Bathroom biohazard, bugs in alcohol, pork left outside, roaches at Wichita KS restaurants
Update: Coratel Inn & Suites, 658 S. Westdate Dr. in Wichita, and the Red Roof Plus Wichita, 7335 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita, were also out of compliance in early February. Both had licensing inspections that had not appeared in the state database when this story was originally published. Coratel had a total of 20 violations on Feb. 3 for things ranging from leaky sinks and missing carbon monoxide detectors to late inspections of fire extinguishers and no records showing smoke detectors had been checked. The Red Roof Plus had 10 violations on Feb. 5 for issues including missing carbon monoxide detectors and ground fault circuit interrupter outlets, missing batteries in fire alarms, moldy shower grout and bedding with holes.
Original story: Dirty kitchens, stained mattresses, overflowing garbage, cockroaches crawling on cutting boards, raw pork left outside in a tub for at least a week, insects in liquor bottles and a strand of hair in butter are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.
Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Fifteen restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant from Feb. 2-8.
Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 50 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 longer 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 Feb. 11 using information available from the state on that date. The list only contains places in Sedgwick County. But 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
Auto Motel, 1230 N. Broadway in Wichita — Ten violations on Feb. 4 during a complaint inspection. Violations include stained floors, discarded items including mattresses and refrigerators on sidewalks and in parking spaces, dirty microwave, overflowing trash containers, mattresses stacked by trash containers, no emergency management plan, bed linens that had stains and holes in them, yellow stains on shower curtain, dirty and stained towels in laundry room, mouse droppings in a bathroom cabinet, live roach in a bathtub, approximately 40 mouse droppings behind cooler in laundry room, empty light sockets in a lamp, bottle of bleach wasn’t labeled. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Bella’s Lao Beef Jerky & Cafe, 1885 S. Rock Road in Wichita — Six violations on Feb. 4 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include no sanitizer in bucket of wiping cloths, sticky rice wasn’t kept hot enough, no hand-washing sink in back area, cooked rice balls weren’t cold enough in refrigeration, food preparation sink doesn’t have an indirect connection to the water system, no soap at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store, 5730 E. Central in Wichita — Seven violations on Feb. 7 during a routine inspection. Violations include breakfast burritos that weren’t kept hot enough, dirty utensils and tomato dicer, chemicals stored with food items, bathroom cleaner and surface cleaner stored directly in contact with waffle cones and single-use cups, tomatoes and pepper jack cheese weren’t labeled with the correct time they were removed from refrigeration, “pink unidentified liquid” stored under preparation table, milk wasn’t labeled with its package opening date, foods being used to make breakfast burritos had been out of refrigeration or other temperature control for too long. Next inspection: Feb. 17.
Chester’s Chophouse & Wine Bar, 1550 N. Webb in Wichita — Thirteen violations on Feb. 4 during a routine inspection. Violations include several foods including baked potatoes and balsamic shallots that weren’t labeled with their preparation dates, old broccolini and tomatoes, old lemon anglaise and coffee anglaise, grime and food debris on can opener, dirty food containers, no paper towels at hand-washing sinks, clarified butter sat at room temperature overnight, bugs in 13 bottles of liquor, containers of sauteed mushrooms and chimichurri weren’t labeled with their preparation dates, stained and damaged cutting boards, no hot water in bathrooms, pans of macaroni and cheese and creamed spinach weren’t immediately refrigerated when cooling, no test strips for measuring sanitizer concentration at dishwashing machine, raw bacon stored above mashed sweet potatoes, raw beef stored over raw green beans and compound butters, inadequate water pressure at urinals in men’s bathroom was “not enough to sufficiently rinse biohazards away,” bottle of kitchen degreaser wasn’t labeled. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Dragon City Chinese Restaurant, 3008 W. Central in Wichita — Four violations on Feb. 6 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include heavy accumulation of grease and food debris behind and beside fryers and wok stations, dozens of dead cockroaches behind freezers and bags of flour, living cockroaches beside a preparation table and on the side of stairs leading to the kitchen, dozens of dead cockroaches in basement on shelves and in or near equipment, “large accumulation” of flour and food debris behind equipment that can attract pests. Next inspection: March 6.
Economy Hotel Plus Wichita, 5805 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Two violations on Feb. 3 during a follow-up inspection. Missing smoke detector, unfinished walls. Hotel is currently closed for remodeling, according to an inspection report. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Family Dollar, 355 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Two violations on Feb. 5 during a routine inspection. Violations include expired drugs for sale, water not hot enough at hand-washing sinks. Next inspection: Feb. 15.
