Panda Express has over 2,300 locations, making it the largest American-style Chinese restaurant in the country. Most of the food on the menu is pre-cooked and placed into visible warmers near the counter where employees dole out dishes for each customer. The good news is that Panda Express is usually tasty and easier on the wallet than some of its competitors. The bad news is that the restaurant’s food quality and wait times can greatly vary from location to location, making this chain somewhat inconsistent.
The potential trouble comes with a dish like chicken teriyaki, which features a fairly sweet sauce. In many ways, the sugar in teriyaki sauce is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it makes it easier for the meat to caramelize on the grill, which can create some tasty charring. But on the other hand, if the meat is cooked a little too long, then the meat’s sweet glaze can burn rather quickly. As with most things in life, timing is everything.
Some diners have reported occasions where the meat was clearly pretty burned, but was still being served by the restaurant. Of course, no one wants to see food go to waste. But no one wants to pay for burned chicken, either. Another problem is that the restaurant’s lower prices tend to attract bigger crowds, and when the kitchen is overworked and not fully staffed, it can prolong wait times. This situation often varies depending on the location of the chain.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/K3KV25KFYFJIHFNOWQUMVI3WLE.jpg){kind=small}