The _Sliding Scale of Value_ comes into play here. "Confucious say: He who eat at chain store often Pei Wei too much." *** Sure the ingredients are fresher but if the pei wei chicken has the exact same flavor profile as the orange chicken at Panda, why pay twice as much? What looks like a lot of variety, really isn't. I felt that they could do a little more with veggies, I mean, almost every dish has snow peas and carrot disks and green onion/scallion. Not very creative at all. The digs provide a nice atmosphere, and bussers were keeping the lunch rush mess in check, mostly. I have a problem with their method of putting a stack of small plates and napkins on all the empty tables. It only seems nice and convenient to have if you want to grab and use them, but they don't clear the unused away when bussing, so who's to say the previous diners at that table didn't touch or sneeze all over them. GROSS! and maybe even a health violation, or at least it should be, in my eyes. I'll go back and try other dishes, but only when I'm sick of everything else near by. Pink Pepper is right across the parking lot, after all. yelp.com/biz/pink-pepper… ***If you like Pei Wei, but would prefer to patronize a locally owned, independent, surprisingly similar equivalent to this popular chain, checking out Moto Sushi is a MUST. yelp.com/biz/moto-sushi-… The owner once had custom fortune cookies printed up, and one of them said, "Confucious say: He who eat at chain store often Pei Wei too much."
(3)
Jodi J.
Disappointment! I have been a huge fan and loyal patron of Pei Wei since they came to the valley. We don't go as much as we used to, but a few weeks ago we ordered take-out. I asked if they would include both a mild and a hot sauce for the lettuce wraps and I customized a kids meal. When Dave brought our food home the first thing we noticed was 2 fortune cookies for three meals. Ok, maybe I shouldn't complain...but come on! Then the kids meal had barely any meat, another disappointment. First, I dove into the lettuce wraps, which they only provided one sauce - not the two they said they would provide. However; the worst part was my meal, I had the Mongolian beef...a dish I usually crave from them, but my meal was so salty I couldn't even eat it! It was absolutely horrible! Again, very little meat in the dish. Sorry, but I think you lost a customer over this meal!
(1)
hiroko i.
I give one star for cool soda dispenser. We could not finish our meals. Chewy beef,Salty fried rice,too dry white rice, We do not have iron stomach to digest their food.
(1)
Chris A.
What's all the fuss? I'm not sure what folks compare this chain too? The Dead Duck Inn? Joe's local Chinese Gag house? Are those places that great? Sooo fresh and delicious!? Not in my days? Pre-made sitting around and HEAVY oil is what I see from most other establishments. Even those touted by friends. Maybe it's because they know George from behind the counter. It's not Pei Wei! Pei Wei is a quick, fresh and inexpensive gift from heaven. Even the hard to please Yelper has to admit, the multiple options you have to modify your meal should give you no excuse not to love what you order. The food is fresh and prepared to order. Even fried rice is made to order. The sauces are made from scratch and are a combination of quality Chinese ingredients. (Chili paste, fresh garlic, scallions, bean curd, and a bounty of fresh Chinese vegetables). Go Yon China will serve you pre-made sauces with no punch and lots of giggle. The atmosphere at Pei Wei is great! Black and dark red with glossy graphics and all sorts of Chinese! Even with the "stand in line" style of dining. Makes me hungry just thinkin' about the joint. However, to me it's a take out Ferrari! Call in, swipe my card and off I go. Sure, it's not Chang's. Still, it's better than the local Dead Duck Inn's "food" stained art, with a Chinese New Year paper place mat. Of course! I'm looking at the healthier options a Chinese food place may have to offer, and Pei Wei lifts the bar in multiple sets! Get your chicken steamed, go brown rice, add extra vegetables or go vegetarian. Still you may complain..."Oh, is it too salty? Or too sweet?" Give me a break. This is CHINESE FOOD! And, you won't find MSG. So, if you don't want spicy, salty or sweet; have a meal from Bland of the Rising Sun. But, if you want a highly under rated treat...I ask you to open your mind to this familiar spot for clean, fresh, made to order and "if you like" healthy Chinese food!
(5)
Nathan M.
Pei Wei is always busy, that's gotta mean something right? Wrong. There are restaurants that serve billions yet all they serve is a gross mystery. Pei Wei is no mystery though, the food is cooked in an open air kitchen. Even so, if there were such a thing as Asian fast food, Pei Wei would be cleaner version of it. Most Pei Wei's are situated in pompous locations where ever there is an AJ Fine Foods, but atleast they aren't located in the ghetto. As far as the food goes, it is about as Americanized as you can get. So if you live in America and have American taste buds, it will appeal to you. Unfortunately if you want authentic Asian food you won't find it at Pei Wei. I don't understand why they even bother to put chopsticks on the table, the rice isn't even sticky enough to pick it up with. They are for decoration. They are part of the 'fake' Asian dining experience. Apparently, Pei Wei serves food "manadrian style" from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and China. In the words of Bill Lumbergh, "Ooo.. yeahh.. I'm just not sure about that." Having traveled to China I can honestly tell you that Chinese food is different. Apart from the rice, the food lacks vegetable oil and garlic. In China those two ingrediants are used in many dishes and Pei Wei lacks them. When I first started visiting Pei Wei I ordered the Sweet and Sour, but I got sick of it. Sometimes the meat would be tough, sometimes the chicken would clump together all nastily. What I get now-a-days and what I got on this particular day was Mandarin Kung Pao. Even though the dish is spicy, that doesn't mean it has to be dry - and it was. What it was missing was some catalyst to bring out the spicy flavors and make them more vibrant. The dishes at Pei Wei are family style meaning they are meant to be shared with several people. A dish and a drink will end up costing you about $10. If each person gets one dish, that's a lot of food, probably enough to feed a small village in Africa somewhere. It would be nice if they served each dish in two styles, family and single, large and small. Family style is great if you always visit Pei Wei with your family. But if you are out for lunch with people from work you might not want to share your food with your co-workers. They aren't your family. You don't know them. Pei Wei is a modern Asian diner that is probably better than most of the mom and pop Asian diners out there, even if most of the food is cooked by Mexi-- I mean Asians.
(3)
Sarah B.
Food was incredibly fresh! Service was excellent even though we stopped in on a holiday night . Management took the time to personally explain menu options to us and check on us after our food arrived. Thank you Ron, what a fun expected Friday night at Pei Wei!
(4)
Thomas L.
Pei Wei, it seems this location is always a hit or miss. There are times when we get it to go, the food is hot and tastes great, while other times the food is salty and tastes like crap. I really don't know what this place is so inconsistent. Whenever my lady wants a quick chinese fix, we mostly go to Noodles and Rice or Nee House, but there is times she wants Pei Wei specifically! She likes their King Pao Chicken and the beef and broccoli. I mostly get the lettuce wraps and a noodle dish. I do like their Dan Dan noodles and Lo Mein, but i don't care for their Pad Thai. The most recent experience we picked up some food to go. The food was really salty and the next morning, my lady couldn't even fit her ring on her finger cause her hand had swollen from all the salt she ingested last night. I don't know why Pei Wei cooks with so much salt or MSG. Overall we enjoy Pei Wei and unfortunately this is the only location that is close to us. I may have to venture out and try a new location. It seems a lot of people on Yelp experience the same problem with the locations.
(3)
Tori V.
I love Pei Wei, but every time I go to this location my food is over cooked. In addition, the staff is rude. I will definitely not be coming back to this location.
(2)
Heather W.
Quick service and they have vegetarian options, which are few and far between here in Phoenix
(4)
Nina P.
One of my favorite places to eat at! I don't really care for the "so-called" spring rolls or the salads that they serve on their menu. I do however have a liking for their thai basil chicken with white rice! Yum... Good service, good food and good price. Beware, it can get really busy and loud during dinner time so good luck trying to hear yourself talk.
(5)
Tonya M.
I've never seen it as busy as it was last night. 7:00 on a Sunday and it was packed, 30 min wait just for some lettuce wraps to-go. We dine here about 3 times a month and *knock on wood* it's always been great. I've never had a bad meal, my order is always correct. I never get home and realize they forgot a sauce or gave me the wrong food. I'm impressed.
(5)
Laura B.
