Wichita inspections: No labels, dirty equipment, storage issues, sink clog, old cream
Eight businesses — including several restaurants, a truck stop and a butcher shop — failed their Kansas Department of Agriculture food and lodging safety inspections last week. They were cited for violations such as selling pre-packaged foods that had no ingredient labels; clogged and inaccessible sinks; storing raw meats above ready-to-serve dishes in refrigerators where leakage could contaminate them; employees not washing their hands or touching customer food without gloves on; and old sauces, dip, whipped cream and salsa, a check of Sedgwick County’s non-compliant inspections from Jan. 9-15 shows.
Information about the businesses and violations, compiled Jan. 16, 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, 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
Barron’s Bar and Grill, 2508 S. Oliver in Wichita — Two violations for leaving bar mats in a hand-washing sink, not having a probe-style food thermometer that reads under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Next inspection: March 14.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 10096 E. 13th St., Ste. 118 in Wichita — Nine violations for storing raw beef above raw salmon in cooler, blue cheese cream sauce wasn’t cooled quickly enough, refrigerated items including cooked noodles and sauces weren’t cold enough, tomatoes and dairy products weren’t cold enough, broken food storage container, dirty produce slicers and blender, no sanitizer in dishwasher, paper towel dispenser didn’t work. Next inspection: Jan. 22.
Flying Eagle Truck Stop, 3405 S. West St. in Wichita — Twelve violations for not listing ingredients on pre-packaged steak and cheese sandwiches, storing raw eggs above cooked beef in cooler, several foods were in a risky temperature range and had to be thrown out including rice and chicken, refrigerated containers of steak and pork weren’t cold enough, tamales weren’t labeled with preparation dates, ingredients not listed on muffins, storing rice in container that isn’t food grade, clogged mop sink, missing vent cover. Next inspection: Jan. 24.
Jax Restaurant and Bar, 9719 E. 21st N. in Wichita — Nine violations for cook not washing hands after handling raw beef, thawing fish improperly, server touched lemon for customer drink with bare hands, raw beef and pork stored above raw seafood in cooler, shredded cheese and sour cream stored at room temperature, old spinach dip and Marsala sauce, old salsa and whipped cream, dirty pans, hand-washing sink blocked by chair and other items, chemicals stored next to food containers and cutting boards. Next inspection: Jan. 23.
La Tlaxcaltena Food and Candy, 1608 E. Harry in Wichita — Six violations for employees washing hands at the wrong sink, storing raw bacon above ready-to-eat ham and cheese in cooler, raw beef stored over cooked tamales and chilies in cooler, not labeling food with preparation dates, food thermometer didn’t work, no hand-drying supplies at sink. Next inspection: Jan. 21.
Michelandia, 679 N. Eisenhower in Wichita — Four violations for storing container of raw shrimp above cucumbers in cooler, not keeping cooked shrimp hot enough, dishes containing raw shrimp not marked on menu with consumer advisory, not having a hand-washing sink in the dishwashing and preparation room. Next inspection: Jan. 24.
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant, 602 N. Tyler Rd. in Wichita — Four violations for not labeling chicken with preparation date, refried beans weren’t kept hot enough, old chipotle adobo sauce, no soap at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: March 10.
Yoder Meats, 6458 E. Central in Wichita — Three violations for thawing a box of rocky mountain oysters at room temperature, vacuum packaging cheese without an approved plan, missing paperwork. Next inspection: Jan. 22.
This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 4:11 AM.
