Panda Express

Rip off!
The food was way to expensive compared the quantity of food provided.
I would never visit this franchise again.

my rating would be higher, because i think their food offerings are very satisfying and have my favorites
but i’ll only visit pe when my daughter asks
because my complaint is their menu & pricing structure is hopeless to the point of being deceptive, that applies to all pe’s
never has the price paid what i thought’d be. that’s wrong, and i can think of another popular restaurant chain that does similarly
i’d like to think they haven’t a clue about this but that maybe giving pe too much credit
p. s.: there’s an error in the address explanation because this place isn’t anywhere near beaubien ct

Enjoyable when you really crave it, like i did yesterday.

The workers at this Panda Express location have the same listening/​attention span as most of the bums I’ve run into downtown. They’ve become so used to people completely disregarding what they have to say/​offer (see also: ALWAYS asking if you want a medium soda, offering samples after you’ve already placed your order, etc) that when you actually want something (steamed veggies instead of rice) they’ll have to stop and think about it for a minute before they realize you’re changing things up. Sure, I appreciate how quick they are… but come on.
Fortunately, this is one of the better quick/​cheap/​good enough «Chinese» takeout places downtown that doesn’t overwhelm you with MSG. At least I’m assuming they don’t. It’s not best quality of food in the world but if you’re craving something in the Thomson Center and don’t mind waiting for a huge line during lunch then you should consider it.

Now two stars may be a bit harsh for as many times as I’ve eaten Panda Express in my life and it/​he/​she and the neon red sign has always been there for me… but I’ve sworn off the stuff now. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just… the same flavors and I think they’ve worn out the welcome mat/​buds in my mouth.
To add insult to injury, when I busted out my frequent eater punch card, which I last used about 2 – 3 years ago, they laughed in my face and told me they hadn’t used that in at least 5 years!!! Ouch! They did give me cards good for 10% off though. And they are still running the third free entee thing on your receipt if you fill out the survey by phone or online.

God, I fucking hate this place and the mean, bitchy women who work there. What is up with charging for RICE or an EGG ROLL as an ‘entrée’? Shitty, lame food, bland, Americanized everything and expensive. And a line eighty miles long (just like, inexplicably, Taco Bell around the corner). Awesome way to waste nine bucks on lunch. If you want good (or at least better) Chinese at lunch in the Loop, check out Sixty-​Five (Madison, just west of Wells) or even Chen’s (in McDonald’s food court, 201 N. Clark).

This Panda Express is quite tasty. The first time I visited it I had low expectations, seeing at how it is in the second most depressing food court in the Loop (the Thompson Center; the worst is the one across the street at Clark & Lake, which sucks the life out of your soul) .
I’ve now been here several times for lunch and there is always a line, which means a good turnover in the big steam trays.
The food is fresh and tasty and I was most surprised by the quality of the kung pao shrimp. It is hard to find a fast food shrimp place at which I feel comfortable eating (anyone remember Fishport? [[shudder]]).
A note about previous reviews: has anyone seen the «NO MSG» sign hanging behind the counter? Yeesh.

I am so grossed out and repulsed beyond words. This is my first, and only, time eating Panda Express. My mouth is very upset with me, and I am sure a msg-​induced migrane is to follow. I only went here because I wanted something cheap, and it tasted cheap. Gross, gross, gross. Never again.

The four stars I’m giving are heavily caveated. I mean, Panda Express is not exactly food you should eat every day. In fact, for a while I was eating it every day, and started getting bad stomach aches afterwards. But when I have an urge for whatever addictive stuff is in the orange flavored chicken, this location is like instant gratification. There’s always a long line here, but it moves so quickly it doesn’t even matter. And I don’t know how, but the workers keep everyone’s orders straight and before you even get to the register, they’ve already totaled you up and are ready to take your payment.

I tells ya, it is the devil disguised as Asian food… i thought Asian devils are supposed to be hot and sexy… sheeeeet, this ain’t hot or sexy
Food that smells like chemicals, people that stand in a line that is half a mile long make this place avoidable at all costs.
But, I do get my «once a year» craving for food laden with MSG and chemicals… it takes me in to a chemical mania… i make sure I am well stocked with Valium before I eat here… the MSG sometimes gives me a bad headache
I now understand why people stand in a long line looking like zombies waiting for their meal… the chemicals have f*cked with their brain so bad, they cannot understand that the devil is taking over their taste buds.
Its OK people, I get a kick out of looking at you while I get my food at Pita express in the same food court… at least, I know I will live long without being «under the influence»

Panda Express is what it is, and I desperately crave it once a week. The employees at this particular location (in the Thompson Center) always seem to serve up my orange chicken with a smile… it’s hot, quick, and you can get filled up for around $ 7, which is pretty typical of loop lunches.
And they always seem to know those days when I need the egg roll… nice:)

All I gotta say is… ORANGE CHICKEN! Reminds me of Rice Garden back at U of I at the Union. 5 stars for the Orange Chicken. However, some of the other dishes, like the chicken and stringbeans, I would pass on.

It’s Americanized Chinese fast food. Sometimes, you just crave all the MSG — I’ve gotten dragged here by my co-​workers who were just craving Panda and service is decent and the food is exactly what you would expect it to be.