Restaurant inspections: ‘Fresh mouse droppings,’ rodents, old eggs, no soap in Wichita KS

Amy Renee Leiker
·8 min read

Nine restaurants, businesses and other establishments in the Wichita area were out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted March 5-11.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled March 21, appears in an alphabetical list below with a summary of the problems inspectors noted on their reports. More details are posted in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases.

More than 50 establishments passed their inspections with few or no violations that same week. Those also appear alphabetically below. Some may have appeared on a prior non-compliant list.

Business owners who want to clarify or comment on inspection results can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Comments will be added to online stories.

How establishments fail

Most violations are minor and are corrected during an inspection.

Businesses fall out of compliance when they have too many violations, issues that can cause foodborne illnesses or when a problem can’t be fixed right away, such as pest infestations or broken plumbing.

It’s rare for a business or establishment to shut down over a failed inspection, but it can happen. Examples include when a place operates without water or power, doesn’t have refrigeration to keep food cold, has ongoing and untreated pest problems or has sewage backups. Usually closures are temporary.

When a business fails, it’s usually inspected again within 10 days.

You can search food and lodging inspection results in any Kansas county at www.foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.

Out-of-compliance inspections

Auto Motel, 1230 N. Broadway in Wichita — Two violations during a March 7 inspection listed as a modified complaint. Cited over rodent droppings in rooms, stained bed linens. The business closed some rooms over the pest problem but was in compliance during a March 14 follow-up inspection.

Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store, 1252 N. Greenwich Rd. in Wichita — Four violations during a March 10 routine inspection. Cited for not correctly time-stamping breakfast and burger toppings that aren’t kept temperature compliant, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, “fresh mouse droppings” in cabinets and on floor, cook didn’t wash hands between glove changes. The business, which told the inspector that it “had been having (a) mouse problem,” was in compliance during a March 20 follow-up inspection.

Comfort Inn & Suites, 7856 E. 36th St. N. in Wichita — Four violations during a March 7 routine inspection. Cited for storing raw bacon above pre-cooked sausages in refrigerator, items at omelet station and on buffet weren’t kept temperature compliant, gallons of milk weren’t labeled with opening dates, cooked sausage patties weren’t kept hot enough by grill. The business was in compliance during a March 17 follow-up inspection.

First Mile Kitchen, 2141 N. Bradley Fair Pkwy., Ste. 111 in Wichita — Nine violations during a March 7 routine inspection. Cited for not keeping all required records for shellfish sold and those records that did exist were not kept in chronological order or weren’t dated, employee didn’t wash hands after touching dirty dishes, cook touched prepared French fries with bare hands, rice and pasta weren’t labeled with preparation date or date they were thawed, restaurant didn’t have written procedure for storing butter at room temperature, no paper towels at bar hand-washing sink, menu did not clearly identify items served undercooked, old Bolognese and Caesar dressing, old egg yolks. Next scheduled inspection: March 17.

Great Wall Chinese Restaurant, 360 N. Main #700 in Haysville — Eight violations during a March 8 inspection listed as a modified complaint. Cited for storing mixing bowl in hand-washing sink, employee didn’t use soap to wash hands, cooked noodles and chicken weren’t kept cold enough in refrigeration, employee used a sink dedicated to food preparation for washing hands, plumbing issue, employee didn’t wash hands after handling raw chicken, no sanitizer in sanitizing bucket, raw eggs were stored above open containers of chili paste and garlic in cooler. Next scheduled inspection: March 18.

Meals on Wheels/Friendship Meals, 4808 W. 9th St. N. in Wichita — One violation during a March 6 routine inspection. Cited for not having a three-compartment sink or dish machine for washing dishes. The organization was in compliance during a March 17 follow-up inspection.

QuikTrip, 1500 S. Maize Rd. in Wichita — One violation during a March 10 routine inspection. Cited for not having hot-enough water at a sink. The business was in compliance during a March 20 follow-up inspection.

The Rusty Nail, 1155 S. Washington in Wichita — Eight violations during a March 10 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited for storing bottles of chemicals on surfaces that touch food, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sink, kitchen employee who handled food didn’t wash hands between glove changes, dirty pan, frozen tuna fillets were thawing in intact vacuuming packaging which can increase the risk of foodborne illness, bottle of wine was stored in ice used for customer drinks, kitchen employee didn’t change gloves or wash hands after touching cellphone, pan of raw beef was touching pan of raw chicken in refrigerator. Next scheduled inspection: March 20.

Topgolf, 2976 N. Greenwich in Wichita — Five violations during a March 7 inspection that was its first operational inspection after licensing. Cited for not labeling whipped cream can with opening date, salsa and pico de gallo stored in refrigerator weren’t cold enough, bottle of sanitizer wasn’t labeled, bottle of sanitizer was stored with spray nozzle pointing at basket of condiments, water wasn’t hot enough in men’s bathroom. The business was in compliance during a March 17 follow-up inspection.

