Panda Garden — Restaurant in Mountain City

Fairly low quality American-style Chinese food. Having spent a considerable amount of time living in East Asia, I do recognize that my standards for this type of food may be higher than the typical patron of this sort of establishment. Nevertheless, I had heard that the food here was mid-tier quality from some of the locals, so I wanted to give it a try.

First of all, the staff working here is fairly aloof. We interacted with three or four people, and none were very inviting or engaging. Our order was messed up and we were overcharged. When this was brought to the staff’s attention, there seemed to be an unnecessary level of confusion on their part. Further, there was little initiative on their end to fix their mistake(s).

Regarding the food, itself: it’s... alright. Most of it was bland and tasted more like salt than the actual spices or flavor profiles you’d expect of the traditional version of the dish (i.e. Szechuan-style chicken). I did not think it was the worst Chinese food I’ve ever consumed, but it’s definitely on the lower end of greasy, Asian takeaway meals. Even when you factor in the location of this restaurant, the food isn’t that terrific. The only perk is that it’s inexpensive.

For folks just looking for a quick and cheap way to fill their bellies, I think the buffet here is a decent option. If you enjoy more “legitimate” or “traditional” Chinese food, this is certainly not where you need to go. This will hit the spot after a night of binge drinking, but don’t expect this to be reminiscent of a hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant you’d stumble upon in a bigger city. I don’t think the poor quality of food is worth the low price point, personally. I’d rather pay a dollar more for something significantly better in Boone or other...

I've visited this restaurant four times; three dine-in and once takeout. Every single time it was unclean (food in floor, old food dried to buffet counter, tables sticky and covered in crumbs, etc.). I hoped that with each visit it was just an 'off' day, but after the last time I decided that this restaurant was just sub-par. The waiters aren't very friendly or conversational and check on you maybe once or twice in an hour-long visit. I once saw my waitress stop to eat while she was still serving us, ate with her hands, then proceeded to come and refill our drinks (if you've worked in food service you know this is a no-no). The food is always cold and has a strange flavor to it, like it's been reheated several times. The rice has usually been on the buffet so long that the top is dry and crusty. This last time, there was actually dried sweet tea on the table and when we (the party I was with) mentioned it they just gave us napkins. I will not go back. They can make renovations to the inside of the restaurant but can't serve adequate food? Very disappointed with this establishment. Not to mention it has made my family sick the next day on two...

Mountain City is a very small, remote town with amazing views and nature, and isn't necessarily known for its Chinese food... Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much. But... Panda Garden is a surprisingly complete Chinese buffet, complete with hibachi bar. One bar has a bunch of different hot foods, another bar has sushi, vegetables, and fruit, but it didn't occur to me that the front bar of raw vegetables is for the custom hibachi--load up your plate with whatever you want and give it to the guy to fry it up for you. And don't miss the ice cream in the back. Staff was attentive and helpful, the cost is average for a full Chinese buffet, and judging by the large number of four wheelers and off-road vehicles coming down from Doe Mountain, it's a great place to stop and have lunch while you...