So, I enjoy the dishes I have ordered so far like double cooked pork, chicken hot pot, ribs, string beans, bok choy w/an exotic mushroom....all superb! But I made the mistake to order the Sichuan shrimp, it was totally disappointing and the shrimp were soft and chewy tasteless as opposed to succulent and firm. I mean very disappointing compared to the other dishes. With that said, I would avoid the seafood dishes perhaps. The double cooked pork is a real winner and very authentic. read more

Incredibly flavorful, family-style Szechuan Chinese food. I went with my family so we went for the westerner basics like sesame chicken, fried rice, orange chicken, beef broccoli (I know I know) real basic. All of it was great. Its on my DC favorites list now. read more

My experience was not the best here. This place is located in a small strip mall and has it won private parking lot. They have a huge dining room that has an old vibe. They could really use some modernization and/or renovation. I should have known something was wrong after I got there during peak lunch hours and no one was there. It was completely empty. Needless to say, I did not have the best experience here. Service here was lacking. My server never checked on me, never refilled my water and I had to track her down to get a box and my check. She spent most of the time yelling at people on the phone. They have a huge menu with a wide assortment of classic Chinese food. I ordered the sesame chicken, which came with rice. y food was ready in about 5 minutes. I will get right to the point. It was avergae to below average. I could not even eat it in one sitting and had to take half of it to go. I really did not like the flavor and the chicken just tasted weird to me. There are few places that I will not return for another meal. This is one of them. The service was subpar and the food was bad. read more

See all

We finally made it here with some friends and the hype lived up to be true. The Sichuan staples - wok fried string beans, fried chicken, twice cooked pork, mapo tofu - were all very solid. It's the perfect ambiance to have a group dinner as well as quiet lunch or dinner for two. The only downsides are the location. While it has a decent parking area, it's definitely out of the way for folks who are looking for a quick bite. But I don't think anything beats the authenticity of the flavors. Lastly, something was off as there was a family with a dog inside. Kind of odd but unless it was a service dog, seemed a little off. Regardless, I would rate it excellently for the quality of flavors, the authentic charm it brings, and the abundance of dishes. read more

See all

This place has the best Chinese food in DC. I have only done carry out or delivery, but for about 15 years, this has been consistently very flavorful Szechuan food with large portions for the price. My favorite is the chicken fiery pot which has a lot of szechuan peppercorn flavor, chicken, cabbage, and other veggies. Their other vegetable and seafood dishes have all been great. If you want a simple good fried rice or egg drop soup, they've got that too, but szechuan food is where they shine. read more

Panda Gourmet - Cumin beef (spicy) - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Not bad! I had this delivered to my house so can't speak to the restaurant and cleanliness, but was underwhelmed with my two noodle bowls. One was their recommended Dan Dan spicy noodles but they came as just plain and dry noodles? I also got the combo lo mein which can never go wrong but nothing terribly noteworthy about this one. read more

Panda Gourmet - Dan Dan Spicy Noodle with Minced Pork - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I didn't eat in the restaurant, ordered online and got it as delivery and I was SHOOK at how good this was. It was delivered piping hot, meaning they turned this food around immediately and props to the delivery driver as well! I had an inkling by looking at the menu that this would be pretty decent as it had more authentic items on the menu rather than American Chinese (no knock, a place and time for all things!!) and I was right. The cumin beef was delicious, spiced and tender. The eggplant had phenomenal flavor and the noodles had a delicious wok kiss of smokiness from the high heat. It is cooked generously in oil, but doesn't come across as greasy...but if you're not eating this every day it won't hurt you. This place was great and I will for sure be eating again! read more

See all

We came here for family & friends gathering! Very surprise, everything turned out so good! Very close to real Sichuan ones we had in China! We will return again!! read more

See all

Tasteless shrimp lo mein, thicker noodles than expected. The other entree was slightly better. Counter service was ok but 1 of the 2 counter persons had a tissue in her nose protruding 2-3 inches down. It was close to closing. This 'business representation' projection was so very unprofessional. First time in my life I ever experienced this! The other counter person packaged the meals.. read more

Came with a large party of coworkers, on the recommendation of one of their friends. It is an absolute dive, hidden behind a motel! Inside, immediately you know it's authentic. Waitstaff were very attentive and friendly. We ordered half the appetisers off the menu, and each ordered an entree or two. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs, but we pulled through and came out on top. I really liked the Wontons and the Dumplings, the Curry Lamb, and the Peking Beef. The waitress recommended the "China burger", which happens to be the favourite of a certain East Asian head of state when he visits, and while it wasn't my cup of tea my coworkers loved them. I will be back again! read more

