Panda Express — Restaurant in Redding

We have eaten at this restaurant many times, it is a convenient location on our way home from town. Today was a completely different experience than normal! We ordered ahead since we were getting food for the whole family, two family meals. The app said it would be ready in 25-30 minutes. After ordering, we were given a time about 30 minutes in the future for the order to be ready to pickup.

I realized we had forgotten to order one thing, so I went in a few minutes before the time I was supposed to pick up the order and was surprised at how slowly the people behind the counter were moving! I got up to the counter and others the entree I had forgotten to add to the rest of the meal. The guy asked if I wanted anything else and I told him no, that I already had an order that should be ready to pick up and I was just adding to it. He acted surprised and asked what my name was, then acted surprised that there was an online order even though I could even read it from across the counter!

I paid for the extra item and then waited for the rest. Over 30 minutes later, I finally got the food. The extra item (shrimp) was now cold and during the entire time I waited, they would stop getting my order ready to help the next person that just walked in! I was so frustrated. I had to keep reminding my e wife to be calm and not make a scene since she was very angry at the slow service and obvious lack of concern on their part to finish getting out for ready, even though it ended up being over an hour to get two meals!

I'll have to really be desperate to return to this place, there are other places to get food that don't include the drama! Sorry, Panda, I think we're calling it quits, at least until I forget the terrible yeast in my mouth from this experience! By the way, the rest of the food was pretty good, I think - by the time I got to eat, I was to hungry to notice much...

12/31/23 - I was satisfied with my lunch experience here and will be back.

Short Version: Good food, not overpriced, good service, service between drive through and dining room was well balanced, dining room was clean.

Full Version: Call me old fashioned but I still like to dine in as opposed to always getting drive through and I’ve noticed that since the pandemic fast food places seem to be prioritizing drive through at the expense of their dining room/counter service more than ever. It makes me mad. This Panda Express, however, got the balance right. My family and I went in on a Sunday at around 2:00 and a couple employees came right over and served us while the other(s) continued to manage the drive through.

The food was good and not overpriced, in my opinion. I spent $30 (including rounding up for St Jude’s Cancer Research Hospital) and I got a large chow mein, three fountain drinks, cream cheese Rangoons, a set of two spring rolls, kung pao chicken, honey chicken, and orange chicken with tons of rice.

The dining room was also clean and well stocked. Again, since the pandemic I’ve noticed fast food places never stocking their lids, straws, napkins, or cutlery. I’ve also noticed that dining rooms are never cleaned. This P E however had a clean dining room and all their utensils and everything were there and I REALLY appreciated that.

So, a good experience and I look forward...

A meal I've had many times at this location was flooded with garlic chunks. When the food was taken back, the manager said, "we make the food the same way every time." She seemed inflexible to making things right so I asked for a refund. She refused, forcing me to stay and deal with her. She re-made the food the EXACT same way, not solving the initial issue. I took it back, asked for a refund and was refused again. I was stuck. She wouldn't give me a refund or correct the dish.

Instead of money or food, she gave me a gift card that was only good for this location (no thanks!) I didn't come in to buy a gift card. As she issued the card, she said "we can't keep re-making meals for you."

After hundreds of dollars spent here, I can't continue to fund the paychecks of people who behave this way.

My guess is that someone is not following the ratios correctly. The "1.5 tsp of ginger garlic mix" is supposed to be added to a larger batch but when they make smaller "individual" batches and add the same amount of the mix, they overpower the entrée.

Mistakes happen but when you have a manager that doesn't take responsibility coupled with a "no refund policy" you're essentially asking your customers to pay for your mistakes. With the current state of the economy, that's not something most people can...