Great food at a good price. Lunch specials are heaping portions of great dishes, including Gung Pao Chicken, my personal favorite. Service is always low key and friendly. I've never had a bad meal there. I've taken half the plate for dinner later. Beer selection is limited but adequate. The rice is fresh and hot. Vegetables are fresh and delicious. The peanuts on the chicken aren't stale and rancid. All in all a celebration of the palate! read more

Great food. I've been looking for good chinese for awhile. YAY yelp!

No place beats panda inn for great fresh affordable food in a great atmosphere and a very attentive staff. This is almost the only restaurant we go to and know we can trust getting quality food! read more

Their chow mein was terrible. We basically just threw it away, & it wasn't cheap. We did eat the war won ton, & the fried shrimp appetizer. The noodles were so bad, they should be embarrassed. Step it up, or step out read more

Food is gr8, portions are huuuuuuuuge , fantastic prices and good service. my family and i will be returning soon. the kids loved it. vegan friendly. read more

I think this is the best Chinese in Santa Cruz Co. The chicken salad is my favorite. Good variety; lunch specials are reasonably priced and give substantial portions. I like the "hidden" quality of the restaurant. It's set back from the storefronts. Unless you're looking, you might miss it. read more

The best Chinese food in Aptos. A bit more expensive than the other places, but worth it. I've enjoyed most of what I've had there, including the spicy shredded beef, crispy fish, and General's Chicken. And the atmosphere is nice, so I tend to eat there instead of take-out. read more

I judge a Chinese restaurant by its Chow Mein, and without a doubt, Panda Inn serves the best I've ever tasted. Not at all greasy, with just the right amount of veggies and meat if I add it. Their ingredients always seem fresh and I haven't tried a dish I haven't liked. They are a bit pricey - I'd say average $10 or $11 per dish - but it's worth it. Small wine list, only about 5 choices. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. read more

New owner not very friendly, I went to desk for pick up....he was talking to woman and took her to table in dining room...did not say one word to me, I expected him to come back..he didn't. After a few minutes woman employee came in room, I'm standing at desk..she asks woman sitting if she needed anything...after talking to her the waitress turned and went back into dining room. I stood there in dismay like I was invisible..I will not be back, I've also had hit and miss issues with new owner. After decades of being a customer I will not be going back, "Goodbye" Panda Inn!! and message to the new owner..wear a descent shirt and stop wearing a t-shirts, look professional like last owner. read more

So here's the scoop! Our family has been going here to eat off and on for a few yrs now and their food is good - if you are dining there. The service can be rude and there is zero friendliness from the servers. This review is more on their "take out" items. I had let it slide the past few times we have ordered food to go but after my recent trip over the weekend I will only dine in as the quality of the food to go is by far less than what it would be if you eat it there. The Chinese Chicken Salad is ALWAYS brown, old and very soggy. Did I mention it is not when you eat it there? The Pot Stickers taste entirely different as well vs take out and dining in. Yuck. I literally tossed the entire dinner and microwaved a cheap bean burrito that I had in my freezer. Dine in. Don't do take out. read more

I don't know what happened here. This used to be one of our favorate places...last 2 times (in a space of 5 months) the food has been awful. They lost us. read more

I've been going to Panda for years and still can't get enough. Now I live out of town but it is the first place I want to go whenever I come back to Santa Cruz. The food is fresh and wonderful. My favorite is the sizzling rice soup (tomato base). Second favorite would have to be their fried rice. Yum! read more

I had the Spring Rolls, very greasy, and the pan fried noodles with vegetables. If I were to go back, and that's most probably not, I'd order the noodles separately so they wouldn't get too soggy. To get some flavor out of the food, I had to add soy sauce and a bit of hot sauce. I wish the food were better here. I wish that restaurants like these would offer half orders of their food. My plate came in a dish as long as my arm! Not fair for widowed people or otherwise single. The best thing: I ordered a beer and it came in an icy glass and was so well chilled. read more

Love this place, going to miss having it around the corner.

