Panda Chinese Restaurant

I’m sad to have to rate it this low, and I probably will try again. My wife decided she’s trying to be vegetarian, so she has me ask about the mixed vegetables (since that can mean anything). I order sesame chicken and hot and sour soup.
Well, there’s a mixup between me and the guy at the counter over the phone, so there’s only sesame chicken and soup. We sit for maybe ten minutes waiting for the mixed vegetables, which we were not charged for – that’s nice. We get back and find out what my wife actually has is vegetable soup – well, that’s okay, it was free. Everything was quite bland. I mean, really bland. I will certainly order something else next time… maybe having «sesame chicken» in red letters for spicy was a typo.

I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt and went back after a pretty bad experience the first time. The food is average at best. Old and run down. No free water (if I remember correctly). What is up with the dragon lady at the counter? If I were as miserable as her I would blow my brains out. I wonder about all the good reviews. I just don’t see it.

The Panda IS my favorite Chinese food restaurant in Knoxville! It’s quick, delicious and very reasonably priced. I’ve eaten there once, but typically get take out. It’s the best place to grab and go on a lazy Sunday, or really any day!
Their wonton soup is one of my favorites on the menu. You will be doing yourself a disservice if you go and don’t get the wonton soup. Trust me on this one, people!
They don’t have delivery, sadly. BUT! If I’m going to be lazy and plan to sit around and eat all day, the least I can do is drive and get it, right?
The Panda has definitely got it going on. Five stars from me!

5 stars for the Panda Chinese Restaurant on Western Avenue, Folks! That’s right — 5 stars! Anybody that is giving this less than 4 stars is not evaluating this place on what it is. And what is is the perfect take out, rainy day, sick day Chinese food. Yes, indeed. If you are in the mood for upscale Chinese, which I don’t what that is, then this is not the place for you. However, if your idea of a deliciously good time include crab rangooneys, egg rolls fried to perfection, an inordinate amount of wonton soup crunchies, and the classic chicken dish passed down from sir General Tso, then this is your place.
To give it that extra half star too, everyone inside the place is so nice!

Food was spicy as requested and the service was great. Generals chicken, fried wantons, and spicy beef were very good. Reasonable prices.

I’m all for hole-​in-​the-​walls when the food is good, but I really personally never enjoy this place. Every time I eat here I am severely disappointed. Go the extra mile up Western Avenue and go to Golden Garden. So much better.

First, I’d like to say that I’ve gotten takeout from here a lot, it’s very close to work and really pretty good. That said, they left two eggrolls off my order last week, and when I asked for them when I went in to order this week, they refused to give them to me, saying that they can’t just give out food. It was just two eggrolls, I mean, come on. I was a little upset but was still going to order anyway because I like the place, but I said that I was ready to order and the girl just walked away. I yelled ‘nevermind, I’m just leaving,’ and I left. I probably won’t be back, because despite the good food and proximity to work, that’s bad business and I don’t want to give them my money anymore. So if you don’t mind bad customer service, go for it. But be warned.

Appetizers 5 stars. Hot and sour soup, egg drop soup, and crab rangoon. The egg roll was great too.
Main course 2.5 stars. General Tso’s had a thin sauce with not a lot of flavor.
Would go back and try another main dish.

YES. Just yes. Eat here. I can’t believe I have lived in Knoxville for years without knowing about this phenomenal Chinese food option! It’s hot, it’s fresh, and it’s cheap.
Last night, my boyfriend and I ordered takeout. We decided on two orders of veggie Lo Mein, which were PACKED with fresh veggies, an order of Kung Pao shrimp, two egg rolls, and a five piece order of crab rangoon… all for $ 20. We ended up sharing one order of the Lo Mein, since it was so large. I can’t believe we got so much food for such a great price. And the fact that it was made to order absolutely seals the deal. This is our new go-​to for Chinese!

I moved to the area about 2 months ago and have been reluctant to try Chinese food in the south. I moved here from the San Francisco bay area so lets just say I have been spoiled rotten with authentic and delicious chinese food. I picked this place purely on Unilocal reviews. I ordered Mongolian Beef along with some Hot and Sour Soup. The Mongolian beef wasn’t bad and had a generous portion. Step above the fast food chain Panda Express. The «hot and sour soup» …yes in quotations for a reason! Um… NO! This is garlic soup with chunks of tofu. Don’t get me wrong I love garlic but this soup in no way shape or form resembles hot and sour soup. I’d be willing to give more of the menu a try but I am definitely going to continue my search for better Chinese food options.

I’m so glad my husband found this «hole-​in-​the-​wall» place! They are affordable, and give huge portions in their to-​go containers. The sweet and sour chicken was surprisingly good! It wasn’t all breading like most places, and it was all white meat!
Fantastic, yummy, and clean! (You can see the kitchen from the cashier!) If you order enough food, they give you a free fried wonton appetizer thing that’s pretty tasty too!

