I'm actually kind of shocked with how nice this place was! You just don't really expect any sort of elevated touches when you're at a fast food spot but this place was really unique. I guess this is where Panda tests out some of their recipes before they decide to bring them to their broader locations. I am happy to be the test eater in this test kitchen! The main differences I noticed between the menu items at this location and others were the bing (essentially a 2 item plate wrapped as a burrito), hot and sour soup (only $1.50!), chili crisp shrimp (which I believe they have at other locations now actually), boba ice cream, and a tea bar. Unfortunately the tea bar seemed to be closed when we arrived so we didn't try that but my partner got the bing while I tried the chili crisp shrimp and boba ice cream. The bing left a little to be desired haha it was basically the 2 item plate wrapped in a tortilla and...it just didn't work well, the tortilla didn't hold everything in and it quickly fell apart. But, the chili crisp shrimp was delicious! Super spicy. And the boba ice cream paired perfectly with it. Honestly I wish they sold it in stores somewhere because it was delish. I will definitely be back to try some new food items! read more

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I decided to walk in as soon as they opened.. and what a surprise, all the food was from the night before. Old, soggy, and nasty. The chowmein was nasty. I decided to wait for new one. The orange chicken was mixed with new and from the night before. The teriyaki chicken was old and hard. The reason why I gave it a 2 star is because although the food was old they were willing to make fresh food. & they were really nice. read more

The overall seating selection is alright, with a lot of tables in and outside. For some reason, inside is always dark and not the best light. I'm not sure if it's because the lighting is broken or because it's just the style. The food is like any other fast food. It's fine, but the taste and texture of the food often changes depending on which batch you get. A year back, some of the beef was really chewy, but now it's not as good, and kind of reminds me of old beef. They give huge portions but I wish the food was higher quality. read more

I like going to this Panda Express because it's conveniently located nearby and the food is always delicious. However, one employee whose name I believe is Claudia, often leaves me feeling uncomfortable due to her attitude. She seems to be the only employee who comes across as rude! Everyone else is professional and provides excellent service, especially if it's busy and in a rush. read more

I like the orange chicken and bejing beef here, but i really think they need to give better portion sizes. I also like the chow mein and fried rice. Good lunch spot, but prices went up and portions shrunk. read more

Its a pretty good panda express with nothing special. There is indoor and outdoor seating but nothing really to do outside of the restaurant. The food comes quickly and its pretty good. The staff dont talk that much and the prices are average, and there are also decorations inside the restaurant. Its an average panda express with nothing special read more

Don't order soup to go/ delivery. They are supposed to bag the soup separately- unless you want soup all over your other order . It's not that hard . Please do better. read more

They have the wrap come back yeah. And they name it BING. Al I ask for the bing with 2 items. The girl just put food in the container and pass onto cashier and I repeated told her it's the BIng. And she said yeah it still consider a 2 item. I open my box and look T my receipt. It said 2 items so I took it back to the cashier and she didn't apologize and said you might have said it wrong. Without a smile and then manager took over and said oh you want a burrito No apology. And then she said ok we will remake it with a very blunt noise. Ok it's a Panda Express close to the corp in walnut grove. What kind of customer service do we get? Please do not confused your poorly educated staff and name it as bing on the menu. Just call it burrito. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We need more of these burritos...or even a drive-through! I got the two entrée burrito and it was heaven:/naughty. I also got the guava iced tea! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Y'ALL I know leaving a review for a popular chain restaurant doesn't make a huge difference but I'm just here to say: do not SKIP the beyond orange chicken! It is a PREMIUM dish (yes that is premium italicized if I could and it is a DISH!). It is so so good and as a vegetarian I really appreciate having more options than just the eggplant tofu and picking the broccoli off of my sister's broccoli beef. I hope that it's around to stay! On a second note: the eggplant tofu has really been lacking and is pretty bland - I'm missing the fire that this FIRE dish used to be. On a third note: this location also doesn't really fill up the box and gives sad portions read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Beyond orange chicken - amazing! But this photo shows you how this location really skimps out in terms of portion - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This review is about the menu offerings. Nothing here was innovative or new. Everything could be found at a regular Panda, at least during my two visits. If you're going to have this cooler store concept, you need to live up to it. Food was good, just like normal. Service was a bit disjointed and slow, but not terrible. The restaurant itself is bigger than normal and a bit nicer looking compared to their other stores. Clean, good seating, etc. Also plenty of parking. read more

On a Friday afternoon in April, there was a long line to order food at the counter. I tried orange chicken bao and bowl of fried rice and orange chicken and strawberry green tea. The food looked fresh and noticed the pans get empty fast and refilled fast. Lots of booths and lounge area next to tea. I had to pick up my tea at separate tea station. My tea was refreshing and tasty. The fried rice needed more soy sauce orange chicken was yummy and fried nicely. The orange chicken was 2 pieces fit inside the bao of cucumber and famous sauce. It wa a good price of $3 something. Best not to go at 12noon. read more

