Swarming gnats, month-expired sour cream: Kansas City area restaurant inspections
From mouse droppings to dirty dishes stored as clean, health inspectors in Missouri and Kansas found numerous violations at Kansas City area restaurants during the first week of June.
Dining establishments like sit-down restaurants, drive-thrus, gas stations and cafeterias are required to get food inspections, and governments have to release those inspections to the public.
In Kansas City, the city’s health department enforces the food code while in Kansas, the state’s Department of Agriculture handles inspections. The lower the number of violations, the better.
Most restaurants often correct violations at the time of the original inspection or shortly thereafter. The full inspections show how each establishment has corrected or is working to correct any remaining violations. They are available for Kansas City at inspectionsonline.us/foodsafety/mousakansascity/search.htm and agriculture.ks.gov.
Here are the restaurants in Kansas City and Johnson County that received seven or more critical violations or priority/priority foundation violations from June 1 to June 7. During that time, no restaurants in Wyandotte County reached the threshold.
Chettinad’s
- 14 violations after a June 3 inspection, the first operational inspection after licensing
- 8018 W. 151st St., Overland Park
An employee didn’t use soap when he washed his hands, according to the inspection report for the Overland Park Indian restaurant. There was no dish sanitizer in the kitchen, and 12 items in the cooler lacked dates.
The results of the required follow-up inspection have not been published. Read Chettinad’s full report by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom
- 8 violations after a June 6 routine inspection
- 10920 N. Ambassador Drive
The inspector found “gnats swarming” behind the bar of this chain pizzeria near the Kansas City International Airport. The refrigerated table holding pizza toppings was not cold enough, which meant an employee had to throw away 24 containers of food. Boxes were stored on the floor of both the walk-in freezer and the dry storage area.
The restaurant corrected all the violations, according to a June 15 follow-up inspection. Read Old Chicago Pizza’s full report.
Murphy’s Corner
- 8 violations after a June 4 complaint inspection
- 12843 W. 87th St., Lenexa
The inspector found 10-day-old barbecue and buffalo sauces in the kitchen of the Lenexa sports bar. Bits of food were left on a french fry cutter and a plastic spatula stored as clean.
A follow-up inspection has not occurred. Read the full report for Murphy’s Corner by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Texas Tom’s
- 8 violations after a June 4 routine inspection
- 5522 Independence Ave.
The inspector found a package of sour cream that expired more than a month ago. At the drive-thru chicken restaurant in Kansas City’s Northeast, water dripped into a light fixture above the food preparation area and mice had pooped near the walk-in.
The restaurant corrected all the violations, according to a June 12 follow-up inspection. Read Texas Tom’s full report.
IHOP near Overland Park’s Oak Park Mall
- 8 violations after a June 3 inspection, the first operational inspection after licensing
- 11125 W. 95th St. Overland Park
The inspector found two dishes with “visible food debris” stored on the shelves. An unmarked blue spray bottle was kept in the chemical cabinet at the new location of the pancake chain near Oak Park Mall.
A follow-up inspection was not required, according to the report. Read IHOP’s full report by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Anejo Modern Mexican Cuisine and Bar KC
- 7 violations after a June 5 routine inspection
- 8600 NW Prairie View Road
Gnats hid near the dish machine of this Mexican restaurant in Zona Rosa. An inspector found dust on the kitchen ceiling and buildup in the ice machine.
The restaurant corrected all the violations, according to a June 12 follow-up inspection. Read Anejo’s full report.
Embassy Suites KCI (Fountain Court Bar & Grille on the website)
- 7 violations after a June 4 routine inspection
- 7640 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway
Raw chicken was stored above cooked turkey at this hotel restaurant near the MCI airport. The mop sink was broken, and there was buildup on the walls around the dish machine.
The restaurant corrected all the violations, according to follow-up inspections on June 10 and 16. Read Embassy Suites’ full report.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM.