What a find! I’m sitting here between buffet refills already planning a return trip. The Mongolian Chicken is amazeballs.
A friend owes me several lunches courtesy of Oklahoma covering the spread against the VOLS. This teensy-​tiny joint has a small, inconvenient, and crowded lunch buffet. And it’s totally worth it. It’s the awesome dive-​bar of Chinese buffets. They seem to have steady take-​out traffic too.
The food, man. The food. Best Hot & Sour Soup I’ve had in a long time. Garlicky, in case that makes you want it more or less.
The Mongolian Chicken on the buffet is ridiculously good. I’ll order it as take out. Probably several times. It has a sweet moo-​shu taste, baby corn, and water chestnuts. Deceptively Mongolian I guess, in disguise.
OK, the best for last. The lunch buffet is only, I shit you not, $ 5.50!

Great small business. It’s a small place, it doesn’t attract attention to itself by its façade, it’s not soaked in decadent décor and ambiance. This place is all about the food, the service, and the pricing. The people here are so friendly and considerate. The service is always great. The pricing on the lunch buffet is pretty great considering how expensive everything is these days, and you can add a fountain drink for just $.50. Can’t beat that. The food is really good, too. I love the beef and broccoli, it’s the real star here. I also really like the fried rice. I always finish my meal off with a donut. If you have mushroom allergies, the buffet can be pretty hard to navigate because many entrees do feature mushrooms. The place is small and becoming increasingly popular. Otherwise, I always have an extremely enjoyable time. This is one of our favorite places in Knoxville.

First the good:
Very reasonably priced!
Nice lady that takes your order.
The egg rolls were some of the best I’ve ever had! The boneless ribs were quite good too.
Now the not so good:
The fried dumplings were really greasy, I mean it was visible & gross, as was their fried rice. So much so, I only had a few bites and threw them out for the oily taste left in my mouth and thinking about the massive calories & cholesterol… The shrimp meh, it was breaded & frozen fried shrimp, not very good.
I will be back and try the other items one day, but will be cautious for items that hazard to have standing oil on them.

After a long day of driving from eastern NC, we approached Knoxville with a hankering for Chinese food. Unilocal led us here, and the positive reviews were not wrong.
First up, wonderfully friendly and helpful service. For a tiny place at the end of a shopping center, the menu was very extensive, and our host guided us to some of her favorite dishes. The apps were all hot, fresh and flavorful. Shrimp eggrolls were delicious, filled with ample shrimp and crisp veggies. The steamed pork dumplings were handmade, filled with well seasoned meat and complimented by tasty dipping sauce. Crab rangoons actually appeared and tasted as if they might contain crab.
Moo shu is scarce in many Chinese restaurants these days, but this place had a full selection. Paper thin pancakes (NOT tortillas) were delicate yet strong enough to contain the mixture of abundant vegetables and perfectly cooked chicken, topped with the tangy plum sauce.
Spicy beef and veggies was delightful, with tender meat and great vegetable mix, full of fresh mushrooms.
Shrimp Lo Mein featured snow peas, a delightful surprise. All of the food was freshly prepared and served with friendly conversation and a smile.
This is a place to come for food, but not atmosphere, perfect for a casual family meal or take out. The prices were very reasonable and portion sizes were ample. Plenty of vegetarian dishes on the menu as well. The meal was a treat, and Panda was a lucky find, for traveler or local alike.

One of my favorite take-​out places! Fast and dependable and always delicious. Their specials for 2 are the way to go but I do love their orange chicken! The woman working the front desk is always so nice and efficient. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for takeout!

So freakin good! My favorite Chinese place in Ktown! I just wish it had more room for more tables! The main girlie there is awesome, and hillariously honest! I love the beef and noodles with snow peas! Hmmm… now that I think about it; I belive I will be devouring sime for lunch today!

My family loves this restaurant for take out. The boneless ribs and fried shrimp combo is a favorite. Comes with delicious fried rice and an egg roll. Pot stickers are the best ever.
Our problem is we want to much and spend around $ 40.00 for 5 of us but have great leftovers that we hide from each other. lol
Order has never been wrong!

This place really does have the best Chinese food in all of Knoxville. I’ve been to some of the best in three states, Illinois, Dallas, and Tennessee. This place… its a cut above the rest for sure. The egg rolls are huge, the ribs are stellar, the won ton soup is epic. Spring, summer, fall, or winter this place will keep fed and happy.

Where to start?
Hot and sour soup.
Ginsing tea.
Teriyaki chicken on a stick.
Beef with broccoli.
All best of breed.
Nuff said.