Wichita food inspections: Cockroaches, mice, bugs in whiskey and scotch, greasy walls
A gas station and seven restaurants failed their Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety inspections last week. Their violations include cockroach and mice infestations, greasy walls and buildup on floors, insects floating in liquor bottles and sticky fly traps hanging over surfaces where food is prepared, a check of Sedgwick County’s non-compliant inspections from Aug. 8-14 shows.
Several of the businesses were also storing food at unsafe temperatures, according to the reports. Under state rules, refrigerated foods have to be cooled to a certain temperature within a certain number of hours and hot foods have to be kept warm enough to reduce the chance of harmful bacteria growth.
A list of the non-compliant businesses, compiled Aug. 19, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More information, including specific violation descriptions and inspection dates, is posted in The Eagle’s searchable, non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspection database at www.kansas.com/databases.
More than 30 businesses surveyed last week passed their inspections with few or no violations. You can see those at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Failing an inspection doesn’t necessarily mean a business has to close; that’s rare. Most violations are minor and are immediately corrected on site. Businesses fall out of compliance with state rules when they have too many violations or certain types of problems that may increase the risk of a customer contracting a food-borne illness, or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, such as plumbing issues and pest infestations.
When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.
To complain about conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.
Recent out-of-compliance inspections:
Cessna Pawnee, 5800 E. Pawnee in Wichita — Four violations for cold food on salad bar being too warm, no hot water in women’s bathroom, sanitary item disposal cans in women’s bathroom didn’t have lids, business storing insecticide that isn’t labeled for use in a food establishment. Follow-up inspection scheduled for Aug. 21.
Crazy Horse Supper Club, 2539 W. Pawnee in Wichita — Ten violations for employee not washing hands after touching raw shrimp, containers of half-and-half and milk not marked with opening date, “small winged insects” floating inside scotch and whiskey bottles, raw eggs stored above salad dressing in cooler, raw alligator meat stored above container of cooked Brussels sprouts in refrigerated preparation table, turkey slices and potato soup are not marked with preparation date, old popper stuffing, menu doesn’t say which food items are offered undercooked, dirty pans, no backflow prevention on mop sink hose, purse blocking hand-washing sink in bar area, greasy walls. Follow-up inspection scheduled for Aug. 23.
DeFazio’s Italian Restaurant, 2706 N. Amidon in Wichita — Six violations for meatballs in marinara sauce getting too cold, items in cooler including cheese and meats were too warm, greasy buildup on shelves and door seals throughout business that can attract pests, cockroaches and “hundreds of small rodent droppings” under equipment including grill and soda machine, grease and dirt buildup on floors including in walk-in coolers and on shelving which can attract pests. Follow-up inspection set for Aug. 21.
Fat Ernie’s Family Dining, 2806 S. Hydraulic in Wichita — Three violations for storing food including meats and cheese at unsafe temperatures, cooked ground beef wasn’t marked with preparation date, sticky fly strips hanging above food preparation areas. Follow-up inspection scheduled for Nov. 9.
Knolla’s Pizza, 4041 n. Maize Rd. in Maize — Seven violations for refrigerated chicken being too warm, old feta cheese, missing documentation saying when pizza should be thrown out, pizza sitting on counter wasn’t marked with preparation time, pile of dirty towels by back door, leaky backflow prevention device at mop sink, business storing insecticide rated for residential use only. Follow-up inspection set for Aug. 22.
Lucky Restaurant, 6710 W. Kellogg Dr. in Wichita — Ten violations for thawing frozen fish improperly, fly sitting on shrimp, raw chicken stored above shrimp in refrigerated preparation table, garlic stored improperly, cooked chicken isn’t labeled with preparation date, dirty meat grinder, standing water with a fly in it on grinder, employee didn’t sanitize dishes, hose lying in sink basin, no paper towels for hand-drying at sink, cockroaches, dirty and greasy foods that can attract pests. Follow-up inspection set for Aug. 20.
Spangles, 415 S. West St. in Wichita — Two violations for storing foods including meats and produce in a cooler that didn’t keep them cold enough, Philly cheesesteak ingredients were mislabeled with the wrong preparation date. Follow-up inspection scheduled for Aug. 21.
Valero, 1622 W. West St. in Wichita — Eleven violations for selling food items from a vendor that doesn’t have a food processing license, refried beans in cooler were too warm, meats and chicken wings in walk-in cooler weren’t marked with preparation dates, probe thermometer for food doesn’t read below 50 degree Fahrenheit, no equipment for testing strength of sanitizer, employee washed dishes without sanitizing them, no soap or paper towels at hand-washing sink, unlabeled chemicals, business was storing bottle of herbicide under sink that was marked for outdoor use only. Follow-up inspection scheduled for Aug. 21.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 12:32 PM.
