Panda Express

My friend ordered a bowl with fried rice. The girl started scooping chow mein noodles. The girl at the register was just as inattentive. We asked for water cups. We didn’t get them. We had to ask for them again. We also got no fortune cookies. Any Panda Express in So Cal and the one in SLO gives you a fortune cookie. Horrible service. Food was lukewarm too. They were extremely slow. It’s no wonder it was so dead in there. I’ll never eat there again.

I used to love our local panda before they discontinued their eggplant tofu dish (most Pandas still carry it). Now the only vegetarian options are rice, chow mein and flavorless steamed veggies (boring). The staff has always been super friendly and they keep the place very clean but I just can’t give more stars based on their limited options for vegetarians. It’s just not a go to spot for me anymore.

Each time I come here I think to myself, «I hope it’s better than last time». Most of the time it is fine. I don’t have a problem with the food but the service could use some tweaking. Really? One person on one side of the counter and another at the register. No one in between. Always, always someone taking a break during the most busy times of the day. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve waited in line while one person tries to do everything while the rest are on breaks. You would have a better customer experience if you had more employees working rather than taking breaks. What is wrong with having 3 people on the mail line rather than two.

Hadn’t been in a while, was here on Sunday, Sept. 20^th at about 1:30 PM. A pretty good crowd, got through the line in about 5 minutes. This PE compared favorably to any I’ve been to and I actually prefer it to some of the local «regular» Chinese places.
Not giving this 5 stars because it’s the best Chinese food ever but because it excels at what it is.
Excellent — per the PE specs, I’m guessing — fast Chinese food (If you want great, go back to large cities in the 60’s/70’s), fresh, not too much oil, generous portions, served up by efficient and polite employees who are doing hard work at non-​CEO wages. The cooks do a great job too.
Give it a try.
ps — there should be a tip jar

I’ve always liked the Panda Express chain, used to go to its mall incarnations when living in other cities. My husband and I stopped here for lunch and found the interior and service to be fine, but holy cow, the food was so greasy I paid for it the rest of the afternoon. I had my usual favorite side, chow mein, plus two chicken selections. The taste was good, but… The repercussions. Sad that I can’t go back because bad things will happen to my digestion. Have to leave this place to the heartier folk.

This panda express is very clean, friendly and organized. Every time I come here they do a great job in their customer service and food here is how panda is represented on to.
Other pandas (slo, sm) I have been to either gave skimpy portions or food was cold or tasted as if sitting too long.
This is your GO2PANDA!
Convenient, easy, fast and affordable

My son loves panda. He eats here like 5 times a week. He always orders the beef and broccoli and loves it! Thank you panda for feeding my son!

Your standard Panda Express! I love it here. I hate it when people say, «it’s not real Chinese food!» Because shut up. I don’t care. It’s delicious every single time, it’s quick and always available, always satisfying, and good prices. I don’t get why people are so mad. Authentic Chinese is bomb too of course but sometimes you need convenience.
I recommend getting a to-​go plate, even if you eat in the restaurant. Always seems like they put more in there but what do I know? I’m no scientist
Missing a star for a couple reasons. Sometimes their portion sizes for the sides are lame. Idk if management wants them to save money or something but I know they are capable of spooning more than they do! Maybe it depends on the employee or their mood, idk! Maybe if I was hotter they’d give me more rice. I’ll work on it. Oh and almost every time (it seems) the carrots/​peas in the fried rice are cold and/​or not cooked. That’s not right. :/​maybe try to cook it a different way because it’s a little off-​putting. Still worth it tho. Still gonna shovel it into my mouth
So yes I love this Panda Express. I would get married in here. Bye love you

I’m not sure how effective a review of a major chain like Panda is, but here we go …
On the Central Coast (Orcutt to Paso Robles) there really are only two «Chinese» options to choose from without risking your health: Panda Express and Meis in Shell Beach. Without a doubt, Meis is way better, but for «fast good» type Chinese that won’t ruin your digestive tract, Panda is the way to go. I avoid fried food in general (yes, this means forgoing the famous Orange Chicken) so I usually go with Kung Pau Chicken and Firecracker Chicken and get half/​half noodles and veggies. I know this is healthier than the Orange Chicken, but I know in the back of my addled brain that this is still not terribly healthy. Oh well, every once in a while this feeds my need for asian food without too much guilt.

Each time I come here I think to myself, «I hope it’s better than last time». Sadly, it never is. Today’s food looked like it had sat untouched for the hour since they opened, and tastes about the same.
The worst offense to me, being mysophobic, is not providing a sanitary alternative to a communal bucket of forks. Shame on the manager for not providing me with a way to partake in my food.

I have gotten take out from this Panda a few times now, and have decided that it is worth the drive to SLO if I really want this food. I went there on my lunch hour (noon) and as usual, there was a huge line and not enough employees on the front line to expedite the service. My angus steak tasted like it was made the night before and thrown on the wok 10 minutes before I got there. Someone told me once never to eat at any Panda after they open or you will be eating last night’s food. Not sure what time they open, but this had to have been the case at noon on a Tuesday.

I work nearby and eat here almost weekly. The food is generally fresh and the lines move quickly. If you visit outside of normal meal times the lines are gone and some items may have been sitting in the warmers a little too long. Come at noon or dinner time and the line may be out the door. Best time to visit is just before noon or just before 5pm. The trays are filled with fresh items and lines are short. If you want healthier choice with less carbs, get steamed veggies instead of rice or noodles, or split half veggies with some rice. Lots of food for about $ 8 a plate and better quality and better for you than fast food.

It was much better when they first opened. Now it’s ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ you get fresh food or just gut filler and a run to the can.

Worst PE I’ve ever been to. It’s always busy, with slow service and they give the smallest servings I have ever seen in any PE. I had the orange chicken and had literally 4 pieces of it in the order.

I love this place. Sometimes during off hours the food can be old and cold but anytime if the food doesn’t look fresh they will be happy to make you any dish you want fresh and hot, that’s just a little tip I’ve learned.

We come to AG from the Bay Area every few months or so to visit our friend. This place has become part of our tradition. As soon as we arrive, we pick up Panda Express. We have been to other Pandas, but this is the only one we go to regularly… and it’s for the location more than anything else. It’s partly because it’s right around the corner, and partly because it’s consistent and the prices are good. I’ve never paid so little for so much food at a Chinese restaurant. The food is generally really fresh and they’re pretty quick. It’s not amazing quality food, but the taste of the different main dishes are mostly unique and have their own pleasing qualities. I recommend the string bean chicken and the orange chicken, but… that’s no secret, I think everyone likes those two?
It can get crowded during certain times of the day, but generally there’s not much wait. The parking is kind of annoying as there’s too many places packed into one mini-​mall.

Sad Panda.
I love me some Panda Express, but this visit was a huge disappointment. We received minute portions of old food. The Orange Chicken should not have been served. I’ve eaten at this particular Panda before with a more positive experience, but don’t think I’ll return. It’s just a short drive north to the one in SLO.

Are all Pandas created equal? I’m not sure, but if they are all like this one, consider me a fan.
Food is consistently good. The wells are always filled… nothing worse than going to a P.E. and half the food isn’t there. Service is good. The place is always very clean.
Rivals many «authentic» Chinese restaurants in the area.