Old chili, roaches on napkins, dirty kitchens at Wichita KS restaurants, hotel
Roaches inside a box of napkins, dead bugs, old chili, filthy kitchens, unlabeled chemicals, food storage problems and more are among violations state 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. Five restaurants, hotels or other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from Sept. 14-20.
Inspectors found few or no violations at 60 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Kansas Department of Agriculture 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. 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 may take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It’s rare, but a business may be temporarily shut down over violations.
Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this report was compiled on Sept. 23 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County only.
But you can search food safety and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Courtyard by Marriott Wichita at Old Town, 820 E. Second St. in Wichita — Three violations on Sept. 17 during a licensing-operational inspection. Unlabeled bottles of chemicals on laundry carts, no ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet installed by hand-washing sink in Room 525, no soap or paper towels at hand-washing sink in laundry room. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
Funky Monkeys Shaved Ice (mobile vendor/food truck), 3350 N. Woodlawn in Wichita — Four violations on Sept. 19 during a follow-up inspection. Employee washed hands in three-compartment sink instead of hand-washing sink, no written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, food held at improper temperatures in cooler (tomato at 45 degrees Fahrenheit, coleslaw at 48 degrees, hotdogs at 49 degrees, chili at 50 degrees when they should be 41 degrees or below), old chili. Next inspection: Sept. 29.
McDonald’s, 8100 E. 21st St. Court in Wichita — Three violations on Sept. 17 during a modified complaint inspection. Single-use napkins and lids stored directly on floor, build up of food debris and grease under kitchen equipment and in dishwashing area, liquid spill in back storage area that may attract pests, two live roaches observed inside a box of napkins on floor. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
Mr. Miyagi Japanese Grill, 3920 E. Harry in Wichita — Five violations on Sept. 18 during a follow-up inspection. Employee used cellphone and went outside while wearing gloves then continued food preparation without washing hands, noodles held at 53 degrees Fahrenheit in reach-in cooler (should be 41 degrees or below), container of cooked rice sitting out at room temperature, baby roach observed under reach-in freezer by back door, sticky traps had accumulation of dead roaches and other bugs, accumulation of grease and food debris behind and under kitchen equipment. Next inspection: Nov. 17.
Spangles, 410 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — One violation on Sept. 18 during a routine inspection. Restaurant did not record time certain foods were removed from refrigeration or heat, as required under code. Next inspection: Sept. 28.
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.
