Restaurant inspections: Cockroaches, mice, bad milk, Mexican grill shut down in Wichita KS

Nov. 7—Six Wichita-area restaurants and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted Oct. 23-29.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Nov. 4, appears 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.

Business owners who want to clarify or comment on out-of-compliance inspection results can contact Eagle reporter Amy Renee Leiker at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com. Comments will be added to online stories. Businesses are listed alphabetically at the end of this article.

More than 50 businesses surveyed Oct. 23-29 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 corrected immediately during an inspection.

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 and also when a problem can't be fixed right away, such as pest and plumbing issues.

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

Denny's, 4024 E. Harry in Wichita — Three violations during an Oct. 24 reopening inspection. Cited over gaps and holes around and near electrical and plumbing fixtures, missing tile, mice and mouse droppings, trash behind plastic pallets, dirt and dried grass and trash stuffed into hinges above shutter doors. Trash and debris can attract pests. Next inspection: Nov. 3.

Dollar General Store, 3926 S. Hoover Rd. in Wichita — Three violations during an Oct. 25 verification inspection. Cited over a cooling storage unit that wasn't keeping refrigerated items including several types of milk cold enough, no thermometer on site to measure food temperatures, expired pain medications on sale shelves. Next inspection: Nov. 4.

El Jalisco Restaurant, 615 E. 47th St. S. in Wichita — Three violations during an Oct. 26 verification inspection. Cited over one- to two-inch gap at bottom of rear door that may let pests into building, six-inch hole under sink around plumbing where moisture accumulates and pests can get in, cockroaches. Next inspection: Nov. 5.

Los Compadres Mexican Grill, 3213 N. Toben in Wichita — Eight violations across two inspections, on Oct. 25 which was a follow-up to an administrative order and a reopening inspection on Oct. 28. Cited for storing raw eggs over container of ready-to-eat chipotle sauce, raw shrimp thawing in bucket of standing water, buckets of refried beans and queso weren't cold enough in refrigeration, unclearly written and inaccurate preparation dates on some foods, no hot water in restaurant, plumbing issue, water heater needs replaced. The restaurant closed due to the problems but later reopened after hot water was available throughout. An exact follow-up inspection date wasn't listed.

Sumo by Nambara, 11233 E. 13th St. N. in Wichita — Fifteen violations during an Oct. 26 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited for insects floating in bottles of sake and brandy, ice scoop stored in dirty container, tubs of fried rice weren't cold enough in refrigeration, preparation and discard times weren't logged for sushi rice, cloth towel was touching sushi rice, no testing strips for chlorine sanitizer, greasy and dirty rice cooker, greasy fryer, no soap at hand-washing sink, no sign at bathroom and bar sinks telling employees to wash hands, live cockroaches, no pest control measures like sticky traps seen in restaurant, dead cockroaches on floors and a dead cricket in dining room, grease splatters on kitchen walls and dirty conditions along baseboards including food debris and "insect-looking black spots," unlabeled spray bottle, restaurant has expired food license posted. Next inspection: Nov. 6.

Taqueria Tex-Mex food truck, 2911 S. Sayles in Wichita — Three violations during an Oct. 26 inspection that was the first operational inspection after licensing. Cited for storing bag of raw beef and raw chorizo by salsa in cooler, water wasn't hot enough at sink, sink dedicated to hand-washing was filled with dishes. Next inspection: Nov. 4.

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