Love it. I get my Pad Thai dinner takeout fix a few times a week here. I have to say their to-go packing accuracy is 100%- which is often a rarity when ordering complex or specialty items at other fast casual establishments. Thanks team!
(5)
Scott R.
As my previous reviews should show. Pei Wei is one of my favorite places but today you let me down and did not meet the expectations! $88.00 order of to go food! When the person who took my order gave us the food I asked?! Is all the sauces in the bag! YES SIR! No not in the bag! Three mustards. And one lettuce wrap sauce. This is doing a half ass job! Step up and make this right!
(1)
Bob K.
Went here for lunch. The service was great and food came out fast and hot. I got my usual honey seared chicken. It did not taste as it usually does. It wasn't as sweet as it should be. One soap dispenser was out of soap. Overall, it was good and quick. I would go back.
(4)
Fiona F.
Have always been a big fan of pei Wei till recently. Today they gave me the wrong order and when I returned to have it corrected, Jessica, the manager tried to tell me that it wasn't until I showed her the receipt and she rushed to correct it. As well as my husband just pulled a 6 inch strand of plastic wrap out of his fried rice it's safe to say I will not be returning to this location.
(1)
C E.
Normally would give 5 stars but my experience today sucked. They were out of a ton of flavors on both coke machines, and food was mediocre. Dont get the classic lettuce wraps. Get them from cheesecake factory or pf changs. The diced chicken ruined it. Too salty, wouldve been better with with a sweet chili dipping sauce. There were no water chestnuts as advertised. My boyfriends teriyaki chicken also came out with the wrong vegatables. These cooks seem to put on their own style (aka whatever they feel like putting on it). Strange. I will stick to what I know is good next time. Unusual experience, pei wei is usually on point and extremely tasty and fresh, especially for the price.
(3)
sophia b.
okay so this review is a little biased. The first time i went here was with my (now) x-husband, and he happened to be break out the "I want a divorce" while we were eating. I really do like the food here, and it's an excellent place to go for a lunch break, or with your family (getting all choked up) I love spicy food...
(3)
Michael P.
Lunch at Pei Wei is basically a done deal. Food is consistently fast and good. The staff was very accommodating, basically creating a new dish that my son would eat, but giving us the child's price still. Can't go wrong here.
(4)
Bryan B.
The wife and I have been to this location literally dozens of times since they've opened. We've eaten in, we've taken out. This time, since an errand called us away during dinner prep time, we called the order in on the way back. Got there about 10-15 minutes after we called the order in, and it was ready to go for us right when we arrived. There was a slight snafu in paying...I have a PF Chang 'Emperor's Card' which gives the holder 10% off at PF Chang...we had also been told that it was good at Pei Wei. Apparently it is not accepted there. Which isn't that much of a problem...expect that it took 5-10 minutes for them to figure it out. The person helping me called another store (or someone) to verify and before she did I told her that it wasn't a big deal, I didn't want to have to wait 5-10 minutes just for $1-$2. She assured me it would be quick...but to me it wasn't. Not a huge deal, but definitely not optimal. Got home with the food, lettuce wraps and honey seared chicken with brown rice is a perfect sized meal for the two of us, and usually we have some leftovers. Everything was good, as per usual, though they never pack enough lettuce cups, that is kind of annoying. Solid four stars for Pei Wei, the food is always delicious, the service is always good (even with the wait this time, it was still good service and friendly). Definitely will be back.
(4)
Fairbi K.
I have been sick for over a week now & was not in the mood to cook last night so I placed an online order & had my hubby go pick it up. I got our usuals; edamame, pork egg rolls & honey seared chicken with white rice. New items we tried were; crispy potsickers, mandarin kung pao chicken (mild) with fried rice & a cookie (they didn't run out this time!). The reason I dropped a star was because I gave my hubby that $10 gc that I had received about a month ago & they told him he couldn't use it. WTF, why not?! He said they didn't give him an explanation & I'm sure he was just in a hurry to get out of there. Next time I'll go pick it up myself & if I am able to use it, I'll give them back their star. If I'm not able to again, then idk if I'll be back...
(3)
Dave M.
Brought my kids for the first time to Pei Wei here on Bell Fountain shopping area. My son gobbled up the Lo Mein and dumplings. I was happy with the Pad Thai. I said hi to the manager and my son made a big deal about loving the food, and the manager popped me a $10 gift card for our next visit! Sweet. So we went back a week later, and enjoyed it even more. Soon to be a mainstay for the Murrow kids, no doubt. The cafeteria style ordering works for busy families too. Beer & wine available too.
(4)
Jeffrey S.
It's Pei Wei. The service and food are always satisfactory.
(3)
Karen T.
I have been back again and again, they are still awesome. Every time I go or call in an order I vow I'm going to try something different and every time I order the same thing. One day, I'll try something other than the Pei Wei Spicy Chicken. Their take out is very well run, they know who I am when I call and they even know what I want, it's always ready when they say it will be and it's always hot when I get it home. That said, eating in is always best, not sure why but the food just tastes better on a plate than it does from the plastic container.
(4)
David C.
My wife and I are big fans of the Pei Wei chain. We are semi-regulars at the location at the District at Tustin Legacy in Irvine, California and love it. We were on a weekend trip to watch Spring Training Games in Arizona and this location was very close to the hotel we were staying at. The restaurant is starting to show its wear and age. It appears to be an older shop in the chain. Things started off on the wrong foot with the gentleman that took our order. We asked for our usual order of Lo Mein with Beef and Kung Pao Shrimp and a side order of Pot Stickers. Our order taker added extra shrimp to our Lo Mein instead of the Kung Pao Shrimp that we had ordered, so we only had one item for a family of four. Once the food came out, it was very evident that the quality was not what we were accustomed to from our usual location. The beef was a bit fattier, and the overall dish was much greasier than we were accustomed. The potstickers were seriously over cooked were dry and had very bad flavor. We then waited for a while for our Kung Pao that never came. Once we figured out that there had been a mistake on the order, I went over to the front desk and brought it to their attention. The manager recognized the mistake and to her credit said that she would handle it. I offered to pay since I recognize that the order taker may not have heard me since it was very loud in the restaurant. However the manager made our food and delivered it to us at no additional charge. That was very good in my book. The kung pao shrimp was definitely much better than the other two items that we had. While I like Pei Wei very much the food at this location was not up to the standard that we are used to from this chain.
(2)
Calixthe B.
I was so excited to finally taste Pei Wei! Unfortunately it made me so sick, I was neither able to finish my meal and had to trash my leftovers. Unless you have an iron stomach, they should serve their food with a complimentary roll of toilet paper! You've been warned!
(1)
Irina H.
Good food at a great price. My husband and I split shrimp with brown rice in a honey glaze. We added some veggies and asked to have it all steamed. It came out yummy and plentiful for less than $12! We'll be back.
(3)
Daren C.
We absolutely love this place. We generally order the same thing every time. .spicy chicken brown rice .chicken fried rice .honey seared chicken for the kids Today we did sweet and sour chicken instead of honey seared. The staff is generally very nice, quick, and good customer service. Don't come here looking to replace your favorite type of food. Don't come here looking to replace your favorite authentic Chinese food. Don't come here looking for a real restaurant experience. Do come here for fresh American versions of Chinese food.
(5)
Ebony K.
I swear I wrote a review about this place. At any rate a nice place to go for a quick bite to eat. The have customized my lettuce wraps each time because I don't want all the sodium that is added (makes them very salty). I have been more times than I have checked in.and I will keep coming back.
(4)
Katie D.
Great service, fast and healthy options. I thought the menu was difficult to figure out and there was a group ahead of us that let us go ahead because they couldn't figure it out. Or food was all extremely hot, I'm happy it was fresh, but we had to wait a good 10 minutes before we could enjoy. Staff was very friendly and efficient.
(4)
Brent K.
Restaurant is dirty and the management is terrible. Ordered Kung Pao Shrimp, they brought over fried/ breaded shrimp. Asked to see the manager - he came over and said he had no idea what this was. Thinking he was going to take it back to the kitchen and fix, he said not much I can do about it. Went on Sunday April 12 at 730 PM. Restaurant was 25% full and it took a kitchen of 7 cooks 25 minutes to send out the worst meal. Tried to give this place another chance after my card info was hacked from Pei Wei / this location. What a a waste of money and time. Pei Wei quality and services has went down over the years. This place use to be a a high 4, now it isn't even a one star restaurant. Any cheap $4.99 chinese buffet is now better than this restaurant.
