, according to inspection reports.
Information about the businesses, as well as a summary of their violations, appears below. The businesses listed are all located in Sedgwick County. The list was compiled Nov. 7 using information available in the KDA’s statewide inspections database on that date.
At least 40 businesses passed their inspections during that same period. A list of those also appears below. Some may have been non-compliant in previous weeks.
Business owners and 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. Comments will be added to the online version of this article.
More details about inspections are in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Countryboy Taste (mobile vendor/food truck), 1932 S. Estelle in Wichita — No violations reported during a reopening inspection on Oct. 28 but the business appeared on the non-compliant list. An inspector noted on their report that hot water is now available at the hand-washing sink and the three-compartment sink. Next inspection: Nov. 6.
Emerson Biggins Sports Bar & Grill/Rock Island Live, 808 E. Douglas in Wichita — Six violations on Oct. 28 during a routine inspection. Violations include an insect in a Southern Comfort bottle, water bottle in ice machine touched ice that is served to customers, burger patties not hot enough, burritos and cooked potatoes weren’t labeled with their preparation dates, old black olives and tomato paste, dirty vegetable slicer and dicer, dirty knives stored as clean. Next inspection: Nov. 7.
Hampton Inn & Suites Wichita Northeast, 2433 N. Greenwich in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 30 during a routine inspection. Violations include raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat bread and bagels, no food thermometer available. Next inspection: Nov. 9.
IHOP, 1906 N. Rock Road, Suite 900 in Derby — Seven violations on Nov. 1 during a joint inspection. Violations include shredded cheese stored directly on top of raw eggs, salmon thawing incorrectly, cook who handled raw eggs didn’t wash hands and change gloves before touching a pair of tongs another cook was using, dirty shake blender, hash browns being re-hydrated weren’t kept in refrigeration, cheese sauce and tomatoes weren’t kept cold enough, gravy was not hot enough. Next inspection: Nov. 11.
The Mango Tree, 111 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 28 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include cockroach seen near sink, milk and whipped topping weren’t labeled with the dates they were opened. Next inspection: Dec. 28.
McDonald’s, 1219 S. Rock Road in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 28 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include flies in kitchen and lobby, fly landing on sandwich wrap. Next inspection: Dec. 28.
Mirai Ramen & Sushi, 6254 E. 37th St. North, Suite 180 in Bel Aire — Thirteen violations on Oct. 30 during a routine inspection. Violations include personal items including toothbrushes were sitting on a dry storage rack, sushi rice was not labeled with the time it was prepared, hand-washing sink was used for storage, raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat lettuce and shrimp tempura, employee reused single-use gloves, shredded crab and lettuce were not kept cold enough, no paper towels at women’s bathroom sink, wooden spoon is splintering and cracked, no cleanup plan for vomiting or diarrhea incidents, raw tuna and crab meat were thawing at room temperature, raw tuna and raw salmon were thawing in intact vacuuming packaging, package of cooked chicken was labeled with the wrong date, employee didn’t wash or sanitize a knife that touched raw fish. Next inspection: Nov. 9.
Smash Bros #2 (mobile vendor/food truck), 9809 W. Par Lane in Wichita — Eight violations on Oct. 31 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include no running water, inaccessible hand-washing sink, unlabeled spray bottle of degreaser, no chlorine bleach test strips, employee touched hamburger buns with their bare hands, raw meat stored at room temperature, frozen meat not kept frozen during transport, no paper towels at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Nov. 12.
Solly & Jude’s, 400 S. Emporia, Suite 100 in Wichita — Five violations on Oct. 30 during a routine inspection. Violations include pastrami that wasn’t labeled with its preparation or package opening date, no food thermometer, hot dogs were not labeled with the date the package was opened, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, no test strips for sanitizing solutions. Next inspection: Nov. 9.
Thai An Oriental Market, 2425 S. Hillside, Suite 500 in Wichita — Ten violations on Oct. 31 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include an employee touching celery with gloves that “were dripping wet” with bleach sanitizer, business was vacuum packaging fish and pork without the required approval from the state, raw fish stored next to celery, cooked pork blood stored under raw chicken, cooked rice patties had no package labeling, business was letting customers serve themselves raw whole fish and live crabs, employee handled celery after touching the floor, raw salmon and tuna weren’t labeled with directions to keep them frozen, mam chung (pork and fish loaf) was sitting out at room temperature, rice patties and rice dishes containing allergens weren’t labeled with their ingredients and other required information. Next inspection: Dec. 31.