We four enjoyed our food very much. Nice location, decent prices, pretty patio. The service was random though - we 3 had nice hot dinners while the 4th person waited 15 minutes for his meal to arrive. Wierd. No explanation. However the potstickers were realy good, the hot spicy scallops were great, the fish on fish dish great too. Love that they have green tea ice cream there too. We'll go back often - the husband LOVES good Chinese. read more

I love it that you can get brown rice here. I also enjoy the atmosphere - it's not too noisy. The food seems fresher and healthier than other Chinese restaurants, which is why Panda is my go-to place for Chinese. read more

My husband and I went for their lunch specials. The potstickers looked so good, but when we ate them, they were super dry. The Mongolian beef wasn't bad. My husbands sweet and sour tasted like banana sauce. It was weird. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Our son and his family took us here for dinner while we were visiting last weekend. I thought the food was quite good, with great flavor. The noodles were smaller than most and the shrimp seemed to be fresh and not overcooked. We had sizzling ckn soup, spring rolls, cashew ckn, pork chow mein, beef w/black pepper sauce and shrimp w/glazed walnuts. If I had to complain, it would be that the walnuts weren't as glazed as I would have liked. We'll be back when we get back down that way! read more

This is my favorite Chinese restaurant. I don't even live nearby anymore but anytime I come anywhere close to it, I stop in. They have really fresh food, great service and a very creative atmosphere. Highly highly recommend! read more

Have gone to panda many times, the quality has slipped a bit. The sweet and sour pork sauce was different, a little on the bitter side. They are using a lesser cut of pork too. read more

Been going here for decades I think. Super great quality, never had a bad meal. Best Chinese place around.

Been going to Panda Inn for several years now. It is our go to place for Chinese food. Win som (owner) is very friendly to us. She knows our family and asks about them each time we come in. Not many restaurant owners remember you and ask about your family. We normally get the chinese chicken salad, sizzling rice soup, chicken noodle soup, chicken chow mein, sometimes the lemon chicken. Occasionally we try other stuff. We eat in and do take out about 1-2X per month. Most everything they have is great. Recommended. Yes, occasionally they are short staffed, and it takes a while on occasion to be greeted, but it has been rare for us. Ambiance is pretty good, and restrooms clean. read more

Check your to-go orders. I ordered three different items. I got home to discover I had a carton of one, two cartons of another, and none of third. Food is pretty good otherwise. read more

Best Chinese in Aptos. Super nice people too!

Absolutely enjoyed the food here. I got the chicken salad, cashew chicken, and orange chicken. Super impressed! Cannot wait to come back.

Good food; fresh ingredients and pleasant, competent service for take-out. While staying at Seascape, I craved some Asian food. You know something meaty, spicy with rice. I found Panda Inn through Yelp and closed my eyes and began to dial. (I must disclose that I was kind of scared cause I haven't seen many Asians in these here parts so I was afraid of the their mastery of Asian cuisine) I didn't even have a menu but just ordered from past specials other Yelpers had mentioned in their reviews plus riffing on my own Chinese faves. We ordered potstickers, pork buns, chinese chicken salad, kung pao chicken and hot and sour soup. It was all yummy. Everything was as it should be: lettuce was crisp and fresh in the salad with big chunks of freshly cooked chicken, pork buns had lots of pork, same with the pot stickers. The kung pao was nicely spiced. The only weak point was the hot and sour soup - I wish they had more vinegar in it to make it more spicy/hot. It was a little bland, egg flower soup-y to me. Bottom line - would go there again in a heartbeat! read more

I've eaten here several times recently and the food is consistently very good and the decor/atmosphere is fine. The service could stand to be a little better and that's the only thing that's keeping from getting 5 stars from me. read more

One of the better Chinese places in town. Food is always tasty, cool atmosphere and good service. Great staples like Sweet and Sour chicken, Hot n Sour soup, etc. Thing is, every time I eat there - as tasty as the food is- i always get an upset stomach. (We eat very healthy at home). It's a bummer, and it's the only reason why I stay away until the family wants to go again. read more

We had reservations for a party of 12. They were accommodating for such a small restaurant and had our table ready for us. The food was delicious and everyone enjoyed the food. The restaurant is clean and the staff is very polite. We have been coming here for years and the quality hasn't changed. read more

