‘Fuzzy growth’ and live roaches: Latest Kansas City area restaurant inspections
From unidentified meat to gnats on clean dishes, health inspectors in Missouri and Kansas found numerous violations at Kansas City area restaurants last week.
Dining establishments like sit-down restaurants, drive-thrus, gas stations and grocery stores 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 correct violations at the time of the original inspection or shortly after. 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 Johnson and Wyandotte counties at agriculture.ks.gov.
Here are the restaurants in Kansas City and Johnson and Wyandotte counties that received seven or more critical violations or priority/priority foundation violations from Oct. 5 to 18. During that time, three eateries were suspended due to inactivity, which typically means they’ve closed.
Sake Lounge
- 11953 Strang Line Road, Olathe
- 15 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 14 complaint inspection
Chicken, beef, dumplings and eggs were kept overnight in a too-warm cooler at the sushi restaurant off of Black Bob Road. A handwashing sink was filled with a blender and utensils, and lacked soap and paper towels.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for Sake Lounge by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Antojitos del Peru Peruvian Food
- 7809 Quivira Road, Lenexa
- 11 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 14 routine inspection
At this Lenexa Peruvian restaurant, the dishwasher did not dispense soap or sanitizer while running. Many items lacked dates for when they were prepared or opened.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for Antojitos del Peru by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Flame Grill and Mediterranean Bakery
- 112137 N.W. Prairie View Road
- 10 critical violations for an Oct. 16 routine inspection
The dishwashing sink was broken and water only came out of the sprayer at this Northland Mediterranean restaurant. Employees’ drinks sat on a shelf with clean dishes in the kitchen.
The required follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for Flame Grill and Mediterranean Bakery.
Prime Sushi
- 4980 Main St.
- 10 critical violations for an Oct. 15 routine inspection
The inspector found a drill sitting next to food on a prep table in this south Plaza sushi restaurant. Buckets of food were stored on the floor and there was “white build-up” on a bathroom sink.
The required follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. This location also received a bad inspection in July. Read the full report for Prime Sushi.
Snack Bar
- 7789 Quivira Road, Lenexa
- 10 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 14 first operational inspection after licensing
Queso fresco, waffle cones and crushed Cheetos were kept in plastic shoe boxes at the new Mexican street food restaurant in Lenexa. The hot water took 10 minutes to heat up at the dishwashing sink.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for Snack Bar by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
China Garden
- 8740 W. 135th St., Overland Park
- 10 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 13 routine inspection
Five gnats landed on sink drains and washed dishes in the kitchen of this Chinese restaurant off of Antioch Road. Rice and liquid sanitizer were stored in the same five-gallon bucket.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for China Garden by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
World Fresh Market - Grocery
- 10303 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park
- 9 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 15 complaint inspection
An open-front cooler was not keeping meat and cheese cold enough, and staff had to throw away the entire contents of the cooler at this international grocery store off of Metcalf. The water in the butcher section handwashing sink did not get hot enough.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for World Fresh Market by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Waldo Cafe
- 7531 Wornall Road
- 9 critical violations for an Oct. 15 routine inspection
A live cockroach hid under a storage shelf and mouse droppings were left in four places in the kitchen area of this Waldo brunch and lunch restaurant. An inspector found “white/grey fuzzy growth” on a container of tomatoes.
The required follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for Waldo Cafe.
Price Chopper, Shawnee Mission Parkway
- 12010 W. Shawnee Mission Parkway, Shawnee
- 8 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 14 routine inspection
At this Shawnee grocery store, an employee could not identify the type of meat on a deli tray, nor when it was sliced. A knife handle was held together with duct tape.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. Read the full report for the Shawnee Mission Parkway Price Chopper by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Raj Express Indian Kitchen
- 11721 College Boulevard, Overland Park
- 7 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 17 follow-up inspection
The four sticky traps in the kitchen had live and dead cockroaches in them at this Indian restaurant near Johnson County Community College. The prepared items in the walk-in fridge did not cool down overnight and staff had to throw away 15 containers of food.
The scheduled follow-up inspection has not yet occurred. The restaurant received a bad inspection on Oct. 1. Read the full report for Raj Express by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Club 31 Sports Bar and Lounge
- 927 E. 85th St.
- Suspension Oct. 16
The bar was suspended due to inactivity. The Google Maps page says the restaurant closed permanently.
Family Dollar Store
- 3726 Broadway Boulevard
- Suspension Oct. 13
The store was suspended due to inactivity. The store partially collapsed in July, killing a man. City records show plans to repair the building.
Previous week
Thai Zappz Authentic Cuisine
- 14893 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park
- 10 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 7 routine inspection
- The results of the follow-up inspection for the Overland Park Thai restaurant have not been published.
The Bar - West Plaza
- 1121 W. 47th St.
- 9 critical violations for an Oct. 9 routine inspection
- The sports bar off of the Plaza corrected all but one of the violations during an Oct. 16 follow-up inspection. Read the full report for The Bar West Plaza.
Lucky Star Chinese
- 1471 E. 151 St., Olathe
- 8 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 7 complaint inspection
- The results of the follow-up inspection of this Olathe Chinese restaurant have not been published.
The Bar Olathe
- 14871 W. 151st St., Olathe
- 7 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 9 routine inspection
- The results of the Olathe sports bar’s follow-up inspection have not been published.
Side Pockets
- 13320 W. 87th St., Lenexa
- 7 priority and priority foundation violations for an Oct. 8 routine inspection
- The Lenexa pool hall did not need to have a follow-up inspection.
Anejo Modern Mexican Cuisine and Bar KC
- 8600 NW Prairie View Road
- 7 critical violations for an Oct. 6 routine inspection
- The Zona Rosa Mexican restaurant corrected all but one of the violations during an Oct. 15 follow-up inspection. Read the full report for Anejo.
True Food Kitchen
- 4749 Pennsylvania Ave.
- 7 critical violations for an Oct. 6 routine inspection
- The Plaza health food restaurant corrected all the violations, according to an Oct. 13 follow-up inspection. Read the full report for True Food Kitchen.
Short Stop
- 2303 Cleveland Ave.
- Suspended on Oct. 9
- The shop had not yet opened and was suspended for inactivity.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
