China Panda

I was excited to be traveling through the Athens area today to eat at China Panda. However my experience was not that great. I got the General Tso’s chicken lunch combination with Hot and Sour soup. The soup was not very hot when it arrived at the table but it has a good taste. When the main course arrived I had about five pieces of chicken and TONS of sauce. My rice was also not very warm and was super sticky. Almost a little gummy. It has a average taste. Not what I remembered it being when I lived in Athens. Also I found it odd that there were small children working in the restaurant today doing prep work and rolling silverware in the dining area where patrons could see them. Overall I will probably not go back. It’s sad because o really used to love this place.

Best sushi in Athens county! I have so many good memories here. This is where I got my start into eating sushi, the sushi chef would make me so many unique and special sushi! He would make me rolls unique to my taste, really teaching me the joy in sushi. Even making me things that were not on the menu. The staff was so nice and treated me with such great hospitality!
If you are looking for really good Chinese/​Japanese, you have come to the right place. It’s a nice dining so it’s on the average to high price range!

Anyone who doesn’t give this place 5 stars is nuts. Best carryout Chinese in town! Crab Rangoon, pot stickers, Kung pao chicken, general tsos, and the fried rice are spot on. The soup is great, so is the sushi. And the best part– a sticker machine in the breezeway with glitter tattoos.

Customer service and quality of food has gone downhill, like many restaurants after the first few years.

Great service and great food! Highly recommended. They use fresh vegetables and great Chicken with Garlic Sauce! Great food!

Good chinese food for a small town. I was thankful to enjoy my lunch special of chicken with mixed vegetables in brown sauce w fried rice and egg drop soup. The fries rice was quite good. The meal was enjoyable, chinese restaurants are better in nearby Columbus, but this place was better than others I’ve tried in the area. My lunch was well worth six dollars. The portion is sufficient but not excessive and I did not have any leftovers. A perk was the applicable fortune in my fortune cookie.

Atrocious service, worst experience I’ve ever had in Athens. Took 20 minutes to order drinks. All the food came out at the same time (starters and main dishes), waiter forgot a main dish (got it after everyone else had finished their main dishes). Also, waiter spilled water on my iPhone, and left the water sitting for 5 minutes. Food is overpriced. Avoid this place.

China Panda reminds me of the glory days of China Fortune. The food it pretty tasty ⁴⁄₅ times. The Wantan is always delicious. But the restaurant is not so clean or tidy. It’s definitely top-​tier for Chinese in Athens though.

I came to Athens for my brother’s graduation. They were understaffed so the service was not the greatest. I think our waiter was one of the sushi chefs or something because he was so jumbled and confused. Poor guy lol. We ordered shrimp and veggie tempura bento boxes and the quantity of food was huge! Also ordered tsong you bing (scallion pancake) and that was so mouth watering good. My dad ordered the general tso chicken and alas that was the demise of our meal. It was horrible. I did not even want to eat it just by looking at it I could tell it was not good. So as far as the Japanese fare I would say it is good! But for the Chinese lunch specials ehhhh

Not bad for a small town. If you have a sushi craving, this will do the trick. Although, I recommend the Chinese menu. I’ve dined here a couple times, all on the Chinese menu, and found they that it’s pretty authentic if you know what to order (ie. none of those set combos, eat family style). I like the udon noodles (since I’m usually only in Athens during Christmas), but it’s more like Chinese soup noodles than Japanese udon noodles.
It seems to be a popular place for international students looking for some decent Chinese food.
This time we felt comfortable ordering sushi (sushi in the middle of Ohio?!) We ordered sushi for 2. The salmon yellow tail, and white fish tasted pretty fresh. I had a few pieces of questionable tuna and mackerel, but it’s been more than 24hrs and the tummy is a-​ok.
Waiters are generally attentive, check in often, and keep your glasses full.

Nothing spwctacular about it to make it stand out, except the shushi, which isnt bad. the reason for a so so attitude is, I work in Columbus and I have had WAY better chinese

Best Chinese food restaurant in Athens and I’ve eaten at every one in town. Good quality has been consistently good on both the Chinese and Japanese menus. Just ate here for the first time in over a year and it was better than I remembered it. However, they have some new waiter staff now and they are not very polite. My table got our check and were having a conversation when we were interrupted by our waitress asking if we were ready to pay. I would take off half a star for service if I could, but the service wasn’t bad enough to prevent me from eating there.
4 Stars based on relative quality in this area. More like 3 stars compared to some Chinese restaurants in big cities.

I’ve been to this place for take out 3 times now because several people have indicated its good. I can’t say I’ve had a good experience ever. My order has been wrong every time. Shame in me for not checking it in my car? I shouldn’t have to! I order veggie dishes that are delivered in meat versions… Order sushi and get the wrong rolls or fish. And worst if all, fish that is hard around the edges or will scales still attached. This place really grosses me out. The prices for the Chinese food are about the only good thing I can think of.

My husband and I started coming here when we were dating, and now we like to stop in whenever we have the opportunity to eat a meal in Athens. The Chinese food is excellent, while the Japanese food seems good, but not really worth the premium price they charge for it. The place also has a nice ambience and never seems to get noisy no matter how many people are there.

I had to update my review after finally ordering off of the sushi menu. While I’m still a big fan of their Chinese entrees, their sushi just wasn’t doing it for me. To break it down:
Chinese food: 4 stars
Japanese food: 2 stars
For an average of three stars. It pains me to do this to you, China Panda. I hope we can still be friends.

The service is very friendly and fast. The LOCAL owner is very thoughtful and customer-​focused. My husband loves Japanese food and I love Chinese food and this restaurant has both. I like the lemon chicken. There are a lot of choices. The restaurant is always busy. I would like it better if they turned off the TVs.

How about some good Chinese in Athens, OH? Very tasty.

Average at best. The combo Kung Pao shrimp dinner was only mildly spicy and consisted of mainly celery, green peppers, and peanuts. I dont know if this is an issue with non-​combo orders but my portion size was small. This was a pint serving and the egg-​roll was a half of an egg-​roll and this was for dinner. This cost $ 8 and its not a good sign when you spend that much for dinner and you are still hungry when you are done.
I am intrigued by the sushi side of things so I will give that a try but at this point a big miss for me.

I’ve enjoyed pretty much every dish I’ve ever ordered from China Panda. The food comes out quickly whether ordering dine-​in or carry-​out.
I enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. The staff is usually very friendly and most tables are usually filled with patrons of the restaurant. My one complaint is that there always seems to be old NBA games featuring Scottie Pippen on the TV. The children of the employees also seem to feel free to walk around the restaurant.

I have eaten at China Panda quite a few times and have really never had a bad experience. I don’t eat a vast selection of Chinese food, but what I do eat, of the few places I have had it, theirs is the best. They also have sushi which my friend, who lived in Japan for 3 years, says is pretty good so I think that is a strong review on the sushi. When eating in, the service is fine. The language barrier is a ‘issue’. If you are ordering on the phone or in person, it is a bit of a problem. It is difficult to get your point accross on something extra like… extra egg or cashews on the fried rice is almost not worth the hassle. And I think all Chinese food is expensive but this is high, buit worth it. If I go to town to get take out for 7 of us, it is not unusual for it to be $ 70+. The other night for 3 of us, it was almost $ 40.
BOIL IT DOWN– best Chinese food in Athens. Best sushi in Athens. Food is hot and made fresh for take-​out. The dining room is nice and clean. Staff friendly, although limited English skills. Semi-​expensive. Go. You won’t regret. Pass up Lams Garden and the terrible buffet for good food, and cleanliness.