“Unidentified sludge” on equipment, cockroaches in a meat department, sticky film on the floor, a decomposing mouse stuck to a glue trap, flies landing on a cutting board, grime, filthy kitchen conditions 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. Eight restaurants and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations Oct. 11-17.
Inspectors found few or no violations that week at more than 50 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 Oct. 22 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
Ben’s Big Bowl, 3811 W. 13th St. in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 15 during a follow-up inspection. Fly landed on lid of clean food container, cockroaches on top of kitchen wall facing near air duct, dead cockroaches beneath shelf in dry storage area and on floor, cockroach in crevice of drainboard by three-compartment sink. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
Bobalicious at Towne East Square, 7700 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Six violations on Oct. 12 during a routine inspection. Employee used cell phone then made a drink without washing hands, no written plan to clean up vomiting or diarrhea incidents, cooked boba was not kept hot enough, no food probe thermometer on site, grime and sticky residue around blender, food debris and “unidentified sludge” on outside of drink lid machine, sticky film on ground, cleanliness needs improvement throughout restaurant. Next inspection: Oct. 22.
Coratel Inn & Suites, 658 S. Westdale Drive in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 16 during a modified complaint inspection. No evacuation diagrams in some guest rooms, mold forming on ceiling in the bathroom of one room. Next inspection: Oct. 29.
Crested Crane Cafe (mobile vendor/food truck), 10115 E. Mount Vernon in Wichita — Two violations on Oct. 16 during a routine inspection. No water at three-compartment sink due to leak, significant leak at water pump. Next inspection: Oct. 26.
Home2 Suites by Hilton Wichita Downtown Delano, 200 N. Sycamore in Wichita — Five violations on Oct. 13 during a complaint inspection. Bottles of chemicals were not labeled on housekeeping carts, grime build up on ice machine shoot, disinfectant levels weren’t measured in pools when employee was off work, emergency lighting in pool room was not working, no liners in ice buckets. Next inspection: Oct. 23.
La Guelaguetza Supermarket, 2425 S. Hillside, Suite 300 in Wichita — Five violations on Oct. 13 during a follow-up inspection. Cooked tomatoes and cactus were not kept hot enough, pots of cooked foods were left on stove to cool instead of being refrigerated, several flies landed on cutting board in meat department, flies and cockroaches in meat department, no traps for pests in food establishment. The next inspection date wasn’t listed.
La Tienda del Ahorro, 1770 N. Broadway in Wichita — Four violations on Oct. 12 during a routine inspection. Large dents in cans of kidney beans and chipotle salsa, sanitizer not set up at three-compartment sink, moldy sanitizer test strips, water in public restroom was not hot enough, hand-washing sink at meat counter was clogged and unusable. Next inspection: Oct. 22.
Pleasant Valley Middle School, 2220 W. 29th St. North in Wichita — One violation on Oct. 14 during a routine inspection. A decomposing mouse was stuck to a glue trap under a shelf of cans in dry storage room. Next inspection: Oct. 24.
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 reports on courts and the criminal justice system for The Wichita Eagle and Kansas.com. Reach her at 316-268-6644 or aleiker@wichitaeagle.com.
Dining and Cooking