Have you ever travelled to Buellton for Chinese Food? I have never either. China Panda, located just out outside of Solvang, is in a city were the most notorious dish is a green pea soup. Being from Los Angeles and frequenting San Gabriel, I have a bias against Chinese American food. I normally don't like it. San Gabriel just scratches the surface of Chinese Cuisine but there are touches of Szechuan and other regional Chinese Cuisine that I've had the pleasure of being exposed to. I have a hard time enjoying Chinese American food so naturally it was with hesitation I agreed to eat at China Panda. As I was driving, I was already looking around for where I could eat after our meal as I was ready to be disappointed. I could not have been more wrong. China Panda was truly DELICIOUS. It's been a long time since I've been surprised with good food with all the foodie research I do. Upon walking in, there is an aquarium to greet you and comfortable booth seating to plonk down to a good meal. The service was attentive and friendly. Our server in particular was so warm and so excited talking about their food. I've always learned to pay close attention to excitement and after a few recommendations we enjoyed: Hot and Sour Soup: Excellent Sour Tang with a light broth absent of the cornstarch clumps that can come with a typical hot and sour soup. There was a delightful lightness in the soup with a nice balance of shitake mushrooms and all the ingredients so nicely cut to consistent size. Their meal prep and mise en place station must be legit. The consistency of the soup and the texture was all on point. Bokchoy with Mushroom: Perfectly cooked not overdone, almost to the brink of over seasoned but it was perfect to me. There were some of the best bokchoy I've had at a Chinese American Place Walnut Shrimp: The coating on the shrimp was really what made this dish. It was perfectly cooked, plump juicy and not oversauced. If the dish seems short on the Walnut, don't be shy to ask for a bit more. OFF MENU ITEMS: When you are eating at Chinese American places, don't forget to ask for those off menu items you see the Chinese families eating that aren't on the menu. For us, that was: Sizzling Beef with Pepper: It was like a Chinese version of fajitas that came on a sizzling plate, the knife work again was exquisite and heightened the already great flavor umami with the pepper, onion and that sizzle at the table. If you have a favorite Chinese American Food Item try it here and be ready to enjoy yourself. I can't wait to come back here! China Panda was a revelation in Chinese American Food and insight into some snobby food bias on my part, I give you my solid recommendation to try them out. read more

If you are Chinese and speak Mandarin, I DO NOT recommend that you ever eat at this restaurant. Definitely one of the worst restaurant experiences ever. The service definitely was highly uncomfortable and the food was overpriced and not authentic. I would have no idea if the person waiting on us was just trying to be overly friendly since we were Chinese or trying to scam us of our money by making us order overpriced dishes that we didn't even want to eat. Anyways, it was almost unbearable. When we inquired about the dishes on the menu, like the mu shu pork, the server literally said (in Mandarin), "This dish is cooked for American/foreigner tastes. Don't order this." We just wanted to know what was in the dish, and he immediately shut us down, assuming that we wouldn't like the dish in the first place? I don't understand. This happened a few times. Honestly, it seemed like almost every single item on the menu was catered toward the "foreigner taste". It was incredibly suspicious. The server then told us to pick items that are actually "authentically Chinese", like the tomato with scrambled egg. In fact, these were dishes that are overpriced for what they brought. The portions aren't big either. It was pretty clear that the server was trying to force us to order only certain dishes. After we placed our order, he then proceeded to take one dish off the list, saying that the rest is enough when we didn't even say that we wanted that dish taken off. Maybe we could've said something, but as a waiter, I believe you should be listening to your customers' wishes. His "recommendations" felt more like he was forcing us to eat a certain thing. Now for the food. We ordered shrimp fried rice, beef cooked with chili, and eggplant cooked with garlic sauce. The beef was absolutely not worth its value. For $25 you are getting a few thin slices of beef plus some bean sprouts and napa cabbage here and there. The authentic Chinese dish is a very large portion, and I expected more for that price. The eggplant was overly greasy and the fried rice was nothing special. The server gave us two complimentary bowls of rice with the dishes and told us (in Mandarin) that we can get more complimentary rice if needed, and that for non-Chinese people he usually charges $3.50 per bowl of rice. Now, I have no clue about the validity of that statement but I guess he was trying to make us feel all special being Chinese and getting free rice. Definitely was suspicious and it seemed like he was trying to convince us to order more food. Anyways, this restaurant was extremely disappointing. Never coming here again. read more