How to complain about conditions

If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint.

To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a report at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event, call the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or file a report at www.foodsafetykansas.org.

Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at https://agriculture.ks.gov/kda-services/complaint-form/food-safety-and-lodging-complaint.

For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.

These businesses passed inspections March 5-11

  • 1400 by Elderslie (at the Wichita Art Museum), 1400 Museum Blvd. in Wichita

  • Aeroflex Cafe, 10200 W. York in Wichita

  • AMC NorthRock 14, 3151 N. Penstemon in Wichita

  • American Legion Post #256, 4301 W. Pawnee/4590 Vanderhoff Circle in Wichita

  • The ‘Berg Shave Ice Bus (mobile vendor/food truck), 721 N. Prairie Dunes St. in Wichita

  • Birrieria Tito, 2815 S. Hydraulic in Wichita

  • ChopStix, 1615 E. 61st St. N., Ste. 500 in Park City

  • City Bites, 3570 N. Woodlawn #500 in Wichita

  • Corner Market, 6115 N. Air Cap Dr. in Park City

  • Crispy Donuts, 460 N. West St. in Wichita

  • CVS/Pharmacy, 4808 E. Central in Wichita

  • Days Inn & Suites, 4875 S. Laura in Wichita

  • Dillons, 10515 W. Central in Wichita

  • Dog-N-Shake, 8800 W. Maple in Wichita

  • El Papa Pollo (mobile vendor/food truck), 1565 N. Floberta in Wichita

  • Fat Ernie’s Family Dining, 2806 S. Hydraulic in Wichita

  • Firehouse Subs, 2413 N. Greenwich Rd., Ste. 103 in Wichita

  • Funky Monkeys Shaved Ice (mobile vendor/food truck), 3350 N. Woodlawn in Wichita

  • Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, 306 N. Rock Rd., Ste. 30 in Wichita

  • Golden Corral, 616 S. Ridge Rd. in Wichita

  • Greiffenstein Elementary School, 1221 E. Galena in Wichita

  • Hadley Middle School, 1101 N. Dougherty in Wichita

  • Halagains Bar & Wood Fire Kitchen, 501 N. Main in Garden Plain

  • Hangar One Steak House, 5925 W. Kellogg Dr. in Wichita

  • IHOP, 3204 N. Maize Rd. in Wichita

  • Il Primo Espresso Caffe, 6422 E. Central in Wichita

  • Jefferson Elementary School, 4615 E. Orme in Wichita

  • Jose Pepper’s Mexican Restaurant, 11423 E. 13th St. N. in Wichita

  • Jump Start, 911 E. 53rd St. N. in Park City

  • The Landing at Shepherd’s Crossing, 6757 E. Shepherd’s Crossing in Bel Aire

  • Leeker’s Family Foods, 6223 N. Broadway in Park City

  • Maize High School, 11600 W. 45th St. N. in Maize

  • Maize Middle School, 4600 N. Maize Rd. in Maize

  • McDonald’s, 6410 E. Central in Wichita

  • McDonald’s, 1811 N. Hillside in Wichita

  • Midian Shrine Center, 130 N. Topeka in Wichita

  • On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, 2347 N. Maize Rd. in Wichita

  • P.F. Chang’s, 1401 Waterfront Pkwy. in Wichita

  • Panda Chinese, 1228 S.E. Louis Blvd., Ste. B in Mulvane

  • Park City Inn, 792 E. Beaumont St. in Park City

  • Pizza Hut, 1725 E. 61st St. N. in Park City

  • Pray-Woodman Elementary School, 605 W. Academy in Maize

  • QuikTrip, 14402 E. Kellogg in Wichita

  • QuikTrip, 2801 S. Hydraulic in Wichita

  • QuikTrip, 11223 E. Central in Wichita

  • Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes (in the Wichita State University Rhatigan Student Center), 1845 N. Fairmount in Wichita

  • Resurrection Catholic School, 4900 N. Woodlawn in Wichita

  • River City Brewing Company, 150 N. Mosley in Wichita

  • Sage (at Wichita Collegiate School), 9115 E. 13th St. N. in Wichita

  • Scooter’s Coffee, 3480 N. Ridge Rd. in Wichita

  • Sowers Alternative High School, 2400 E. Wassall in Wichita

  • Stucky Middle School, 4545 N. Broadview Circle in Wichita

  • Taqueria El Fogon, 1555 S. Bluffview Dr. in Wichita

  • Tuptim Thai, 2121 N. Rock Rd., Ste. 300 in Wichita

  • Viola’s Pantry, 156 N. Cleveland Ave. in Wichita

  • Wendy’s, 601 N. West St. in Wichita

  • Wendy’s, 3541 S. Meridian in Wichita

  • White Elementary School, 5148 S. Kansas in Wichita