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The worse customer service from the female employees here!! Sucks that I had a bad experience because this place is 3 minutes from my job but I won't ever be coming back and I made sure to tell my coworker. I'm big on customer service so one bad experience does it for me. The worse part is it was the manager who was mainly rude and dismissive all over two pieces of broccoli. So disappointing because I've been here before and the older lady who is there sometimes is very nice and friendly. I don't know what this managers problem was but very wrong to take it out on customers. read more

Specifically came here to try their Beyond meat orange chicken. Unfortunately they did not have it. They said they would bring it back if there was a demand. Not sure if they meant "will bring it back as a company" or "will cook it if a family comes in and wants 5 orders of it". Really disappointed especially since they've been doing advertising for it and the advertising was even still in the restaurant itself. With that aside - I ordered the fried rice, chow mein, super green veggies, spring rolls, hot and sour soup, and a panda black boba tea. The good - the fried rice and super green veggies were seasoned well. The boba tea was probably one of the best I've ever tasted! The sweet and sour soup was suuuper cheap ($1.50) and they gave me a huge portion! The interior had some low, comfy, leather chairs with wooden slabs as armrests so you can place your food there. It was a nice option to have if you didn't want to eat at a regular table or booth. The bad - Not having the beyond meat orange chicken (even though it's being advertised), chow mein being bland, and probably the worst thing - they gave me a chicken egg roll instead of a veggie spring roll. I took a bite and realized it was chicken (I haven't had panda in so long - I forgot the 2 look different). I'm a vegetarian so that was a huge let down for me. No one was at the tea bar either and I had to go ask the cashier to have someone make the tea. I also noticed the straws for the boba tea were not big enough to pull up the tapioca balls through so it was a bit of a struggle to drink. The customer service was also not the greatest. I had to go back up twice and ask them to fix some issues with my order and the cashier seemed really annoyed. It was my first time at the Innovation Kitchen and overall it was kinda a let down. Im glad there were a few things that saved my dinner but for this being a mega corporation chain - I expected better. I've gone to regular Panda Express' several times in the past and haven't ever had this many issues. Don't know if this was just an off day for this specific Panda crew but I'll be hopeful and give this location another chance. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Panda Black boba tea - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Picked up a mobile order and no one knew what the hell was going on. Staff just stood around confused--didn't even check the order numbers. Total circus. What's the point of ordering ahead if it's pure chaos when you get there? read more

Room temperatures inside the restaurant is uncomfortably warm. Sweating while you eat... people attempted to keep the door open only to be told by Ruby (employee eating on her break) to keep the door closed. Temperature should be set at a comfortable eating temperature, not at a temperature that is comfortable for Ruby. read more

After we finished our dinner at the California Fish Grill,we headed to the Panda Express Innovation buying dinner for my father in law. I heard thus Panda Express is there's test Kitchen that's was I heard from friends that went this location. We were arrive there's was a line right I notice they have their own chicken sandwich they call it the orginal orange chicken sandwich. Panda Express just join the chicken sandwich club that's the restaurant are going for the chicken sandwich. We order the items that's my father in law enjoy and my wife order just order their famous orange chicken and I was very curious and I wanna how their chicken sandwich tasted I decided order one. I notice this Panda Express is the only place that's make their orginal Orange chicken sandwich. I took a bite of the orginal orange chicken sandwich wow have so much flavors is going on like the chicken was very tender and have a good flavor and orange sauce on top the chicken was incredible good including the cole slaw and the pickles add so much goodness. My wife enjoy her orange chicken it taste different the Panda Express we go to. We enjoy this Panda Express we need to come back again. read more

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I had high expectations coming to this Innovation Kitchen location. The only thing that makes it different is that they can put the same ingredients into a wrap/burrito. They have closed the tea bar. The wrap itself and the ingredients of the food was below average from a normal Panda Express in my opinion. The noodles were SO dry & the tortilla was supposed to be a green onion pancake which didn't taste like anything. They could've added the orange chicken sauce or something to make it better. Overall, not worth coming to this location. read more

I'm writing this review sole reason for the employees here. Firstly the food is fresh and good as always. But what caused me to write the review is the two employees I see that are always greeting their customers and doing their best to keep the atmosphere comfortable and kind. Ruby who was super sweet and kind, was always attentive to the customers and helpful on choices. She is a hard worker and I can tell she takes pride in her work. Also wanted to highlight Branden, he was working the floor cleaning and making sure everyone has their seats cleaned and tables spotless, mopped the floors and even put the slip precaution signs up. Both really made the experience to a Panda Express great. 5/5 to the employees here! read more

