Panda Express

The customer service was sub-​par at this location it felt like they were trying to rush me through the ordering process, and I was the only one in line. I’ve been to other pandas and there great but this on was not up to par but I hope they improve especially portion sizes.” Northside pandas starving one customer at a time”.

This is a good place to get Chinese food that is better than average at a fast food place.
The portions are large and the quality of the food is good. Also very clean and well attended. I had the Orange Chicken which was very good — fresh and still crunchy. The Beijing Beef was a little warm, but not too spicy so it’s good for those who don’t like a lot of spice. I would go back when I was looking for a Chinese lunch.

Tried the place for lunch today and was impressed by how bright and clean it was. Not a huge selection of entrees — mostly different kinds of chicken — and the food quality was all right. I had sweet and sour chicken, mushroom chicken, and orange chicken, supposedly their specialty. I actually liked it the least of the three kinds I had, as I found it to be more spicy than sweet and it did not really taste from orange. Everything seemed fresh and the portion size as well as price were good, although if you want egg rolls or spring rolls they are extra, as are certain «premium» menu items.

This hands down, the BEST place to get fast Chinese food. Its probably the best place to get Chinese food in town, period. The staff is always great, the portions that you get are huge, and even when there is a long line up I never stand in it for long because the service is always fast. Totally worth visiting.

Just to be clear, this is not affiliated with Panda Hut Express on the south side. This is part of the franchise that originated in the US.
As an Asian, yes, there are times I do crave some good old westernized Chinese food (though will never compare to authentic Chinese dishes). And with my parents now retired and no longer having their restaurant, I don’t get my fix as much. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that the first Panda Express in Edmonton was opening by me.
First impression is that it is nice and clean. The people that work there are always friendly and will greet you.
Now about the food. For the most part, I don’t think western Chinese food can be really ranked as high or great, it’s either edible or not. The food here is edible, I’m happy to say, but that’s just the 2 times I’ve gone. Like any place, there could be off nights. They don’t seem to make lots in the trays, which is in a way good, that way you don’t get served food that has been in there a long time. I ordered the 3 items combo, the fried rice, beef ribs (extra $ 1.50) and beef/​broccoli to go (just under $ 11)
My only complaint is that the take-​out trays are not that big, so what you get seems not that much. I don’t know whether if you eat in, the plates may have a bit more, as both times I have taken it to go. Let’s just say, I wouldn’t eat here as my main dinner, but more for a bite to tide me over for a couple of hours. There is one at the food court at my work, where for $ 9, I get 3 items and great portions, and I’m stuffed for most of the day.
So if you’re in the area and just have a craving for some basic western Chinese food, I’d recommend driving about 5 minutes down to 127 st/​137 Ave to Lucky Super Market. They have 4 combos for $ 7.99, so better deal and probably better portions.

Chinese food, especially of the fast food variety, are hit and miss. This place is 99% of the time a hit for me. I like the service, the set up, and the selection.
I’ve never been here and had stale tasting food. The service is fairly quick. It is counter service. You walk up, choose your side and number of entrees. The two entrée is a solid choice and is still a lot of food. I definitely recommend trying a premium entrée for an extra $ 1.50, if I remember correctly. They are usually really good about making sure you’re getting fresh food and you don’t have to wait too long if they run low.
It is an easy and filling dinner if you are looking for quantity and speed.

The quest for better Chinese food brought me to… oh wait, that’s not it.
The need for fast filling food brought me to the Panda Express tonight. It was prime dinner time and I was starving so when I saw the restaurant’s bright neon signs, I did not hesitate. The first impression is good, the place is bright clean and well maintained. The second thought was: «hmmm… it is prime dinner time, the place is empty!!!» Alarm bells kind of rang. I surveyed the minimal amount of food which was on display, the beef dish looked okay, there were a couple of shrimp dishes; I was starving so I decided to stay and ordered the two entrees with one side for $ 8.80.
Your choice of sides were: fried rice, chow mein, mixed vegetables or steamed rice; chose the chow mein.
Time to choose the entrees:
«I will have the beef and the shrimps»
«Sir, they are both our premium entrees, would you like to pay an extra $ 1.50 each for them»
«no, which ones are your regular entrees»
«the chicken dishes down there»
In summary, if you don’t want to pay premium, you get the choice between 3 types of chickens and a beef & broccoli dish.
Then comes more upselling:
«would you like to add 3 pot stickers for $ 2.50.» — I may have the prices wrong, my hearing is not the best.
«no thank you» — staring at the anemic miniature potstickers
«how about some egg rolls for $ 3.50»
«hmmm, no» — the eggrolls were soggy, looked like they were fried hours ago
By now, my server sounded annoyed over my constant refusal to the upselling, «THEN, IT IS $ 9.25» but but but, I wanted a drink…
Food wise, the chow mein is really equal parts of noodles and cabbage, there is a slight hint of cumin or 5 spice, the flavor is not bad by fast food standards except that both the noodles and cabbage were undercooked; the noodles were beyond al-​dante and the cabbage still tasted raw. The orange chicken was bad, the chicken pieces were over-​batter and grossly over-​fried, it required all of my might to bite into each morsel; the overly sweet thick syrupy sauce make this dish virtually inedible. The beef and broccoli was pretty good, beef was tender and the broccoli pieces were still crunchy.
Service wise, the restaurant needs to understand that constant upselling only drives customers away from future visits. The establishment itself was pleasant. The food was okay at best.
Would I return, may be, only if I am starving and this is the only place open within a 5 miles radius. I do see a few good reviews for the place, but judging from the lack of customers at the restaurant right at prime dinner time (6:30pm), I would say, things have changed and people are not returning. During my entire visit (I ate my meal there) only one other group came in for two take out meals; the lack of turnover would explain the sad state of the food on display.