Delicious, authentic Chinese food and wonderful service! My family was visiting around Solvang and craved Chinese food, so we ordered takeout here because of the great reviews. We ordered kung pao chicken, spicy boiled fish, stir fried green beans (I requested cooked with garlic), and shrimp fried rice. Everything was wonderful, and we are usually picky with Chinese food. Owner was also so kind, and gave us free white rice and extra hot sauce (not needed--the fish was spiiiicy). HIGHLY recommend! read more

Went there for lunch and ordered KunPow Chicken. The problem was that it did not have any chicken! When I pointed this out to the owner (waiter) he said something about ordering extra chicken next time. I have been there lots of times and never had worse food. When the bill came I was charged $2.79 for a pot of tea! Dont think I'll be back. Skip and go across the street to Express, better food and 1/2 the price. Sorry for a bad review but thats the way it is. Chuck read more

Just had an amazing dinner delivered this evening. All dishes were made with the freshest ingredients. Delivery service was prompt thus hot upon delivery. The highlight was their Sesame Tofu. But for the best comfort food order the Beef Chow Fun. A hidden jewel according to my friend who has lived in China for many years. read more

I came inside and had plans to order my meal to go. I looked over the menu, then patiently waited to get some assistance. The restaurant was not that busy. Maybe three or four families in there. The staff would continually come up front and walk right by me to process the credit cards or grab fortune cookies. They would glance at me as I stood there trying to make contact. Then they would just take off and go to the back. After playing this game for about 10 minutes, I decided I was being a dummy by wasting my time there. I'm kind of a hard person to miss. I'm 6'3" 260... They didn't seem all to interested in helping or even asking what I was doing there. But believe me, I wasn't there just for the fun of standing in a doorway. They were not exceptionally busy or understaffed so there was no justification for the inattentiveness and loss of the sale. read more

We ordered food for our whole family while visiting from out of town and everything was very tasty!

I'm from the Bay Area, but I always make it a priority to eat here whenever I'm in the area. It's been a family favorite since it opened and I can't wait till the pandemic is over so I can eat here again. read more

I love China Panda. The food is great and the service is amazing. I love the pan fried noodles and tofu soup.

We've been here a couple times now and we've enjoyed it both times. Although they have "Mandarin" and "Szechuan"on their sign, we think they do a good job with Cantonese dishes. We haven't had trouble getting a table here on weekends. This time around, we had pork pot stickers, chicken egg foo young, moo goo gai pan, and wonton soup. You can tell from the moo goo gai pan that the dishes here are of the Americanized variety, but we really enjoy it. The wonton soup is good, and full of vegetables, but lacks the "wokked" flavor that I like in wonton soup. The pot stickers were also good, although the wrappers were a bit thick. The moo goo gai pan and egg foo young both had excellent flavor. The meat in the dishes was cooked to perfection, extremely tender and velvety. For Chinese food, this place is literally the only game in town, but you don't need another. The food here has always been great, and we would not hesitate to come here again. read more

See all

Second time here on our way home from Los Angeles we've dropped by and the food is amazing for take out. As usual we always get rice and this time we tried Mu Shu Assorted. It was good it's essentially some sautéed vegetables and meat and they give you flour tortillas with hoisin sauce. Next time we want to try the egg foo young. The rice here though is always phenomenal, Yang Chow Fries Rice! read more

China Panda - My Shu Assorted it was tasty! - Chinese Near Me - Buellton, California

See all

Not bad at all. We ordered Mu Shu Pork, Hot & Sour soup, Potstickers and some Egg Rolls for takeout. Food was better than I was expecting, considering that we are in Buellton, not San Francisco. I would definitely go back! read more