(1)
Shawn L.
I must start this by saying I have been a long time customer and fan of Pei Wei. However, tonight this location has failed yet again and you have lost my business for good. Appearance and cleanliness 1 star This place is DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY... No care to the outside of the property or inside. Outside you have grease and food trails all the way to the dumpster which is open and in full view of the front door.. might consider trying to hide the garbage and buy a pressure washer or hire a weekly service. Just gross! Inside the floors were covered in rice and food all over. Worn decor the has this location screaming I'm in need of some maintenance and remodeling. Even the bricks behind the wok stations were dirty and stainless steel racks above where they are cooking your meals were cover in old dryer food! GROSS! This isn't the reason for the overall 1 star. Food 4stars. Service 1 star This is the only reason Pei Wei has my business. Food is great. When they don't mess up your order. Out of the last 6 visits, 3 of those times the order was incorrect. All To Go orders both placed in person and phone. You've proven that it doesn't matter. This location just does not have a good quality control. Tonight your manager comes out to us as we were waiting for our TO GO order, an apologizes that the kitchen made the order wrong and it was being remade. I was great...yet again another bad experience, to try to make it right she did give us $20 gift card. Where this manager failed is my order when I pulled it out of the bag at home ...WAS WRONG! YES, all that extra wait and I still had to call and eat a meal I did not order, WTF! How does this happen, receipt clearly states shrimp and steak. No shrimp whatsoever that I paid extra for. If you do not fix this locations problems, I see it closing. I spoke w my neighbors and they said they don't eat there either because of similar experiences. Such a shame. Owners/Corporate needs to get out of their offices and see the issues the hired help from the Management on down has been neglecting.
(1)
Mark R.
Pei Wei is always a great option when you are wanting some really flavorful Americanized Asian food and still want to eat healthy. It is basically a fast food version it's parent company P.F. Chang's and they do a great job of it. Really like they way the menu is setup. You can pick your meats and the style of cooking as well as a tasty sauce to go with it. We have been here several times and always enjoy trying out the different specials that they are running. All the cooking is done right in front of you in the open kitchen. It is fun to hear the sizzling of the meals as they are preparing them to perfection. Inside is also very casual and you can sit wherever you want. They even have a fun patio outside for when the weather is permitting. We have tried most of the items that they serve and have not found one yet that we do not like. I usually go extra spicy with brown rice and then docter it up with more chili sauce to get my groove going. My wife likes to keep it a bit cooler and has a tendency to go on the mild side. Service is alway very fast and friendly and the plates come out at lighting speed. Normally come here right before grocery shopping to avoid buying more food than we need. I'm getting hungry just writing this review. Honey ... what do you want for dinner? Just might be time for some more Pei Wei. ORDER UP! 4.25 STARS
(4)
Jessica S.
Always have great service. They never have a problem making my gluten free order. Comes out perfect every time. Always pick it up to go.
(4)
Sam S.
We get gift cards to this spot from the in laws so we eat here if we want take out or need to go to sprouts at night after work. The service here is friendly and there can be a slight wait at times. I try to get something different each time but it all kind of tastes the same: sweet sauce with different stir fry veggies over rice or noodles. The spicy chicken salad is yummy but since I always get my protein steamed instead of deep fried the salad isn't as good! My hunny likes to get the pei wei extra spicy shrimp with noodles. I love the crab wontons (of course fried)! A decent spot if you're in a hurry or have a gift card!
(3)
Isabella A.
First off let me start off by saying I L-O-V-E Pei Wei. I eat there at least twice a month. I've gone to this location several times, and each time is simply a disaster. When I go out to eat I expect what I pay for and that's quality food as well as service. Before I go any further I would like to say the food is great! always hot and ready and sometimes even before the initial pick up time. What is so disappointing is every time without fail my order in some way some how my order is messed up. My order is only for two people MAX. Which I don't find too hard to execute. Maybe its the person taking the orders? Maybe its the Take Out system? Maybe a simple chicken over fried rice is too complicated? What ever the problem is I hope its fixed.
(3)
Victoria S.
I had coupons and got a spicy Korean tofu and gluten free sweet and sour chicken, edamame, and a small fried rice all for $10.26. I just love how Pei Wei offers such great deals and I am always happy with the food and service tops! Eat Here!
(5)
Jeremiah S.
This place is another anti-gun, anti 2nd Amendment Rights, anti Personal protection, anti American place to eat. On the rare occasion when my wife wants to eat at a anti American place it will be only once. I never return to a place that I have to set aside my personal protection and they have none. Now onto the food. We tried to massive disappointment the pot stickers. Extremely over fried and stale tasting. Worst we have ever eaten. I had the Kung Pou Shrimp with brown rice. Spicey but not overpowering. Still very flavorful, tastey, and one of the best versions I have had in a very long time. Excellent with the brown rice. My wife had the Honey Chicken. She loved the flavors. Sweet but not overly. You can still enjoy it without being in a sugar shock as many place do. On her dish she went with a small. It would have been nice to know that a small is a child's size plate. Expecially after we were asked if we had been there before and said no. Overall it is a very good place that will be added to the many Anti-Gun establishments that many of us will never visit again. Take down the small anti-gun sign.
(1)
Ginger O.
Used to like this place. It's been a while since I've been there and after tonight, don't think I'll be going back again. The plates are smaller, the portions are smaller, nothing is spicy anymore. It's all sweet. Even the pei wei spicy is a sweet dish. And the chicken used to be substantial chunks of chicken. Now it's mostly just fried batter covered on a sweet sauce. Hardly any chicken at all.
(2)
Mike W.
I've never been a fan of this place. There is something about the food that just doesn't do it for me. The crispy potstickers were kind of disappointing. They were too crisp but maybe that's a bias opinion since I love steamed dumplings much better. You get a choice of small or regular size for your meal. I chose regular and I must say, it was more than enough. I got a lunch the next day out of it. My pictures are both regular size meals and the crispy dumplings. They have that fancy fountain drink dispenser that is all electronic. You get to choose from many different drinks and even mix them if you like. For two regular meals, appetizer and one drink, the cost was around $28. The food was just okay but it was fast and enough to fill your belly.
(2)
Laura C.
Yuck. Greasy and gross. I ordered the lettuce wraps and was blown away by the amount of grease on my plate so I ate a protein bar that I had in my purse.
(1)
Angie A.
I have been coming to this location for years. They are inconsistent. At first we would only occasionally have a bad experience but over time it has become more bad than good. Every so often we try to give the place another chance but the lettuce wraps we order include extra grease and shards of lettuce and the pei wei spicy is not so hot. I once loved this place but its just not performing how it used to.
(2)
Tina T.
Consistently good, quality food at an affordable price. Easy to order and especially take out. Great for kids and they alway offer coupons or discounts, what a way to treat loyal customers. It's packed all the time so I know I'm not a lone fan. I wish they had egg drop soup though...
(4)
Lizeth M.
This was my very first time to a Pei Wei, I was excited to try them out. The wonderful and strong smells that wrap around your nose as soon as you step in to the place, cause some form of excitement in your stomach for the food that awaits. But, in all honesty Pei Wei left me wanting more, more flavors, more spices, and better textures. It was not as good as I had expected it to be, and I had high hopes for it, since my former co-worker had been raving on how good the food was from this place. I will tell you that the lettuce wraps were good, and I think the best thing I had from them that day, I also had some of the spicy orange chicken and that lacked flavor and chicken, It felt like I was eating a ball of dough, covered with sauce and with the minimal amount of chicken on it, and the pork egg roll, was not that tasty neither was the fried rice. I know others may love it, but It was simply not for me! Thanks anyways, it's not you Pei, It's me!! :)
(2)
Marty N.
I'm over Pei Wei. The food is consistently mediocre and the service is lackluster to say the least. This particular location has always had issues for me. Today when we arrived the young woman behind the counter chewed on her nails as she took our order. The other young lady behind the counter taking orders was totally rude to the group ordering after us. I won't be back to this or any Pei Wei... GRRRROSS!
