Panda Express
2310 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Panda Express Menu
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Appetizers
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Beef & Pork
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Chicken
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Shrimp & Fish
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Vegetables
Healthy Meal suggestions for Panda Express
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Appetizers
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Beef & Pork
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Chicken
-
Shrimp & Fish
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Vegetables
Visit below restaurant in Palo Alto for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2310 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA, 94306 - Phone (650) 813-1009
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
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.
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Jan Q.
Good place to go for some fastfood cravings at night, but not advisable for a quick lunch break stop. The lines are super long during lunch and the parking lot is pretty small. I always get the beijing beef and sweet fire chicken. I wish they give you bigger scoops. Place is clean and has a lot of open tables since most of the time people just come for take out.
(3)Yogi A.
It's Wednesday night at 8:30 and there are 14 people in line and 3 people working! It's fast food people so it's not super good for you but man is it good. Just please oh please get some more employees up in here! Maybe they need to pay more cause this place is always understaffed!
(2)Mark M.
This place has the worst service ever. My mom has been sick and she just got out of the hospital. We decided to eat at Panda Express and they denied to serve us. The manager of this restaurant named Monica was very rude and prejudice toward us. She informed the employees Raquel and Liz in Spanish to serve us last. We left the restaurant unhappy and without being helped. The manager should be FIRED!!!!!! Never coming here again until they re-staff their employees, UNBELIEVABLE!! If I could give this place 0 stars it would be -100.
(1)Divya K.
We dropped by at this place for a casual dinner. I ordered fried rice and orange chicken. Fried rice was kind of dry and meh, but the orange chicken was tasty. Probably not the place for a hungry meal, the portions are quite small. We sat around the place for about 2 hours, they have comfortable high rise chairs. Fun fact - orange chicken was first sold at panda express! :D
(3)Donald L.
Date of visit: 08/09/2015 Time: 8:30 p.m. Comments: 1. Poor management: a. Employees not well trained b. Frequent turn over of employees c. One working employee - doubles as server and cashier- way understaffed d. Floor not clean 2. Cook on break - half of the entrees are either empty or look like leftovers - does not try to maintain the entrees at least half full 3. Servers do not pay attention to evenly mixed the ingredients for the entrees served - for example: you either get mostly vegetables with little Tofu or the other way around 4. Burnt Hibachi Chicken Impression bad enough to not buy a meal there.
(2)Danny C.
The wait is real right here, maybe it was because they had less a worker but it took me like 15 minutes to get my order of orange chicken and Beijing beef. They had one worker there doing basically everything while 10 people are lining up in the back it was crazy. I am not going to complain about their quick food though.
(2)Trina S.
I love Panda Express! Been going to this branch since it opened in Palo Alto but the quality and quantity of food and supply are always a hit or miss. We would always answer the Panda Express survey on our receipt when we have complaints so they can improve. My issues: 1) Quality of food. The steamed veggies always look stale & old - so we always ask them to make a new batch AND the string bean chicken's beans are always overcooked & old (see photo I posted, so gross) 2) Supply of food. They are always OUT of brown rice, most of the food containers are almost empty after 2pm and cooks don't refill them right away! Ugh! AND they always run out of grilled teriyaki chicken. It takes 10-15 minutes to make it but they won't start making it UNTIL a customer orders or asks for it. This is a FAST FOOD joint - not made to order kinda place. 3) Supply of Passion Iced Tea. It's a best seller so I don't understand why they can't monitor if the container is already empty. We always have to ask an employee to make it for us. 4) Food Servings. Some employees are stingy but some are awesome in this area. My two favorite emplyees are Sheena & Dominique as they always give you enough serving :) 5) Cleanliness Tables are always sticky. The floors are dirty (see photo that I took the last time we were here). Im not sure if they're always undermanned or they just don't give a crap. 6) Airconditioner is a major fail. Eating in a resto during summer time without a/c is brutal. Plus the heat coming off from the cooking area is adding heat inside. Can't they fix this??? Gave them a chance but I think yesterday was the last draw. We wont be coming back anymore! Although I love the food, I am not happy with this specific chain of Panda Express - so much different from the one at Valley Fair Mall...always fresh food, well supplied & generous servings!
(2)Gehrig C.
DON'T go after 1:30pm for lunch...there is hardly anything left, and not one person in the kitchen making more (though Sheena(?) kept telling the phantom cooks that more food was needed). Seriously, more than half of the choices were either out, or barely enough to fill a serving (and do you really want stuff from the bottom of the pan?)....
(1)Nicole H.
Chinese fast food - this is probably all that you can expect. Really greasy food. Rice tastes cold and stale. The egg rolls are really bad because they are cold and soft. Dumplings are hard and look like they've been sitting there for ever. I didn't like anything I ordered. Actually even the fortune cookie tastes terrible. However, the service is fast and the food is what can be expected for a Chinese fast food place. The prices are reasonable. You can drop by here if you need a quick bite to eat
(3)Jenny M.
