Here's where in Topeka food safety inspectors found moldy food and a pest infestation

Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors found several Topeka establishments to be out of compliance with state law in May.

Kansas law delegates to the Kansas Department of Agriculture the authority to regulate food establishments, food processing plants and lodging establishments. Violations — particularly priority violations linked to causes of foodborne illness — can lead to various consequences, including the immediate closure of an establishment.

Kansas Department of Agriculture records show that while most Topeka service establishments passed inspections in May with either no violations or no serious ones, several failed. Most inspections were routine, but inspectors also visited after complaints, for licensing, follow-ups and other reasons.

Out-of-compliance food establishments in Topeka

The following establishments were listed as out of compliance with state law after inspections in May.

• Panera Bread, 1421 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

The May 31 complaint inspection found two violations.

The inspector noted a space under a sink "infested" with fruit flies or gnats, a pipe with insects crawling in and out, and more insects crawling in and out of an open space between tiles.

The inspector also found an accumulation of food, trash, paper products and a decaying avocado under a table.

The establishment was back in compliance after a June 10 follow-up.

• Relax Inn & Suites, 3802 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

The May 13 inspection for an expired license found 12 violations.

A laundry room hand sink had no paper towels, that sink had no hot water, smoke detectors had not been tested and there were no records of testing, carbon monoxide detectors had not been tested and there were no records of testing, and there were no single-use gloves in the laundry room.

The inspector found trash and debris around beds, as well as under a sink and on a bathroom floor. One room had no toilet paper. Several beds had stains on the sheets and pillow cases, while two rooms had holey blankets. Multiple mattresses had visible stains, debris or holes. One room had a live roach.

The establishment remained out of compliance during a May 23 follow-up that found four violations. While most were repeat violations, a new one was an unlabeled spray bottle.

• Topeka Country Club, 2700 S.W. Buchanan St.

The May 22 joint inspection found nine violations.

An employee did not wash her hands between handling dirty dishes and clean dishes. A hand sink in the dish area had no paper towels, while the public restroom sinks did not have hot enough water.

A container of cut onions was moldy and more than two months old. A chicken and vegetable soup in a cooler was not cold enough. A refrigerator had multiple items held past the seven-day limit, including opened cream cheese, cooked artichokes, mozzarella, clam chowder, ham and beans, cooked prime rib, roasted red peppers, black olives and cooked green beans. Other items had no preparation or discard date marking.

The salad bar had an unlabeled chemical spray bottle.

The establishment was back in compliance after a June 6 follow-up.

• Baymont Inn & Suites, 1401 S.W. Ashworth Place.

The May 21 routine inspection found six violations,

Waffle batter in the breakfast line was not kept cold enough. There was no chlorine bleach for sanitizing dishes or food contact surfaces. There was not food thermometer. The ware washing sink hot water did not get hot enough. A hand sink had no soap. The displayed food license was expired.

While an initial follow-up inspection on June 6 found one violation, the establishment was back in compliance after another follow-up on June 12.

• Krispy Krunchy Chicken/Phillips 66, 810 S.E. 15th St.

The May 21 joint inspection found seven violations.

The inspector noted a cross contamination risk from a cooler storing raw chicken above mac and cheese and red beans. There was also a refrigerator where raw chicken and fish were next to hamburger buns and honey butter.

Meanwhile, the raw chicken was not being kept cold enough, and a cooler thermometer was inaccurate.

A hand sink in the kitchen had no paper towels. The kitchen area also had "two live roaches by the trash can, two roaches run under the refrigerator then two more live roaches in the corner." The soda room likewise had more than 20 flies and gnats flying around while under the countertop "there is a collection of dead roaches and sticky strips with roaches (dead) on them."

The pop room also had "an accumulation of mold, syrup and trash" plus drains "filled with sludge."

The establishment remained out of compliance during a May 31 follow-up that found one violation for continued pest control problems after having no pest control visit during the time between inspections. The person in charge voluntarily closed the food service section.

A reopening inspection on June 3 noted no pest issues.

• IHOP, 1731 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

The May 20 modified complaint inspection found three violations.