I learned about this place through a local group and decided to give it a try. I have since eaten here multiple times, enjoying each and every one. The double cooked fish is to die for!! The portion size is fair for the price. When I order takeout, it's usually ready by the time I arrive at the restaurant, which is about 10 mins from my house. The couple of time I've eaten inside, the service was just ok. The inside of the restaurant looks like it hasn't changed in years, but it's not terrible. I think I just much prefer them for takeout because the service isn't great enough to warrant the experience. However, it's one of my top choices for takeout on a Friday night. Authentic cuisine, consistent quality, fair prices - what's not to love? read more

Panda Gourmet - Entrance - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Two Haiku Review: Shaanxi specialty Pita soaked in soup was not Very flavorful. Xi Jinping ate here. No wonder he hasn't been Back to DC since. read more

This place looks so suspicious on the outside but it was charming inside. We came on a Saturday for late lunch after spending a day at the arboretum and they were very understaffed but thankfully there weren't that many customers. Service isn't the best but they get the job done. This restaurant has some of the best authentic chinese food that I've had in DC, it's just a bit out of the way location-wise. In terms of food: - ***rougamo - a MUST! super crispy bun with juicy, fatty, and flavorful pork inside - **garlic stir fried green beans - I get this at every Chinese restaurant I go to and I was very satisfied with this one - *mapo tofu - this has legit Sichuan peppercorns in it and is deeply flavorful. I was sweating by the end - black pepper and salt calamari - I like the flavor and the crispy outside but I think I'll get the ribs or shrimp version of this next time - Singapore rice noodles - very flavorful and yummy; good as a carb side but not a must order - pickle and fish soup - this was a little too pickle-y for my liking. It was veryyy sour and salty - egg yolk custard buns - these were dry and not as yolky as I'd like; definitely pass on this read more

See all

I was just in search for some good food and remember this place from back in the day. I wanted it last Friday and called and there lunch special time was over @2 so I missed out. Was able to get it today General tso shrimp, nice size shrimp but only a few in a small container. With plan fried rice. It was decent. read more

Panda Gourmet - General Tsos Shrimp with fried rice. - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was terrible spent $17 dollars on a soup that looked to have corn egg and seafood it was more broth than anything. It had like 10 pieces of corn bits, the shrimp was way over cooked. I had to request they add egg because there is no menu description on there items. In the picture it looked as though it had included egg in the recipe. They clamined to had been awarded winners of best restraunt on Washington's post but I think there might be new chefs since then, maybe something else on the menu is good. Plates served to others looked tasty. definitely inflated prices the soup couldn't have had more than $2 dollars worth of ingredients. I don't support businesses that look to receive more than twice its costs I find that absolutely rediculous. taste was ok but I was disappointed to say the least. read more

Food was good Good service Good location and ambience Will stop by again if Ibe close by read more

Rumor has it that Xi Jing Ping visits this restaurant when he comes to Washington DC, so that means this place must be legit right? RIGHT!! I didn't think much of it for a long time since it sorta looked like another takeout place that serves the local hotels, but my god, this place is delicious! It's such good Sichuan Cuisine, it's got me coming back again and again! Get the map tofu and the wood ear mushrooms and you won't regret it. I want to learn to copy these flavors, but perhaps their wok is just so seasoned, it's impossible. read more

See all

Ordered take out with very quick friendly service. A little expensive $40 with a moderate tip and tax for a combo lo mein and a hunan chicken. Avg serving size and chicken dish came with white rice. Both dishes had plenty of protein and pretty tasty really. I'd def eat there again. They had a fairly decent and good sized dining room. read more

This restaurant is repeatedly voted the best Chinese food in DC and rightfully so. Don't be fooled by the location. Step inside and you feel like you're in China Town in San Francisco. Great for larger parties so you can enjoy multiple shared dishes spinning on the lazy Susan on the large round tables. read more

The food was really good and great service. I would recommend eating here if you are around the DC area

My husband has been sick for the past week, and when he gets sick all he wants is Chinese takeout, especially egg drop soup. I have been wanting to try this place for years and have driven past it too many times to count. A sick husband was just the excuse I needed to cross this place off the list. First off - this place is semi-legendary in DC and has been around for ages. The fact it's in ...not the most beautiful...part of town, and in a motel no less, adds to its weird charm. Enough about the, um, unique, ambiance. Now, the food. It was bomb. We ordered my husband's beloved egg drop soup (which has tomatoes 'cuz that's how this place do), sesame chicken, mapo tofu, spicy wontons, and wonton soup. The husband devoured the unique tomato egg drop soup, and I destroyed the spicy wontons and wonton soup. This was also the first time I've had mapo tofu, and it won't be the last. Was it the absolutely best Chinese food I've ever had? No. But it's up there for some of the very best in DC. Will go again. read more

Great food! Speedy service. Best Kung Pao Chicken I've had in DC. If you're looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant, this is it.