Not a huge Panda Express fan. I end up going on a regular basis because my family are big fans. I am giving this specific Panda Express 4 stars because they are open rather late and the staff is usually pretty friendly. Last night I saw a customer freak out on a staff member for something ridiculous. Everyone in line was telling the guy to calm down. The Panda Express staff handled the situation very well and treated the jerk with dignity. I have to give to the them for that. If I've gotta go the Panda Express, this is the one I'd like to go to.
(4)Jordan H.
Normally I come and I have no problem, this is not one og those times. First they didn't have steamed rice. Then they didn't have eggroles and the girl at the register and the cook ate going back and forth about how long it will take to cook them first they say 8 then they say 10 but then they say its that combined so it will be 18 min, which is outrageous cuz they sould be making them as soon as they start running out. Then they say they stopped carrying pot stickets. Why has panda express, a Chinese restaurant stopped carrying pot stickers!? They camenout with "Chinese" spare ribs but they don't have pot stickers!? Riddiculous. I should have went to Su Hongs.
(2)Meg T.
I needed something tasty and fast. With low blood sugar and a long day I needed me some Panda. The service was quick and the space was clean. Usually I try to eat much healthier than this but Panda is of a higher quality in my head than other fast food chains. I doubt I'll drop in again, since this is maybe the second time in 5 years I've been to a Panda and this visit was entirely location based. But the food was good. I wish the togo boxes they pack it in traveled a little better, but if in the area and starving again you can bet I'd probably go for Panda.
(3)Rick f.
Why only one star? service always sucks. Serving size always sucks. And they're ALWAYS out of everything. The only reason I still go here is because it's literally down the street from my job. Today I went and I asked for rice and was given barely a scoop and a half. (They ran out of chow mein at 2pm) Come onnnn. Are you getting paid per grain of rice??? the time before that I guess they were filling up a catering order so they had no chow mein or fried rice available. The girl looked at me with the most angry look and said. "You get steamed rice" as if I'm the one that ate all the rice. Then told me the water cup was for water only, I told her I was diabetic and I don't drink anything anyway. (My attempt at making her smile) her response? "I know it's for water only though, sorry" LOL made no sense but at least she said sorry....
(1)Davis K.
there's this girl there that really stacks it up she's the best imo
(4)Victoria M.
The customer service here is great and the workers are friendly, however, the FRESHNESS is below par! Came here on a Friday night and of course, it was pretty busy. So it shocked me to see that the food looked like it had been in the warmers for quite awhile. I even heard the guy behind me say so too -- anyways, I didn't have the time to sit and wait for the trays to get refilled so I hastily ordered. To my expectation, the food tasted as it looked - but worse part is, the orange chicken was hard as heck and it hurt to chew it! Even the walnut shrimp (how could you mess that up) was a mess. I don't think I would come back here. Esp if the food is nasty when there's heavy traffic in the restaurant.
(2)Terry T.
worst panda exp ive been to. place is in disrepair selection 25% less than other pandas. proportions smallestbive seen and taste was just not right. did know u could screw up panda but i was wrong they can!
(1)Kendra S.
I was hungry and their food was satisfying enough hence the three stars. However, the quality of their food is debatable. First of all, it was barely warm. I ordered Beijing beef, sweet fire chicken breast, chow mein, and orange chicken as an al a carte. Don't get me wrong, the taste was pretty good, but it was still served cold. I think meat is supposed to be served at a certain temperature temperature according to health standards?! I dunno. But -1 star. Secondly, the portions are laaaame. I could've ate double that in one seating. -1 star. Lastly, I was offered a drink and now I'm thirsty.
(3)Pete D.
If you are running out of food (and no one is cooking anymore!) at 11am, you've got a problem. Went in, got in line, and stood. And stood. And stood. And stood... You get where I'm going with this. About 15 minutes passed and I still hadn't moved an inch and the same customers were still standing at the register waiting for the two cashiers on one register, who just could figure out how to enter the order and ask for payment. So 15 minutes pass, they finally ring up their customers but the two on the register just stay on the same reg. Meanwhile one girl is taking orders as slowly as he humanely possible while the others just kinda stand around. Then some guy asked for orange chicken and they told him "there's no more orange chicken. Do you want something else." Now, I'm no expert on the subject but I'm pretty sure there's more orange chicken. You just haven't cooked it. I know you have probably been just swamped at 11 in the morning and God only knows how you will make it through the lunch and diner rush. Get your sh!t together. I went to Panda 'Express' (keyword here) because I had little time and needed something quick. I left after 20 minutes and only 2 customers had actually received and paid for their food. Needless to say I'm disappointed.
(1)Connie L.
Everyone comes here KNOWING what they're going to get-- greasy chinese-esque food. This place never fails to deliver just that :). You can ask them to sample any of the entrees. The workers are always pleasant about sampling. No matter which combination you get, it has to include the ORANGE CHICKEN -- arguably their signature item. I'll come back again whenever I'm craving... greasy chinese-esque food.
(3)Dave S.
On four occasions now there is almost NO food ready at opening time. Yesterday at 11:15 (45 mins open) only half of the dishes were ready. Not already gone but STILL empty. Then the server asked, by habit of course, "any potstickers or eggrolls?" You don't have either one to give me, I said. Portions are also smaller than at any other Panda and the short-staffing by management means long waits even for the shortest lines. Two stars because food always tastes good.
