Gnats in the kitchen, ‘black build up’: Latest KC-area restaurant inspections
From roaches in the basement to 10-day-old corn, 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 and Independence, each 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 County that received seven or more priority and priority foundation violations from Feb. 8-14. No restaurants in Wyandotte County met the threshold that week.
T’aha Mexican Kitchen
- 4814 Roanoke Parkway
- 14 critical violations for a Feb. 9 routine inspection
The dishwasher door leaked, and the sink was backed up at this upscale Mexican restaurant on the Plaza. Gunk built up in the soda nozzles and ice machine chutes.
The restaurant corrected all violations, according to a Feb. 17 follow-up inspection. Read the full report for T’aha Mexican Kitchen.
El Pulgarcito Restaurant
- 4200 E. Truman Road
- 9 critical violations for a Feb. 11 inspection
The inspector found live roaches in the basement and mouse poop behind two freezers of this east side Salvadoran restaurant. A handwashing sink was out of soap, and containers of masa and plantains were not cold enough in a fridge.
The restaurant corrected all violations, according to a Feb. 18 follow-up inspection. Read the full report for El Pulgarcito Restaurant.
Cactus Grill
- 11849 Roe Ave., Leawood
- 9 priority and priority foundation violations for a Feb. 10 routine inspection
More than 20 gnats flew around the kitchen and dining room of this Leawood Mexican restaurant. Mold grew on eight packages of blackberries and 10-day-old cooked corn sat in the fridge.
The results of the follow-up inspection have not yet been posted. Read the full report for Cactus Grill by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
Gus’s Fried Chicken, Overland Park
- 7935 W. 151st St., Overland Park
- 7 priority and priority foundation violations for a Feb. 11 routine inspection
Dried raw chicken was stuck on five knives at this fried chicken chain off of 69 Highway. Three pies and 12 pans of food meant to be donated to a food bank had expired in the fridge.
The restaurant did not need a follow-up inspection. Read the full report for Gus’s Fried Chicken by searching for the restaurant on the Kansas inspection lookup.
China Feast, East Side
- 3119 E. 12th St.
- 7 critical violations for a Feb. 10 inspection
The inspector found “black build up” inside the ice machine at this East Side Chinese restaurant. The freezer door was broken, and the dish-washing sink leaked.
The restaurant corrected all violations for the Feb. 17 follow-up inspection, but had two critical violations at a complaint inspection two days later. Read the full report for China Feast.
