Restaurants, grocer in Wichita fail food safety checks over cockroaches, mice & more

Amy Renee Leiker
·6 min read

Five restaurants and a grocery store in Wichita were out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted Aug. 6-12.

Information about the six Sedgwick County businesses and their violations appears below in an alphabetical list with a summary of the problems inspectors found. More details are posted in The Eagle’s searchable database of non-compliant restaurant and hotel inspections at www.kansas.com/databases. This list was compiled Aug. 17.

More than 40 establishments passed inspections with few or no violations last week. Those appear alphabetically below. Some may have been on a prior non-compliant list.

Business owners or managers 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, like bug and rodent infestations.

It’s rare for an establishment to shut down over a failed inspection, but it can happen. Circumstances that can lead to a closure include sewage backups, ongoing or untreated pest problems, and if a business operates without water, power or refrigeration. Usually closures are temporary.

When an establishment fails, it’s typically 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

All American Dave’s (inside Genesis Health Clubs), 1551 N. Rock Road in Wichita — Four violations on Aug. 11 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited because a bag of oats was sitting by mouse droppings and a hole in it appeared to be chewed by rodents, old burrito mix, missing logs tied to food preparation, live mouse in glue trap and dead mouse near food preparation table, hundreds of fresh and old mouse droppings around kitchen appliances. Next inspection: Oct. 11.

Dairy Queen Treat/Orange Julius (inside Towne East Square), 7700 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Four violations on Aug. 11 during a routine inspection. Cited because a probe-style food thermometer didn’t read correct temperatures, foods including hot dogs and chicken weren’t cold enough in refrigeration, build up of grime and debris under soda fountain and along kitchen baseboards, food thermometer was dirty inside its face because the plastic cover was missing. Next inspection: Aug. 21.

El Gordo Mexican Fast Food, 11333 E. Central in Wichita — Six violations on Aug. 9 during a routine inspection. Cited because several items including meats and vegetables weren’t cold enough in refrigeration, employee didn’t wash hands or change gloves after handling raw egg, dirty can opener, containers of soda were stored in ice used for drinks, pinto beans didn’t cool down quickly enough in refrigeration. Next inspection: Aug. 19.

Emperor’s Japanese Grill, 11330 E. Central, Suite 100 in Wichita — Nine violations on Aug. 9 during a routine inspection. Cited over cracked food containers, cooked foods in hot holding including chicken and rice weren’t kept warm enough, fried chicken sat out at room temperature for eight to 10 hours, tub of fried chicken wasn’t labeled with preparation date, restaurant was using too much sanitizer for dishes, raw chicken stored above garlic sauce in cooler, garlic-in-oil sauce was sitting out at room temperature, probe-style food thermometer didn’t work, dirty container and pan in clean storage. Next inspection: Aug. 19.

Papa Murphy’s Pizza, 4813 E. Central in Wichita — Two violations on Aug. 11 during a routine inspection. Cited over old meatballs and living and dead cockroaches that were around a storage shelf, bathroom and near a water heater. Next inspection: Aug. 21.

Tortilleria El Guero, 3750 W. Douglas in Wichita — Three violations on Aug. 10 during a follow-up inspection. Moldy salsa, old salsa and crema fresca, sugar and flour were stored in contact with containers that aren’t food grade. Next inspection date wasn’t listed.

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

  • Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 320 S. Ridge Road in Wichita

  • Arby’s, 2130 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store, 440 N. Tyler Road in Wichita

  • Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store, 201 N. Seneca in Wichita

  • Burger King, 200 S. Rock Road in Wichita

  • Burger King, 2111 N. Woodlawn in Wichita

  • Casa Mexicana, 6600 W. Central in Wichita

  • Cocoa Dolce, 2441 N. Maize Road, Suite 123 in Wichita

  • Dillons, 5500 E. Harry in Wichita

  • Espresso To Go Go, 102 N. St. Francis in Wichita

  • Family Dollar, 335 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • The Grill, 222 N. Second Ave. in Mulvane

  • Hot Potato Bar, 7700 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita

  • Java Villa Cafe, 7812 E. Harry in Wichita

  • Jersey Mike’s Subs, 1918 N. Rock Road in Derby

  • Jimmy John’s, 10758 W. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Kwik Shop (Burger King/Cinnabon), 5410 N. Air Cap Drive in Park City

  • Longhorn Steakhouse, 2720 N. Maize Road in Wichita

  • Mortdecai’s Tavern & Eatery, 330 S. Greenwich, Suite 275 in Wichita

  • Mrs. Cole’s Tropical Sno Dealership Mobile (mobile vendor/food truck), 103 N. Main in Goddard

  • Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, 1718 N. Rock Road in Derby

  • The Outpost Convenience Store at Cheney Lake, 15541 N.E. 50 St. in Cheney

  • Pizza Hut, 550 N. West St. in Wichita

  • Pizza Hut, 410 N. Hillside in Wichita

  • Rene’s Mexican Restaurant, 2424 S. West St. in Wichita

  • Sedgwick County Lake Afton Park, 25313 W. 39th St. South in Goddard

  • Sonic Drive-In, 504 S. Broadway in Wichita

  • Spangles, 612 S. Broadway in Wichita

  • Subway, 2533 S. Seneca in Wichita

  • Taco Shop, 6825 E. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Tacos Y Gorditas Los Torres Fast Food LLC, 901 E. Harry in Wichita

  • Target, 10800 E. 21st St. in Wichita

  • Village Inn, 1685 S. Rock Road in Wichita

  • Walmart Supercenter, 18631 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita

  • Wendy’s, 3751 N. Ridge Road in Wichita

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

  • Wendy’s, 555 S. Broadway in Wichita

  • Wichita Fellowship Club, 2206 E. 101st St. North in Valley Center

  • Wichita Memorial VFW Post #3115, 4801 W. Douglas in Wichita

  • Wildflower Coffee (mobile vendor/food truck), 10565 N. Meridian in Valley Center

  • Wingstop, 2548 S. Seneca, Suite A in Wichita

Note: Occasionally an address listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — is not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.