Panda Express — Restaurant in Newark

We decided we wanted to get food from here because we live Panda Express, so we pulled up and found there were too many people inside than we felt comfortable with, so we decided to do an online order and wait outside until it was ready. We got a time that it was expected to be ready, but that time came came and went without any notification that it was ready. The minutes just kept ticking by as the expected time of readiness just kept rolling over into the next minute. We finally had to call and ask if our order was ready and we were told that it was. So, I went inside to collect the order, and still had to wait while surrounded by at least 6 other individuals/couples also waiting.

Because the pick up counter is on the opposite end of the entryway, I had to walk through a sea of people to get to that counter and again once I left. Pandemic measures were totally inefficient and ineffective.

I know that not everyone has taken this pandemic seriously, but I do since I'm considered high risk. I've sheltered in place for over a year and now that I'm gradually making my way back into the world, it would be nice if I felt safe in doing so. In this case, I did not feel safe.

I love Panda Express food, so my complaint is not with the food. And under normal circumstances having to go inside to pick up my order would not be a big deal. These things are considered when writing this review. But, having to wait almost 15 minutes past the estimated time of our order being ready, having to eventually call, and finally having to navigate past and through people, and still have to wait was more than I feel is reasonable. If this was a 10 point scale, the number would be a 7. I have no way of...

Tonight I stopped to pick up dinner on my way home from work. Waited half an hour beyond the time they said it would be ready. They had two employees who were not wearing masks by the food prep area, a male in a Panda uniform and a female in street clothes. When I pointed this out to the cashier, and that they had signs literally everywhere saying they would refuse service to anyone not wearing a mask as they had to comply with regulations, she responded that the female was off work and they couldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. I asked for a refund and was told that they couldn't refund online orders. I asked to talk to a manager. I was told she was busy. 15 minutes later I asked again as the two were back by the food for at least 10 minutes. I got a manager who repeated what the first person had said in that the female was "off work" so it wasn't an issue. I pointed out she was in close proximity to a food prep area with NO mask on. The manager said she would talk to her. I again asked for a refund and was promised a refund in 3 days. We won't...

We ordered 2 plates online and after getting home, they had put the wrong entrees in one of the plates. We went back and asked for what we originally ordered. That wasn't the problem.

THE ISSUE: They put the messed up food BACK IN WITH THE UNTOUCHED FOOD WAITING TO BE SERVED!!!!!!! We took that food home, opened the box and luckily didn't touch it, and brought it back to show that it was wrong and THEY PUT IT BACK. This is food handling 101. Especially with a national pandemic going on, who knows what kind of germs have now been transmitted. For all they know, we could have done ANYTHING to that food, and they just put it back, serving it to other people.

Is endangering your customers health worth the product loss? I don't think so and my family and I will never be eating at this Panda or any...