I had actually never had Panda Express before prior to this visit. My parents owned and made bomb American Chinese food growing up - so i never had the need to try panda express. Then preggo craving hit... and all I wanted was to eat something that reminded me of my childhood. We showed up right at opening. My husband and I each got their 2 item combo. I didn't even try to be healthy - just went for the greasiest, flavor bomb I could think of: Beijing beef and kung pao chicken paired with lo mein and hot and sour soup. The flavors were spot on and the portions were generous. After eating my 2 item entree at 11am... I didn't even need dinner that night. Beyond stuffed. Def can't be my regular go to unless I want gestational diabetes... but it's a great go to whenever my craving for Chinese American food hits. Just have to make sure I get the one item or have someone else to share my combo with! Btw my husband claimed this location is no different than the other Panda Express locations despite having a fancier name. Menu is exactly the same. read more

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Came here and got the family with additional items . Upon realizing it was cheaper to do another family meal they were very rude and wouldn't just let me add on another (i hadn't paid yet ) . I got a medium honey walnut shrimp which was an extra$11+ and it was half empty . I was just irritated by the whole thing . Pretty disappointing . read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - couple shrimp for $11 - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

For COVID safety I think this store does a great job. They have one door for ordering and one for picking up. To enter to order it seemed to be one customer at a time. They have a little setup at the front for ordering and paying. When it's not your turn yet you stand outside where they do have a menu setup if you're not sure what you would like yet. On the back of their receipt they have info on a customer service survey you can take and write down a code. Despite the pandemic they are still honoring it. You can get one free entree with your order of 2 entree plate. I was surprised to hear I could actually get a free drink instead if I wanted so I tried the creme brulee milk tea and ordered a plate with sesame chicken, chicken string beans and 1/2 fried rice + 1/2 chow mein. When your order is ready they call out your number over the intercom and you go to the pickup door. It's placed on a table set up there. Just open the door, pick up and go. Everything tasted great. Service was great. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - 2 entree with 1/2 fried rice/1/2chow mein and free drink with coupon - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

COVID-19: Social distancing is enforced at this establishment. All of the staff wears a mask. All customers are expected to wear a mask too. Some of the staff also wears gloves. There are some hand sanitizers available for customers to use. This place is open and available with limited capacity. They have indoor and outdoor dining. They are not sanitizing in between customers. COVID-19 Vaccination Proof: This establishment currently does not require proof of vaccination. While I was grabbing some food from this establishment several days ago, I asked if they had any special offers and they weren't offering any at the moment. They also do not allow pets in their establishment. Parking: The parking lot for this establishment is pretty big since they share the lot with several other establishments. Each parking spot is decent too. Food: I ordered a fried rice bowl with orange chicken. I also got myself a sprite. The fried rice was pretty bomb with the orange chicken. Delicious crispy chicken wok-tossed in a sweet and spicy orange sauce. The staff were pretty generous with giving me more orange chicken today. Usually, they are hella stingy and will only give me 6 small pieces of chicken. Yes, I actually count how many they give me. Overall, I really enjoyed my meal today. Staff: The establishment itself is very neat, tidy, and clean. Their bathroom is also very clean and sanitary. The staff here are very kind, friendly, and helpful. They accept both cash and credit cards. There is no credit card minimum. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Orange Chicken fried rice - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Food and interior still great but today their supervisor was mean to it employees. Just so you know we are standing 3 feet from you guys . They were working really hard to catch up.just remember sir they are the best crew I know that because I visited different pandas in everywhere. read more

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GREAT. THE BEST PANDA EVER!!! they are the only panda near me that has hot n sour soup. The food is so good and the service isn't that bad. They are nit picky with the potion which is annoying but what can you do. Mushroom chicken is good and string bean chicken is good. Chow Mein is great. They even have like boba but never tried it. read more

Picked up an order for my boyfriend and the portions were ridiculous -- just a few pieces of food for the price they charge. Panda Express really needs to stop skimping out. read more

We enjoy getting family dinner from this specific Panda Express. It is an innovation kitchen, the food here is always fresh, and we like trying their new items. We get takeout as there are 4 adults and 2 small children. Last week for dinner we ordered 4 plates with quite a few different items including chow mein, Honey Walnut Shrimp, beef with string beans, orange chicken, and chicken with string beans. We also ordered the apple pie rolls and they were tasty. The kids love the chow mein. read more

I have this problem where I want to try everything new. I'm surprised how good the orange chicken sandwich is. My 6 year old took a bite and did a little dance. The quinoa fried rice is a good substitute to make you feel like you're being healthy and it's really tasty. I LOVE that they have a little tea area. The lemonade are good but a bit on the sweet side. I'll be back for more sandwiches!! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Orange chicken sandwich - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Clean place, friendly service and all the food tasted fresher than some other locations.

