Pei Wei

Consistency. It’s the Holy Grail for restaurants. Pei Wei is consistent at a reasonable price. That’s a very good thing, and we frequent them on a regular basis because of that.
HOWEVER…
This location used to be a family favorite. Thing #2 still likes it better than most places (which is saying something for her discerning palate). The SO and I, though, mourn the day that the kitchen manager/​expediter who had been there since they opened left. The food quality dipped; not crazy, but noticeably. Portions shrank. Mistakes increased. The consistent excellent drifted away, leaving a consistent «alright» in its place. Again, we like Pei Wei, and we’ll keep going there. It just makes one melancholy to know that it used to be more than «alright», and to know that it COULD be again… but it’s not.

Am I really writing another Pei Wei review. You bet I am. It’s another Review-​For-​The-​Sake-​of-​Writing.
(1) Same friendly service.
(2) Still clean.
(3) Food portions still okay … could always be slightly cheaper (say, $ 1 off)
(4) Food still edible and decently cooked.
That’s about it. Well worth another 3 Stars for being A-​OK!

I was not impressed. My beef tasted like shrimp. The food had a weird seasoning. Customer service was good though.

I frequent this place way more than I should when in OKC. (Or any other town that’s got this chain which is absent in NYC) It’s just got that addictive quality.
Teriyaki chicken (over a split bed of rice and noodles) and some peanut-​laden Kung pao chicken and you can’t go wrong.
Service is always fast here, and they manage to keep the line moving at a pretty good clip. Their chai iced tea is worth springing for the cost of a drink, and unlimited fortune cookies are a nice touch. (They’re in the basket on the ledge near the counter… And at least we *think* they’re there for the taking…)
Great for takeout as well.

Worst sushi ever!!! We ordered the mango California Roll and it came out cold. The rice was hard like it was sitting in the refrigerator for a long time. My wife ordered the pad Thai and she said the noodles were under done. I ordered the caramel chicken and I have had it at the one in Norman before. The chicken tasted good but the rice was hard like it had been in the fridge. This was the worst Pei Wei I have been to. It gave me an upset stomach. I don’t recommend this place.

We went here for lunch the other day and were really disappointed with the whole experience — and I hate saying that because I’m usually a Pei Wei fan, as is the rest of Oklahoma City, as exemplified by the absurdly long lines basically everyday over the noon hour.
We started out ordering egg rolls, which were unfortunately just little cylinders of grease with what appeared to be a cabbage-​like substance inside. I ordered the tofu fried rice to mix it up a little from my usual teriyaki rice bowl. The rice actually wasn’t bad. The tofu wasn’t burned to a hard crisp like it tends to be in the teriyaki bowl, so that was a pleasant surprise. It’s stupid, but I generally keep ordering the bowl thinking the tofu will be cooked better each time.
The one thing that really drove us nuts — and this is probably just because the coke machine is smarter than us is that we could not find water on the menu anywhere. We found lots of sparkling water and fruit flavored water, but my Mom really just wanted it straight — you know, the hard stuff. Eventually, she just got coke (even though she’d not paid for it) because she couldn’t figure out the water. I, too, could not figure it out, and after standing there for about 5 minutes we gave up and stole a soda. As for me, I ordered iced tea to drink — which I forget is never just plain tea, but is rather weird flavors that I really don’t enjoy. I’m sure some people love it, I’m just not those people.
Overall, this was a pretty disappointing experience from a restaurant I usually like pretty well.

I used to really like this pei Wei for a quick to go dinner that wasn’t fast food. But the past few times I’ve gone, the chicken has been really dry and the noodles have also been dry/​not properly cooked. Unfortunate. I’ll go back in a few months to see if anything has changed.

Very disappointed. If you like real Asian food, don’t go here! Ordered the pad Thai and my husband ordered Thai dynamite chicken and they were both not very good! Thai dynamite had a really weird taste. The pad Thai is the worst I’ve had. Def not anything near real pad Thai! It seems like they use the same sauce and throw the meat/​veggies/​noodles in it! The sushi and crab wontons were decent and is the only reason we have it a star.

The food from here reminds me of a frozen lean cuisine. It is just awful, I asked for a refund and have never been back since.

