Panda Express

Panda is one of my favorite chain restaurants but both times I have been to this one in Augusta, the service was horridly slow and the food was way over cooked. The rice was crunchy and the only reason this review got 2 stars instead of 1 is because they didn’t completely screw up the Orange Chicken.

Score one for the Chain PanAsian food that I absolutely cannot stop eating.
I only give it 3 Stars because it is a small location that is not ideal at peak times for sitting and eating. My mother (who I am frequently dining with) is only 5′ tall and since MOST of the seating options are tall tables/​bar stools, she can’t very well climb up into them and dangle her legs comfortably.
The food is delicious, and reasonably low-​cal if you’re looking for that sort of thing. I usually get steamed veggies to go with whatever entrée (s) I am choosing that day, they are not steamed to death and are generally still nicely crunchy and flavorful.
I ADORE that they have Chicken in their egg rolls as I am not a pig or cow eater and usually that makes egg rolls unavailable to me.
I definitely choose this when I’m in the area and want quick Asian as the other option nearby is also delicious but EVEN smaller.

So I heard there used to be a Panda Express somewhere in Augusta that went out of business a few years ago, and now this location was built in the Augusta Exchange area. I have dined here several times and during the last two visits, this location has been such a disappointment. If Panda Express keeps running out of food and providing slow service, they will soon be out of business once again. Does anyone know why they originally went out of business? Makes me wonder. I haven’t been in this area long, so I don’t know anything about what had happened.
The first disappointment was this past Monday. I was craving Chinese food (preferably orange chicken), so we head over there for dinner and the gals informed us that they ran out orange chicken, Beijing beef and just pretty much all of their popular dishes. Seriously? How do you run out of orange chicken? So, feeling bummed out, my husband and I left and ended up eating at Diablo’s.
The second disappointment was last night. I had a plan for dinner: place an order online for a family feast and pick it up on my way home from work. I ordered double white rice, double orange chicken and Beijing beef for the family feast meal. I requested for it to be ready at 5:45pm. I arrive right on time and mentioned I’m picking up an online order. Was it ready? Hell no! They said they were making a fresh batch of whatever… I think she said Beijing beef but it was so loud inside, I couldn’t tell.
I ended up waiting 15 minutes for my order to be done. Wow. I try not to be impatient but come on… you expect an online order to be ready at a specific time right? Well, not at this location. People that walked in behind me were able to get their food quicker and that’s just sad!
Don’t get me wrong, I really do love the food at Panda Express, but this location sucks and unfortunately it’s the only one in Augusta.

Past 2 visits have been disappointing. They can’t seem to queue food prep properly meaning something is always out. They even ran out of rice. The Lo Mein is comprised of thin spaghetti noodles. Even the grill was broken last time.
On my last visit, I ordered 3 entrees, one of which was out. They said someone would bring it out once it was ready. We sat down and began eating. My group was ready to leave, so I went to ask about the pepper chicken, figuring they were still behind. The girl behind the counter said they called my name but nobody came up to get the chicken. The restaurant wasn’t full and isn’t big to begin with and nobody in my group or myself heard them call out. I would have figured someone would have come into eating area to find me or bring it to me like they said. The group was ready to go, so I didn’t bother. It’ll be a while before I go back; perhaps a little more time is needed for them to dial in their service/​process.

Every time we attempt to eat here they always run out of the dish we like, broccoli beef. We tried to go there again today and they were slow, empty entrees and the store was FREEZING!!! Get your act together, we love Panda but haven’t been able to enjoy it here in Augusta. We will go to their competition at Genghis Grill.

I’ve got a huge problem with an American-​Chinese restaurant that runs out of rice, and this one did. I went to order my meal on a Saturday night, and they were O-​U-​T of rice. How does that happen? I’m giving this place two stars instead of one because the workers were incredibly polite and had this look on their faces that told me they were helpless collateral damage in Ricegate 2015.

My husband love panda, therefore we pay a visit weekly. Every single time that we come, there’s a wait on our food! It’s obvious that their management doesn’t know to plan for lunch /​dinner hours. The employees try to be friendly but it’s obvious that they hate their job. Panda gives military discount & also taking the survey on the bottom of the receipt qualifies you for a free entrée with the purchase of a 2 entrée plate.