Well worth the trip to enjoy the amazing orange chicken bing!! Always intrigued by their various ideas for new dishes. Service was fast and efficient. Ambiance was modern and spacious. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I'm giving four stars instead of my customary one star for bad experiences because this one started out really great. I'm traveling for work right now, and popped in to grab dinner on my way back to my hotel. Like other reviews for fast food that I have on here...I know it's fast food, so I adjust my expectations accordingly. For this encounter, where I started to order a "plate" (one of their order sizes), it started out great. The person at that station was warm outgoing engaging and making an attempt to provide a great customer experience. As was the second station on the way down the line. That station looked like it was being managed by the manager, so I would expect nothing less. But, when I got to the register, the encounter went south. The person at the register hates their job. It was obvious. She stood there and didn't say hi. Didn't engage. She literally told me the price and nothing else. I had a specific request...in this case, extra teriyaki sauce for the chicken. I had to ask twice for it as did I for other items. It wasn't until she could tell that I wasn't going to pay until she did them that, well, she did them. It soured the encounter. I'm highlighting this because I feel that it was a one off versus how the restaurant normally operates. Like all my reviews, even the negative ones, I try to give readers a heads up as to what they will experience so they aren't shocked. So, at the end of the day, I'll stop here again and know that most of their operation runs great. read more

Customer service is pretty nice, and all the workers are really polite and friendly (they also give you a little more than some other Panda Expresses so that's a plus). They also have this quinoa brown fried rice that's really good that I know other locations do not. Overall the best Panda Express I've been to so far read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Breast, quinoa brown fried rice, super greens - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

First time visiting after the remodel and I had amazing service from Julia. I'll definitely be back here again soon. It feels rare these days to get someone who goes above and beyond the way Julia does! read more

Chunks of pre minced raw garlic from a jar. Completely over kill and inedible. Too bad. read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Chunks of pre minced raw garlic from a jar. Completely over kill and inedible. Too bad. - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The service was bad. Employees were rude when taking orders and there was a line that was building up. Not a good Experience.

I was reading many reviews for the Innovation Kitchen and was wondering what the buzz was about. Upon entering, the environment immediately felt different from the traditional Panda Express restaurants, with an atmosphere of professional and caring folks working at this particular Panda Express. Like a well oiled machine, my order was taken and distributed among the workers for completing, and not one mistake was had on this occasion. On the Yelp Application, there is a BOGO tea offer which I passed on, as I was bringing the food home, but it would be nice to enjoy drinks at the restaurant, as there is a television and lounge to relax in, as well as bar stools. I'm hoping to have another opportunity to visit this location, as I understand they can make your order into a burrito-like meal if you like it that way... read more

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Amazing food and service was fast!! Food was delicious thanks to the cooks !!!!!! I would come again

My visit here was so disappointing. There was no innovation. It was the same bland Panda Express. If you're a typical Panda Express fan, this is your place. If you're expecting something new or innovative, you'll find more innovation at Taco Bell. Service was less than typical, just a quick get you in and out. When asked what the difference between this kitchen and a typical Panda Express was an employee said you can get your food wrapped. There was no advertisement for said wraps and they wouldn't even allow me to purchase the wrap separately as I'd already chosen a plate. They didn't include Mandarin sauce with my Mandarin chicken and when I went back to ask for some they said I'd have to pay. The employee did however offer me 2 spicy mustard packets, so there was that. The only positive part of this visit was that it was clean. read more

This place disappointed me today. Our Chinese New Year Eve dinner and they messed up my order. I can believe since the guy in front of me saw the girl helping him out the wrong one in the bag. He told the cashier and it was wrong. I should have checked my order. Just from that action. I ordered on line and when I came to the cashier she gave me the box with my name and she said everything is there. Well I ordered one chow mein and 1 fried rice I got two fried rice. I ordered orange chicken. And go two Kung pao chicken instead. I call when I get home and the voice message just tells you that no one available and hangs up. I am not coming back to this place I'll go to the other stores. No thanks plus the food didn't taste as good. New chefs? Not sure... disappointed.j read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Wrong items. Disappointed I wanted the orange chicken... and chow mein. - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came here about less than 2 hours before closing and saw they were out of Beijing Beef. Since I came here specifically for that, I decided to ask if they were still making it. I assumed "no" because it was near closing but they said yes if I was willing to wait. They offered free soda for my fiance and I for the wait. And when we thought they forgot about us, they gave us an extra portion as well. I really loved the service here. While my fiance says it's typical if they make you wait, I've never had that experience in any other Panda Express. For people wondering what makes it an innovation kitchen, they have exclusive items not available in your regular Panda Express. For example, this time around they had pastrami pork belly bao. They also sell boba here too! read more

Panda Express Innovation Kitchen - Salad,Bing (wrap), and pastrami pork belly bao station - Chinese Near Me - Pasadena, California