Sadly a favorite place checked off the list. Have been coming to this location for many years, always consistent, always good. Today I learned that they have changed their portion size, I got the large (before there was never a choice) but it appeared that label was referring to the size of the undercooked brown rice which was crunchy. I have always been willing to pay a little bit of a premium at Pei Wei knowing I was getting a good serving and never left hungry. Now I find myself thinking what we will have for dinner and I am still at lunch. Not a bad experience, but a HUGE fall from the restaurant I really enjoyed.
(3)
Erica S.
Ordered a soft drink with my meal to go and they did not have lids. I asked for a refund since my to go beverage would not have a lid and it took a half hour to give me a refund.
(1)
Megan K.
I love Pei Wei! Love it. I always have pleasant interactions with the employees. I usually get my food to go. They know me. They are fast and my order is always correct. However, this last time I ordered online I went in to pay and the girl behind the counter was beyond rude. It was as if she couldn't be bothered to ring me up. She didn't ask what condiments I wanted. I get the salad, I add another dressing to it. It wasn't busy at all. She acted very snotty and wouldn't even make eye contact with me. As if i was putting her out. She had the eye roll and all. I went in there in a good mood. Told her I had a pick up order and my name after she asked me and her attitude was enough to keep me away. I go to Pei Wei about every 2 weeks. It has been over 2 months now, all because of the cashier rung me up. Either fix her attitude or put someone else who is friendly up there.
(3)
Carmelo W.
Ordered online for pickup, set the time, got there a minute early. Boom, food was ready. Drove home, food was all there and hot! I can't ask for more than that.
(5)
Andrew W.
I know it isn't trendy to like chain restaurants, but I have to say Pei Wei almost always delivers. I love the convenience of ordering online for in-store pickup (like most millenials, I would rather shoot myself in the testicles than pick up the phone and talk to a real person). There is great variety and originality in the menu, and they really let you customize the heck out of your meal. Go eat here. Now.
(4)
Ashley A.
The staff is very attentive. My man - V is not a fan of onions and they came to the table to double check the order. He ordered the teriyaki with no scallions but did not mention that he would also like no onions. They were kind enough to ask about the onions since he said no scallions. Good thing because I love onions and would have been good with less. After we received our meal he wanted some more teriyaki sauce. They were nice enough to bring it out shortly after it was requested. Overall experience was enjoyable.
(5)
Amy R.
Can't go wrong with pei Wei! Great location for dining in or sitting on the patio when az weather permits. Right now they have a special menu, I tried the Thai chicken lettuce wraps and they are amazing! I hope they add this as a permanent item to their menu. They also have 2 saved convenient parking spots in case you are doing pick up you can be in and out quickly
(4)
Terry S.
Yet another example of a restaurant chain that has been crapped out of the back end of corporate America. I went to this place because a couple of friends... preppy white boring friends... recommended it. I should have known I would hate it. First, I walk in thinking it would at least be sit down, but no... it's a fast food. You have to go to the counter. I guess the new terminology that folks are using in order to convince white yuppies with money is 'fast casual.' Not fast food - fast casual. I guess the difference is that they bring the food to your table. Well, isn't that a fancy cup of hot tea. And then there's the menu, which bring up the question. What do you get when you cross a Panda Express with another Panda Express? You get this craphole called Pei Wei, at twice the price. And how do you pronounce it? PeeWee? Is that supposed to be cute? Hello Kitty, meet average corporate Asian dump. But what bugs me the most is I saw what type of clientele this place attracted. The same folks who would scream at forking over an extra buck at a locally owned Asian restaurant are giving away the bank for bland, typical, run of the mill food that you could find at your local Dennys. White people just piss me off... and I can say that because I'm white. You didn't see Asians in there. You didn't see any Latinos, and you certainly didn't see any Black folk. All you saw were a bunch of white preptards that would fit in nicely at a Jeff Foxworthy concert. "You know your a redneck when... you eat at Pei Wei Asian dinner and you really think you are getting a taste of real Asian culture. Hell yeah!" I know how you are, thinking that you are going to teach your kids what real Asians eat and in a environment that is true to the Asian culture and you'll show your little snot head kids how to eat with chopsticks so they can learn to become the brain dead pretentious adults that their parents have become but in fact they know just as much about true culture as a plastic fork. Well, that's how I saw the whole thing. Parking was good.
(1)
Vegegirly K.
The smells of Pei Wei always tempt me whether I am shopping for groceries at Sprouts or when I used to work out at the hell hole called LA Fitness. They have some seriously tempting aromas permeating... I have always had lukewarm experiences at Pei Wei. Some better than others. They have some standard noodle dishes. Nothing to write home about but satisfying nonetheless. The last time I went I was excited because I saw advertised that they now sell lettuce wraps. I was thinking if they are anything like the more upscale and much tastier brother restaurant PF Changs lettuce wraps then I was in for a treat. But... No vegetarian lettuce wraps. Boo! Hiss! Just chicken and beef. How easy would it be to chop up some tofu, give it the same basic seasoning, and serve it up with some iceberg? SIgh. I noticed they have a coconut curry dish. Hmmm... I like coconut curry. Should be good, right? Big mistake vegegirly. I should know better. I am spoiled by authentic hole in the wall Thai restaurants nearby me. So I order up coconut curry with tofu and veggies with noodles instead of rice. Bland. Bland. Bland. Yes it has a bit of a dull spicy kick to it. But it lacks the depth of flavor that a GOOD coconut curry should have. Noodles had an unpleasant texture. I tasted some noodles from my husbands chicken teriyaki. Good flavor. Should have gotten that. Bottom line? Stick to the basics if you are ordering food here.
(3)
Paula L.
I've been to the one in Chicago a couple of times and didn't write a great review. This location is actually pretty good. We started out with egg rolls, sesame chicken and mandarian beef (I think). The chicken was good, not overly salty like what I'm used to. The beef was a little tough and chewy. It's close to our home so I'm sure we'll go again when we don't feel like cooking. We went at 5:30 on Sunday evening and it was packed for both take out and dining in. Be prepared to wait for a little while. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.
(3)
Matthew U.
Yum! Pei Wei has delicious Asian meals on the cheap. The atmosphere is also very nice, with well-thought-out lighting and digital menus that are easy to read. The rice dishes feature massive portions of food. Even when the place is packed (which it often is!) food is made quickly and is always steaming hot. My only complaint would be that the prices have gone up by about $1 since I started going to this location last June, which is my only reason to deduct a star. Great location and nice outdoor seating make this place even better. Even though prices are similar, I find Pei Wei to be a step above Panda Express as the selection is larger and the food tastes fresher (probably because they haven't been sitting in a wok for hours). Go check it out! I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
(4)
Mary K.
For meat eaters: 4 stars For vegetarians : 0 stars Okay. I used to love pei wei, when I was a meat eater. The one problem is that their sauces are incredibly salty (not just high in sodium but ridiculously salty tasting). However they are very accomodating with special requests so I forgive them on that part. I also loved their chopped chicken salad, and highly recommend that to meat eaters. When you order to go, they actually have someone double check to make sure that what youre getting in the bag is what you actually ordered. 99% of the time, this accuracy check works. So if you eat meat, I highly recommend Pei Wei. And I recommend their To Go service. It is fast and efficient. You can order online as well, and there are plenty of special request options online. However once I went vegetarian...options were not abound. Oh, yes, they have tofu, that's nice....I thought. So I ordered my meal with tofu instead of meat. The taste and texture of their tofu (yes Ive had tofu before and generally have a great relationship with it) SERIOUSLY nauseated me. I took the rest home thinking somebody else might make some use of it. They opened up the to-go box to look at what I had brought home and just LOOKING at that tofu I had eaten made me nauseous all over again. I had to lay down. I was sick the rest of the night, it was that disgusting. Thinking of it now makes me queasy even. I would stick to brown rice and veggies if you are a vegetarian eating at pei wei.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Drive-Thru : No Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Ryan C.