The other end of the automatic ice machine drain hose was pushed in the floor drain of the mop sink below the flood rim, which could risk sewage coming up the floor drain and feeding back into the ice machine.

A dining room window frame had an ant trail.

The women's restroom had a "foul odor of sewage," and the toilet in the handicap stall was loose.

The establishment was back in compliance after a May 24 follow-up inspection.

• The Bar N Grill, 2121 S.W. Bell Ave.

The May 16 routine inspection found three violations.

A freezer needed to be thawed out because freezing condensation was preventing the door from closing. The freezer seals were also old, broken and missing in some places, which contributed to the condensation issue.

Six cutting boards had a mix of discoloration, pits, chips and scores that made them not able to be washed and sanitized effectively.

The establishment was back in compliance after a May 29 follow-up inspection.

• Little Russia Chili Parlor, 508 N.E. Sardou Ave.

The May 15 routine inspection found three violations.

The inspector found a cooler where a piece of prosciutto and a piece of cooked pork both had mold growth. A cooler was not keeping food cool enough, including raw bacon, tamales, raw beef, salsa and pickle spears.

The men's restroom hot water was turned off.

The establishment was back in compliance after a May 31 follow-up inspection.

• Americ Inn by Wyndham, 1530 S.E. Westport Drive.

The May 13 licensing-operational inspection found 16 violations.

There was a lack of soap at a bathroom sink, no emergency management plan, no record of carbon monoxide detector testing, no pet advisory, no daily pool logs, no daily disinfectant logs, no daily pH testing logs and no vomiting and fecal cleanup logs.

One room had food debris, trash and hair behind the headboard and hair and debris on the bathroom floor.

Two rooms had stained mattresses, while one of those rooms had blood stains on a top blanket. Both of the rooms had debris under the chair pillows.

Six rooms had unwrapped plastic cups next to the ice bucket, and the ice buckets were not being sanitized properly.

There were multiple electrical outlets that have not been switched to GFCI in the laundry room, the boiler room and behind an ice machine. The laundry room electrical box also did not have a cover.

The establishment remained out of compliance during a May 23 follow-up inspection that found one violation because the boiler room outlet had not been changed to GFCI.

• Lings Express, 3627 S.E. 29th St., Unit 114.

The May 2 routine inspection found six violations.

A cooler was not keeping food cold enough, including raw beef, raw shrimp and crab meat.

Water leaked from the atmospheric vacuum breaker at the service mop sink. There were no chlorine test strips, no food thermometer and no soap at the kitchen handwashing sink. Two knives were stored in a space that was not clean.

The establishment was back in compliance after a May 14 follow-up.

Inspections found these Topeka establishments were in compliance

The following service establishments were in compliance when inspectors visited in May with either no violations or only relatively minor ones.

• Dollar General Store, 2515 S.E. Sixth St.

• Dollar General Store, 4210 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Luis' Place, 435 S. Kansas Ave.

• Pepsi Cola of Topeka, 2625 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• 7 Brew Coffee, 1115 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Capital City Smokes & Grocery, 500 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Jorges Cantina Mexican Restaurant, 837 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• Phillips Conoco, 2024 S.E. California Ave.

• Taco Tico, 2102 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• The Foundry, 400 S.W. 33rd St.

• Mexican Taco Shop, 3703 S.W. Burlingame Road, Suite 600.

• The Boobie Trap Bar, 1417 Sixth St.

• Domino's Pizza, 2835 S.E. California Ave.

• Fairlawn 66, 2836 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• Jose Pepper's, 1425 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Mars Wrigley Confectionery, 100 Mars Blvd.

• The White Linen, 114 S.W. Sixth St.

• 4310 Pizza Co., 4310 S.W. 21st St.

• Dollar General, 3410 S.E. 29th St.

• Dollar Tree, 2630 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Dollar Tree, 2616 S.E. Sixth Ave.

• Dunkin', 1500 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Papa John's Pizza, 2121 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• RJ's Discount Store, 3729 S.W. South Park Ave.

• Thunderbirds Grille, 2920 S.E. Croco Road.