Wichita Memorial VFW Post #3115, 4801 W. Douglas in Wichita — Four violations on Oct. 30 during a routine inspection. Violations include using a mix of chemicals to wipe down tables that can’t be used on surfaces that touch food, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrheal events, hot dogs and cheese were not kept cold enough, no chlorine sanitizer test strips. Next inspection: Nov. 9.
The violation summaries above were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.
How do businesses fail inspections?
Businesses fall out of compliance when they have too many violations, issues that can cause a foodborne illness, when a problem can’t be fixed right away, and more. But most violations are minor and are corrected during an inspection.
Typically, establishments are reinspected within 10 days to ensure they are following the rules.
It’s rare for a business to shut down over a failed inspection. But it can happen. Usually closures are temporary, voluntary and the result of major problems, such as sewage backups, pest infestations, and water or power outages.
The lists in this story include only businesses from Sedgwick County. But you can search food and lodging inspection results anywhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
What to do if you have a complaint
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 complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food is served, 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 www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.
For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
These businesses passed inspections
- Casey’s General Store, 1451 W. Grand in Haysville
- Chix Central LLC operating as Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, 4232 W. Central in Wichita
- Clearwater Intermediate-Middle School, 140 S. Fourth St. in Clearwater
- Coleman Junior High, 1544 N. Governeour in Wichita
- Crusader Cafe at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, 8506 E. Central in Wichita
- Enders Open Magnet Elementary School, 3030 S. Osage in Wichita
- Enterprise Elementary School, 3605 S. Gold in Wichita
- GNC, 1942 N. Rock Road, Suite 700 in Derby
- Guelaguetza Market 4, 3020 W. 13th St. in Wichita
- HTeaO, 3001 N. Rock Road in Derby
- IHOP, 526 S. Ridge Road in Wichita
- Jerry’s Bar & Grill, 630 N. Robin in Wichita
- Jump Start, 4003 S. Broadway in Wichita
- Kelly Elementary School, 3143 S. Millwood in Wichita
- Levy Elementary Special Ed Center, 400 N. Woodchuck in Wichita
- Linwood Elementary School, 1654 S. Hydraulic in Wichita
- Little Caesars Pizza, 1353 S. Webb, Suite 109 in Wichita
- Livingston’s Cafe, 4733 E. Douglas in Wichita
- Magnolia Sweet Shoppe, 1328 E. Douglas in Wichita
- McDonald’s, 2418 S. Seneca in Wichita
- McDonald’s, 4810 S. Broadway in Wichita
- Mead Middle School, 2601 E. Skinner in Wichita
- Mulvane Grade School, 411 SE Louis Blvd. in Mulvane
- Oaklawn Elementary School, 5000 S. Clifton in Wichita
- Paul B Cooper Elementary School, 4625 Juniper in Wichita
- Red Roof Inn, 6815 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita
- Riverside Leadership Magnet Elementary School, 1001 N. Porter in Wichita
- Shape’n It Up Nutrition, 841 N. Tyler Road, Suite 300 in Wichita
- Sky-Palace Inn & Suites Wichita East, 7321 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita
- St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School, 1215 N. Stratford in Wichita
- Taco Tico, 125 N. Baltimore in Derby
- Tallgrass Country Club, 2400 N. Tallgrass in Wichita
- Teataze (mobile vendor/food truck), 1203 N. Fieldcrest in Wichita
- Texas Roadhouse, 2526 N. Greenwich in Wichita
- Tuta’s Teriyaki, 1212 S. Tyler Road, Suite 100 in Wichita
- Village Inn, 1200 N. Rock Road in Derby
- W.D. Munson Primary School, 1007 Westview in Mulvane
- Wendy’s, 1705 W. 21st St. in Wichita
- Wendy’s, 8853 W. Central in Wichita
- Whole Foods Market, 1423 N. Webb 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.