(2)Brycen O.
I just recently stop by for a quick dinner after work. This place does get crowded which means parking could get tight. The line was quick and service was okay. If you are in the mood for fast Chinese food then this place would be a good choice.
(4)Zak R.
It's not fancy, but when you're not feeling fancy yet still crave consistently tasty Chinese food, go see the Panda! -1 star for silly tight parking lot. I'm afraid someone will hit my car there.
(4)Hans S.
Shanghai beef and shrimp special isn't anything like the advertised picture on their wall... Especially no shrimp. Not one. Not even a shell fragment. Just potatoes that make you think they are shrimp chunks. It seems that there are supposed to be x shrimps per dish, and "tasting" gives out the shrimps so that there are none left for the people who pay.
(1)Casual O.
Should be zero stars. Good luck getting a manager to reply. Had a problem with the cashier not giving back the correct change. They said they have no manager on call. Then after standing there trying to get them to contact a manager, they told me to pick up a card for some person who is suppose to be a manager. Avel Ford. I called the number on the card and no answer, no voice mail. So, they still owe me $80.00 and the cashier Catarina should be retrained or fired. So far, I haven't received a sufficient response. .-°
(1)Leonel G.
The portions of the food is not even worth your money. Next to this panda express there is a jack in the box. Go to jack in the box and get the teriyaki bowl its cheaper and it will fill you up.
(1)Marc T.
As long as you don't get the heavy-set lady with big eyes and a bossy personality, you get great portion sizes.
(3)Gary Y.
according to my credit card company.. some employee here manually entered my credit card number and charged me $218.60 i know this is not relevant but this kind of ethics deserves no stars
(1)Austin W.
I've come here twice now to grab a quick lunch and this place is below average, considering all the Panda Express establishments I've been to around the bay. Despite having 6 employees here -- seems to be one chef, two cashiers, one manager just watching over everything, one person cleaning, and one person moving stuff around the kitchen, the lines move super slowly. They definitely could optimize here by reassigning jobs. The person who helped put my entree together had a look on her face that made it seem like this was the last place in the world that she wanted to be at. Definitely made me not want to be there either...
(2)Victoria G.
Bad service! Had to wait for two items. Girls were attitudinal and disinterested. Never going back!!!
(1)Holly M.
I ordered for a group of 20, and had an easy process when I called on the phone 7 hours before pick up. I arrived a little early and asked at the register if my food was ready. They had forgotten about my order or the timing of it and had to quickly cook and package it up. This could have turned into a nightmare scenario, but everyone were quick and accommodating (free spring rolls while I waited and help putting the trays in my car), and I was on my way not long after I had planned. I may order from them again, but I will do a reminder call before I leave or speak with the counter earlier so I don't have to worry about being forgotten again. The mushroom chicken was delicious, and the orange chicken and every other dish was good. Some dishes were cooked fresh for my catering trays while I waited. The food went over well at the gathering! So despite the hiccup of the food being packaged late, it was a pretty good experience.
(4)JD W.
a couple of years ago things weren't too bad, not great, but not too bad but now it's just gotten ridiculous, old food sticking to pans, long waits to have food made when a pan is empty, and nobody seems to care, I don't think there is even any management and if there is, they must be sitting in the back somewhere. There is a Chinese restaurant a block down California street and they always give good service, I'm just going to get my food there.
(1)Natasha D.
Just after I resolved to never come back, I was once again caught stuck in traffic on El Camino and hungry. This time it is a 3 star experience. I ate Teriyaki chicken, white rice, and pot stickers. The food was decent.
(3)Sheila T.
Being that this place is fast-food, I don't rate it against other Chinese restaurants that are not. That being said, I rate this particular location Five stars. Tonight, I was craving for Chinese food & I knew exactly which Panda Express to go to. It was very busy tonight with long lines, but service was efficient. I was very impressed with the cooks, as I observe how they were handling the fast paced & large number of customers. I was also impressed with the servers behind the counter; they knew the menu well, quick & friendly. They have new items, such as the beef angus with shrimp, which you paid additional $1...well worth-it. I wanted shrimp & beef so I tried this dish & it was "really" good...beef was tender & shrimp was delicious. This dish also comes with string beans & red bell peppers, which made it even better, bc veggies are already included. I ordered their 2 items with one side meal: chowmein, beef & shrimp, & orange chicken. I loved all my picks! The servings were huge here, so I have left overs for lunch tomorrow. What a great deal for 2 meals at less than $8! This place is always bustling and tonight was no exception. So if you're ever in the Palo Alto area & want a quick & satisfying Chinese food, stop by this Panda Express location. :))
(5)Leslie H.