(See update at end. ⁷⁄₁₅)
OK, it’s fast food Asian prepared by hispanics mostly… so can’t give 5 stars BUT it’s really, really a consistently good place to eat.
Visited on a Tuesday evening… a little after dinner rush hour. Folks always friendly at the order counter; quick service as to bringing out food. Manager (on call) usually checks to make sure everything ok, which is personable and nice at a fast food place… even if it’s a little upscale as to call it fast food. Maybe «casual» better term?
And forgot about the coupon for report of service and FREE Cookie… so cashed in this time. What’s NOT to like? =)
May not be true, authentic Asian Cuisine but it works in a pinch!
Update: They have recently raised their prices. Additional «buck» for beef v. chicken. $ 2 for refillable drink. So lunch was over $ 12 almost $ 13 per person? And no appetizer? And portions have NOT changed? I had to lower my rating now. It’s really NOT worth it with all the other Asian restaurants we have available in the area. At least for lunch.

This is one place that is consistently good. I can’t recall trying anything here I haven’t liked. Their online ordering system is super easy and let’s you customize your order exactly how you want it. The order is always accurate and on time. The restaurant is always clean and they have a super cool soda fountain that has like 100 different options.

If you’re allergic to dairy, you can’t eat at Pei Wei… or at least that is what I was told by a seemingly lazy chef.
On my first visit, I was assisted by a chef to find something that my daughter could eat since she’s allergic to dairy and soy, but on my last visit I was told by a chef that they use egg or butter or milk in everything they make. We had to leave and find another place to eat.
Another restaurant marked off the long list of places that don’t offer anything for people with food allergies. Sad!

Who doesn’t love an great surprise?!
So my friends and I were sitting around totally worried about how we would sustain ourselves on a Friday night and couldn’t figure out what exactly we were going to eat.
Then it happened my friends… Alcoholics call it a «moment of clarity».
My birthday was about a month ago and I had totally forgotten I had a gift card to this magical place and I had no idea how much it was worth!
We rolled the cosmic dice and went ahead and ordered whatever our heart’s desired.
AND GUESS WHAT
The gift card covered our carry out order and luck shined down upon us like the laugh of baby Jesus himself.
Not only that, as we walked in and looked at the amazing line to dine in the restaraunt all we could do was bask in the loathing from all the patrons waiting in line as we quickly came in, paid with the magical forgotten food providing plastic and walked out like total bosses.
I would totally come back to pay for some food with my own money, but ladies and gentlement, the Gods smiled upon us this evening and boy was it amazing.
Thanks for the whole head of lettuce with our lettuce wraps, I’ll use it for a salad tomorrow.
#Ameezing

I read Julie P’s review of this place and thought I should add some colorful, by no means expert, and possibly offensive commentary about this place.
I agree with most that say this is just your standard, possibly above average, Asian diner… possibly so average that, dare I say, it’s not too bad? I have been here a dozen times, and I’ll continue to eat here. Why, you ask? Because, I know exactly what I’ll be getting. My expectations are never disappointed, nor are they surpassed. It’s consistency that keeps me around.
I’ve heard the complaints about portion sizes… and let me just say that people need to slim down their «need» for buffet-​sized portions at places that aren’t buffets. If you want buffett-​sized portions, go to Golden Corral… or just stay at home and eat to your heart’s…maybe stomach’s…content. I’ve grown tired of reading complaints about people not getting their «money’s worth.» Hey, guess what friends… you’re not just paying for the food… you’re also paying for the convenience of not cooking said food. Just my humble opinion… I could be wrong, but I feel so right saying it.
With all that being said, their sesame chicken isn’t too shabby, and I dig the different choices of rice. Their egg rolls aren’t too bad, either. Overall, I dig Pei Wei… which I guess makes me a fan.

There’s better Asian food in OKC, that’s for sure. But I love the chicken lettuce wraps, the orange peel shrimp and the honey seared chicken. I also love the ease of ordering online, and knowing that my order will always, always be right and freshly prepared. There’s a reason Pei Wei has gotten so big, so fast.
I love that they have brown rice, two sizes of meals, and a kid’s menu that’s actually an ideal serving for a 30-​ish year old woman who spends most of her day at a computer.
I often grab this on the way home. I don’t have to worry about what to order or pour over a menu before deciding. Almost everything is good, which makes it easy for me to just stop in and order something quickly. I know I’ll get home with all the sauces and extras; all in all, a headache free take-​out experience.