The _Sliding Scale of Value_ comes into play here. "Confucious say: He who eat at chain store often Pei Wei too much." *** Sure the ingredients are fresher but if the pei wei chicken has the exact same flavor profile as the orange chicken at Panda, why pay twice as much? What looks like a lot of variety, really isn't. I felt that they could do a little more with veggies, I mean, almost every dish has snow peas and carrot disks and green onion/scallion. Not very creative at all. The digs provide a nice atmosphere, and bussers were keeping the lunch rush mess in check, mostly. I have a problem with their method of putting a stack of small plates and napkins on all the empty tables. It only seems nice and convenient to have if you want to grab and use them, but they don't clear the unused away when bussing, so who's to say the previous diners at that table didn't touch or sneeze all over them. GROSS! and maybe even a health violation, or at least it should be, in my eyes. I'll go back and try other dishes, but only when I'm sick of everything else near by. Pink Pepper is right across the parking lot, after all. yelp.com/biz/pink-pepper… ***If you like Pei Wei, but would prefer to patronize a locally owned, independent, surprisingly similar equivalent to this popular chain, checking out Moto Sushi is a MUST. yelp.com/biz/moto-sushi-… The owner once had custom fortune cookies printed up, and one of them said, "Confucious say: He who eat at chain store often Pei Wei too much."
(3)Jodi J.
Disappointment! I have been a huge fan and loyal patron of Pei Wei since they came to the valley. We don't go as much as we used to, but a few weeks ago we ordered take-out. I asked if they would include both a mild and a hot sauce for the lettuce wraps and I customized a kids meal. When Dave brought our food home the first thing we noticed was 2 fortune cookies for three meals. Ok, maybe I shouldn't complain...but come on! Then the kids meal had barely any meat, another disappointment. First, I dove into the lettuce wraps, which they only provided one sauce - not the two they said they would provide. However; the worst part was my meal, I had the Mongolian beef...a dish I usually crave from them, but my meal was so salty I couldn't even eat it! It was absolutely horrible! Again, very little meat in the dish. Sorry, but I think you lost a customer over this meal!
(1)hiroko i.
I give one star for cool soda dispenser. We could not finish our meals. Chewy beef,Salty fried rice,too dry white rice, We do not have iron stomach to digest their food.
(1)Chris A.
What's all the fuss? I'm not sure what folks compare this chain too? The Dead Duck Inn? Joe's local Chinese Gag house? Are those places that great? Sooo fresh and delicious!? Not in my days? Pre-made sitting around and HEAVY oil is what I see from most other establishments. Even those touted by friends. Maybe it's because they know George from behind the counter. It's not Pei Wei! Pei Wei is a quick, fresh and inexpensive gift from heaven. Even the hard to please Yelper has to admit, the multiple options you have to modify your meal should give you no excuse not to love what you order. The food is fresh and prepared to order. Even fried rice is made to order. The sauces are made from scratch and are a combination of quality Chinese ingredients. (Chili paste, fresh garlic, scallions, bean curd, and a bounty of fresh Chinese vegetables). Go Yon China will serve you pre-made sauces with no punch and lots of giggle. The atmosphere at Pei Wei is great! Black and dark red with glossy graphics and all sorts of Chinese! Even with the "stand in line" style of dining. Makes me hungry just thinkin' about the joint. However, to me it's a take out Ferrari! Call in, swipe my card and off I go. Sure, it's not Chang's. Still, it's better than the local Dead Duck Inn's "food" stained art, with a Chinese New Year paper place mat. Of course! I'm looking at the healthier options a Chinese food place may have to offer, and Pei Wei lifts the bar in multiple sets! Get your chicken steamed, go brown rice, add extra vegetables or go vegetarian. Still you may complain..."Oh, is it too salty? Or too sweet?" Give me a break. This is CHINESE FOOD! And, you won't find MSG. So, if you don't want spicy, salty or sweet; have a meal from Bland of the Rising Sun. But, if you want a highly under rated treat...I ask you to open your mind to this familiar spot for clean, fresh, made to order and "if you like" healthy Chinese food!
(5)Nathan M.
Pei Wei is always busy, that's gotta mean something right? Wrong. There are restaurants that serve billions yet all they serve is a gross mystery. Pei Wei is no mystery though, the food is cooked in an open air kitchen. Even so, if there were such a thing as Asian fast food, Pei Wei would be cleaner version of it. Most Pei Wei's are situated in pompous locations where ever there is an AJ Fine Foods, but atleast they aren't located in the ghetto. As far as the food goes, it is about as Americanized as you can get. So if you live in America and have American taste buds, it will appeal to you. Unfortunately if you want authentic Asian food you won't find it at Pei Wei. I don't understand why they even bother to put chopsticks on the table, the rice isn't even sticky enough to pick it up with. They are for decoration. They are part of the 'fake' Asian dining experience. Apparently, Pei Wei serves food "manadrian style" from Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and China. In the words of Bill Lumbergh, "Ooo.. yeahh.. I'm just not sure about that." Having traveled to China I can honestly tell you that Chinese food is different. Apart from the rice, the food lacks vegetable oil and garlic. In China those two ingrediants are used in many dishes and Pei Wei lacks them. When I first started visiting Pei Wei I ordered the Sweet and Sour, but I got sick of it. Sometimes the meat would be tough, sometimes the chicken would clump together all nastily. What I get now-a-days and what I got on this particular day was Mandarin Kung Pao. Even though the dish is spicy, that doesn't mean it has to be dry - and it was. What it was missing was some catalyst to bring out the spicy flavors and make them more vibrant. The dishes at Pei Wei are family style meaning they are meant to be shared with several people. A dish and a drink will end up costing you about $10. If each person gets one dish, that's a lot of food, probably enough to feed a small village in Africa somewhere. It would be nice if they served each dish in two styles, family and single, large and small. Family style is great if you always visit Pei Wei with your family. But if you are out for lunch with people from work you might not want to share your food with your co-workers. They aren't your family. You don't know them. Pei Wei is a modern Asian diner that is probably better than most of the mom and pop Asian diners out there, even if most of the food is cooked by Mexi-- I mean Asians.
(3)Sarah B.
Food was incredibly fresh! Service was excellent even though we stopped in on a holiday night . Management took the time to personally explain menu options to us and check on us after our food arrived. Thank you Ron, what a fun expected Friday night at Pei Wei!
(4)Thomas L.
Pei Wei, it seems this location is always a hit or miss. There are times when we get it to go, the food is hot and tastes great, while other times the food is salty and tastes like crap. I really don't know what this place is so inconsistent. Whenever my lady wants a quick chinese fix, we mostly go to Noodles and Rice or Nee House, but there is times she wants Pei Wei specifically! She likes their King Pao Chicken and the beef and broccoli. I mostly get the lettuce wraps and a noodle dish. I do like their Dan Dan noodles and Lo Mein, but i don't care for their Pad Thai. The most recent experience we picked up some food to go. The food was really salty and the next morning, my lady couldn't even fit her ring on her finger cause her hand had swollen from all the salt she ingested last night. I don't know why Pei Wei cooks with so much salt or MSG. Overall we enjoy Pei Wei and unfortunately this is the only location that is close to us. I may have to venture out and try a new location. It seems a lot of people on Yelp experience the same problem with the locations.
(3)Tori V.
I love Pei Wei, but every time I go to this location my food is over cooked. In addition, the staff is rude. I will definitely not be coming back to this location.
(2)Heather W.
Quick service and they have vegetarian options, which are few and far between here in Phoenix
(4)Nina P.
One of my favorite places to eat at! I don't really care for the "so-called" spring rolls or the salads that they serve on their menu. I do however have a liking for their thai basil chicken with white rice! Yum... Good service, good food and good price. Beware, it can get really busy and loud during dinner time so good luck trying to hear yourself talk.
(5)Tonya M.
I've never seen it as busy as it was last night. 7:00 on a Sunday and it was packed, 30 min wait just for some lettuce wraps to-go. We dine here about 3 times a month and *knock on wood* it's always been great. I've never had a bad meal, my order is always correct. I never get home and realize they forgot a sauce or gave me the wrong food. I'm impressed.
(5)Laura B.
Love it. I get my Pad Thai dinner takeout fix a few times a week here. I have to say their to-go packing accuracy is 100%- which is often a rarity when ordering complex or specialty items at other fast casual establishments. Thanks team!
(5)Scott R.
