P.F. Chang's — Restaurant in McAllen

Not only was it a Friday but it was pay day (hooray)...so I asked my wife if she wanted a little finer place to eat (she obviously said yes) so we decided on PF Changs.

First, the place is quite large, there's a small bar when you enter. There is quite an extensive menu of appetizers which include appetizers, sushi, and the traditional large entrees.

I wanted to try something different than just traditional sweet and sour chicken so I ordered the honey chicken and my wife ordered the salt and pepper prawns. We also ordered crab wontons and a hot and sour soup to whet the appetite.

The wontons came out first...nice and light, perfectly crispy and the filling was quite tasty. They also brought my hot and sour soup...but no wonton strips. I asked for them and they said they don't carry wonton strips. Excuse me?! I had to ask again...how do you not carry wonton strips in a Chinese cuisine restaurant. How? The soup alone was amazing...the sourness was perfect balanced with a little bit of heat, but it needs wonton strips!

On to the entrees...my wife LOVED her prawns. They were quite large but plump and juicy; they didn't taste frozen. The chili sauce that accompanied them were a great complement. My honey chicken was par for the course... nothing stood out honestly. The chicken was tender and juicy however maybe just a little more crispiness to them...a little more salt maybe? More sweetness and tanginess? Something was missing....

The rice as well was bland...I know it's steamed but it felt like a side that was not going to be eaten...and we took it home and we didn't.

The service is great... servers are attentive. However the place feels slightly cramped... especially if you're sitting in the tables in the middle of the room.

So it's hit and miss...hit on the crab wontons and hot and sour soup...but miss on the no wonton strips! Hit on the prawns but a miss on the honey chicken...and it's a definite hit on your bank...

I have come here many times, and every single one of those times I always order the same thing (Mongolian Beef) that being said I am pretty familiar with the serving of the Dinner portion vs the lunch portion. I ofcourse ordered the Dinner portion as usual. When our food finally came out I looked at the waiter and said if he made a mistake and gave me a lunch portion, tonwich he replied no, he them went to speak to the manager and the said that the portions are weighed. Look let's be honest i order the same meal all the time and as previously stated I know what to expect more or less. I've been to Yard house and 4 of us would order the same dish and I have been under served I'm meals that are "weighed" and portioned, so I know that there is room for error etc. I them spoke to the manager and expressed my displeasure with my serving and she said I can try and make it right but all servings ls are weighed. She went to kitchen and came back with 4.... 4 pieces of beef to supposedly make up for the lack of serving of my original meal. Smh. It felt more insulting than anything. Needless to say that I wont ever be going back to that place. Ooh amd further more they burnt my specialty rice the first time and had to wait for them to make it again, along with my Mongolian beef beef being served dry with no sauce. What a let down... and it was an Anniversary Dinner......

While PF Chang's is generally known for its flavorful dishes, my experience at the McAllen location has been less than satisfactory on multiple occasions. The ambiance often felt heavy, with many of the waitstaff appearing unhappy or stressed. There have been moments where I've witnessed waiters rolling their eyes or making odd expressions after attending to their tables. Despite the establishment not being overly busy, service was notably slow, with our drinks never refilled and an inexplicable 20-minute wait for dishes that, given their cooking method, should be relatively quick to prepare.

The recent visit was especially disappointing. Our waitress, although managing a larger table nearby, was often absent, which made the payment process quite tedious. A simple transaction took longer than necessary due to her juggling between us and the other table. It became evident that there's a lack of management intervention to aid the staff during hectic moments. The overall vibe suggests that there might be underlying issues that affect the morale of the employees, and it inevitably trickles down to the customer experience. I hope the management takes note and works towards enhancing both the staff and...