Panda Express

Went in to grab the family dinner in a Saturday night. Stood in line 15 minutes then got to the front of the line to be told I could not order a family feast because they weren’t going to make more food. They were closed now… at exactly 930. There was a large family behind me in line as well that ended up leaving without food too. Incredibly poor customer service. I work in the restaurant industry and this manager has a lot to learn.

I come to panda often and everyone there is helpful and courteous. Even when they are busy the staff is on the ball. Food has always been good for me.

Went for lunch and surprisingly it wasn’t too busy. Parking is very difficult in the strip mall area where this is located. Several dishes were nearly empty so I tried to choose some of the fresher looking items. I’ve eaten at Panda several times and this was one of the more pleasant visits.
Picked the noodles with Walnut Shrimp and Mushroom Chicken. It all hit the spot. I especially like the flavor of the sauce on the chicken. One downside is the up charge for some «featured» items like the walnut shrimp. I can understand the extra cost if this was a new item, but they’ve had it for a while now. Even though it’s fast food, I seem to always enjoy Panda.

DRAPER, UT: I’m feeling generous today and am going to give my Panda a 4-​star. The food is consistently good if you order the right menu items (bottom). As for the service at this one, they are good, and have me a free drink last time when they had me wait a little longer than expected. A free drink and acknowledgement of the import of my time goes a long way.
FOOD:
Fried Rice (1 star)
Honey Walnut Shrimp (5 star)
Orange Chicken (4.5 star)
Sweet fire Chicken (4 star)
Beijing Beef (3.5 star)
Kung Pao Chicken (2 star)
Broccoli Beef (2 star)
Cheese Rangoons (4 star)
Egg rolls (2.5 star)
Everything else (2 star)

Well that does it, I’ve been to a lotta PE’s in my day but never have I had to walk out on one. I stepped up and asked for mixed veggies. They were out so she asked if I could wait a couple mins… no prob. And what main entrees? Beijing Beef & Teriyaki chicken. Nope, that’s not ready either, can you wait? Um, sure why not since Im already waiting. I’ll take you over here to pay first? Ok. Proceed to the register & she walks away. Hmm. I stand there as she comes back & calls over the next 2 groups to pay. I wait and wait and wait. Another patron says, he’s here before us. For whatever reason she doesn’t acknowledge & has her pay instead. Umm, I’ll go sit down… you tell me when you want my money. I wait and wait and wait. That’s it, I’m done. This place is a confusing mess… I’m outta here. Goin to get a burger across the street. Officially worse run Panda Express in the US.

great staff but busy

Another place I have not been to for some time… food was good but service was very slow because «orange chicken» was on back order… da this is probably the most popular items and you get a backlog at the dinner hour… plus the counter help was slammed because they have employees on break during there busiest time. I don’t get it.

The right place for your MSG laden Orange Chicken fix. It isn’t gourmet or exceptional but it hits the spot when you need it, and if you hurt because you ate too much or because you simply don’t agree with their magic mix of seasonings, that is your own dang fault. Quick during lunch and not exceptionally busy.

Holy sodium sanctuary, Batman! I can’t recall ever being this bloated and water-​tight after a meal. If someone were to wring me out, we could completely resurface Bonneville.
It had been many years since I’d visited a Panda Express. I’ve avoided it all this time for several reasons. Not the least of which was that I remember the Violet Beauregarde reaction I’ve had to their food in the past. Today, I buckled under the sheer desperation of gumption-​defying hunger, the close proximity of the Panda building, and the hope that Panda had changed their ways to accommodate a more health-​conscious public. What kind of fool am I? The sausage-​fingered, ready to pop kind at the moment. The kind of fool who just paid 13 bucks to feel this way.
Panda Express, for those who aren’t familiar, is truly Chinese fast food, sans a drive-​through. Once inside, you stand in line to order, pay, and pick up utensils, etc., just the same as the interior of any other fast food place. You then go to their drink station to obtain beverages, condiments and the like.
In my hope for a healthy option, I ordered the String Bean Chicken Breast with steamed rice (no brown rice options here, people). I was all set to order veggie spring rolls, but hadn’t remembered that they offer fried only — no fresh option. No thank you.
I gathered up my small cup and headed to the beverage area, where I had my eye on the vat o’peach iced tea (fresh brewed… hmm). It was out. The raspberry iced tea was out. The regular iced tea was out. I was left with soda, lemonade, or water. I didn’t want any of those, so I approached the counter to inquire about if/​when they would refill the iced tea. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, mind you; not terribly busy. The pre-​pubescent male staffer provided an answer. «Uh, we’re prolly not gunna make any more (iced tea) until like 4:30 when we start seeing the dinner crowd.» Oooookay. So, a refund was in order as I wasn’t interested in drinking anything else but water. But he couldn’t help me because he wasn’t «working the register.» So, I had to re-​explain it all to the pre-​pubescent female. After some significant confusion regarding how much of a refund I deserved, I was handed my $ 2.19 with a look that said, «Gosh I wish you weren’t bothering me right now.»
Then came the food. The chicken used in my dish could not have been any more dried out and stringy if it had gone through a month-​long tanning process. (Could it be actual panda meat?!) I flossed my teeth with a few pieces before I threw in the towel. The green beans were rubbery and flavorless, like chewing on octopus tentacles. The rice was soggy, mushy, almost watery like they hadn’t cooked it long enough, but they had. The *sauce* was pretty much indetectable, other than … as I had dreaded, the salt content was over the top. The whole meal made me sad.
Conversely, my friend loved her food. She ordered the Sweet and Sour Pork, and said it was tasty except the meat was a tad dry. I tried a small dab of the sauce, and ended up with slight order envy. Not great, but at least it had flavor other than salt.
Why two stars instead of just one for this sad experience? Because the place was clean, well-​kept, and most of the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful (with the exception of the two aforementioned children). That deserves one star in my book.
So. Panda Express’ food really is just as bad as I remember. Now consider me a fool who won’t be doing this to myself again. Ever.