Chino Bandido — Restaurant in Phoenix

As I ventured into the bustling realm of Chino Bandido, a Guy Fieri-recommended gem in Phoenix, I was hit with the delightful chaos of a counter-service culinary escapade. Picture this: a vibrant fusion of flavors where Mexican meets Chinese in a riotous dance of taste buds, all under the watchful eyes of pandas wearing sombreros.

I approached the counter with the confidence of a hungry cowboy at a rodeo. The menu? A tantalizing choose-your-own-adventure book of food. Will it be a rice bowl? A protein-packed combo? The suspense was as thick as their burritos.

I, a self-proclaimed culinary daredevil (except when it comes to spice), opted for the Jade red chicken and Chinese BBQ pork, nestled cozily on a bed of steamy rice. And then - a plot twist! A free snickerdoodle cookie. Not just any cookie, but a sweet fortune teller whispering cinnamon-sugary promises of my foodie future.

The Jade red chicken, contrary to its fiery name, was as mild as a kitten’s purr - perfect for a spice wimp like myself. Each bite was a tender embrace, a gentle nudge rather than a kung-fu kick to the palate. Moving on to the Chinese BBQ pork, it was a sweet serenade of flavors, harmonizing beautifully without a hint of heat. It was the culinary equivalent of a lullaby, sung by a pig wearing a lei.

And the rice? Oh, the rice. Cooked with the precision of a Zen master, it was the unsung hero of the meal, a fluffy cloud supporting the star attractions.

In conclusion, Chino Bandido is the culinary lovechild of a Chinese dragon and a Mexican fiesta, where the food is as unpretentious as it is delicious. It’s the kind of place where you come for a quick lunch and leave with a story. A place that reminds you of mall food courts, but with a unique twist that makes you want to salsa with a panda.

I’ll be back, Chino Bandido. Your mild Jade red chicken has won over this spice coward, and your BBQ pork has sung its way into my heart. Hasta la vista,...

Flew down in a small plane with a friend from the area, and tried out Chino Bandido.

He raved about it, and I wanted to give it a shot, since it was featured on DDD. Having personally appeared on an episode of DDD at a friend's restaurant, I'm a fan of DDD places.

The menu was a little confusing, as it wasn't exactly clear what sides/amounts came with what items. I'm sure for locals, and those who frequent this place, it's less confusing.

Staff was pretty friendly, but didn't necessarily go out of their way to explain things when asked. Food wait time was normal.

The food was perfectly acceptable. I wasn't wowed. I got the jerk chicken, and the jade red chicken. My friend got the Pollo Diablo. Both the jerk and Diablo chicken were supposed to be the most spicy, but I didn't think either one was particularly spicy. The Jade Red almost had more spice.

Considering the hype, I was a little let down. The food was good, but it wasn't amazing. None of the flavor profiles really stood out. After a while it all just kind of blended together. The cookies were a little old/stale. We got there right at opening. Maybe some of the stuff was leftover from the day before.

Rumor is the restaurant is different than when it appeared on DDD. Allegedly, the owner divorced/remarried. One wife got the original recopies featured on DDD, and the other wife got the restaurant and name.

In summary - it was good, but not amazing. I might eat there again if I flew back to the area, but I would also probably look for other featured restaurants in the area. Unlike MayMoes in Logan UT, I wouldn't fly in...

I used to go to Chino Bsndido all the time when they were at the old location . My daughters were tiny and loved it at well. I moved then we moved back.. we live in maricopa now and my almosy grow. Daughter said she wants to go to eat here. We drove over and hour jusy for this!! We all were so excited. We were all so so disappointed. The location was clean and staff was friendly ..the food tho .. it was not even close to the flavor they use to have . Jen pork was so dry ,little to no saucy or seasoning. the black beans tasted expired ( i hate beans and never eat them . These are yhe onky beans i eat and i love them , not anymore) . The Diablo chicken dry and couldnt even chew pieces because of it and had to spit it out. My daugher got both jen pork Jen chicken .. her pork she couldnt eat. She enjoyed the chicken.. my oldest got teriyaki chicken thats what shr ate whrn she was little and it was difficult to get past the taste of it . She poked at it and just hated it . All of us did like like the Rice . Two of us got jerk rice and my youngest got white. ... the cookies at the end wr good . Over all .. we wete so excited to revist a place we had been to so many times drove over and hour to have , we left so disappointed and sad. Cool new location but they definitely lost what made them such a special place, with delivering high-quality delicious bold...