Wichita inspections: Bed bugs, mice, old sauce, refrigeration woes, rotting produce
Thirteen businesses — including several restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, a hotel and a warehouse — failed their Kansas Department of Agriculture food and lodging safety inspections last week. They were cited for violations including mouse and bed bug infestations, employees not washing their hands after touching raw meats, rotting citrus fruits and peppers, trashy premises, not keeping refrigerated foods cold enough, sauces that were considered too old to serve to customers, dirty conditions and toxic pest bait on one store’s floor, a check of Sedgwick County’s non-compliant inspections from Dec. 19-25 shows.
Information about the businesses and violations, compiled Dec. 30, appears below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More details, including specific violation descriptions and survey dates, are posted in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.
More than 40 businesses surveyed over the past few weeks 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 can 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 an inspection, 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
The Belmont, 3555 E. Douglas, Ste. #35 in Wichita — Six violations for mayo and tomato-cucumber salad not marked with preparation dates, butter left at room temperature, old mayonnaise, using sous vide cooking method for steaks without approval, no paper towels at sink. Next inspection: Jan. 21.
Corner Market, 6115 N. Air Cap Drive in Park City — Ten violations for warm cheese sauce in dispenser and taquito on grill wasn’t kept hot enough, coffee creamer and half-and-half weren’t marked with opening dates, no probe-style food thermometer, plumbing issue, paper towels and scrubbing pads stored in hand-washing sink, hand soap and paper towel dispensers didn’t work, rodent feces along walls and in cabinets by food, chemicals stored by food containers and utensils. Next inspection: Jan. 2.
Cracker Barrel, 619 S. Ridge Road in Wichita — Three violations for cook not washing hands after touching raw hamburger patties, dirty pans, water not hot enough at hand-washing sinks. Next inspection: Feb. 9.
Emerson Biggin’s Sports Bar & Grill, 2330 N. Maize Road, Ste. 100 in Wichita — Twelve violations for employee not washing hands after touching meat, cottage cheese not labeled with opening date, shredded chicken didn’t cool down quickly enough, cooked French fries not kept hot enough, raw meat and cheese weren’t kept cold enough, dirty and broken spatulas, greasy potato slicer and can opener, not enough sanitizer in dishwasher, plumbing issue, dirty kitchen floor, chemical bottles not labeled with contents, sidewalk salt stored in food container that wasn’t labeled, sidewalk salt stored over pizza preparation table. Next inspection: Dec. 30.
Extended Stay America - Wichita East, 9450 E. Corporate Hills Dr. in Wichita — Eleven violations for broken emergency lighting, missing emergency plan, no carbon monoxide or smoke detector testing records, no fire extinguisher in mechanical room by gas-powered water heaters, fire extinguisher in laundry room was overdue for inspection, missing smoke detector, dirty bed skirt and pillow cases, hair and bloodstain on mattress, dirty oven, bed bugs, no advisory for pets posted. Next inspection: Jan. 2.
Hibachi Boy, 1220 N. Rock Rd., Ste. 400 in Derby — Thirteen violations for employee not washing hands after touching bags of raw chicken and shrimp, no sanitizer in bucket of wiping cloths, teriyaki sauce didn’t cool down quickly enough, cooked rice left out overnight at room temperature, noodles and crab salad not labeled with preparation dates, packages of pot stickers and spring rolls aren’t marked with opening dates, old sauces, sushi rice left out longer than four hours without approval, dirty carrot grater, not sanitizing tub for rice, no cold water at sink, dirty and greasy ceiling, chemical bottles not labeled with contents. Next inspection: Dec. 31.
Jason’s Deli, 7447 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Four violations for no sanitizer in bucket of wiping cloths, corned beef not hot enough, meatballs and chicken in refrigerator weren’t cold enough, dirty container. Next inspection: Dec. 30.
Larkspur, 904 E. Douglas in Wichita — Six violations for fruit fly in liquor bottle, two pans of creme brulee didn’t cool down fast enough to safely consume, container of roux and butter left out at room temperature, old marinara and saffron sauces, old garlic aioli, menu items that can be ordered undercooked aren’t marked, cleaners and hand sanitizers stored next to clean dishes. Next inspection: Jan. 2.
Las Rosas Wichita Mexican Grill, 1050 W. 47th St. South in Wichita — Seven violations for selling jerky from facility that has no food license, raw beef stored above spinach in cooler, refried beans aren’t cold enough in cooler, salsas and shrimp not labeled with preparation dates, no equipment to test strength of sanitizer, storing water pitcher in hand-washing sink, storing insecticide labeled for residential use only. Next inspection: Dec. 30.
Mex Market Warehouse, 925 E. 19th St. in Wichita — Three violations for trash and automotive parts littering the exterior of the building, chemical bottle not labeled, moldy and rotting produce including citrus fruits and peppers. Next inspection: Feb. 21.
Ninza Sushi Bar, 8428 W. 13th St., Ste. 100 in Wichita — Ten violations for employee washing hands at wrong sink, old miso soup and tofu, thawing fish improperly, employees not washing hands after touching dirty dishes and raw shrimp, crab meat left out at room temperature, cooked rice not marked with preparation time, not sanitizing dishes, no soap or paper towels at sink, chemical bottle not labeled with contents. Next inspection: Feb. 21.
Quick Pick, 3733 N. Arkansas in Wichita — One violation for mice infestation. Next inspection: Feb. 20.
Thai Binh Supermarket, 1530 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Eight violations for employee not washing hands with warm water, employee not washing hands after touching personal drink, sprouts not kept cold enough, no consumer advisory posted for dish that contains raw eggs, sprout cooler door doesn’t close completely, dirty food processor, no hot water at sinks, toxic rodent bait on floors. Next inspection: Feb. 19.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 4:33 AM.
