Diner's Haven — Restaurant in Wallingford

SO disappointed! I truly wanted them to be good. But they don't even come close to Panda Garden. To be fair, they had a lot to live up to. Panda Garden was in this location since the 1990's, and prided itself on excellence. Panda Garden had mood lighting, cozy booths, a warm atmosphere, and excellent food with extremely generous portion. "Extras," like a pot of delicious piping hot Oolong tea and a bowl of Chinese noodles with two sauces were served as soon as you sat down. At the end of your meal, they served fortune cookies and a plate of pineapple chunks with toothpicks for a little something sweet. Those "extras" were part of the experience and were not part of your bill. There is none of that at Diners Haven. I'll start with the good. The crab rangoons were delicious as was the garlic chicken (medium spicy). Now for the bad. Pretty much everything else. The atmosphere was very 'restaurant basic' and not what I would describe as warm or welcoming. IMHO, they made a mistake by taking out all the booths. The service was terrible. Our server mumbled and did not make eye contact looking down the entire time. She had a hard time understanding anything we said and several times did exactly the opposite of what we asked. In short, she was downright rude. The tea was tasteless, room temperature at best (tap water?), and was not served in a pot for the table. It also did not come with the meal and cost extra. We asked for sugar and the server came back and threw 3 packets on the table. There were no crispy noodles served. No plate of pineapple or anything else at the end of the meal. Panda Garden spoiled us! Although the crab rangoons were tasty and light, they were not hot at all. The scallion pancake was crispy but very very bland, also not at all hot. The main meal was well heated (but not piping) and the portions were about half the size of what Panda Garden served. At the end of our meal when we asked for take out containers, she brought ONE. Then she asked if there was anything else as she handed us the bill! We almost felt like we were being kicked out and we were the only people there! A large party had left minutes earlier. I was truly hoping for a new sit down, cozy, delicious Chinese restaurant but Diners Haven falls short. I would recommend it for take out so you can heat the food before eating, but it was not a comfortable, inviting, friendly...

The good: uncommonly low prices, polite and attentive service, cosy atmosphere of wooden tables and leather booths, with quiet instrumental music. Soup and egg roll as part of lunch special were tasty.

The bad: The entrees. The beef broccoli had beef that was so soft it seemed as if it had been soaked in corn starch for weeks. Another entree of shrimp arrived luke warm. Deceptive practices: (1) the restaurant bribes diners with a free dessert to write a Google review. The dessert was ice cream, with taste and texture that was “meh”. (2) the dinner special was 20% more expensive than the same lunch special but portion was exactly the same size; only the physical plate was larger. (3) This place replaced a truly awful Chinese restaurant Panda Garden, but I suspect it never really changed—just rebranding...

Diners Haven truly lives up to its name — it’s a haven for anyone craving authentic, flavorful Asian food. From the moment you walk in, the warm atmosphere and inviting aromas make you feel right at home. The menu offers everything from classic favorites like General Tso’s chicken and pad thai to unique dishes that show off the depth of Asian flavors.

Every dish is beautifully presented and full of freshness. The noodles are perfectly cooked, the sauces are rich and balanced, and the portions are generous. The staff are friendly and attentive, always ready with great recommendations and quick service.

Whether you’re dining in with friends, grabbing takeout, or looking for a cozy dinner spot to enjoy alone, Diners Haven delivers every time. Highly...