I’ve been here twice already and I really like the food. It’s sometimes a wait to actually get served but it’s usually not a long wait. I usually get the two entrée and one side dinner. I split the side with half rice and half vegetables. I like their vegetables here. I also get some type of broccoli entrée. The last time I was here they were out of Chicken Broccoli so they had to make some and it didn’t take no more than 6 minutes to actually make and deliver to me. I like that they are really fast at cooking the food for waiting customers. The egg rolls are really good too. They have chicken in them and taste great. I brought my mom here on my last visit and she loved the food as much as I did. It was her first time eating at this location and chain. I’m sure we will be eating here every now and then, as long as the food stays the same.

I was making a quick run to ULTA after work on New Year’s Eve and was hit by the aroma coming from Panda Express and decided that would be the day I tried it. Upon entering, I was impressed by the design and décor of the restaurant. There were a couple of families in front of me so I had time to study the menu. I was happy to see that the prices were very reasonable and there were quite a few choices on the bar. Unfortunately, I was very displeased with my wait time and the customer service was underwhelming. The workers were polite but not very friendly or helpful. I ended up waiting 15 – 20 minutes for fresh spring rolls to go with my order. When the cashier asked the cook how much longer, he said that they were done and had been sitting in a bowl on the counter waiting for someone to grab for the bar… I was waiting in a booth in front of the register and was hearing and seeing the whole thing. I know my face said it all. The cashier wasn’t very pleased with him either and questioned why he didn’t say anything. Who knows how long they had been ready. I was given a drink for my wait but I think I will stick to the food court at the mall if I’m craving some quick Chinese. There was nothing special about the food. It was kind of bland and my noodles were pretty dry.

1^st time eating here. Very good! Noodles, rice, orange chicken all were delicious. Service was great also.

The staff here are ok… sort of friendly, I don’t think any of them even smiled at me. Good system for the service line, but it went by very slow, the line would reach the door, sometimes even past the door. The vegetables in my entrée had no taste to it. The Beijing beef & Sweetfire chicken breast were good. My food wasn’t hot but it wasn’t cold either. Overall, the food was ok. The prices are low for the amount of food you get, which is a lot.

3 Words for you… HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP. #nuffsaid jkjk LOL But really the Honey Walnut Shrimp are sooooo good to me! The other menu item to live for is the Orange chicken w/​Bacon. #OhLawdyGood
I love the set-​up and décor of the place too! It is soooo lunchy-​commuter-​cityish. I likey! :)

This was my first visit to «Panda Express.» I like the many choices they offer. The staff seemed sort of robotic and not genuinely pleased to serve you. They have a very nice system in place. It does not take long to receive your order. I believe the prices are adequate for the quality of the food they offer. The portions were more than I was expecting.

Just opened in the area and I see a food court place in the open. I ordered the lime chicken breast with lo mein noodles and my food was ok just as the rating I gave it and for $ 6.04 you get more carbs than protein but the place was packed for 10 p.m. at night. so there was a crowd with the check average from what I saw was about $ 18 – 28.00 per order per couple.

Visited the restaurant Saturday night (Aug 23). Staff are fast and courteous. Food was hot, looks good and tasted good. Good price and good portions.

Went here on opening day, staff were speedy, enthusiastic, and friendly. Food was great! Honey walnut shrimp is always my go to dish at any Panda Express and this did not disappoint.

Great food. Good selection. Food is fresh. Kid friendly. Employees were very helpful and enthusiastic. Can’t go wrong here. Kung PO chicken was excellent.

Was it the best Chinese food in Augusta? No. The key words are «for the price» it is good. If price is not a concern there is better out there. Also it is fast. So for speed and cost it is about as good as they come. As for taste, I thought the teriyaki chicken and fried rice were just okay. The sample I had of orange chicken with bacon was fairly good. I think everyone that likes trying new things in the area should give it a try since it does not hit your wallet hard and you may find something that tastes better than what I had. I will go back.