Staying in Solvang for the weekend and Chinese food sounded good after all the heavy meals we've had. Ordered bbq pork fried rice and chow Mein and beef and broccoli. The food was great and fresh. The place was clean and the servIce was excellent. read more

During this outbreak things have been different and everyone has had to change, China Panda has done a great job of keeping their food the same! My husband and I used to come here about once a month if not more, we live about 20 minutes away so weekly was a little excessive. But because of this pandemic and other things we had not been here for probably over six to eight months. Yesterday I decided to surprise him and get our favorites to go. I was like every other time we have had it. Fresh and tasty! We cannot wait for things to get back to normal again so we can enjoy one of our favorite places more often again! We recommend the triple delight pot, chow mein, poo poo plater and wonton soup! You will not be disappointed! read more

This is a frequent stop for us. Our favorites are their pot stickers, wonton soup and honey walnut shrimp. The egg drop soup is also great. Everything else was have tried has all bee good. The staff there is so sweet and thoughtful. read more

Wonton soup and bbq pork were really good. Honey walnut shrimp was OK. Take out order only during COVID-19. High volume of order, took over an hour but worth the wait. read more

it's fine. just fine. got a hangover? it's fine. want extra salt? sure. how about a tub of grease to go with your orange chicken. i guess so. read more

Food is great, restaurant is exceptionally clean and service is phenomenal. I recommend the hot and sour soup, curry chicken sizzling beef and I'm sure everything else is wonderful too:) Don't listen to these dumb ass people complaining about the acquarium, they don't know shit. The water is green in their natural habitat and has NOTHING to do with the well being of the fish or health, they're coming on here complaining about the acquarium not being crystal clear while they have their dirty ass car parked outside.. How about you worry about that or your filthy house you have to clean. Who cares what the tank looks like we're all here for the food right? So STFU and stop assuming and judging, bunch of shit starters. read more

This place is wonderful! The food is always great and during COVID, they've done a wonderful job at staying consistent, maintaining cleanliness, and following social distancing guidelines. If you get the chance, definitely try the shrimp chow fun or egg drop soup :) read more

Late night after 4th of July Fire works the owner accomodate us to stay open for dinner. The food and service is excellent. Thank you again for accommodating my family. read more

Eating area is clean and hostess vey nice and accommodating. Take out portions very generous and no skimping on condiments or cookies -- fortune and almond. Three stars because the taste of the food is not great. Chinese barbeque ribs, happy family, house fried rice, and spring rolls (vs egg rolls). The ribs looked delish... right type of meat and sauce (pinkish red) but abso no flavor and very tough. Happy family is not bad but still missing bolder Chinese flavor. House fried rice again missing distinct flavor. I could be wrong about the last item spring rolls but I'm pretty sure the menu said egg rolls and that's what I ordered. I never order spring rolls but in any case the rolls were mushy and not fresh (frozen). read more

We stopped by China Panda for dinner while visiting Solvang. The food exceeded our expectations, and was comparable to many of the better Chinese restaurants that we frequent in Irvine and Los Angeles. The staff are particularly helpful and attentive, and the space itself was extremely clean. Most importantly, they were able to accommodate modifications that we requested because of food sensitivities. We'll be back for more! read more

This is the real deal authentic Chinese mandarin food. The service is always great. William the owner is always very polite and pleasant. The also have delivery food service. Don't waste your time with fast food........you work hard for your money. You deserve a great meal. Come to China Panda in Buellton. read more

I know of several other Chinese food restaurants in Southern California that are way better and at way less cost. The food is good not great, and the cost is ridiculously to much. read more

Love the food but they messed up on my girlfriends order we clearly showed pan fried noodles on yelp and they got her a rice and broccoli steak instead to go unfortunately. read more

I know this is a chain type but even with that being said it's a very poor excuse for Chinese food. Everything tasted frozen, & tough. We didn't have high expectations but unfortunately even our low expectations were to high. read more