Very disappointed with Panda this time. We've eaten in and done take out since the 80s there but haven't tried it in a couple of years. Last night the take out was flavorless. The lemon chicken was some kind of breaded stuff with a lemon sauce that didn't even taste like lemon. The pork fried rice was dry and the beef with broccoli was mushy. It's way too expensive! Sorry, I won't go back. Jim read more

Best Chinese restaurant in Santa Cruz Co...fresh, generous portions and warm & cozy environment. Such lovely owners & waitstaff. A longtime family tradition. read more

Delicious Chinese food. I am quite a picky eater, especially with Chinese food, and this was great. We ordered the General's chicken, schezwan beef, and chicken chow menu. All were delicious. Everything had great flavor! You could tell the meat was good quality and cooked well. We had ordered our food for take out and the chicken was still crispy when we got home. read more

Great food and excellent service, a combo i almost never find in santa cruz. Delicious chinese/asian inspired dishes, vegetarian friendly

Completely disappointing. Both service and food. Very average. Upon asking for server's suggestion I ordered both garlic eggplant and garlic chicken with vegetables. Eggplant was fair and chicken sooo salty and terrible I couldn't eat it. Too bad used to be a great restaurant years ago but definitely gone downhill. Last couple visits were same experience. Rude manager forgets they probably only stay in biz due to locals. Definitely won't be patronizing any more! read more

I've actually been going to this place for over 30 years I think it's probably the best Chinese food in Santa Cruz County same owners same quality I've never had a bad Dish there my favorite tomato Base sizzling rice soup and chicken with broccoli I like garlic read more

I don't know where everyone else was eating, but it wasn't Panda Inn. Based on reviews we went there expecting a good meal. What we got was water that tasted like old rags and peroxide and was undrinkable, won ton soup that tasted like the dumplings were raw and the pork was bad, fried rice with hair in it, and sweet and sour chicken that tasted like cleaning product. We couldn't even eat the food. I use Yelp a lot and don't usual post reviews, but I felt I need to save people the disappointment and stomach pains of this place. read more

Had my family up to a beach house in Aptos and it was my night for dinner. I searched Yelp for the best Chinese in the area and the community did not steer me wrong! The food was amazing - both vegetarians and non were beyond satisfied. Everything was fresh and delicious. I dare say I provided the best meal of the entire vacation thanks to Panda Inn! read more

We ordered "to go" this last weekend and found the food not to be up to it's normal standards. All three dishes we ordered tasted very poorly, dry, and, old, not at all than in times past. Almost seemed like completely different recipes. Very disappointing. read more

The chef who owns this restaurant is a master Chinese chef. He used to own a restaurant in Capitola called the Peach Blossom. When he cooked at Peach Blossom...I lived in the apartments right next to the restaurant. He had some of the most innovative Chinese cuisineI've ever had...the dishes were truly out of this world delicious. One recipe I especially remember was his version of Kung Pao seafood with chicken. He called it Gung Bao Sauté. It had HUGE scallops, prawns, and chicken cooked Kung Pao style with peanuts, green onions, water chestnuts and a couple of other veggies in a rich brown sauce. This dish was THE BEST Chinese dish I have ever eaten...and I have had Chinese food all over the world in my travels. I still remember it 25 years later (I lived in Capitola in the late 80s). I plan to visit SC later this year, and I plan to make a pilgrimage to Rio Del Mar and try the Panda Inn. Guess what dish I will be asking the chef/owner to specially prepare for me? If you live in this area, stop by the Panda Inn and ask him to make "Gung Bao Sauté"for you...the way it was prepared at his old restaurant, the Peach Blossom.If you are anything like me, it could be the best Chinese dish you will ever eat. Enjoy! read more

This place has the best Chinese food ever! Their wonton soup is to die for starting off or the Chinese chicken salad (with hot mustard). They make these special stir fry green beans with ground pork (ask them to make it, it's not on the menu) and you can honestly eat the dish in 2 seconds it's that good. The sweet and sour pork or orange chicken is always a go to. The meat isn't fatty, you can tell they use the good cuts. I'm really picky with the meat I eat when going out, and this place always cuts off the fat and I love that! 5 stars for sure. read more