Employees who didn’t wash their hands, flies, grease and grime, food that wasn’t stored at safe temperatures 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. Five restaurants and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from July 26 to Aug. 1.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at more than 60 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 Aug. 6 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
Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant, 452 S. Ridge Road in Wichita — Seven violations on July 31 during a routine inspection. Employee didn’t dry hands after washing, employee didn’t wash hands after touching dirty dishes, employee touched customer food with bare hands, raw beef was stored above cooked chicken, improper sanitizing procedures, sanitizer buckets and drink tray was stored in hand-washing sinks, no soap at hand-washing sink. Next inspection: Aug. 10.
Alejandro’s Fast Mexican Food, 1212 S. Rock Road in Wichita — Three violations on July 27 during a complaint inspection. Employee didn’t wash hands after handling raw eggs, raw meat wasn’t kept cold enough, packages of flan weren’t dated. Next inspection: Aug. 6.
American Legion Post 256, 4301 W. Pawnee in Wichita — Nine violations on July 30 during a routine inspection. No written plan to clean up vomit or diarrhea, container of cooked sausage wasn’t dated, employee touched hamburger buns with bare hands, raw beef and bacon were stored above cooked brisket and hot dogs, lettuce and tomatoes weren’t kept cold enough, no test strips for sanitizer, no sanitizer in dishwashing machine, no paper towels at hand-washing sink, general cleanliness needs improvement, grease and grime. Next inspection: Aug. 9.
Bubba’s 33, 412 S. Towne East Mall Drive in Wichita — One violation on July 28 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Employee didn’t wash hands after handling raw chicken. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Taqueria El Fogon (mobile vendor/food truck), 2604 N. Arkansas in Wichita — Three violations on July 30 during a modified complaint inspection. Hole in wall was letting flies in building, flies in food storage areas, dirty dishes and food scraps were attracting flies. Next inspection: Aug. 9.
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.
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