As my previous reviews should show. Pei Wei is one of my favorite places but today you let me down and did not meet the expectations! $88.00 order of to go food! When the person who took my order gave us the food I asked?! Is all the sauces in the bag! YES SIR! No not in the bag! Three mustards. And one lettuce wrap sauce. This is doing a half ass job! Step up and make this right!
(1)Bob K.
Went here for lunch. The service was great and food came out fast and hot. I got my usual honey seared chicken. It did not taste as it usually does. It wasn't as sweet as it should be. One soap dispenser was out of soap. Overall, it was good and quick. I would go back.
(4)Fiona F.
Have always been a big fan of pei Wei till recently. Today they gave me the wrong order and when I returned to have it corrected, Jessica, the manager tried to tell me that it wasn't until I showed her the receipt and she rushed to correct it. As well as my husband just pulled a 6 inch strand of plastic wrap out of his fried rice it's safe to say I will not be returning to this location.
(1)C E.
Normally would give 5 stars but my experience today sucked. They were out of a ton of flavors on both coke machines, and food was mediocre. Dont get the classic lettuce wraps. Get them from cheesecake factory or pf changs. The diced chicken ruined it. Too salty, wouldve been better with with a sweet chili dipping sauce. There were no water chestnuts as advertised. My boyfriends teriyaki chicken also came out with the wrong vegatables. These cooks seem to put on their own style (aka whatever they feel like putting on it). Strange. I will stick to what I know is good next time. Unusual experience, pei wei is usually on point and extremely tasty and fresh, especially for the price.
(3)sophia b.
okay so this review is a little biased. The first time i went here was with my (now) x-husband, and he happened to be break out the "I want a divorce" while we were eating. I really do like the food here, and it's an excellent place to go for a lunch break, or with your family (getting all choked up) I love spicy food...
(3)Michael P.
Lunch at Pei Wei is basically a done deal. Food is consistently fast and good. The staff was very accommodating, basically creating a new dish that my son would eat, but giving us the child's price still. Can't go wrong here.
(4)Bryan B.
The wife and I have been to this location literally dozens of times since they've opened. We've eaten in, we've taken out. This time, since an errand called us away during dinner prep time, we called the order in on the way back. Got there about 10-15 minutes after we called the order in, and it was ready to go for us right when we arrived. There was a slight snafu in paying...I have a PF Chang 'Emperor's Card' which gives the holder 10% off at PF Chang...we had also been told that it was good at Pei Wei. Apparently it is not accepted there. Which isn't that much of a problem...expect that it took 5-10 minutes for them to figure it out. The person helping me called another store (or someone) to verify and before she did I told her that it wasn't a big deal, I didn't want to have to wait 5-10 minutes just for $1-$2. She assured me it would be quick...but to me it wasn't. Not a huge deal, but definitely not optimal. Got home with the food, lettuce wraps and honey seared chicken with brown rice is a perfect sized meal for the two of us, and usually we have some leftovers. Everything was good, as per usual, though they never pack enough lettuce cups, that is kind of annoying. Solid four stars for Pei Wei, the food is always delicious, the service is always good (even with the wait this time, it was still good service and friendly). Definitely will be back.
(4)Fairbi K.
I have been sick for over a week now & was not in the mood to cook last night so I placed an online order & had my hubby go pick it up. I got our usuals; edamame, pork egg rolls & honey seared chicken with white rice. New items we tried were; crispy potsickers, mandarin kung pao chicken (mild) with fried rice & a cookie (they didn't run out this time!). The reason I dropped a star was because I gave my hubby that $10 gc that I had received about a month ago & they told him he couldn't use it. WTF, why not?! He said they didn't give him an explanation & I'm sure he was just in a hurry to get out of there. Next time I'll go pick it up myself & if I am able to use it, I'll give them back their star. If I'm not able to again, then idk if I'll be back...
(3)Dave M.
Brought my kids for the first time to Pei Wei here on Bell Fountain shopping area. My son gobbled up the Lo Mein and dumplings. I was happy with the Pad Thai. I said hi to the manager and my son made a big deal about loving the food, and the manager popped me a $10 gift card for our next visit! Sweet. So we went back a week later, and enjoyed it even more. Soon to be a mainstay for the Murrow kids, no doubt. The cafeteria style ordering works for busy families too. Beer & wine available too.
(4)Jeffrey S.
It's Pei Wei. The service and food are always satisfactory.
(3)Karen T.
I have been back again and again, they are still awesome. Every time I go or call in an order I vow I'm going to try something different and every time I order the same thing. One day, I'll try something other than the Pei Wei Spicy Chicken. Their take out is very well run, they know who I am when I call and they even know what I want, it's always ready when they say it will be and it's always hot when I get it home. That said, eating in is always best, not sure why but the food just tastes better on a plate than it does from the plastic container.
(4)David C.
My wife and I are big fans of the Pei Wei chain. We are semi-regulars at the location at the District at Tustin Legacy in Irvine, California and love it. We were on a weekend trip to watch Spring Training Games in Arizona and this location was very close to the hotel we were staying at. The restaurant is starting to show its wear and age. It appears to be an older shop in the chain. Things started off on the wrong foot with the gentleman that took our order. We asked for our usual order of Lo Mein with Beef and Kung Pao Shrimp and a side order of Pot Stickers. Our order taker added extra shrimp to our Lo Mein instead of the Kung Pao Shrimp that we had ordered, so we only had one item for a family of four. Once the food came out, it was very evident that the quality was not what we were accustomed to from our usual location. The beef was a bit fattier, and the overall dish was much greasier than we were accustomed. The potstickers were seriously over cooked were dry and had very bad flavor. We then waited for a while for our Kung Pao that never came. Once we figured out that there had been a mistake on the order, I went over to the front desk and brought it to their attention. The manager recognized the mistake and to her credit said that she would handle it. I offered to pay since I recognize that the order taker may not have heard me since it was very loud in the restaurant. However the manager made our food and delivered it to us at no additional charge. That was very good in my book. The kung pao shrimp was definitely much better than the other two items that we had. While I like Pei Wei very much the food at this location was not up to the standard that we are used to from this chain.
(2)Calixthe B.
I was so excited to finally taste Pei Wei! Unfortunately it made me so sick, I was neither able to finish my meal and had to trash my leftovers. Unless you have an iron stomach, they should serve their food with a complimentary roll of toilet paper! You've been warned!
(1)Irina H.
Good food at a great price. My husband and I split shrimp with brown rice in a honey glaze. We added some veggies and asked to have it all steamed. It came out yummy and plentiful for less than $12! We'll be back.
(3)Daren C.
We absolutely love this place. We generally order the same thing every time. .spicy chicken brown rice .chicken fried rice .honey seared chicken for the kids Today we did sweet and sour chicken instead of honey seared. The staff is generally very nice, quick, and good customer service. Don't come here looking to replace your favorite type of food. Don't come here looking to replace your favorite authentic Chinese food. Don't come here looking for a real restaurant experience. Do come here for fresh American versions of Chinese food.
(5)Ebony K.
I swear I wrote a review about this place. At any rate a nice place to go for a quick bite to eat. The have customized my lettuce wraps each time because I don't want all the sodium that is added (makes them very salty). I have been more times than I have checked in.and I will keep coming back.
(4)Katie D.
Great service, fast and healthy options. I thought the menu was difficult to figure out and there was a group ahead of us that let us go ahead because they couldn't figure it out. Or food was all extremely hot, I'm happy it was fresh, but we had to wait a good 10 minutes before we could enjoy. Staff was very friendly and efficient.
(4)Brent K.
Restaurant is dirty and the management is terrible. Ordered Kung Pao Shrimp, they brought over fried/ breaded shrimp. Asked to see the manager - he came over and said he had no idea what this was. Thinking he was going to take it back to the kitchen and fix, he said not much I can do about it. Went on Sunday April 12 at 730 PM. Restaurant was 25% full and it took a kitchen of 7 cooks 25 minutes to send out the worst meal. Tried to give this place another chance after my card info was hacked from Pei Wei / this location. What a a waste of money and time. Pei Wei quality and services has went down over the years. This place use to be a a high 4, now it isn't even a one star restaurant. Any cheap $4.99 chinese buffet is now better than this restaurant.
(1)Shawn L.