We ordered food for 50 for a weekend event. They had it ready to go for pickup at noon, but they didn't bother to mention that they DO do delivery. Bummer. By the time we figured it out, they could only do an 11am or a 1pm delivery because they had a Mountain View delivery scheduled for noon. Uh, we're just down the street! It took us literally 5 minutes to drive there from the office where our event was taking place. Oh well. Pick up was pretty easy. They have a decently sized parking lot and their signage is pretty easy to see from El Camino as you are driving down the street. There was no line when we got there, and we could see all our bags of food ready to go. What irked me is that, while they did prepare an entire bag full of sauces and sundries, they didn't bother to prepare a bag with plates and napkins! Uh, how about covering the basics?! The food itself came out to about $285 for the 50 person meal. We got vegetarian eggrolls, orange chicken, chicken with green beans and onions, fried rice, chow mein, beef and broccoli, and a vegetarian stir fry. Decently tasty and the portion sizes were large. The one main complaint I had was the fact that the beef with broccoli had too much sauce and managed to spill out of the containers. The containers themselves were taped down on all four sides of the lid, but still not sealed tight. =/ So I would say, good in a pinch, but there is WAY better Chinese food out there.
(2)Sunil R.
You got to show more love to PE! You know you are going to get consistently tasty, fresh, quick and inexpensive food. I like that they don't mess with the perennial favorites like the orange chicken, chow mein and keep introducing newer items. I am a fan.
(4)d c.
i am not sure why folks like panda express. My kids make me come here and the line is so long and not enough food. By the time I get my food, I am upset already. Are you suppose to be a Chinese fast food? You are more like a Chinese slow food and china town service.
(1)Ernesto S.
The food wasn't great compared to other locations. The staff was slow and served very little portions. I went there a second time because it was the nearest Panda Express and had the same experience.
(3)Yun C.
I'm a bit embarrass that I actually like Panda Express, well, at least this location LOL :) It was a great addition to the Mid Palo Alto area. It's a great place to get Chinese fast food fix for lunch at a descent price! I meant, everything around here, even a sandwich is like $7.50!!! and if you want to do a sit down (even for a sandwich) you will spend like $12 at least! yike! Not a sandwich fan, I prefer rice and hot dishes for lunch and Panda Express is great lol! I found that the food is actually not as oily as Mr. Chau (or even other non fast food chinese restaurants). I also like that they have "calories" information noted on their menu. I usually opted for the slightly lower calories stuff, usually the stir fry dishes like Shanghai Beef (very good and it's actually my favorite here!), the mushroom chicken, green beans with chicken, beef and broccoli. They were all pretty good, considering it's a fast-food and you can't beat the price. Depending on how many dishes you want but it ranges from $6.99 to $7.99 It could get crowded during lunch time BUT usually the lines move fairly quickly, except there was one time that they only had two servers so the wait time was longer than usual! O, also, you can ask for samples, yumm!
(3)James R.
Haven't been to Panda Express in a few years, not coming back to this location. Ordered a 3-item meal with chow mein. - Lots of workers and the line isn't moving? huh? - Surprisingly expensive - Small portions (that has to be just this location, or nobody would go to Panda) - Tastes substantially worse than I remember. Why don't I like the orange chicken this time? Americanized Chinese food traditionally signifies large portions of cheap, yummy comfort food. This fails on all parts. Place was exceptionally clean for a fast food restaurant. That's good, I guess.
(1)Allen C.
Frankly, it's really my own fault. I only have myself to blame for choosing to get lunch at Panda Express, and perhaps one might argue that I should have expected it beforehand. Still, I was surprised at the lack of quality in my food. The spicy eggplant was not spicy, and was soaked in an unpleasantly sweet sauce. The spring rolls seemed promising, but while the outer crust was crispy, on the inside the consistency quickly changed to a mushy mess. They also had a distinctly gross aftertaste. The best part of the meal was the steamed brown rice. At least the line was relatively fast.
(2)Riya S.
My family has been to Panda Express a number of times, usually when we're starving and don't have anything prepared for dinner. I actually think it's OK, but the rest of my family likes it much better. The kids like it much better as the taste is pretty catered toward a western audience, as they grew up here. Even though I also grew up in the US, I grew up on traditional Chinese food at home, and I actually prefer the more authentic/extreme Chinese takeout food from 99 Ranch or Marina. But on my last visit here yesterday, I was pleased that they gave me really good service, to fix a problem from earlier in the week. Earlier this week we bought 2 combo dinners and brought them home. When we opened them up at home, we found one box had one item missing, the Orange Chicken. It got passed down the assembly line, closed, and packaged and charged before even being properly full. We were pretty sad and hungry for dinner that night, and I had to make sandwiches in addition. So I took a picture of the box, and brought that in with my receipt and showed the manager during the busy lunch hour, and she quickly fixed the problem - offered me a free lunch and also gave me the additional Orange Chicken item. Solved! Very simple. Thank you so much for the understanding and the quick resolution! For this last visit, 5-stars, but usually 4-stars from my kids and 3-stars from me.
(5)E S.
