Lots of cockroaches, filthy kitchens, rotting food at Wichita restaurants, stores
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Four Wichita businesses failed state food inspections for pest and safety violations.
- Inspectors documented multiple cockroach infestations, sanitation and equipment failures.
- State policy requires reinspection and allows temporary closure until hazards are fixed.
Lots of cockroaches, moldy and spoiling yams, filthy kitchens, missing information and labels, food that wasn’t kept hot enough 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. Four restaurants and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from Oct. 5-11.
Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 80 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 Oct. 15 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
360 Deli & Grill, 11309 E. Kellogg, Suite 125 in Wichita — Six violations on Oct. 7 during a follow-up inspection. No written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, cooked chicken and shredded beef were not hot enough in the steam well, cooked potatoes were not kept hot enough, menu was missing a required consumer advisory reminder for eggs that are cooked to order, food containers with sticker residue were stacked with soiled parts touching food surfaces, no soap at prep room sink, no paper towels at prep room hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Dec. 7.
D Best Beauty Supply & African Food Market, 958 S. Oliver in Wichita — Four violations on Oct. 10 during a routine inspection. Moldy and spoiling yams for sale, no labels on packaged eggplants and peppers, no package label on corn, no test strips for chlorine sanitizer, no hot water available throughout establishment. Next inspection: Oct. 20.
Katana Japanese Steakhouse, 6821 W. Taft in Wichita — Nine violations on Oct. 9 during its first operational inspection after licensing. No written plan for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, no quaternary sanitizer test strips, buildup of grease and grime throughout kitchen, cockroach with egg sack was crawling on metal bowl, two live cockroaches were crawling on tray of utensils, approximately 20 German cockroaches of various life cycles seen throughout kitchen, an unused chest freezer and prep table are creating harborage location for cockroaches, 5-10 baby cockroaches inside freezer, multiple dead cockroaches found in stand-up cooler and in and around other kitchen equipment, dirty chest freezer in kitchen. The restaurant voluntarily closed until all surfaces that touch food are clean from contamination and the business has been treated for pests. Next inspection: Oct. 19.
Peacock Inc., doing business as KC Gas Station, 1955 S. Washington in Wichita — One violation on Oct. 9 during a routine inspection. Approximately 10 nymph roaches were under the soda fountain, one adult roach on the counter next to the soda fountain. Next inspection: Oct. 19.
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.
