Panda Express

Typically, I enjoy my experience at Panda Express. Today a friend and I went there for lunch and decided to pick our meals up through the drive through. The woman at the window acted as though we were a bother to her instead of an important customer. I’m only 22 years old but customer service is very important to me whether I’m in a drive through or a sit down restaurant. In addition to the off-​putting, almost rude employee, my friend and I sat in the car, waiting for our food, just to be told that we would be waiting longer because the kitchen had run out of a side dish that we had ordered. After receiving our food, my friend and I went and started to enjoy our meal-​except that it was hardly enjoyable. The chow mien was mostly cabbage. The whole reason I get the chow mien is for the noodles-​as they are the best part! In addition, the side I had waited extra time for was crammed into a tiny box, and looked different than a typical order. I didn’t think much of it and continued to consume the lunch. Later tonight I wasn’t feeling well-​in fact I was downright nauseated. I decided to pass on dinner and go straight to bed. 2 hours later I was up puking my guts out. My friend was also experiencing some gastrointestinal issues of her own. I’m not sure what went on today at Panda Express but it was the only thing I ate, and the only thing my friend and I had in common to make us both sick. I would have waited longer for my food, so that you could cook whatever food borne illness out. Anyway I won’t be back and I can’t speak for my friend but I have an inkling that she won’t be either.

Pulling up to the drive thru, there were only 3 cars in front of me. I waited 14 minutes before reaching the ordering speaker. When greeted I was asked to wait even longer before ordering. I waiting another 4 – 5 minutes before the worker came back to take my order. I waited a total of 20 MINUTES before even paying for my food. The guy at the payment window did NOT have a smile on his face, or seemed like he was happy to be working there. This time is RIDICULOUS. Not only should I have maybe gotten a discounted price for the long wait, or maybe a fountain drink to make up for SOMETHING. Three cars, only three cars in front of me and it took the drive thru people 20 minutes for me to ORDER MY FOOD. I WILL NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE NOR WILL I BE RETURNING.

Downhill fast. Good meal 6 weeks ago. Today, grossly over cooked broccoli with beef and only 2 small pieces of chicken with lots of limp string beans.

Not gonna lie we literally just stopped in so I could grab a bag of fortune cookies. The line was crazy long and the food looked picked over (not very fresh) and the atmosphere seemed kinda cranky. On a postive, my favorite thing on the menu is Kung pao. I always get a kids meal. Plenty of food

Food was ok, I ordered a sweet and sour chicken and I got way too much vegetables and barely any chicken. A customer came in angry from the drive thru because he requested something and overheard the worker complaining about him so he came in to confront the worker. I give him a lot of respect for standing up for himself. Even if he was wrong it’s disrespectful for a customer service based employee to talk badly about a customer. After watching the employees get yelled at we seen three workers go on a smoke break right outside the window of the table we were eating at and it seemed so unprofessional and distasteful as a restaurant.

I was not impressed. The girl that helped was rude and unprofessional. Then when she finished my order she helped another guy and sat his order in front of mine. The girl working the cash register grabbed his before mine and rang him up. When she looked at me for payment I told her the other was mine. Instead of canceling his order and ringing me up in the order I was there, she helped him. Frustrating!
Portion sizes seamed a lot smaller than other Panda franchises I’ve been to.

We’ve eaten here twice as a family and I have to say that this is probably the best Chinese food in Billings at the moment. LOVE the spring rolls and cream cheese wontons! I don’t eat meat but the fried rice is good and my family has enjoyed everything we’ve ordered here. Parking and access are no problem. The staff is friendly and the bathrooms are spotless… always a plus to me.

Super delicious if you’re in the mood to stoop to fast food. Fresh-​tasting food, lots of options.

Just adding something to review below: at lunch, they have been out of one of the side dishes each of our last three visits. When they run out of something you want, don’t worry and don’t step aside to «wait» for it. Just order it anyway and move down to the cash register to pay. When they get more they will make your meal and bring it out to you.
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This is a brand new, from the ground up, fast food restaurant located on Grand Avenue in the West Park Plaza parking lot.
Getting in from the south entrance off Grand Ave. is easy. Getting out is not! Try it, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
This is a little unique from most Fast Food restaurants… your food is all laid out before you (behind the glass) and you choose what you want according to which «meal plan» you choose. You can choose a small, simple meal that allows you one entrée with one side or you can go with the larger family meal.
I ordered a «family meal» which consists of three entrees and two sides. My choices were:
Orange Chicken — This is a signature dish for PE and it’s just ok as far as I’m concerned. Mildly spicy. The breading is soft, chewy.
Sweet Fire Chicken Breast — Tasted like the Orange Chicken only it had a few veggies tossed in. Lightly breaded. Soft again. No crunch to the veggies.
Beijing Beef — My favorite of the three but the meat was a little chewy and soft.
Fried Rice — Unremarkable. Soft, with a few peas and carrots tossed in.
Chow Mein — My favorite of everything we ordered but still, nothing to write home about. Lacking in spice.
I added four egg-​rolls. They’re pretty sizable. In fact, I ate one and was pretty much full. Like everything else, they’re soft.
When I say soft, I mean nothing is crispy. I love Chinese/​Oriental food. I eat it all the time all over the United States. I seek these types of restaurants out. I’ve had the «good stuff» and it’s not a lot more expense than Panda Express. When everything sits in steam trays until ordered, it’s bound to become soft.
When I bite into an eggroll, I want to hear it crackle then soften up as I chew. Same with veggies. They should be crisp. As well as the breading on a fried piece of chicken or shrimp. They should all crack when you bite into them.
The Beijing Beef had a really good flavor. More flavor than any of the other dishes we tried. However, the beef itself had the consistency of chewing gum. Literally, I could have chewed for a lot long but just decided to choke it down like a duck.
The restaurant is beautiful for a Fast Food place. It felt very modern, if not a touch cold. The employees were all very nice but the gal working the register needs training. Check out took twice as long as going through the line of steam tables choosing my food.
The parking is atrocious. The drive through might be the way to go. Get in, get out with your «soft», ordinary Chinese Food.
There are 6 Chinese Restaurants on Grand Avenue. It seems to me a better location could have been chosen. There are now 4 within a stones throw.
In a nutshell: Panda Express is to Chinese Food as Taco Bell is to Tacos or McDonalds is to Burgers. Know this going in and you won’t be disappointed.
Me? I’ll stick to Four Seas down the street for my take out Chinese food.
Edit: I just had to add this: The value is incredible. The $ 36 I spent here for lunch also fed us all for dinner AND lunch again the next day. $ 3/​person/​meal. Wow!
Ok, I’ll be back!