I'm a big Panda Express fan but this location disappoints.. I'm a (very) frequent customer who appreciates having fast yet healthy food esp low carb options (steamed veggies, string bean chicken breast, teriyaki chicken-no sauce). And there aren't many other healthy yet fast alternatives. That is why it is so disappointing when one location consistently performs so much worse then any other Panda Express that I've been to. They have to be the poorest at food management of any location. Half the entrees are never ready (despite the time of day/business of restaurant). They really should work on properly cooking ahead of rushes (tip: a lot of people will show up at noon and so that is not the time to start cooking teriyaki chicken that takes 10 min to cook). But this happens frequently enough at many locations. What makes it worse here is how they deal with it. They forget who is waiting for food by putting the marked containers on the shelf behind the cashier. If there's a partially completed meal, it just gets cold. You inevitably have to tell them and watch diligently to make sure they don't forget you. Other locations are much more cognizant, will let you sit down and will bring it out to you once it's ready. But the front line just seems to stare off into nowhere with dazed and confused faces until a food carton is pushed in front of them. If this happened once or twice I wouldn't have posted this, but it has happened so many times that it is ridiculous!! Unfortunately it is closest to where I work. :-(. But when any other option comes up I take it. I really hope this location improves and soon!!!
(1)Andrew L.
Absolutely awful. I ate here two days last week and found bones in the orange chicken not once, but on both occasions that I dined here. The second time, I felt kind of ill after eating it and ended up having.. well, you know.... I'll spare you the details. Yuck. I complained to corporate and they were fast to send me coupons to dine with them 3 more times for free. See my next review (the location in downtown Oakland) for how that went.
(1)Monina C.
It is what it is. It's Panda mutha lovin Express. Don't expect super traditional food straight from the motherland or quality like it came from Chef Martin Yan's kitchen. It's basically the Americanized idea of gourmet chinese food. Regardless of what it really is, a lot of the stuff is well put together. For those not accustomed to eating stews etc with rice, here's a secret-- if you're going to eat something like beef broccoli, chicken and mushroom, or whatever stew type thing they have, eat it with plain steamed rice. It'll make all the difference in the world to eat it with plain steamed rice vs eating it with fried rice or chow mein. I do love their fried rice, and I wish they added more crunchy carrots to it. Anywho, it's Panda mutha effin Express, so it's not much, just another lunch time savior. Ps: The cream cheese Rangoon are a guilty pleasure. *droooool*
(3)Nancy B.
I am hooked on the Beijing beef. I can't get enough. I also love the tiny celery they put in their chowmein. I don't have panda express that often, but when I do, I'm reminded that it's much more satisfying than other chinese take out places that I normally frequent. It's probably a blessing that this location wasn't here when I was at Stanford. I would done an injustice to my waistline with Beijing beef.
(3)Donley P.
Panda Express is the kind of place that kids love because they can get a dish that's spicy and flavorful without any obvious vegetables in evidence :) I actually have enjoyed some of the dishes here, but it is fast food and it is cheap so, great. The service here has always been friendly and quick. The restaurant and bathrooms are clean. Overall, not a bad place for a quick bite of chinese food.
(3)gee t.
Rating this panda purely for service - it sucks! Food is the same at all of them so I won't rate the food. You would expect with the Stanford students working here they would a) understand English, b) realize they need to start cooking food before it runs out not when it runs out, c) realize they are working in fast food, not slow food. Sadly, all of these statements are not true. I have been to other panda's where they get your order correct the first time and you're eating in 2 minutes, including getting your drink. This one is not like the others.
(1)Michael R.
My first time at a Panda Express and I was far from pleased. I got the fried rice, Kung Pao chicken, and grilled chicken teriyaki. Every item tasted of far too much salt. After two bites of each item the rest went into the garbage! It was a waste of my time, and a serious waste of $10.88. Being this is a chain restaurant all of the menus will be the same at other locations so I will not be returning to Panda Express ever again.
(1)Roman D.
Of the different Panda Express locations that I have eaten, this one is the best. The quality of their food is good and tasty. Service is excellent. Great place to eat and study.
(5)Evan L.
I had food from here at an event recently. This chicken dish was terrible, but the food is low quality. Pretty sure the "express" part refers to the delay between eating this food and diarrhea. Bottom line: NOU hates it
(1)Diane A.
This is probably one of the cleanest, friendliest Pandas I've been to. I've only been during non-peak hours so I don't know how it is during the lunch or dinner rushes. Yes it's not authentic but it's a fast, affordable option if you want some Chinese food. I like their honey walnut shrimp - crispy and not swimming in sauce or mayo like other places. I've had most of the chicken items on the menu and they're all good with white rice or chow mein. You can park in the lot or on the side street off El Camino and walk over.
(4)Matthew H.
Same ole Panda. Fairly new construction. Staff isn't ready to kill themselves like many fast food joints. Decent (not horrible?) food at a cost less than most other nearby eateries.
(3)Matt V.