Very tasty! The spicy chicken is indeed spicy with lots of peppers throughout. I ordered an extra rice because I didn't know it came with one. Egg drop soup was very good as well! read more

This place was everything I wanted it to be. Food was absolutely amazing. I will be craving the double cooked pork everyday. Spicy wontons we're also amazing. Service was very quick and dining area was spacious read more

See all

Ok - so I've honestly turned my nose up at this place in recent years because it feels like people love it for the novelty (it's in a Days Inn motel) and not the food. But real talk, I ordered the cumin lamb, and I put in the notes: "I AM ASIAN PLEASE MAKE VERY SPICY" - and Panda Gourmet delivered. I was hurting, and it was so good. Their cumin lamb was so flavorful and sooooo spicy. It honestly rivals Bobs Shanghai in Rockville (which is very high praise because I'm obsessed with theirs). Panda Gourmet's mapo tofu is a lil weak, but next time, I'll put the same note on it too and maybe they'll kick it up a notch. read more

GOLDEN CHINA is better. I don't care who is asking. Just finished my first take out lunch special. I was expecting it to taste better. Not saying it didn't taste good but with all the hype I was expecting more. The restaurant looked nice for dine in though read more

Panda Gourmet - Beef Lo Mein Lunch - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Second time back here and definitely worth the trek to this spot from downtown DC! We found a strand of hair in the noodles and the waitress was rude, but that is kind of a typical scene in authentic Chinese restaurant. Highly recommend the 肉夹馍 Chinese burgers which are hands down the best in DC. The diced rabbit was slightly salty and the cold noodles aren't as spicy as expected though. read more

See all

Double cooked pork was pretty good! I wish it was spicier, but the pork was tender and the green onions were also fantastic. Green beans with ginger sauce were very crispy and perfectly cooked; I am going to try and recreate them at home. Will order from here again! read more

Panda Gourmet - Double Cooked Pork - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Panda Gourmet is definitely a tucked away gem. Walking in, red table clothes, more Hanzi than English on the posters all around, and a lazy Susan on the big tables are all the markers of quality and ambiance I need to be ready for a feast. We were sat quickly by the friendly staff upon arrival in our pleasant surroundings. We had some recommendations from a friend so naturally over ordered. Their specialties, the Rou ga mo burger and cold Shaanxi noodles, each well deserve the full write up they get at the front of the menu - delicious. Twice cooked pork was very tasty with excellent sauce and leeks to accompany. The flavors were all there for the cumin lamb and ma po tofu, but I did feel each could have more of a kick - I'd encourage you to ask them to turn those up if you like spice. Dan Dan noodles and eggplant in spicy sauce were both on point. We were told we probably overdid it when asked but it's a testament to the food that only a few eggplants and some tofu remained. Pass on the custard buns, while it's nice to have something sweet, they were dry and a bit strange...can't win them all. In my and our friend's who recommended the spot opinions, skip the Americanized dishes. I'm sure they are probably great, but if you're here, it's time for Szechwan and you won't regret it. read more

If you are looking for great authentic Chinese food then this is your place. If you are looking for a classy ambience and good service- maybe not so much. It's a bit out of the way in NE and lodged between a Days Inn motel and a gas station which doesn't look promising but the food was insanely good. They are really understaffed and you'll definitely see a cat roaming around inside the restaurant but I think that added character! read more

Quick update 4/2020 - Panda gourmet is a great option for takeout although it's a little further away. They have a lot of dishes that others don't. Favorites: Shanxi cold noodles (Lianpi), Peking beef, eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, dry fried (braised) chicken, dan dan noodles, biang biang mian, pork burger, scallion pancake. Based on past orders I would avoid the standard stuff like lo mein, general tso, etc., and instead try some of the more interesting dishes. They are also doing no-contact pickup due to covid - call in the order, show up, read them your credit card number (or pay cash), and they call you when you come and grab your order. read more

See all

Decided to order from here for Chinese New Year on DoorDash as I've read and heard how great this place is and pandas are my favorite animal. We definitely over ordered and had lots of leftovers. The only item we didn't like much but it was worth a try was the Diced Rabbit in Chiki Sauce. Definitely shows how authentic the place is though. We also had the Chengdu Cold Noodle which had the right amount of spice and great texture. We tried the Rouga Mo Chinese Burger which was very tasty. The Sweet Potato Fried Pancakes were a good portion and tasty. The Orange Chicken was delicious as always, and some of the best I've had as it my favorite Chinese staple. The Lamb Noodle Soup made a great lunch the next day. A highlight was the Small Fry Mutton which was lunch the following day. I definitely recommend here for delicious and authentic Chinese food. read more

