Panda Express — Restaurant in Destin

So much for my recovery meal!! I just had a 5/12 hr spinal surgery a few weeks back and I have been craving Panda Express for the past few days as I was slowly getting my appetite back.. I recently moved from Destin and bought a house in Freeport and we don’t have a panda express in Freeport.. I finally felt up to eating, with my surgery, they went through the front of my neck so my entire throat has been swollen because they had to move my voice box my esophagus pretty much anything that was in that area was either moved to one side or taken out so they could get to the top of my spinal cord , I have not wanted to eat for weeks.. on top of that I am in a full on neck, brace and Walker because I can barely move when I say appetite was gone. My appetite was gone… my husband works in Destin. I said to my husband if I put an order do you want to go by and pick up the order even though it’s a 45 minute drive home and it will be cold. I was OK with that.i was just ready for some panda express!! Well his car messes up and his friend that he works with said I will go pick up the food and take it to your wife he also lives in Freeport. He goes into the restaurant. He has never been in there before like I said he lives in Freeport so he don’t really know where to go or how pick up works at panda express he asked one of the employees for Help he said I’m here to get Amber S food, they handed him a bag. He brings it to me when he gets here. I see it’s Amber W.. so I called the store thinking like any normal restaurant would do is they could just refund my money because I did not get the order. I was management. I know how this works. first I spoke to a young man his English is broken up, but he had told me that my order didn’t even exist at first, I said no it does. I can give you the order number because I placed it on my app. Then he handed me to another lady. I explained to her the situation I had a friend who picked up my order. He didn’t know how the system worked out. He asked you guys for help. You guys handed him the wrong order. She proceeded to tell me that once she put it on that rack, it’s my problem and she doesn’t know what to tell me that if I want to I can drive all the way back to Destin. My order will still be sitting right there!! who would want three hour old food for one thing I explain to her I can’t come back and get it. I just want a refund because the order I got was nowhere near the amount of money I spent, and it wasn’t nothing that could even feed me or my family. I was so shocked of what came next. She flat out tells me I don’t know what to tell you I’m not giving you a refund. You did get some type of food. I have never been so shocked at how A restaurant would work like that especially in a town like Destin, where we have so many people who are on vacation, everyone in the restaurant industry knows you do what you Gotta do to make the customer happy all I wanted was my money back when I asked what her name was she hung up on me! I was completely shocked by the rudeness I received!!! Thanks Destin Panda Express for my first recovery dinner!! “And the kindness you show” as for someone who has been there since the day it was opened and was even there at the grand opening. I am very sad to say I do not think I will ever be going back to that store…. Just lost out on money and then had to turn around and find something...

I am someone that rarely complains so it has to be pretty extreme for me to leave a review like this. Myself and children ordered chicken and quickly realized after taking a bite that it looked somewhat raw. I took our food up to the line employee and asked if he could cook it longer or just replace it with some from the next batch coming out. He quickly responded by arguing that the meat was was fully cooked and proceeded to stick a meat thermometer in multiple pieces of my chicken on my plate, then tells me it’s at the right temp (without showing me the number) all while everyone is watching this. AFTER using that thermometer on my plate he proceeded to use it in the dishes behind the the counter that were being sold to other customers!!🤢At that point I was in complete shock (also in a hurry) and walked back to the table with our food, snapped pics of it (to report it) and left it there. While driving I quickly called the manager “Kyle” to express what just happened and he seemed agitated that I even called him speaking very aggressively and cocky, telling me there was nothing he could do about amd asking me “why” I even called him. I reminded him that they broke an extreme health violation and treated me poorly so at that point it was as much a principle rather than money. “Kyle” told me to come right back and he would refund it if I had my receipt. The only problem is his employee never gave me one and threw it away in the trash (without asking me) when I initially checked out. After telling Kyle this, he told me not to worry about the receipt and offered to refund my money if I came right back. After all of this happening I thought surely they were trying to make things right even though he was still being horribly rude on the phone. I went straight back to the restaurant and requested Kyle like he told me (all within 10 mins) and he walked upfront acting like he never spoke with me. He literally said “what is it you need my help with?? I still “nicely” reminded Kyle that he and I JUST spoke and I was only waiting for my refund and would gladly leave. Kyle asked me for my receipt!!?? At this point I was completely fed up and done being calm. I advised him to stop playing games with me and give me the refund that he asked me to drive back for. He then sarcastically apologizes and and tells me “it will be a while” so he can go back through the recorded videos to “find” my purchase. After once again reminding him they were serving raw chicken and sharing utensils with others customers, he replied by yelling at me loudly in front of everyone in the restaurant telling me that he couldn’t just give me a refund for not liking “”that””” (in a racial way) kind of food! for gathered myself the best I could and told him I would NO longer play his games and showed him my actual purchase on my debit account amd told him to do as he told me he would. He refused to take that proof and responded in an arrogant way. I told him I was done and started to walk out and. He continued yelling, then say says “I was trying to make things right!” What??? I’m so confused!! Gaslighting-Contradiction-Yelling-Denial-Arrogant-Sarcastic-Rude I feel like I just woke up from a dream that made zero sense!!🤯 What just...

I don't know what has changed but when they first opened their service was great.

But in recent weeks it's been one problem after another EVERY time I go there. To the point that I'm considering never returning! Example .. about 7PM last night I went thru the drive thru to get a bowl of fried rice with mushroom chicken only to be told they didn't have any and to pick something else. I love their mushroom chicken and really don't want their other choices. I just left.

The week before I ordered the same in the drive thru and was again told to order something else or wait 8 min until it was ready. I chose to wait. 10 min later they brought it out to me.

The week before that.. again I went to the drive thru .. waited almost 10 min before anyone even acknowledged me. And was told they had problems with their drive thru and to come inside. I did .. got in a long line only to be told I had to wait on fried rice. I did .. waited 15 min. I counted TEN employees there. There appeared to be a manager there (black polo) talking to two or three other employees ... while the others were trying to keep up.

If fried rice and mushroom chicken are so popular then perpare more, be prepared for orders.

Seems they have significant management issues at this location.

UPDATE: May 10, 2023 7PM .. 7 min wait for mushroom chicken again. And for some reason tonite, credit card payments onlly??? I thought management had turned things around the last couple of months but looks like its going back down again. Last week I when going thru the drive in I was asked to come inside. ???

UODATE: June 1, 2023 6:45PM ... AGAIN .. HOW can you be out of fried rice!!!! It's prime dinner time and this is one of your main items!! It's RICE!!! How can you RUN OUT?? And now, AGAIN, I have a 15 min wait at the drive through.. for ONE simple bowl of fried rice and mushroom chicken!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Tuesday July 25, 2023. 3PM .. drive thru ...they tell me they are all out of rice .. any kind!!! WHAT!!!!! And out of a couple of entrees. They DO have my mushroom chicken .. but no rice to put in over in the bowl. Oh yes .. they are also out of bowls and have to use a plate. Is management or corporate looking at these reviews???

UPDATE: Wednesday July 26, 2923 6:30 PM thought I'd give this another try. Pulled up to the drive-thru to order and was told the drive thru was closed. To come inside. At 6:30 PM .. prime dinner time???? I just drove across the street to Longhorns....