Restaurant inspections: Dead mouse in candy room, grease & dirt, water issue in Wichita KS

Ten Wichita-area restaurants and other businesses were deemed out of compliance during Kansas Department of Agriculture food safety and lodging inspections conducted Nov. 6-12.

Information about the Sedgwick County businesses and their violations, compiled Nov. 18, 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 40 businesses surveyed Nov. 6-12 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

American Fun Food Company, 6010 N. Broadway in Wichita — Four violations during a Nov. 9 routine inspection. Cited over metal siding separating from wall and shovels and tools stacked in corner that could harbor pests, gap in door could let pests in, dirt in corners, old rodent droppings along walls in candy room and other rooms, dead mouse in candy room. Next inspection: Nov. 19.

Angry Elephant Barbeque, 111 E. 47th St. South in Wichita — Eight violations on Nov. 8 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Cited for not having disclosure on menu about under-cooked foods, no test strips for sanitizer, dirty food tubs and cups, no sanitizer in dishwasher, fly strip hanging over containers, no paper towels at kitchen hand-washing sinks, unlabeled chemical bottles, chemical cleaner stored over to-go containers and above food preparation area. Next inspection: Jan. 9.

Derby Nutrition, 200 N. Baltimore in Derby — Four violations during a Nov. 9 routine inspection. Cited for employee preparing customer drink after running hands through her hair, employee with painted fingernails didn’t wear gloves when preparing customer drinks, not sanitizing shot glasses, no hot water at kitchen sink. Next inspection: Nov. 19.

El Rancho, 2801 N. Broadway in Wichita — Five violations during a Nov. 9 routine inspection. Cited for not keeping cabbage cold enough in refrigeration, wrong date on bags of tamales and ceviche, no testing items for sanitizer, unlabeled bottle of sanitizer, bottle of sanitizer was too concentrated. Next inspection: Nov. 19.

Family Dollar, 600 W. 33rd St. North in Wichita — Two violations on Nov. 8 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Cited for not having hot water in the store, no soap in bathroom. Next inspection: Nov. 18.

Golden Eagle Cafe at Bishop Carroll High School, 8108 W. Central in Wichita — Three violations during a Nov. 9 routine inspection. Cited over sanitizer preparation and no testing strips to measure sanitizer concentration, marinara sauce wasn’t labeled with preparation date, hand-washing sink in kitchen didn’t work. The cafe was in compliance during a Nov. 18 follow-up inspection.

La Frutosa Mexican Snacks, 2610 S. Seneca in Wichita — Four violations on Nov. 10 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Cited over employee not washing hands, nacho cheese kept at unsafe temperature, lettuce and dairy products in refrigeration not kept cold enough, bag of lettuce wasn’t labeled with preparation date, no disclosure about risks of consuming raw ceviche. Next inspection: Nov. 20.

Pizza Johns, 208 S. Baltimore in Derby — Five violations during a Nov. 10 routine inspection. Cited for failing to label pasta and blue cheese dressing with preparation dates, cabbage stored in non-food grade T-shirt sack, no testing kit for sanitizer used in kitchen wiping cloth bucket, plumbing issue, fresh rodent droppings on shelves and floor. Next inspection: Nov. 20.

Pupuseria El Torogoz, 2061 S. Seneca in Wichita — Seven violations on Nov. 10 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Cited for selling pineapple pastry treats that weren’t labeled for retail sale, raw meats and fish stored above raw vegetables in refrigerator, raw eggs stored above cooked chicken, pan of rice wasn’t kept hot enough, refrigerated items including marinating beef and cheese weren’t cold enough, no testing kit for dish sanitizing chemicals, business wasn’t sanitizing dishes. Next inspection: Nov. 20.

Side Pockets, 614 S. Tyler in Wichita — Eight violations during a Nov. 7 routine inspection. Cited over not labeling packages of meat including turkey and ham with preparation or opening dates, cook touched cheese with bare hands, raw chicken was sitting on top of raw ground beef in refrigeration, produce and cheeses and meats weren’t kept cold enough in make table, salsa wasn’t labeled with preparation date, dirty can opener and pans, no sanitizer in dishwasher, greasy and dirty conditions along kitchen baseboards and under equipment. The restaurant was in compliance and had only one violation during a Nov. 17 follow-up inspection.