I have lived in Buellton over 20 years and still find the food at China Panda delicious as always. Tonight I ordered the hot sour soup and it is the best for my laryngitis. At once I felt better. Also the chicken with vegetables is a healthy favorite. Independently owned by the same family , they take pride in there food. Tried the on line tonight and the food was delivered. WOW ! I did still call in, to make sure they received the order. Good restaurants are hard to find , they are far superior to the common junk fast food that is opening up on every street corner. read more

I ordered spicy orange ck,honey walnut shrimp,ck string bean in black bean sauce ,ck chow mein and pork fried rice they are gone be my favorite food it's really really good.And also I have the hot sour sp it's make me very warm very tasty.The two waitresses are wonderful and nice.it is the best place and Chinese food to eat in Buellton. Very good！ read more

See all

We recently moved to the Santa Ynez Valley and finally got around to trying China Panda last night when looking for another "Chinese" food option besides The Touch in Solvang. We decided to try China Panda for take out and were pleasantly surprised at the food and service despite previous Yelp reviews. I'm wondering if maybe the management changed since the last set of reviews? The food was good - definitely Americanized Chinese food, but if you want variety in ethnic cuisine - you have to travel somewhere else. That's not the point of this review though. We enjoyed our experience and the food (portions were very large, so we have leftovers) and will be back. read more

BEWARE takeout orders: I spent $25 expecting to feed my kids and I and what I received wouldn't even fill me up. Picture to follow. Very disappointed. I won't ever spend my money here. read more

China Panda - This is what you get for $25. thumb down. - Chinese Near Me - Buellton, California

NEVER LOOK AT THEIR CHINESE MENU! The prices on the Chinese menu and English menu are largely different. I suggest the owner and severs in this restaurant to learn what is ethics. read more

I came in from out of town to try this place and it was good. The order of potstickers had 8 of them albeit quite small. I ordered the chicken chow fun and it was tasty. Portion sizes were generous. I tried some other dishes people ordered and they were also decent. Everything was pretty average and have no complaints. I would go back if I were craving chinese food. read more

I come from the East coast, where Chinese food joints are staples of every neighborhood. Had high expectations for this place since it is the only one around. Unfortunately, the food looks the part, but it doesn't taste like the chinese food I've grown to love. It's just stale. Save the time and money and keep searching. read more

I had the Kung Pao Chicken and Broccoli Beef. Both of these dishes are my favorite. There is always a lot of chicken in the Kung Pao. The Broccoli Beef always melts in your mouth! read more

The first thing you see when you walk in is a green algae infested fish tank. The service was really good and the food was good also. It seemed a little over price for the small portion of food I got. read more

Ordered delivery on a weekday and it took an hour... we live across the street. It was decent food, but nothing special. Unfortunately there is not a whole lot of options in the Valley so you're kind of stuck if you're craving chinese food. read more

We stopped here on our way home from a road trip. Their chow mein was so fresh and amazing! The restaurant is clean and the service was great. read more

A Chinese meal in the heart of ebelskiver territory, yea why not? Decent ethnic food in an absolutely clean joint. Ample, booth seating with friendly and welcoming hosts, servers. Great menu! No msg, and the chef will customize dishes to meet diners palates. I recommend China Panda, for the staff is welcoming and the eats will fix your yen for some good tasting Chinese! read more

My brother has a shop in Solvang and we often meet here to eat because the service is great and the Orange Chicken is AMAZING. We always order the Spicy version and the flavor is just perfect. I have tried many other dishes and we have not found something we haven't liked. read more

kungPOW! I lived in SB for 39 years and thought China Palace had the finest Egg Fu Yung around. To my pleasant surprise, China Panda's is just as good! Rich sauce, plenty of fresh veggies and crispy/soft inside patties. Huge portions and sticky rice too. Can't speak for the rest of the menu, but I assume it's just as good. P-----Ex------ opened right across the road, but this is barely Chinese food. Support the old school Chinese restaurant-go to China Panda soon! read more