Restaurant inspections: Cockroaches, boil water order, dirty conditions in Wichita KS area

Eight Wichita-area restaurants and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food and lodging safety inspections conducted Oct. 2-8.

Among problems inspectors found: cockroaches, winged insects floating in liquor bottles, buckets of queso cheese that didn’t cool down quickly enough to serve safely, employees who failed to wash their hands and dirty equipment and kitchen conditions.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Oct. 14, 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 70 businesses surveyed Oct. 2-8 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.

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Recent out-of-compliance inspections

Auto Motel, 1230 N. Broadway in Wichita — Eight violations during an Oct. 7 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited over chemical bottles that weren’t labeled, missing light bulbs, no carbon monoxide detector in building, no fire extinguisher in laundry room, laundry room smoke detector was missing battery, holes in linens, stained mattresses and box springs, rodent droppings on bed sheets and blanket, cockroaches behind curtains on windowsill in one room. Two rooms were voluntarily closed until they could be treated for pests. Next inspection: Oct. 17.

Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy Store, 2201 N. Rock Rd. in Derby — One violation during an Oct. 5 modified complaint inspection. Cited over gravy that wasn’t kept hot enough in a steam well. Next inspection: Dec. 5.

Creations Restaurant, 4996 N.E. 150th Ave. in Cheney — Deemed non-compliant during an Oct. 6 follow-up inspection over an issue connected to well-water usage. The business is under a boil water order until its well-water system is repaired and has a clear report. While the boil water order is in effect, employees of the restaurant aren’t supposed to handle any foods with bare hands at any time. Next inspection date wasn’t listed, but the report says there will be a 30-day follow-up.

Little Firehouse Cafe, 120 N. Baltimore in Derby — One violation during an Oct. 5 follow-up inspection. Cited over cockroaches. Live ones were seen on floors, shelving, around a mop sink and under a condensation line next to a drain. Next inspection: Nov. 5.

Lucky Restaurant, 6710 W. Kellogg Dr. in Wichita — Eleven violations during an Oct. 6 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited for storing pan of raw shrimp above pan of raw mushrooms and raw salmon over container of tofu, restaurant didn’t label time fried tilapia was put on buffet line, sushi rolls and sushi rice were left out too long, no test strips for sanitizer used in dishwasher, dirty can opener, water wasn’t hot enough at kitchen hand-washing sink, no paper towels at hand-washing sink, roaches on wall by paper towel holder and in storage shelf holding cans and bags of food, “build up along the baseboards in the kitchen and in the walk-in coolers,” bottle of degreaser wasn’t labeled. Next inspection: Oct. 16.

Mexico Viejo Mexican Restaurant, 6960 W. 21st St. N. in Wichita — Five violations during an Oct. 5 inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited over a cook who washed hands in a sink dedicated for food preparation, thawing frozen tilapia improperly, storing eggs in refrigerator above beer kegs, dirty can opener, dirty dishes in hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Dec. 5.

Ninza Sushi Bar, 8428 W. 13th St. N., Ste. 100 in Wichita — Fourteen violations during an Oct. 4 inspection prompted by a complaint. Cited over an employee who didn’t wash hands, employee washed hands at sink dedicated to food preparation, old melon, “small winged insects floating” in liquor bottles, raw chicken stored above container of raw beef in cooler, raw eggs stored above box of imitation crab meat in cooler, frozen shrimp was defrosting at room temperature, salad dressing and mango sauce weren’t labeled with preparation dates, rice and sushi rice weren’t labeled with length of time they were left out, tomatoes and carrots stored in plastic T-shirt bag instead of food-grade containers, no probe-style food thermometer, no signs at hand-washing sinks telling employees to wash hands, bottles of window cleaner and an unknown liquid weren’t labeled, spray bottle facing peanut butter jar. Next inspection: Oct. 14.

Playa Azul, 111 N. Washington in Wichita — Seven violations during an Oct. 4 joint inspection. Cited for leaving tongs in raw chicken where handles were touching meat, cook touched ready-to-serve tortillas after handling raw beef without washing hands or changing gloves, buckets of queso didn’t cool down quickly enough, refrigerated items including tomatoes and meats weren’t kept cold enough, queso left out at room temperature, hand-washing sink in employee bathroom had shelves in front of it, no soap at hand-washing sinks, oven cleaner stored by open bottles of liquor. Next inspection: Oct. 14.