Mouse poop, urine odor, mold, black sewage, bugs at Wichita KS restaurants, hotel
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Seven Wichita establishments failed inspections between June 15 and June 21.
- Common violations included pest infestations, improper food storage and hygiene.
- Sky-Palace Inn had 34 violations, prompting partial room closures for safety.
Mouse poop, urine odors, cockroaches, mold, crumbling concrete, leaky toilets, black sewage, exposed electrical wires and other health hazards 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. Seven restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from June 15-21.
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 23 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
Blue Hook Cajun Seafood & Bar, 2244 N. Webb in Wichita — Nine violations on June 16 during a complaint inspection. Employee handled raw shrimp and chicken then other items without proper hand-washing, restaurant didn’t provide paperwork to the inspector outlining its procedures for handling French fries, no written plan for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, French fries weren’t labeled with the length of time they sat at room temperature, crawfish meat wasn’t kept cold enough, cooked potatoes held at unsafe temperature, shellstock tags were missing the last sale date, employee touched raw seafood then other items without changing their gloves, fly strips hanging over food preparation areas and where clean dishes are stored. Next inspection: June 26.
Comfort Suites, 7515 W. Taft in Wichita — Five violations on June 17 during a routine inspection. No written plan for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea incidents, several pouches of juice weren’t labeled for retail sale, no test strips for quaternary sanitizer, yogurt and butter weren’t kept cold enough, no probe food thermometer. Next inspection: June 27.
Dolphin Restaurant, 2959 S. Hillside in Wichita — Nine violations on June 16 during a routine inspection. No written plan for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, live cockroaches in old walk-in cooler, mouse droppings in multiple areas throughout kitchen, unlabeled bottles of seaweed tea, dead cockroaches in kitchen, excessive grease buildup on flat top grills, no pest control measures in place, coolers of food stored directly on floor, raw eggs left at room temperature, excessive buildup of grease and grime on floors, general cleanliness in restaurant needs improvement. Next inspection: June 26.
Karmelkorn at Towne East Square, 7700 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Seven violations on June 20 during a routine inspection. Food debris and old popcorn buildup on popcorn maker and storage containers, blocked hand-washing sink, unlabeled sanitizer spray bottle, no written plan for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea, no quaternary sanitizer test strips on site, no paper towels at hand-washing sink, no hand-washing soap available. Next inspection: June 30.
Mai BBQ (mobile vendor/food truck), 2017 N. Hyacinth in Wichita — Three violations on June 21 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Employee touched his eyeglasses then prepared food without washing hands, coleslaw wasn’t kept cold enough, hot foods including noodles and meat weren’t kept hot enough. Next inspection: July 1.
Paleteria La Fuente, 1750 N. Broadway in Wichita — Two violations on June 17 during an expired license inspection. No food thermometer on site, approximately 10 small winged insects were around fruit in storage room with no pest control in place. Next inspection: June 27.
Sky-Palace Inn & Suites Wichita East, 7321 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Thirty-four violations on June 16 during a complaint inspection. Continuously running toilets with water leaks, missing evacuation routes in rooms, rodent droppings in rooms, missing window screens, windows nailed shut in some rooms, exposed electrical wires, inadequate hand-washing facilities, unstable guard rails and crumbling concrete, imminent safety hazards in several rooms were not reported to the Kansas Department of Agriculture, dirty floors, torn and stained bed linens in several rooms, missing door handles and locks, bed linens stored on laundry shelves were “visibly soiled,” missing light bulbs, missing smoke alarm, unsafe stairways, broken glass and trash bags lying around, non-functioning outlets, hole in bathtub, bathroom sinks were blocked and full of dirty water, crumbling walls, holes in walls and ceiling, dirty rooms, graffiti, interior door held together with band aids, loose and missing door knobs, missing and damaged baseboards, broken door locks, no functioning laundry facility on site, mold in multiple rooms including on ceiling and carpet, leaky toilet, black sewage in bathtub, rodent droppings, urine and mold odors, dog crate and refrigerator stored in walkway, missing light switch cover and tape holding outlet to wall, no batteries in smoke detectors, damaged flooring, rusted and damaged room fixtures, stained and broken furniture, stained and damaged room linens and window dressing, tape around gaps in door, no gloves available for housekeeping or laundry staff, overflowing trash can, broken and unmaintained HVAC systems, damaged and stained box springs and mattresses, structural damage to building. Multiple rooms voluntarily closed due to imminent safety hazards. Rooms on the second floor were also closed due to structural issues. Next inspection: Aug. 16.
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.