I must start this by saying I have been a long time customer and fan of Pei Wei. However, tonight this location has failed yet again and you have lost my business for good. Appearance and cleanliness 1 star This place is DIRTY DIRTY DIRTY... No care to the outside of the property or inside. Outside you have grease and food trails all the way to the dumpster which is open and in full view of the front door.. might consider trying to hide the garbage and buy a pressure washer or hire a weekly service. Just gross! Inside the floors were covered in rice and food all over. Worn decor the has this location screaming I'm in need of some maintenance and remodeling. Even the bricks behind the wok stations were dirty and stainless steel racks above where they are cooking your meals were cover in old dryer food! GROSS! This isn't the reason for the overall 1 star. Food 4stars. Service 1 star This is the only reason Pei Wei has my business. Food is great. When they don't mess up your order. Out of the last 6 visits, 3 of those times the order was incorrect. All To Go orders both placed in person and phone. You've proven that it doesn't matter. This location just does not have a good quality control. Tonight your manager comes out to us as we were waiting for our TO GO order, an apologizes that the kitchen made the order wrong and it was being remade. I was great...yet again another bad experience, to try to make it right she did give us $20 gift card. Where this manager failed is my order when I pulled it out of the bag at home ...WAS WRONG! YES, all that extra wait and I still had to call and eat a meal I did not order, WTF! How does this happen, receipt clearly states shrimp and steak. No shrimp whatsoever that I paid extra for. If you do not fix this locations problems, I see it closing. I spoke w my neighbors and they said they don't eat there either because of similar experiences. Such a shame. Owners/Corporate needs to get out of their offices and see the issues the hired help from the Management on down has been neglecting.
(1)Mark R.
Pei Wei is always a great option when you are wanting some really flavorful Americanized Asian food and still want to eat healthy. It is basically a fast food version it's parent company P.F. Chang's and they do a great job of it. Really like they way the menu is setup. You can pick your meats and the style of cooking as well as a tasty sauce to go with it. We have been here several times and always enjoy trying out the different specials that they are running. All the cooking is done right in front of you in the open kitchen. It is fun to hear the sizzling of the meals as they are preparing them to perfection. Inside is also very casual and you can sit wherever you want. They even have a fun patio outside for when the weather is permitting. We have tried most of the items that they serve and have not found one yet that we do not like. I usually go extra spicy with brown rice and then docter it up with more chili sauce to get my groove going. My wife likes to keep it a bit cooler and has a tendency to go on the mild side. Service is alway very fast and friendly and the plates come out at lighting speed. Normally come here right before grocery shopping to avoid buying more food than we need. I'm getting hungry just writing this review. Honey ... what do you want for dinner? Just might be time for some more Pei Wei. ORDER UP! 4.25 STARS
(4)Jessica S.
Always have great service. They never have a problem making my gluten free order. Comes out perfect every time. Always pick it up to go.
(4)Sam S.
We get gift cards to this spot from the in laws so we eat here if we want take out or need to go to sprouts at night after work. The service here is friendly and there can be a slight wait at times. I try to get something different each time but it all kind of tastes the same: sweet sauce with different stir fry veggies over rice or noodles. The spicy chicken salad is yummy but since I always get my protein steamed instead of deep fried the salad isn't as good! My hunny likes to get the pei wei extra spicy shrimp with noodles. I love the crab wontons (of course fried)! A decent spot if you're in a hurry or have a gift card!
(3)Isabella A.
First off let me start off by saying I L-O-V-E Pei Wei. I eat there at least twice a month. I've gone to this location several times, and each time is simply a disaster. When I go out to eat I expect what I pay for and that's quality food as well as service. Before I go any further I would like to say the food is great! always hot and ready and sometimes even before the initial pick up time. What is so disappointing is every time without fail my order in some way some how my order is messed up. My order is only for two people MAX. Which I don't find too hard to execute. Maybe its the person taking the orders? Maybe its the Take Out system? Maybe a simple chicken over fried rice is too complicated? What ever the problem is I hope its fixed.
(3)Victoria S.
I had coupons and got a spicy Korean tofu and gluten free sweet and sour chicken, edamame, and a small fried rice all for $10.26. I just love how Pei Wei offers such great deals and I am always happy with the food and service tops! Eat Here!
(5)Jeremiah S.
This place is another anti-gun, anti 2nd Amendment Rights, anti Personal protection, anti American place to eat. On the rare occasion when my wife wants to eat at a anti American place it will be only once. I never return to a place that I have to set aside my personal protection and they have none. Now onto the food. We tried to massive disappointment the pot stickers. Extremely over fried and stale tasting. Worst we have ever eaten. I had the Kung Pou Shrimp with brown rice. Spicey but not overpowering. Still very flavorful, tastey, and one of the best versions I have had in a very long time. Excellent with the brown rice. My wife had the Honey Chicken. She loved the flavors. Sweet but not overly. You can still enjoy it without being in a sugar shock as many place do. On her dish she went with a small. It would have been nice to know that a small is a child's size plate. Expecially after we were asked if we had been there before and said no. Overall it is a very good place that will be added to the many Anti-Gun establishments that many of us will never visit again. Take down the small anti-gun sign.
(1)Ginger O.
Used to like this place. It's been a while since I've been there and after tonight, don't think I'll be going back again. The plates are smaller, the portions are smaller, nothing is spicy anymore. It's all sweet. Even the pei wei spicy is a sweet dish. And the chicken used to be substantial chunks of chicken. Now it's mostly just fried batter covered on a sweet sauce. Hardly any chicken at all.
(2)Mike W.
I've never been a fan of this place. There is something about the food that just doesn't do it for me. The crispy potstickers were kind of disappointing. They were too crisp but maybe that's a bias opinion since I love steamed dumplings much better. You get a choice of small or regular size for your meal. I chose regular and I must say, it was more than enough. I got a lunch the next day out of it. My pictures are both regular size meals and the crispy dumplings. They have that fancy fountain drink dispenser that is all electronic. You get to choose from many different drinks and even mix them if you like. For two regular meals, appetizer and one drink, the cost was around $28. The food was just okay but it was fast and enough to fill your belly.
(2)Laura C.
Yuck. Greasy and gross. I ordered the lettuce wraps and was blown away by the amount of grease on my plate so I ate a protein bar that I had in my purse.
(1)Angie A.
I have been coming to this location for years. They are inconsistent. At first we would only occasionally have a bad experience but over time it has become more bad than good. Every so often we try to give the place another chance but the lettuce wraps we order include extra grease and shards of lettuce and the pei wei spicy is not so hot. I once loved this place but its just not performing how it used to.
(2)Tina T.
Consistently good, quality food at an affordable price. Easy to order and especially take out. Great for kids and they alway offer coupons or discounts, what a way to treat loyal customers. It's packed all the time so I know I'm not a lone fan. I wish they had egg drop soup though...
(4)Lizeth M.
This was my very first time to a Pei Wei, I was excited to try them out. The wonderful and strong smells that wrap around your nose as soon as you step in to the place, cause some form of excitement in your stomach for the food that awaits. But, in all honesty Pei Wei left me wanting more, more flavors, more spices, and better textures. It was not as good as I had expected it to be, and I had high hopes for it, since my former co-worker had been raving on how good the food was from this place. I will tell you that the lettuce wraps were good, and I think the best thing I had from them that day, I also had some of the spicy orange chicken and that lacked flavor and chicken, It felt like I was eating a ball of dough, covered with sauce and with the minimal amount of chicken on it, and the pork egg roll, was not that tasty neither was the fried rice. I know others may love it, but It was simply not for me! Thanks anyways, it's not you Pei, It's me!! :)
(2)Marty N.
I'm over Pei Wei. The food is consistently mediocre and the service is lackluster to say the least. This particular location has always had issues for me. Today when we arrived the young woman behind the counter chewed on her nails as she took our order. The other young lady behind the counter taking orders was totally rude to the group ordering after us. I won't be back to this or any Pei Wei... GRRRROSS!
(2)Su-shien C.
I'm surprised by the low reviews for Pei Wei. I, frankly, like the food here and I love how they will customize your meal if you tell them to add or delete certain ingredients. And I've never had any problems getting my food in a timely manner. By chance, I discovered their edamame is out of this world! It's sautéed in sea salt and ginger and extremely tasty. I've tried to remake this at home but haven't quite gotten the flavor as good as theirs yet. The fact that this location is consistently busy attests to their philosophy of good food, quick, at reasonable prices. I also like how they try to change out their menus so that it's not the same items month after month, year after year. I've always loved their concept every since they opened and I hope they continue to thrive here and elsewhere in Phoenix!