Well, I hate fast food, and I hate chains. But Panda Express is surprisingly an option that I don't mind at all. And don't make any mistake about it; even though it markets itself as Chinese food, the calorie counts are as high as any other fast food establishment. Consider that if you buy a two-entree plate, and chose a side of chow mein (490 calories) and entrees of their signature orange chicken (420 calories) and Beijing beef (690 calories), you'll end up with a 1600-calorie meal, you'd end up with far more calories than a Big Mac and fries (which clocks in at only 956 calories, 576 for the Big Mac and 380 for the fries). Aside from the fact that this is fast food in disguise, the dishes aren't bad. They aren't great (they sit under heat lamps, so that has a certain effect), but they aren't bad. A few dishes that I've had at Panda Express: - The orange chicken is one of their most popular items. It has a sweet flavor to it which is complemented by a mild spiciness. Pretty good overall! - The sweetfire chicken is decent, but not great. It has a surprising amount of vegetables for an Americanized Chinese dish! - The string bean chicken is a good option if you're watching the calories. It doesn't have the flavor of the orange chicken, but it has a good enough flavor for a low-calorie item. - The black pepper chicken is another good option for the calories. Personally, I prefer the string bean chicken, but this one also has a good (not great) flavor to it. - The Beijing beef, honestly, is just a bit too much for me. It has a very rich, sweet and tangy flavor to it, and I can see how some might like it, but personally, I do not. - Their hot and sour soup is just okay. It doesn't have enough spices to it to bring out the "hot" side of the dish. - Both their spring rolls and their egg rolls are just okay. Not much flavor to them. - Same deal with the pot stickers. Nothing really brings out the flavor of the meat in their potstickers. - I like the cream cheese rangoons. They have a wonderful mild cheesy flavor to them. - As for sides, go with the chow mein. White rice is white rice, which is to say boring. Their fried rice isn't very good. Go with the chow mein. One last tip before I sign off: I discovered recently that you can order a single entree, for only $3 or so. Then, you can avoid all the calories from their side dishes, and frankly, the side dishes are the low point of the meal anyway. Get your favorite entree and then pair it with your own sides from home!
(3)Jeannie M.
I have been to several Panda in the bay area and found few issues at this location: 1. Parking is horrible, no place to park and have to park around residental area 2. Service is slow and very little amount of workers. Sometimes they don't look plesant 3. Portion of the food is very small compare to other locations. Each time I have gone to this location the portion of the food get smaller and smaller. Not sure why thats the case.
(2)Lisa B.
What is up with this Panda Ex? I ate at this location when they first opened and they were similar to other locations in the Bay Area. I had a quick bite today about 6pm. The place wasn't even slammed but it took forever to get served and to get my food. I just had a bowl with steamed brown rice with mushroom chicken. By the time they rang me up and I sat down to eat, my chicken was cold. How irritating. To make the matter even worse, rice + chicken entree didn't even reach the rim of the bowel. What's up? Steamed rice is like the cheapest thing .... they can't even be generous with their carbo? I checked out other people's food with 2 entrees. It didn't look like typical Panda quantity which is take some home for another meal. If you can't count on chain restaurants to be consistent with quality and quantity of their artery clogging food, what is the sense of eating there anyway? Officially, Palo Alto loc is dead to me, Zia Jain.
(2)Kerry S.
Wow, can the portion sizes get any smaller?! I've been here quite a few times since they opened, but won't be returning any time soon! It seems like everytime I go, the serving sizes decrease. The server looked like he was actively trying to put the smallest amount he could get away with into the box.
(2)Jesse R.
Food here is good when I've been there, better than the one near De Anza college. I'm surprised the aging hippies on college terrace haven't demanded they replace this with "organic tofu hut" though!
(4)Abraham M.
My sister and I come here almost all the time. The food is consistent and they always tend to over stuff your plate (more bang for your buck). My only con to this place is that when I go in the evening there always seems to be a line and are constantly running out of food. They have been getting better at staffing in the evening and their customer service is awesome. If you have to wait, they will walk the food over to you when they've finished. Good food for a good price! Clean dinning room! Great Customer Service! What else can you ask for at a fast food restaurant?
(5)bruce k.
The location here used to be H. Salt Esq, Fish & Chips, was a place my friends used to work in high-school way back when so I took note over the years as it has changed. Now it turned into a place called Panda Express which I did not even know what that was. So, one night driving by me and my girlfriend stopped in because we were hungry for something quick and thought we would try it out. It was just fine. Not super-gourmet fancy, or very complicated Chinese food, it is bascially what I would characterize as the first sucessful well-done Chinese Fast Food chain place in my opinion. Since my first experience was not a disaster, and the prices are very good for the amount of food your get I have gone back to this restaurant and even tried others out in the South Bay. The food is consistent, as I say not fancy, filling and tasty, and simple. The lines seem pretty short, and the only real gripe I can have is that I have settled on my current favorite, 1/2 Fried Rice, 1/2 Chow Mein, and either single or double order of string bean chicken, which I really like. It could have more sting beans than chicken in my opinion but it is good and about $6-7 which is really unhead of for a decent meal in this area. The thing is that 3 out of 4 times I have been here they are out of my favorite disk, the string bean chicken, and I have to wait for 5 minutes or so. I can live with that, and I like the food, and it is low priced, very good for a quick hot meal that has real food in it and is quite tasty and light. For what it is Panda Express is definitely worth a 5/5, even though it is fast food, they do it with consistently, well and with some class. The restaurant is clean and fast, with sufficent parking and friendly workers. The definitely deserves a 5/5 considering some of the other fast food places in the area, this compares very favorably and is in a higher class. To me compared well with say Chipotle, down the street.
(5)Edward S.
