Panda Express — Restaurant in El Centro

This is my go-to American-Chinese food place. Service has always been pretty quick. I love the food here but there are things that keep me from giving it 5 stars.

1. Depending on the worker, I always have trouble getting condiments and chopsticks. I either order it and they simply forget to put it in the bag or the cashier hurries me to take the food and go.
2. I get it. Food service is stressful especially in rushes. I've worked food service before. But the cashier's can sometimes be rude and they'll try to rush you out before you can get your last extra bit of things. (Like I said, on most orders I like to get packets of teriyaki sauce and chopsticks and I'm usually hurries out or I order it and they forget to put it in the bag).
3. The quality of the food and the taste especially always changes drastically. I don't if this has to do with the cook or maybe the restaurant HQ keeps changing the recipe but their was a time when their Teriyaki chicken was slapping (really good). It was one of my go to entrees, and lately it's been really lack luster. The chicken can either be too stringy or rubbery and it has barely any seasoning to it. The sauce also can be very plain now. The orange chicken depends on whether or not you get a fresh batch. Sometimes older batches don't taste as great which is not something you can do much about, but the chicken sizes, that is definitely something that can be change. Sometimes the orange chicken pieces will be the size of the entire chicken breast (obviously I'm exaggerating) but the pieces can be too big at times which I have noticed it doesn't cook the chicken very well. I used to get their fried rice but it got to a point where I felt like a balloon every time I ate it. Only reason I'm giving it 4 stars and not 3 is because I have been a recurring customer for many years now. I still like the food here but overall the quality of the food has gone down drastically and the quality of the service could have some minor...

I would rate it lower than zero if I could. We always have problems with Panda Express getting our orders correct. Especially in this location. This time I preordered my food so I could get my food on time without having to stand in line. I placed my order at 4:15pm For a pick up time of 5:20pm. I got to the location at 5:30 and asked for my food. They kept saying I didn’t place the order. When they finally found it, they realized they didn’t even make it yet and it was for 5:20pm. They didn’t have the string bean chicken so they asked me to substitute. I said whatever (I needed the food fast because I had to work at 6pm and feed the family) so as they were packing the items I asked (is there orange chicken?) the lady replies in a rude tone (you didn’t order any) I go on saying please open the containers and check (they have a tendency of messing my order up) she refused and forced me to go onto the app (taking additional time) to review what was there when I clearly made it a point I had to leave. If I didn’t spend $50 And had a car full of hungry kids, I would have just left. Faby continues to state it’s not her fault and that it was mine, further infuriating me. So I tell her is it my fault my food was not prepared at 5:20? She goes on by saying I just got there (6:40 at this time) but I’ve been there for 10 minutes) to someone that isn’t in a rush that is only 10 minutes, for me it was between being late to work or not. She also gets a customer involved in the situation by speaking about me directly with me still there. Very unprofessional and lack of respect. I didn’t get out of Panda until 5:58! To top it all off, I paid extra for shenghai beef and what I got looked nothing like shenghai beef. Totally not worth the mental frustration and if you need something quick for the family I would not recommend this place especially a place that would hire someone...

Walked to this Panda Express today as my vehicle would not fit in their parking area if I tried to drive there and I was glad to see multiple signs on their windows stating face masks are required to enter inside which indicates people are allowed inside for take out as it says on google , well I walked in and immediately was turned away and told I cannot be inside although I was wearing a mask and was told I have to order online or drive thru , I asked if I can walk up to their window like the other food places have been doing for us truck drivers and she said NO . So I thought ok that’s fine I go outside ordered online waited for the time it dated my food would be ready and a guy came out and handed food to a guest parked in a car and since it’s was now 4 mins after the time it stated my food would be ready for pickup I kindly asked the guy about my order and he said he will check and most likely it’s ready so I waited a couple mins and walked inside again with my mask and was treated very rude as if I were a homeless person begging them for free food and was yelled at to get out . So my question to the Panda Express management is why not put signs letting people know they are not welcomed inside or why not just simply lock the door ? Also why not take in mind the wait outside in this heat and at least serve the correct portion of orange chicken? I should have gone across the parking over to In n Out they have ALWAYS had much better...