See all

Not your "standard" (Americanized) Chinese fare, which is a great thing! The dishes are interesting and incredibly flavorful, although when they describe a dish as "spicy"--BELIEVE them!! My favorite dish on the menu is the blistered green beans. Sounds basic, but wow!! SO incredibly delicious! Fresh, well-seasoned, with huge pieces of crispy garlic. It would be nice to add a protein to them, but they honestly don't need it! Just know that the green beans you'll get with the shrimp or chicken and green beans are NOT the same as the blistered version. Get these!!! read more

I finally visited Panda Gourmet after reading several reviews over the years about it authenticity. My experience measured up to the expectations. The food is unique and tasty. It feels authentic. My criticism is that it is understaffed. The restaurant is located inside the New York Avenue Days Inn. So, the area and parking lot is active with the energy of traffic and activities of the main thoroughfare into Downtown DC. The interior is basic. Nothing special. The staff kept it i clean. The atmosphere was a funny mix of neighborhood/nearby folks grabbing takeout and foodie/well-traveled restaurant diners. The highlight is the food. Everything I had was delicious. The menu is expansive with many dishes that you often see in other Chinese restaurants. We had egg drop and wonton soups, Steamed dumpling and sliced pork belly appetizers, and double cooked pork and combination fried rice entrees. The flavors were great. The soups had clean flavors, similar to other places, just cleaner. The dumplings had a super tasty sauce. The pork belly was simply delicious. The slices were spice and well seasoned with garlic and scallions. We loved our entrees. The fried race had a nice flavor. Just quality. The double cooked pork was pretty excellent. My only regret was that the meat was also pork belly, which I would not have ordered had I known. The dish was great. It was a great portion covered in sauce with leeks and jalapenos. It had spice, but wasn't hot good stuff. Don't expect great service though. I only saw five employees - 2 cooks, the waitress, and the host/takeout person. The waitress was forced to do everything. She took orders, delivered takeout food to the front, bussed the tables, cleaned dishes and other duties. THe waitress did the best that she could. It was okay until the place got crowded at once. So, don't expect extras, such as extra sauces, condiments or accessories. Order when you get the opportunity and make other requests too. You won't get many chances. It's definitely a good place. read more

Panda Gourmet in DC is an absolute gem for those seeking authentic Chinese cuisine. Don't be fooled by the unassuming exterior next to the gas station. The lamb skewers were well seasoned and grilled to perfection. But my favorite was the pita bread soaked in lamb soup - a great combination of flavors (i.e., garlic, cilantro, chili paste) The Rouga Mo Chinese burevening,ger was great too! The classic dish from Shanxi Province was bursting with savory goodness and made for an unforgettable culinary experience. I came with a large group (8 people), so the large lazy susans were a blessing, making the meal even more enjoyable as we shared the goodness with friends. We visited on a Saturday evening, and there was no wait. Overall, I am really glad to have found another authentic Chinese restaurant in DC! read more

Very very very good. If you know you know. It's delicious and authentic and makes you want to come back for more stat.

As Chinese myself, I am indeed very much troubled and upset by my recent experience at Panda Gourmet, and it's not just about the service. This was the first time in my life I've been shouted at in a restaurant, a situation that arose after an unreasonable wait time. I was initially told it would be a 20-minute wait to order, but this time lapsed with no attention from the staff. When I finally sought assistance, the server's response was shockingly unprofessional, shouting at me in front of other diners. Additionally, I'm concerned about the food quality. A friend shared with me a disturbing incident where they found a fly in their takeout order from this place. A fly! This is not the first time. This, combined with my own experience, leaves me no choice but to question the overall standards and management of Panda Gourmet. If you want to try Chinese food, try something clean but not this one. read more

I enjoy Panda Gourmet more for the experience than the food. If you ever have a chance to reserve the back room I recommend doing so. You can play your own music, byob, and enjoy sharing food on a turntable. The garlic string beans and dan dan noodles are a must! I've also enjoyed the wontons in hot & spicy sauce and a few chicken and beef dishes- like the dry rubbed chicken. I'm still on the hunt for the best Chinese food, but if you order well Panda Gourmet can hit the spot. read more

Panda Gourmet - Szechuan Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Visited with my mom recently. What a huge disappointment. My first experience here a few years ago was so amazing that I would return here every now and then and the experience has been worst ever since. when we entered, it was really dark and my mom and I are were the only customers. The server seemed to didn't want to be there and it took her much effort just to get my mom utensils. NEVER RETURNING. read more

Offers both authentic Chinese plates but also the typical standard dishes found in U.S. Chinese restaurants. Plenty of spicy dishes for those that are adventurous. They even have a "healthy choices" section on their menu with selections that have no oil, salt, or corn starch. read more