Panda Express = the McDonalds of Chinese food. I remember being very excited on opening night and coming here to get a 2nd dinner. My coworkers and I embarrassingly ate an entire 2-dish entree from Panda along with our original sushi dinner. If you're a fan of cheap and quick Chinese food filled with MSG, look no further. Their orange chicken is disgustingly tasty. This particular location can get crowded during peak lunch hours.
(3)Lydia C.
You can't beat the prices at Panda for the amount of food you get. The staff is a little slow, and if they say they'll bring out the string bean chicken (or whatever it is you're waiting for) you usually have to remind them. The thing I don't like about Panda is that you order at the front of the line, so if you like to look at the selection, you have to go to the front of the line, and everyone is telling you, "The line is back there."
(3)Melissa S.
This is my favorite Chinese fast food place and the only one I would eat at!! The rating is in comparison to other fast food restaurants of course, as better tasting Chinese food is available at non fast food joints. Whenever i craved panda it meant i could only get some if i drove to san jose so I was very excited that this place had finally opened so me and my husband decided to go. I had the panda bowl with kobari beef and it was the best tasting panda ever!!! Better than any other panda I've been too. I will continue to go here whenever I get a panda craving!!
(5)Elaine S.
Hey, the current address on Yelp (2810) is wrong! The restaurant location is actually 2310 El Camino Real. I learned this because I GPS'd directions here and there was not a Panda Express in sight. I am surprised by how busy this place was on a Sunday at 1:30 in the afternoon. Maybe it's because the location is new, and all these folks who have been waiting eagerly for the grand opening of this location have come out of the woodwork. The food is predictably Panda Express. Hot and fresh, just as you would expect. The employees behind the counter were very friendly. One guy in particular just had this huge smile on his face the whole time we were there. Seriously, I have never seen a happier worker at a fast food chain. I also appreciated the fact that the guy covered my food with the top of the takeout container when he stepped away for a moment to grab a serving utensil. After we were seated, there got to be quite a line here though. I looked up at some point and the queue was 6 or 7 people long before hitting the counter. As George B. pointed out, there's an assembly-line process to getting your order, in which your plate is passed from person to person along the stations. Because one of the stations was going through a bunch of plates at the same time, it was a bit confusing standing behind other customers and having to keep looking around them to see if my plate had come up yet, so that I could then say which next item I wanted to add. If they can figure out how to deal with this issue, the line should be a lot faster and less confusing. I was moderately disturbed when I reached the cashier and saw individually packaged chocolate chip cookies for sale. I know this is an American Chinese fast food place, but What?! There are pictures of pandas everywhere -- cute.
(3)Natasha P.
Meh. Sure, it's new and sparkly and clean, but I've never been to such a crazy busy Panda which also translates into stingy little portions, or they ran out of food so you have to wait for 10 minutes for stingy little portions. Okay, maybe that's good for me keeping my dinner under a certain caloric value, but the American fat ass in me doesn't approve. However, I do like how I can get half steamed veggies and half fried rice, and the kobari beef is spicy yumminess.
(3)Y C.
This branch has since improved their speed of service and the consistency of execution of dishes between different cooks. Panda also continues to have overall healthy dishes compared to other fast food chains.
(3)Ann E.
Place was clean. Service was alright. Lady at the front (kinda spacey) gave us huge portions, we didn't finish it and ended up taking it home. I just had the chow mein. It wasn't as greasy as I've had it at other branches. Which was good, but it lack a certain flavor I'm use to with Asian food. Only thing they should probably work on is service. We didn't experience any trouble, but when a crowd came in, they were taking their sweet time with the orders.
(3)Surai J.
I was so excited, finally fast convenient and hopefully decent asian food in the PA. I live around the corner and was keeping my fingers crossed that this place would be above average, given it's high profile location. Ick! Don't bother, it's as bad as fast food chinese can get. The branch in Gilroy and Valley Fair near the outlets does it better. My broccoli was still raw (take it from a raw food dieter, I know what raw broccoli tastes like) and my treasure shrimp (a sweet/sour sauce over deep fried shrimp) was not cooked all the way through, the breading was mushy on the inside. Maybe when the crowd dies down, they'll be able to properly allow enough time for their ingredients to cook. I'll try back in 6 months or so. Right now, it's around the clock lines. Beware, the place has just opened and the hype is bringing a line that fills up the perimeter of the place, takes about 20 minutes to get your food "fast."
(1)Bonnie S.
The one thing I loved about this place was the portions, big. I went there Dec. 14th, or so, and ordered the honey walnut shrimp, that cost an extra $1.00, and only got 6 shrimp. I asked the guy, who I am sure was the manager, if that's was all I got and he said you get 6 or 7 shrimp, SO, he was kind enough to give me 1 more shrimp.. WOW, how cheap is that. Then, he precisely measured my rice and beef dishes. I, actually, left hungry. Now, that's a first for Panda Express. If the new manager reads this, STOP BEING SO CHEAP & CHINZY WITH THE FOOD!!!
(1)Tom T.
New management is bad. Every time I go there no one is ready to serve. The manager in blue shirt is running around doing other things and he says I'll be with you. 5 minutes later he comes to serve with no interest in customer service. I don't understand why some people get a job in customer service if they are not really interested in customers.