• New Orleans Style Daiquiri's & More, 623 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Sk8away, 815 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• Salut Wine and Cocktail Lounge, 3119 S.W. Huntoon St.

• Sno N Mo, 406 Circle Drive in Silver Lake.

• Tobacco Town, 101 37th St.

• Walgreens, 2901 S.E. California Ave.

• Academy Sports & Outdoors, 1133 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Bomgaars Supply, 1133 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 100.

• Dollar General, 1001 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• Domino's Pizza, 735 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Econo Lodge, 1518 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Eurest Dining Services, 500 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• New Ling's Bistro, 1550 S.W. Wanamaker Road, Suite 100A.

• Restaurante Oaxaqueno, 2500 N.E. Seward Ave.

• VFW Post #1650, 3110 S.W. Huntoon St.

• Aliha Ent, 1245 S.E. 29th St.

• Asian Market Topeka Corp., 4006 S.W. 21st St.

• Hook & Que, 2500 S.W. Kingsrow Road.

• Hyatt Place Topeka, 6021 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• J Rocks Smoke House, 1000 S.E. 21st St.

• Papa Murphy's, 6021 S.W. 29th St., Suite B.

• Schlotzskys, 400 S.W. 29th St., Suite Z.

• Tinda Liquor, 316 S.E. 29th St.

• Tod's BBQ Truck, 6133 S.W. 53rd St.

• Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1812 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Oscar's, 1424 S.W. Lane St.

• Scotsfare, 140 E. Ninth Street in Auburn.

• Shopper's Kitchen Restaurant & Catering, 250 S.E. 29th St.

• Smoky Dunks, 6600 S.W. Arborglade Lane.

• Taco Al's, 1423 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Walgreens, 2101 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Hooters, 6100 S.W. 10th St.

• Kwik Shop, 2520 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• La Casita Mexican Restaurant, 3032 S.E. Sixth Ave.

• Abigail's Oakland, 1909 N.E. Seward Ave.

• Coffee Head, 3101 S.W. 29th St., Suite B.

• IHOP, 551 N.W. Highway 24.

• Los Charros, 738 S.W. Gage Blvd.

• Love's Travel Stop / Subway, 1811 N.W. Brickyard Road.

• McDonald's, 1100 S. Kansas Ave.

• Pizagels Pizza & Bakery, 2830 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• Max's at Huntoon, 1301 S.W. Gage Blvd.

• Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, 1720 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Taco Tico, 5222 S.W. 17th.

• AFC Sushi at Dillons, 800 N.W. 25th St.

• Sure Stay Plus by Best Western, 700 S.W. Fairlawn Road.

• The Tasteful Olive, 2900 S.W. Oakley Ave.

• Vikings Grille, 4731 Hunters Ridge Circle, Suite G.

• Arturos Mexican Restaurant, 105 S.E. 10th Ave.

• Casey's, 2133 N. Kansas Ave.

• Dollar General Store, 2500 S.E. California Ave.

• Hog Wild Pit Bar-B-Q, 5330 S.W. 21st St.

• Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 901 S.W. Robinson Ave.

• Millennium Cafe, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave.

• Paradise Donuts, 1620 S.W. Sixth Ave.

• Supermart El Torito, 3000 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Tractor Supply Co., 5236 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Westlake Ace Hardware, 2075 S.E. 29th St.

• GNC, 400 S.W. 29th St.

• Taco Bell, 101 S.E. 29th St.

• Churchs Chicken, 3001 S.W. 10th St.

• Culvers, 1035 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Poppin Squeeze (Big Red), 6105 S.E. Shawnee Drive in Berryton.

• Top Pop Kettle Corn, 1939 N.E. 35th St.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2014 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Delta Gamma Sorority, 1915 S.W. Macvicar Ave.

• Dollar General, 3401 S.W. Topeka Blvd.

• Dollar Tree, 115 S.W. 29th St.

• Glory Days Pizza, 2811 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Hilton Garden Inn, 1351 S.W. Arvonia Place.

• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 1050 S.W. Wanamaker Road.

• Walmart, 2600 N.W. Rochester Road.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas food safety and lodging inspectors cited many Topeka businesses