Cockroach in flour bin, expired milk, putrid smells at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels
A cockroach crawling around in a bin of flour, rodent droppings, expired milk, moldy caulking in bathrooms, putrid smells in a motel’s hallways, dirty bedding, missing or broken safety equipment and filthy kitchen conditions are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent food safety inspections in the Wichita area.
Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Eleven Wichita-area restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4. No inspection data was available for Jan. 5-11.
Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 40 other businesses deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Violations are common.
Businesses can fail an inspection if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away. Most of the time, they correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling food and dirty kitchens. But sometimes issues take days or weeks to correct, like pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It’s rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations.
Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this story was compiled on Jan. 16 using information available from the state on that date. The list only contains places in Sedgwick County. You can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Bourbon Street Bar & Grill, 3863 S. Seneca in Wichita — Eleven violations on Jan. 2 during a routine inspection. Violations include old macaroni and cheese, baked beans, sliced deli turkey and beef; food debris on meat slicer and potato dicer; no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink; bottle of condenser cleaner stored above foil food containers; tacos labeled with the wrong preparation date; hamburger patty stored above green beans and potatoes in cooler; plumbing issue at sink; expired milk; foods that may be served undercooked were not properly marked on menu; black buildup in ice bin; unlabeled chemical bottle. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 12.
Economy Hotel Plus Wichita, 5805 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Two violations on Dec. 30 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include climate control unit that didn’t work in one room even after replacement; outdated fire extinguisher inspection tags. The hotel was still out of compliance, with three violations, during its follow-up inspection on Jan. 13.
HomeGrown, 1900 N. Rock Road in Wichita — Eleven violations on Dec. 30 during a routine inspection. Violations include chili, berry compote, cooked potatoes and cooked onions cooling at room temperature instead of in a freezer or refrigerator; leaking back-flow prevention device at mop sink; roller rack and grease trap were blocking access to a hand-washing sink; employee didn’t change gloves or wash hands between handling raw and cooked eggs; tomatoes weren’t cold enough in refrigeration; bottle of bug killer was hanging with the spray nozzle pointing at grits; container of caramel sauce was stored inside of a hand-washing sink; avocados and chili were stored where they could become contaminated with raw eggs or with pancake batter containing raw eggs; missing paperwork and logs tracking details about food preparation; dirty spatulas, measuring cups and other kitchen equipment was in clean storage; food and grease buildup on pans and other kitchen equipment. The restaurant was still out of compliance, with four violations, during its follow-up inspection on Jan. 15.
KC Gas & Groceries, 1102 W. Maple in Wichita — One violation on Jan. 2 during a follow-up inspection. No probe food thermometer on site. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 12.
Mark 8 Inn, 1130 N. Broadway in Wichita — Seventeen violations on Jan. 3 during a complaint inspection. Violations include evacuation routes not posted in rooms; no employee emergency plan available; roach activity in multiple rooms, including living and dead pests on glue traps; approximately 75 rodent droppings and chewed wall in bathroom; rooms rented long-term were not serviced every five days; dirty drawers; moldy caulking in bathroom; no soap in laundry room for washing hands; no carbon monoxide detector in boiler room; hallways were dirty with debris and dead roaches and smelled of garbage; no pet advisory sign; peeling carpet in hallways is a tripping hazard; dirty and stained bed linens in all rooms inspected; dirty refrigerators in rooms; dim hallway lighting; exit signs didn’t work; dirty floors under furniture and along baseboards in some rooms. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 13.
Old Tokyo Steakhouse, 6821 W. Taft in Wichita — Four violations on Dec. 30 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include cheesecake and rice weren’t cold enough in refrigeration; buildup of grime, egg shells and lobster tail shells under flat top tables in dining room; dirty tables. Some of the violations were noted as repeat problems because they appeared on a prior inspection. Next inspection: Feb. 28.
Sam’s Southern Eatery Wichita II, 6600 W. Central in Wichita — Seven violations on Jan. 2 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include storing raw chicken above raw shrimp; red beans were not held at the appropriate temperature; no paper towels at hand-washing sink; egg and water washes for foods weren’t kept cold enough or discarded after a predetermined time; employee didn’t wash hands between handling raw and cooked fish; no probe thermometer; no test strips to measure concentration of sanitizer. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 12.
Schlotzsky’s, 6507 E. Central in Wichita — One violation on Dec. 30 during a follow-up inspection. Roasted red peppers and mushrooms weren’t cold enough in a preparation table. The restaurant was in compliance, with no violations noted, during its follow-up inspection on Jan. 15.
Scotsman Inn, 5922 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Seven violations on Dec. 30 during a modified complaint inspection. Violations include missing smoke alarm; graffiti on mirror; smoke alarms didn’t work in some rooms; missing lamp shade; dirty and stained floors; hole in wall; no evacuation diagrams in some rooms. The hotel was in compliance, with no violations noted, during its follow-up inspection on Jan. 13.
Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Buffet, 6710 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Seventeen violations on Dec. 30 during a complaint inspection. Violations include lack of parasite destruction paperwork for raw fish; no chlorine sanitizer test strips; leaky sinks; no paper towels in employee bathroom; live cockroach in bin of flour; fresh rodent droppings in dry storage area; buildup of grease and grime on fryers and wok; missing floor tiles in kitchen; dead cockroaches on storage room and kitchen floors; dead cockroaches by bathroom and under sushi buffet line; no cleanup plan for vomiting or diarrhea incidents; scoops with no handles were stored in direct contact with foods; no sanitizer in dishwashing machine; missing records related to sushi preparation and storage; cracked and broken container; employee used dirty towel to dry hands after washing; foods including cooked shrimp and cake with whipped topping weren’t kept cold enough in refrigeration; “significant build up of food debris and grime” throughout kitchen including by floor drain. Next inspection date listed: Jan. 9.
Tiger Rice Japanese Kitchen, 1735 W. 21st St., Unit 100 in Wichita — Two violations on Dec. 31 during a complaint inspection. Violations include not having the appropriate documentation and permission from the state for some food preparation and holding procedures; restaurant didn’t label containers of fried rice, cooked beef and cooked chicken with the time they were left out at room temperature. The restaurant was in compliance, with no violations noted, during its follow-up inspection on Jan. 13.
See a problem? Here’s where 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 complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was 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.
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.
The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.
