Moldy and old foods, blocked and broken sinks, meats and eggs that weren’t kept cold enough, unlabeled chemicals, damaged equipment and more are among violations state inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area.
Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Seven restaurants were non-compliant with state regulations from Sept. 13-19.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at 70 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Kansas Department of Agriculture inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Locations can fail if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away.
Violations are common. Most of the time, they’re corrected in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately include serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that may take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It’s rare, but a business may be temporarily shut down over violations.
Locations that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this report was compiled on Sept. 24 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County only.
But you can search food safety and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://portal.kda.ks.gov/Food/FoodInspectionSearch.
Out-of-compliance inspections
Karmelkorn, 7700 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Six violations on Sept. 16 during a routine inspection. No sanitizer test strips, no sanitizer available, drink tray and cardboard box were stored inside of a hand-washing sink, no soap or paper towels at hand-washing sink, unlabeled spray bottle. Next inspection: Sept. 26.
McAlister’s Deli, 2222 N. Greenwich Road, Suite 100 in Wichita — Three violations on Sept. 17 during a routine inspection. Moldy strawberries and blueberries, turkey and corned beef were not kept cold enough, roast beef and tomatoes were not kept cold enough, New Yorker meat and pepper jack cheese were not kept cold enough, leaky backflow prevention device at mop sink. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
Midian Shriners, 130 N. Topeka in Wichita — One violation on Sept. 17 during a follow-up inspection. Old cottage cheese and turkey, old ham and blue cheese crumbles. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
N&J Bakery, 5600 E. Lincoln in Wichita — Four violations on Sept. 14 during a complaint inspection. No written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents, cracked lid, melted food pan, melted spatula, old date stickers on clean pans, water wasn’t hot enough at bathroom sinks. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Oh Yeah China Bistro, 3101 N. Rock Road, Suite 150 in Wichita — Five violations on Sept. 17 during a routine inspection. Raw chicken was stored above leafy greens and cooked chicken, cabbage and bean sprouts were not kept cold enough, rice noodles and cooked shrimp were not kept cold enough, beef was not kept cold enough, dirty can opener, no soap or paper towels at hand-washing sinks. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
Papa Johns Pizza, 220 W. Douglas, Suite 7272 in Wichita — Three violations on Sept. 15 during a routine inspection. Broken hand-washing sinks, hot water was turned off to sink, unlabeled chemical bottle. Next inspection: Sept. 25.
Village Inn, 1685 S. Rock Road in Wichita — Four violations on Sept. 17 during a routine inspection. Employee wiped face then handled food without changing gloves or washing hands, sausage and ham were not kept cold enough, hash browns and raw eggs were not kept cold enough, pancake batter was not labeled with the time it was removed from refrigeration, dirty mixer. Next inspection: Sept. 27.
Where to complain
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 complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org.
To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org.
Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint.
For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov.
Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations.
The violation summaries were compiled and drafted with the help of AI tools. They were fact-checked for accuracy and edited by Wichita Eagle journalists.
Amy Renee Leiker
The Wichita Eagle
Amy Renee Leiker has been reporting for The Wichita Eagle since 2010. She covers crime, courts and breaking news and updates the newspaper’s online databases. She’s a mom of three and loves to read in her non-work time. Reach her at 316-268-6644 or at aleiker@wichitaeagle.com.
Dining and Cooking