(1)Michelle M.
I love this place. Whenever I am hungry, and craving quick Chinese fast food, I go here. The price is right. There is usually a 10 minute line.
(4)George B.
Pro: OK tasting food at a low price Cons: Styrofoam containers and poor service Regardless of whether you eat in or take out your food comes in an enormous Styrofoam container. Didn't this whole issue get resolved with McDonald's about 20 years ago? The service is painfully disorganized and slow. You state which dishes you want and then have to repeat this to each new employee as you are passed down the line. Each employee tries to figure out which Styrofoam container belongs to which customer.
(2)Patricia V.
Decided not to stand in line for an hour on the day they were giving away free 2 entree plate, so I went the following day. Waited in line for 30 minutes. Chow mien was nothing more then dry curly egg noodles. Limited entree choices. Place is too small to accommodate the Palo Alto lunch crowd. Order the Golden Treasure Shrimp and was charged extra. I'll be back. The Cupertino store is waaaaaaayyyyyy better.
(2)Kim M.
Rude, always running out of food and unintelligent employees. That's all I have to say.
(1)Lucy O.
What's not to love about fast, pleasant service. I always call my order in before pick up, although you are put on hold a few times, it's okay with me, as I am in no hurry when ordering from home! The lady over the phone even remembered my name a week later :) Guess I'm totally sold. It helps that the food is deeelish, and the large portion is great for leftovers the next day, that heats really well. I always order the chow mein, kobari beef and orange chicken. And come on guys, these people don't get paid enough for their assembly line hard work, so be thankful that you didn't have to pack a lunch ;)
(5)Pat M.
Stopped by here recently because I was in a hurry and needed something fast. Apparently it had been long enough since I'd been to a Panda Express to forget that I don't really like Panda Express. This one was no different. It's not that the food is bad, it's just that's so bland. Also, my plans for something fast didn't wind up working out that well, becasue the line moved at a glacial pace. They weren't that busy, but they had all kinds of trouble moving people through. Don't know if that's the norm here or if I just caught them on a bad day.
(2)Barbara S.
I"ve been waiting months for this location to open, and I'm not disappointed! The location is clean, the staff is friendly, and the food is tasty and inexpensive! I keep taking the survey on the receipt so I get a third entree item for free every time I go back. There's enough food for 2 days, so at $3.25 a day where else can I eat for that? I'm a fan!
(4)Tiffany L.
Adding a star as the boxes of food my coworker snagged for us from here for a late, late lunch were not in styrofoam, but in compostable containers. I hope this is a permanent change and kudos for making the switch! The food is still oversalted and a male coworker who can eat his weight says the portions are still smaller than elsewhere, but at least they have gone "greener."
(3)Ted H.
Just biked over to the newly opened Panda Express and guess what - it is a Panda Express! Yer food court favorite is now just a hop away from University Ave. Place has been open for about a week and there were lines of Stanford guys pretty psyched to have one so close to campus. Food was fine and there is a lot of Panda related artwork to keep you busy while you munch down on your goodies. Food is over salted but what the heck do you want for $7.56? They are open until 10pm so this is sure to be one of my new late night fav eateries. I am sure the other Mom & Pop Chinese restaurants are none to happy but hey, don't mess with The Panda.
(2)Mike Q.
Panda Express is probably the best Chinese fast food I've ever had. Having only really had Mr. Chau's before, I was expecting Panda Express to be equally gross... but it wasn't. I was pleasantly surprised. I recommend the Beijing Beef. Honestly though, I don't feel like this place is as cheap as everyone claims. I am always surprised when I go here with my girlfriend that our bill is usually around $20.00... getting only one entree is simply not enough food, especially if I get something like the kung pao chicken, which seems to be more filler than chicken. I have to address a previous review's complaint about the styrofoam. If you turn the container over, there is a big recycle symbol with a 6 on it, which in Palo Alto is perfectly recyclable. I still hate it because of the sound it makes, but as long as you recycle it there's no need to trip about the styrofoam.
(3)mike p.
Food was a B compared to other places but man stop being so greedy on the servings!!! Come on $7 and you level off the serving spoon, just scoop it up and put it in!!!.. 2 stars just because you dont get what you pay for......I hope the owners read this and stop being greedy....Go to other Panda express's you will see the comparison......RIP to my friend Ganda :( I'll miss you........Love you
(2)Jeff C.
The main reason I'd go to Panda Express over another Chinese restaurant is convenience and speed. This location while somewhat convenient is a total failure when it comes to serving "fast" food given lunchtime waits can be 20 min or more and that's for mediocre food. At lunchtime, It would be much faster and the food better if you went to a sit-down Chinese restaurant and ordered off the menu. The sad thing is that the lines could be drastically reduced by opening the second cashier station. Not only would the line shorten, but a lot more of the seating area would become usable instead of being a congested mess. Sure, perhaps they may be understaffed, but that seems unlikely as when I was there, the Asst. Manager switched off the cashier station to take his break rather than open the second cashier station to relieve the bottleneck. Shouldn't it be all hands on deck during prime business hours? In any case, I won't be rushing back.
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