[] In Brief [] Pei Wei… What happened to you?
[] In Length [] It’s like the executives at Pei Wei Asian Diner, Inc. took something that was pretty good and asked themselves, «Our customers are satisfied for the most part with what’s being offered. How can we change that?»
Then some guy who just got his MBA from [_______][1] and doesn’t live in the real world says, «I know guys! We should change the menu layout. You know how there’s only one portion size right now? Let’s get rid of that and instead give customers the choice of paying a little less for a small portion that won’t fill them, or a large portion that’s too big and more expensive than is reasonable for a casual dining restaurant!»
Then some other guy was like, «What you’re basically saying is we should ensure that the customer won’t be satisfied with either option? That sounds brilliant! Why didn’t you think of that, Jim?»
Then Jim will mutter under his breath in anger that this young upstart came up with an idea that makes absolutely no sense and Jim knows his days amongst the executives are numbered and he’ll be put out to pasture soon. But he’s too old now to look for a new job, so he instead goes home and in frustration, yells at his wife. Then Jim’s wife, Donna retaliates in a passive-​aggressive manner by having an affair with the pool boy. I’m going to stop here because I could keep going if I let myself.
I ordered the small Thai Coconut Curry thing for $ 7 (which is always my go-​to) and when I went to pick it up, I realized it was kind of… small so at least the description was accurate. I decided to throw an egg roll into the mix so I wouldn’t be hungry later and be all grumpy (like I am right now). $ 2.00 extra. For. One. Egg. Roll. One. ONE!
Also, apparently the the new Pei Wei believes that vegetables should not be cooked. At all. Has anyone eaten Chinese food where everything is hot, except the green beans, and when you bite into them, they’re entirely raw and cold? I want to know if there’s anyone out there who would find that to be pleasant. I would like to meet that person. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Also, there was one carrot slice in the dish. I’m not even joking. One singular carrot slice.
Consistency is what I came to expect from Pei Wei, and the guys with their MBAs decided that I was expecting too much and paying too little (or apparently getting too much food for what I was paying). If it tasted good at least, I’d have been moderately satisfied. It seems Pei Wei is trying to separate itself from its big brother (P. F. Chang’s) but it went in a direction that I’m not enjoying. I is disappoint. The customer service is on point though and if it weren’t for them, this entire thing would be a one-​star diatribe (it kind of already is). But the food and overall experience now is just so… I don’t even… I’m out.
[1]Note: Insert Ivy League school of your choice. I have nothing against Ivy League schools. It just works for the sake of the story above.

We discovered this location last year on a road trip to Tulsa. We wanted somewhere easy to stop off at from the highway but really great food at fair prices. They have it all here. Plus really great service. The food is so good, too many choices. Love the honey seared chicken. We always eat with the chop sticks. Check them out. Two thumbs up!

A great deal, but honestly, the food is just your standard Asian inspired fast food. There are a lot of mix and match options with flavors and meats and noodles or rice, but not a lot of nice options with a lot of veggies. even if you order something without the meat, the veggies are treated as an afterthought.
The place is bright, moderately attractive but in a boring way. The acoustics are terrible, it’s horribly loud. Good variety of beverages, with one of those fancy new super soda machines, a variety of hot teas, and even some alcohol.

For the life of me I don’t know why I crave this sometimes. I haven’t written about it until now because it had been a while since I’d been there. But it’s pretty much the only place around that’s open a little later than most Asian places.
I’m not a huge fan of their pad Thai. I’ve had much better from other places, and it’s a little too spicy for me. Not traditional spicy, but a little too… hot? I dunno. If it’s your thing then have at it. It tastes to me like the hot overpowers any actual flavor, is all.
As for service, it’s just an order at the counter and someone hands you your food. You do refills via a fountain machine and all that.

This place is pretty good and cheap. I would come here over the pricier competition (PF Changs) any day. You know, the story is that the ex-​wife of the owner at PF Changs is the owner of this restaurant. She apparently used his recipes to start this place. I’m not sure if it’s true, but if you compare the taste, it’s pretty similar.
Anyways, come here if you’re looking for something better than fast food, but not as rigid as a sit-​down. It’s casual inside — they don’t have waiters, but they have bus boys. It’s definitely not «authentic,» but it hits the spot.