Rodent poop, cockroach in booth, old cannoli, bugs at Wichita KS restaurants
Old cannoli fillings and meats, rodent feces around food equipment, fruit flies in a liquor bottle, moldy peppers, cockroaches by a grease trap and in a booth, houseflies, dishes that weren’t sanitized, employees who didn’t label products properly or wash their hands, filthy kitchens and more 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. Ten restaurants and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from June 8-14.
Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 30 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Locations can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away. Violations are common. But most of the time, businesses 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 ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that take longer to correct include 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 June 16 using information available from the state on that date. It covers 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
Bronx Pizza & Pints, 2140 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Eight violations on June 9 during a complaint inspection. Violations include three different cannoli fillings made on site had no date marking, old cannoli fillings, rodent droppings found behind ice machine and under equipment, employee touched ready-to-eat garlic knots with bare hands, open containers of tiramisu and cheese cake had no date labeling, atmospheric vacuum breaker attached to dish machine leaks, nacho cheese and whipped topping had no opening date listed on the packages, side door has light gap at bottom allowing pest entry. Next inspection: June 19.
Carlos O’Kelly’s, 4872 S. Broadway in Wichita — Five violations on June 12 during a complaint inspection. Violations include bottle of Wild Turkey had fruit flies floating inside, approximately 20 fruit flies observed throughout establishment, large pipe next to hand-washing sink encrusted in grease, several white plastic containers had missing pieces and cracks, excessive buildup of charred food and debris between fryer and grill top. Next inspection: June 22.
Da Chicken Shak & More, 1112 W. 31st St. South in Wichita — Two violations on June 10 during a routine inspection. Violations include water at bathroom sink wasn’t hot enough, spray bottle of Pine Sol was not labeled with its common name. Next inspection: June 20.
Discount Cigarettes, 2160 S. Broadway, Suite 110 in Wichita — Two violations on June 11 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include no paper towels at restroom hand-washing sink, no hand-washing sink in dishwashing and food preparation area. Next inspection: Aug. 11.
Domino’s Pizza, 327 N. Hillside, Suite 400 in Wichita — Two violations on June 9 during a complaint inspection. Violations include two live cockroaches at power outlet and two dead cockroaches by grease trap, no soap at hand-washing sink by dishwashing station. Next inspection: June 19.
Emerson Biggin’s, 2330 N. Maize Road, Suite 100 in Wichita — Four violations on June 13 during a complaint inspection. Violations include metal pan of ribs that wasn’t cold enough in reach-in cooler, employee touched ready-to-eat hamburger bun without hand-washing after handling raw chicken, buildup of grease and food debris on kitchen equipment, one live roach seen in sitting area booth. Next inspection: June 23.
Jimmy’s Egg, 12938 E. 21st St., Suite 140 in Wichita — Two violations on June 11 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include old sausage crumble and sliced turkey deli meat, no measurable concentration of sanitizer in dishwashing machine. Next inspection: Aug. 11.
Landings Café, 1 Learjet Way, Building 4A in Wichita — Two violations on June 13 during a routine inspection. Violations include salsa and dairy products that weren’t cold enough in stand-up cooler, cafe had no written plan to clean up vomit or diarrhea. Next inspection: June 23.
Le’s Kitchen, 2949 N. Rock Road in Wichita — Four violations on June 12 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include no written plan to clean up vomit or diarrhea, bag of raw chicken thawing at room temperature in kitchen hand-washing sink, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, employee used dishes that weren’t sanitized. Next inspection: Aug. 12.
The Mango Tree, 111 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — Four violations on June 12 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include about six dead cockroaches in mechanical box and one dead cockroach on floor, about 10 fruit flies and three houseflies in dry storage area of kitchen, two green peppers with mold in walk-in cooler, six plastic laundry baskets with holes were in direct contact with food. Next inspection: June 22.
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.