Gourmet Asian Market, 10939 E. Harry, Suite 109 in Wichita — Sixteen violations on Feb. 7 during a routine inspection. Violations include fried tofu sitting out at room temperature, grease buildup on floor by microwave, “clutter and random items” in back kitchen area, unlabeled food items including sweet potato dessert mixture and coconut cream mixture, packages of pound cake were missing labeling information, raw squid was offered to customers self-service, frozen ducks were thawing at room temperature, no air gap at sink where catfish was thawing, dead crickets and rodent droppings, ingredient information was missing for bulk baguettes, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, chunks of meat were sitting inside bus tubs on the ground, employee didn’t wash and sanitize a sink between preparing raw fish and ready-to-eat chives, employee didn’t wash hands before handling mint leaves, no written plan for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea incidents, boxes of ginger and whole onions were stored on the floor, pile of old shelves and old equipment including coolers and an electric scooter were in a back area behind the store. Next inspection: Feb. 17.
Kwik Shop, 4802 E. 21st St. in Wichita — Four violations on Feb. 3 during a routine inspection. Violations include a large mixing bowl that doesn’t fit in the establishment’s washing and sanitizing sink, sticker residue on clean pans, dirty spatula in clean storage, water wasn’t hot enough at hand-washing sinks, bottles of window cleaner and bleach were stored by or above items like foil and plates that touch food, case of hand soap was stored above a box of coffee creamer. Next inspection: Feb. 13.
Lalo’s Express, 2051 S. Seneca in Wichita — Five violations on Feb. 5 during a modified complaint inspection. Violations include taquitos that weren’t kept cold enough, raw shell eggs were stored above raw chicken and onions, raw chicken stored above lard and raw vegetables, roaches “around the hot well containing rice, beans and sauces,” roaches on cutting boards and walls, buildup of food debris and grease throughout restaurant, sticker label residue on containers, foods including salsas and beef were not labeled with their preparation dates. Next inspection: Feb. 15.
Rene’s Mexican Restaurant, 220 S. West St. in Wichita — Six violations on Feb. 3 during a complaint inspection. Violations include bucket and salsa in hand-washing sinks, raw eggs stored above case of beer and other beverages in cooler, cooked pork cooling at room temperature, several foods weren’t labeled with their preparation dates including shredded beef and shrimp, no paper towels at bar hand-washing sink, no consumer advisory posted warning about the risks of eating undercooked eggs. Next inspection: Feb. 13.
Tom’s Lotus Garden, 822 S. Broadway in Wichita — Four violations on Feb. 4 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include hole in wall by walk-in cooler “could be a hiding place for rodents,” live roaches on glue trap by ice machine, chewed Styrofoam and wood in rodent nesting sites, dozens of rodent droppings and urine around restaurant including behind freezer and in dry storage area, unused equipment and boxes “make it easy” for pests to hide, dead roaches along walls and under kitchen cooking equipment. Next inspection: April 4.
Umi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi, 11233 E. 13th St. in Wichita — Twelve violations on Feb. 6 during a complaint inspection. Violations include food items subject to a consumer advisory were not properly marked on the menu, dented food cans, coconut curry soup and curry soup weren’t labeled with the dates they were prepared and thawed, crab rangoon wasn’t labeled with its preparation date, winged insects “resembling some sort of fruit fly” in bar and kitchen, strand of hair in butter, dead bugs in liquor bottles, cans of pineapple and oyster sauce weren’t labeled with their package opening dates, raw salmon and raw tuna stored above ready to eat food including kimchi and cheese, restaurant wasn’t tracking the length of time sushi rice not under temperature control is served to customers, buildup of grease and food on surfaces, dirty door handles and reach-in coolers, no hot water in women’s bathroom, cart was blocking hand-washing sink from being used, winged insects flying around sink, tempura batter wasn’t kept cold enough. Next inspection: Feb. 16.
The Waffle Bus, 1301 N. Rock Road in Derby — Nine violations on Feb. 6 during the first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include butter-honey sauce wasn’t kept cold enough, cart was blocking hand-washing sink, employee didn’t wash hands or change gloves after handling raw beef and chicken, several foods including butters and ancho chili sauces weren’t dated correctly, old creme brulee and sauces, food debris and sticker residue on clean dishes, cooked fried chicken wasn’t kept hot enough, raw eggs were stored above gallons of milk in cooler. Next inspection: Feb. 16.
Willowbend Golf Club, 8001 E. Mulberry in Wichita — Nine violations on Feb. 7 during a routine inspection. Violations include no food thermometer available, old mice droppings on floor, no hot water under pressure at kitchen and bathroom sinks, leaky hand-washing sink in bathroom, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting and diarrhea incidents, ranch bottle wasn’t labeled with the date it was opened, raw butchers block pork in a black tub was stored outside “directly on the ground” for at least a week where temperatures reached unsafe levels and the tub was exposed to rain, fruit flies in alcohol bottles, ceiling is exposed and has “severe water damage” above the grill, ladles and knives in clean storage were soiled with “a white powder” and dust. Next inspection: Feb. 17.
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.
This story was originally published February 15, 2025 at 3:55 AM.
