Mouse poop & urine stains, cockroaches, old foods at Wichita KS restaurants
Mouse feces and urine stains in a cabinet, cockroaches, a pest infestation so bad it shut a restaurant down, employees who ignored hand-washing rules, contamination risks and more are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture 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. Thirteen restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant with state regulations from May 11-17.
Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 30 other locations deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules.
Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Establishments 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, businesses correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food that's more than a week old, employees mishandling ingredients and dirty kitchens. Issues that take longer to correct include pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems.
It's rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations. Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days.
The list in this story was compiled on May 22 using information available from the state on that date. It covers Sedgwick County. But you can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at https://foodsafety.kda.ks.gov/FoodSafety/Web/Inspection/PublicInspectionSearch.aspx.
Bella Luna Cafe, 2132 N. Rock Road, Suite 107 in Wichita — Three violations on May 12 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include food stored directly on the floor, plastic food dispensing bottles stored as clean had leftover labels still on them, hand-washing sink in kitchen didn't work because it was being replaced during the inspection. Next inspection: May 22.
Chick-fil-A, 7320 W. Taft in Wichita — Three violations on May 14 during a complaint inspection. Violations include milk and lettuce stored at improper temperatures, no ambient air thermometers in coolers, no paper towels at the fryer hand-washing sink. Next inspection: May 24.
Da Nang Bistro, 1845 S. Rock Road, Suite 105 in Wichita — Fourteen violations on May 15 during its first operational inspection after licensing. Violations include employee not washing hands after refilling soap dispenser, raw eggs stored above vegetables in walk-in cooler, cup and bowl without handles were being used as scoops for food, dirty knife holder, bean sprouts stored at improper temperature, no soap at hand-washing sink, employee handling ready-to-eat food without washing hands after touching her hair, water not hot enough at hand-washing sink, cooked rice at improper temperature, employee handling dirty dish and then handling ready-to-eat food without changing gloves, no chlorine sanitizer in dish machine, cooked chicken wasn't labeled with its preparation or package opening date, raw meat stored in plastic bags instead of in food-grade containers, no back-flow prevention device at mop sink. Next inspection: May 25.
Delicias De El Salvador, 1523 S. Seneca in Wichita — Two violations on May 16 during a follow-up inspection. Violations include chicken tamales not marked with time they were removed from cooler, pupusas filling with meat and cheese wasn't kept cold enough. Next inspection: July 16.
El Rio Bravo Supermarket #2, 2501 S. Seneca in Wichita — Ten violations on May 16 during a complaint inspection. Violations include no soap at hand-washing sinks, raw pork left out to thaw at room temperature, old crema Mexicana and other creams, old salsa, wooden pole being used as mixer for marinade, no paper towels at hand-washing sink, carnitas not kept hot enough, cross-contamination risk from employee handling different meats without changing gloves, raw chorizo and sausage stored above fully cooked sausage, large gap under back door allowing pests to get in the building, dead and decomposing mouse found in back corridor. Next inspection: May 26.
Golden Corral Buffet & Grill, 616 S. Ridge Road in Wichita — Three violations on May 14 during a modified complaint inspection. Violations include water that didn't get hot enough at a hand-washing sink in salad bar area, broken foot pedal for hot water at hand-washing sink, humidity and water on floors around dish machine create favorable conditions for pests. Next inspection: May 24.
Krua Thai, 7603 W. 21st St. in Wichita — Eleven violations on May 15 during a routine inspection. Violations include no soap in men's restroom, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents, employee handling dirty dishes then handling food without changing gloves, buildup of grease and food debris in kitchen, raw chicken and fish stored above ready-to-eat sauces, fish thawing in intact vacuum packaging which increases risk of harmful bacteria growth, gap under door next to walk-in cooler can let pests in building, openings in kitchen ceiling can let pests in building, sauces were not labeled with their preparation or package opening dates, water bottles stored in direct contact with ice in the ice machine, live roaches and mice droppings in kitchen. The restaurant temporarily closed over the violations but was in compliance, with one violation related to the roach infestation, when it reopened on May 20, according to an inspection report.
La Michoacana Ice Cream (mobile vendor/food truck), 829 W. Maple in Wichita — Four violations on May 16 during a complaint inspection. Violations include thermometer not going below 50F, no written plan for cleaning up vomiting or diarrhea incidents, chicken tenders not kept hot enough, cooked chicken tenders stored in cardboard instead of food-grade container. Next inspection: May 26.
New Paradise Biryani Pointe, 1648 S. Rock Road in Wichita — Five violations on May 14 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include employee not washing hands before putting on gloves after touching his glasses, raw chicken stored above cooked chicken in walk-in cooler, pool of grease and food debris on floor, gap under back exterior door can let pests in building, dead cockroaches and cricket in a pool of grease. Next inspection: July 14.
Sky-Palace Inn & Suites Wichita East, 7321 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Six violations on May 15 during a modified complaint inspection. Violations include drawings on walls of one room, smoke detector missing batteries, drawer missing from chest in one room, one room was closed due to mold, debris on floors, no bed sheets in one room. Next inspection: May 26.
Super East Buffet, 7607 E. Douglas in Wichita — Two violations on May 13 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Violations include issue with temperature of foods on salad and dessert bar, sushi rolls not discarded after four-hour window. Next inspection: July 13.
Walmart Supercenter, 3030 N. Rock Road in Wichita — Six violations on May 17 during a routine inspection. Violations include bags of cheddar cheese not kept cold enough, dirty food thermometer, stainless-steel cleaner stored next to food, moldy oranges, fruit flies on oranges, fried chicken not discarded after four-hour limit, bags of chips and other foods including flour and sugar were opened or damaged, dented food cans. Next inspection: May 27.
Wyndham Garden Wichita Downtown, 221 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Four violations on May 12 during an expired license inspection. Violations include no working hand-washing sink at kitchen entrance, approximately 50 fresh mouse droppings and urine stains in corner cabinet, no food thermometer on site. Next inspection: May 22.
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.
Roach parts in ramekin, rodent poop, moldy food, filth at Wichita KS restaurants
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