(5)Dave C.
Sadly a favorite place checked off the list. Have been coming to this location for many years, always consistent, always good. Today I learned that they have changed their portion size, I got the large (before there was never a choice) but it appeared that label was referring to the size of the undercooked brown rice which was crunchy. I have always been willing to pay a little bit of a premium at Pei Wei knowing I was getting a good serving and never left hungry. Now I find myself thinking what we will have for dinner and I am still at lunch. Not a bad experience, but a HUGE fall from the restaurant I really enjoyed.
(3)Erica S.
Ordered a soft drink with my meal to go and they did not have lids. I asked for a refund since my to go beverage would not have a lid and it took a half hour to give me a refund.
(1)Megan K.
I love Pei Wei! Love it. I always have pleasant interactions with the employees. I usually get my food to go. They know me. They are fast and my order is always correct. However, this last time I ordered online I went in to pay and the girl behind the counter was beyond rude. It was as if she couldn't be bothered to ring me up. She didn't ask what condiments I wanted. I get the salad, I add another dressing to it. It wasn't busy at all. She acted very snotty and wouldn't even make eye contact with me. As if i was putting her out. She had the eye roll and all. I went in there in a good mood. Told her I had a pick up order and my name after she asked me and her attitude was enough to keep me away. I go to Pei Wei about every 2 weeks. It has been over 2 months now, all because of the cashier rung me up. Either fix her attitude or put someone else who is friendly up there.
(3)Carmelo W.
Ordered online for pickup, set the time, got there a minute early. Boom, food was ready. Drove home, food was all there and hot! I can't ask for more than that.
(5)Andrew W.
I know it isn't trendy to like chain restaurants, but I have to say Pei Wei almost always delivers. I love the convenience of ordering online for in-store pickup (like most millenials, I would rather shoot myself in the testicles than pick up the phone and talk to a real person). There is great variety and originality in the menu, and they really let you customize the heck out of your meal. Go eat here. Now.
(4)Ashley A.
The staff is very attentive. My man - V is not a fan of onions and they came to the table to double check the order. He ordered the teriyaki with no scallions but did not mention that he would also like no onions. They were kind enough to ask about the onions since he said no scallions. Good thing because I love onions and would have been good with less. After we received our meal he wanted some more teriyaki sauce. They were nice enough to bring it out shortly after it was requested. Overall experience was enjoyable.
(5)Amy R.
Can't go wrong with pei Wei! Great location for dining in or sitting on the patio when az weather permits. Right now they have a special menu, I tried the Thai chicken lettuce wraps and they are amazing! I hope they add this as a permanent item to their menu. They also have 2 saved convenient parking spots in case you are doing pick up you can be in and out quickly
(4)Terry S.
Yet another example of a restaurant chain that has been crapped out of the back end of corporate America. I went to this place because a couple of friends... preppy white boring friends... recommended it. I should have known I would hate it. First, I walk in thinking it would at least be sit down, but no... it's a fast food. You have to go to the counter. I guess the new terminology that folks are using in order to convince white yuppies with money is 'fast casual.' Not fast food - fast casual. I guess the difference is that they bring the food to your table. Well, isn't that a fancy cup of hot tea. And then there's the menu, which bring up the question. What do you get when you cross a Panda Express with another Panda Express? You get this craphole called Pei Wei, at twice the price. And how do you pronounce it? PeeWee? Is that supposed to be cute? Hello Kitty, meet average corporate Asian dump. But what bugs me the most is I saw what type of clientele this place attracted. The same folks who would scream at forking over an extra buck at a locally owned Asian restaurant are giving away the bank for bland, typical, run of the mill food that you could find at your local Dennys. White people just piss me off... and I can say that because I'm white. You didn't see Asians in there. You didn't see any Latinos, and you certainly didn't see any Black folk. All you saw were a bunch of white preptards that would fit in nicely at a Jeff Foxworthy concert. "You know your a redneck when... you eat at Pei Wei Asian dinner and you really think you are getting a taste of real Asian culture. Hell yeah!" I know how you are, thinking that you are going to teach your kids what real Asians eat and in a environment that is true to the Asian culture and you'll show your little snot head kids how to eat with chopsticks so they can learn to become the brain dead pretentious adults that their parents have become but in fact they know just as much about true culture as a plastic fork. Well, that's how I saw the whole thing. Parking was good.
(1)Vegegirly K.
The smells of Pei Wei always tempt me whether I am shopping for groceries at Sprouts or when I used to work out at the hell hole called LA Fitness. They have some seriously tempting aromas permeating... I have always had lukewarm experiences at Pei Wei. Some better than others. They have some standard noodle dishes. Nothing to write home about but satisfying nonetheless. The last time I went I was excited because I saw advertised that they now sell lettuce wraps. I was thinking if they are anything like the more upscale and much tastier brother restaurant PF Changs lettuce wraps then I was in for a treat. But... No vegetarian lettuce wraps. Boo! Hiss! Just chicken and beef. How easy would it be to chop up some tofu, give it the same basic seasoning, and serve it up with some iceberg? SIgh. I noticed they have a coconut curry dish. Hmmm... I like coconut curry. Should be good, right? Big mistake vegegirly. I should know better. I am spoiled by authentic hole in the wall Thai restaurants nearby me. So I order up coconut curry with tofu and veggies with noodles instead of rice. Bland. Bland. Bland. Yes it has a bit of a dull spicy kick to it. But it lacks the depth of flavor that a GOOD coconut curry should have. Noodles had an unpleasant texture. I tasted some noodles from my husbands chicken teriyaki. Good flavor. Should have gotten that. Bottom line? Stick to the basics if you are ordering food here.
(3)Paula L.
I've been to the one in Chicago a couple of times and didn't write a great review. This location is actually pretty good. We started out with egg rolls, sesame chicken and mandarian beef (I think). The chicken was good, not overly salty like what I'm used to. The beef was a little tough and chewy. It's close to our home so I'm sure we'll go again when we don't feel like cooking. We went at 5:30 on Sunday evening and it was packed for both take out and dining in. Be prepared to wait for a little while. The waitstaff was attentive and friendly.
(3)Matthew U.
Yum! Pei Wei has delicious Asian meals on the cheap. The atmosphere is also very nice, with well-thought-out lighting and digital menus that are easy to read. The rice dishes feature massive portions of food. Even when the place is packed (which it often is!) food is made quickly and is always steaming hot. My only complaint would be that the prices have gone up by about $1 since I started going to this location last June, which is my only reason to deduct a star. Great location and nice outdoor seating make this place even better. Even though prices are similar, I find Pei Wei to be a step above Panda Express as the selection is larger and the food tastes fresher (probably because they haven't been sitting in a wok for hours). Go check it out! I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
(4)Mary K.
For meat eaters: 4 stars For vegetarians : 0 stars Okay. I used to love pei wei, when I was a meat eater. The one problem is that their sauces are incredibly salty (not just high in sodium but ridiculously salty tasting). However they are very accomodating with special requests so I forgive them on that part. I also loved their chopped chicken salad, and highly recommend that to meat eaters. When you order to go, they actually have someone double check to make sure that what youre getting in the bag is what you actually ordered. 99% of the time, this accuracy check works. So if you eat meat, I highly recommend Pei Wei. And I recommend their To Go service. It is fast and efficient. You can order online as well, and there are plenty of special request options online. However once I went vegetarian...options were not abound. Oh, yes, they have tofu, that's nice....I thought. So I ordered my meal with tofu instead of meat. The taste and texture of their tofu (yes Ive had tofu before and generally have a great relationship with it) SERIOUSLY nauseated me. I took the rest home thinking somebody else might make some use of it. They opened up the to-go box to look at what I had brought home and just LOOKING at that tofu I had eaten made me nauseous all over again. I had to lay down. I was sick the rest of the night, it was that disgusting. Thinking of it now makes me queasy even. I would stick to brown rice and veggies if you are a vegetarian eating at pei wei.
(4)