Bugs, mouse poop, employees who didn’t wash hands at Wichita KS restaurants
Bugs including roaches and gnats, mouse poop, an insect in a liquor bottle, employees who didn’t wash their hands, too much grease and grime in kitchens, pest entry points 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. Fifteen restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations Feb. 1-7.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at more than 50 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, they’re corrected in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately include 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 Feb. 11 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
Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 320 S. Ridge Road in Wichita — Five violations on Feb. 3 during a complaint inspection. Tomatoes and shredded lettuce not kept cold enough, raw beef and sliced cheese not kept cold enough, cooked chicken not kept hot enough, significant leak at hand-washing sink, issue with mop sink, insect inside bottle of Southern Comfort liquor. Next inspection: Feb. 13.
Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Store, 444 E. Pawnee in Wichita — One violation on Feb. 5 during a follow-up inspection. Roach in cabinet next to electrical panel box. Next inspection: April 5.
Chicken Chicken, 922 E. 13th St. in Wichita — Seven violations on Feb. 5 during its first operational inspection after licensing. No test strips available for sanitizer testing, no soap at hand-washing sinks in employee restroom and kitchen, large tub of raw fish in hand-washing sink, no paper towels in employee restroom, employee used wrong sink to wash hands, employee washed hands without using soap, no date on container of coleslaw. Next inspection: Feb. 15.
CVS Pharmacy, 2014 W. 21st St. in Wichita — One violation on Feb. 4 during a routine inspection. Water was not hot enough in public restroom. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Dollar General, 1918 E. 13th St. in Wichita — Three violations on Feb. 4 during a routine inspection. Expired medication for sale, no paper towels in bathroom, fresh dead mouse in glue trap. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 10096 E. 13th St., Suite 118 in Wichita — Two violations on Feb. 2 during a follow-up inspection. Raw chicken not kept cold enough, gnats on clean pots. Next inspection: March 31.
The Hornets Nest Daylight Donuts, 556 N. Meridian in Valley Center — Five violations on Feb. 4 during a routine inspection. No written procedures for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, gap in wall is large enough for pests or rodents to enter, approximately 30 dried mouse droppings and dead cockroach in drawers underneath coffee machines, sanitizer in spray bottles was too concentrated, restaurant was using a copper pipe to punch out donut holes, dough was stored in bags that are not food safe. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Kwik Shop, 2424 W. 37th St. North in Wichita — One violation on Feb. 6 during a complaint inspection. Deli meat sandwiches, burritos, beef burgers, breakfast sandwiches, wraps and other sandwiches were not kept cold enough. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Kwik Shop, 4802 E. 21st St. in Wichita — Three violations on Feb. 4 during a complaint inspection. No date on open gallon of milk, no paper towels at hand-washing sink, no hot water at sinks in restrooms. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Livingston’s Cafe, 4733 E. Douglas in Wichita — Ten violations on Feb. 5 during a routine inspection. Breakfast items including waffle mix and sausage were not kept cold enough, ham and potatoes not kept cold enough, tomatoes not kept cold enough, raw eggs stored at room temperature, food debris and grease behind kitchen equipment, old mice droppings on window behind dish machine, raw eggs stored above salad mix, raw hamburger patties stored above ready-to-eat green peppers and onions, employee touched dirty then clean dishes without washing hands, no sanitizer in dish washing machine, employee cracked raw eggs then touched clean plate without washing hands, cooked turkey was not labeled with its preparation date, old ham and boiled eggs, dirty food thermometer. Next inspection: Feb. 15.
Paris Baguette (listed under Wichita Bakery), 9780 E. 21st St. in Wichita — Four violations on Feb. 3 during a complaint inspection. Employee put on a hairnet then touched croissants without removing gloves and washing hands, cream-filled pastries were not marked with the time they were left out at room temperature, moldy strawberries and blackberries, issue at mop sink. Next inspection: Feb. 13.
Rene’s Mexican Restaurant, 220 S. West St. in Wichita — Nine violations on Feb. 3 during a routine inspection. Raw eggs stored over containers of cheese, raw chicken stored over tortillas, no chlorine sanitizer test strips on site, wrong date on roller tacos, no food probe thermometer on site, dirty can opener, cooked steak and sausage were not kept hot enough, too little sanitizer used for soaking dishes, no paper towels in men’s restroom, frozen cooked chorizo sitting out at room temperature. Next inspection: Feb. 13.
Smash Bros (mobile vendor/food truck), 9809 W. Par Lane in Wichita — Two violations noted on Feb. 4 during routine and reopening inspections. Business had no water, licensee did not cease operations and notify Kansas Department of Agriculture of imminent health hazard of having no water. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Thai Village House of Pad Thai, 2020 S. Rock Road, Suite 50 in Wichita — Ten violations on Feb. 4 during a routine inspection. Employee wet hands at dish sink instead of using designated hand-washing sink, no written procedures for cleaning up vomit or diarrhea, employee didn’t wash hands before putting on gloves and making egg rolls, vegetables including cabbage and tomatoes were not kept cold enough, grease and grime on kitchen baseboards and walls, employee touched hair and earbuds then made egg roll without washing hands, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, raw eggs stored above tomatoes, open container of half-and-half was not dated, buildup of grease and food debris on kitchen equipment. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
Wasabi East, 3242 N. Rock Road, Suite 112 in Wichita — Four violations on Feb. 4 during a complaint inspection. Unlabeled chemical bottles, cooked tempura was not kept hot enough, missing logs for sushi rice, seafood and dairy products were not kept cold enough. Next inspection: Feb. 14.
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.
