Panda Express

I used to eat Panda Express for lunch most days out of the week when I was in High School in SoCal. They had a little stand at school along with places like Pizza Hut. Nothing could beat a box of steamed rice and orange chicken! I was so excited to see the Panda Express being built in my neighborhood. My husband and I already enjoyed Uncle Lee's which is right across the street, but its always nice to have a selection. My mom and I tried Panda Express a few days after they opened. Considering all the staff was new and just learning the ropes, they did a good job. The price was somewhat reasonable but driven up considerably by adding drinks and egg rolls. The service was fast and friendly, and as expected for a brand new building, it was very clean and well lit. Initially we thought the food was very good. My mom was not impressed by her egg roll and neither was I. Ive never ordered another - they're not worth the money. All of my subsequent visits have been via the drive through with my husband. The food continues to be very tasty and always hot and fresh. Occasionally they run out of an entree item but that's OK because there's lots to choose from and its nice to know that the food hasn't been sitting around for ages. The drive through service is very fast and the service at the window is just as nice as in the restaurant. I'm, of course, a huge fan of the Orange Chicken so I tend to stick with that and steamed rice. My husband usually prefers fried rice but says he doesn't like the fried rice from Panda Express so he goes with the steamed. We've found that the Panda Bowls (1 entree and rice or chow mien) is the perfect amount for lunch. They are very reasonably priced and make a nice alternative to the better fast food places around Katy for a weekend lunch b/c they're so affordable. The two entree plates are great (often too much for me, but perfect for my 6'2" husband) for dinner. We often have coke at home in the fridge so we skip the drinks and save ourselves a few bucks. We're happy to drink what we have at home and get away from Panda Express with a very good lunch or dinner between $9 and $11. We've been eating at Panda Express since they opened and if anything they've gotten better. We eat there once every couple of weeks. more

My husband and I love Panda Express and we were so sad when we moved here and the only one they had was in the Intercontinental Airport. When they opened the one at Highway 6 and 529, we went there for the grand opening! A few weeks ago, we saw the signs saying that there was going to be one opening in our neighborhood (on Westheimer Parkway just past Mason Road across from the shopping center with the Kroger and the McDonald's) and we have been anxiously awaiting their grand opening ever since. Today we were actually going to try out Uncle Lee's II, a new restaurant in the shopping center with Kroger, but as we were approaching it, we saw the balloons at Panda Express and that's where we headed! They just opened yesterday afternoon. When you walk through the doors, the staff will greet you with a friendly "Welcome to Panda." The customer service was great. The employees all seemed to be very happy and worked well together as a team. There was a steady flow of customers in and out while I was there, and the employees had plenty of "hustle" to keep things moving. As people entered the restaurant, they handed them a brochure with information about Panda Express and answered any questions they had. The management walked around and interacted with the customers, as well. It was a nice touch when the manager brought my daughter a small stuffed panda bear! In addition to having great customer service, they also have great food and a great selection so there is something for everyone. You can buy individual entrees, but I recommend the two item combo or the three item combo which comes with your choice of chow mein or fried rice (or you can do half and half) and then the entrees of your choice. The price for the three item combo is $6.60 and the price for the two item combo is about a dollar less. They give you plenty of food and you won't walk away hungry (and if fact, you might even have some left to take home with you!). You go through a "cafeteria style" line to place your order and you can view and sample the entrees as you go. Their signature dish is the orange flavored chicken and it is one of my personal favorites! I am also fond of the chicken and mushrooms and the beef and broccoli. My husband's favorites are the orange chicken and the mandarin chicken. There are plenty of other options to choose from. You can also add things like egg drop soup and or egg rolls at the end. I have tried both, but not at this location. They are good, but the combos come with so much food that I never have much room left for extras. On a side note, for those who conscious about what they eat, their food is prepared with fresh ingredients (you can see all the fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerators behind the counter) and they do not use MSG. They have kid's meals which include a "mini combo" with an entree, rice or chow mein, fountain drink, fortunate cookie, coloring book, and crayons. We haven't tried this yet because I always have enough food to share with my daughter, but there were plenty of other kids eating them while we were there and they all seemed to enjoy them. I think that the staff did a great job, especially considering it was their first full day on the job and I'm so glad they are open now! I'm sure our family be spending a lot more time there. If you haven't tried Panda Express before, it's definitely worth it! It's good Chinese food "fast"! more