March 1-7 inspections: Poor handwashing, blocked sink, cook tasted sauce with fingers
Editor’s note: The Eagle is posting out-of-compliance inspections weekly this year.
Health inspectors found employees failing to scrub up, a cook touching and tasting beef sauce with his fingers, a handwashing sink blocked by a shelf and other violations at 13 Sedgwick County businesses deemed out of compliance last week.
A list of the establishments — which includes three hotels, two gas stations and several restaurants — appears below with a summary of the problems Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors noted on their reports. The list was compiled March 11.
Nearly 50 businesses surveyed March 1-7 passed inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Violations are common and usually fixed immediately. Businesses fall out of compliance when they have a certain number or type of violation that can lead to foodborne illnesses or ones that can’t be corrected right away, such as plumbing issues. Violations include serving food that’s more than a week old, pest infestations and employees mishandling food.
Businesses that are out of compliance typically have follow-up inspections within 10 days.
For more details on the violators, search The Eagle’s non-compliant inspection database. To see all businesses, simply hit “Search.” The most recent data uploaded appears first. You can also search past inspections by name, address, date or violation using keywords like “roach” or “mold.”
To complain about conditions at a business, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. Email aleiker@wichitaeagle.com with comments or questions about The Eagle’s database.
Out of compliance inspections:
Bite Me BBQ, 132 N. St. Francis in Wichita — Twelve violations for milk not marked with opening date, briskets thrown out because they were at an unsafe temperature, food at unsafe temperatures, meat stored in reduced-oxygen packaging without restaurant having variance to do so, glassware washed without soap, dirty equipment, no chlorine sanitizer in dishwasher, water not hot enough at bar sink, handwashing sink used as a “drink dump sink,” no hand drying supplies at bar sink, glass cleaner stored on drink station
Blue Fin Sake Bar and Sushi, 255 N. Washington in Wichita — Nine violations for improper seafood-thawing procedures, “cook used his bare fingers to touch the beef sauce and taste it,” improper food storage, food at unsafe temperatures, no consumer advisory detailing risks of eating undercooked and raw foods, kale stored in T-shirt to-go bag instead of food-grade container, unlabeled chemical bottles, cleaners stored above food utensils, household insecticide stored in restaurant
Chili’s Grill and Bar, 10520 W. Central in Wichita — Five violations for employee not washing hands, staff member with long artificial nails preparing food without gloves, food at unsafe temperature, dirty glassware and containers, water not hot enough at handwashing sink
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, 995 E. 61st St. N. in Park City — Two violations for old milk and liquid eggs, leaky backflow prevention device at sink
Crested Crane Cafe, 10115 E. Mt. Vernon in Wichita — One violation for not having hot-enough water in a sink
Days Inn Hotel by Wyndham Wichita North, 901 E. 53rd St. N. in Park City — Two violations related to a bed bug infestation
District Taqueria, 917 E. Douglas in Wichita — Nine violations for employee not washing hands, bag of sliced ham not marked with opening date, food at unsafe temperatures, gaskets on cooler torn so door doesn’t seal properly, no sanitizer testing strips on site, flies landing on surfaces that come into contact with food, chemical bottle not labeled
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels Wichita Airport, 2098 S. Airport Rd. in Wichita — Eight violations for improper food storage, foor at unsafe temperature, milk not marked with opening date, old Canadian bacon, bread and cracker crumbs stored in non-food grade containers, heat sanitizer on dishwasher not hot enough
El Vaquero Mexican Grill, 1320 E. Central Ave. in Wichita — Eight violations for employee not washing hands, improper seafood-thawing procedures, improper food storage, food at unsafe temperature, cheesecake not marked with opening or preparation date, water not hot enough at sinks
Hawthorn Suites and Hotel by Wyndham Wichita East, 411 S. Webb Rd. in Wichita — One violation for not having a handwashing sink in the kitchen area
Jump Start convenience store, 3805 W. 21st St. in Wichita — One violation for not having sanitizer testing strips
New Good Fortune Chinese Restaurant, 709 N. Baltimore in Derby — Two violations for improper food storage, missing valve on soda carbonator on Pepsi machine
PE Gas Station and Smoke Shop, 731 N. Ridge Rd. in Wichita — Four violations selling packages of Oreos and Ritz crackers that aren’t marked for individual sale, not having the equipment or knowing how to set up and use sanitizer, handwashing sink covered with papers and a shelf, plastic bowls sitting next to hand sanitizer in store aisle
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 10:31 AM.
