If you’re craving Chinese food, Panda Express is always a great choice. They offer a variety of classic American Chinese food, including Kung Pao Chicken and Orange Chicken.
Panda Express has been around for about 40 years and has become one of the most popular Chinese American fast-food restaurants in the United States.
Read on to find out more about its history, menu, and locations.
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In 1983, Panda Express began in Glendale, California by Andrew Cherng.
Prior to this opening, Andrew had been working with his father at Panda Inn Restaurant. While business was actually pretty slow at Panda Inn (Andrew had to consistently run promotions and special offers to drive sales), this early experience provided valuable experience. Upon meeting Terry and Dan Donahue, who were both in the real estate business, Andrew and his wife wound up with an opportunity to open a fast-food version of Panda Inn.
Since then, the chain has rapidly expanded, opening locations in stadiums, colleges, malls, and amusement parks. Panda Express now has over 2,200 locations in the United States and is the largest Asian restaurant chain in the country. It even went international in the 2010s.
Where can I find a Panda Express near me?
If reading this article is making you hungry (and you weren’t already), we’ve got you covered. There are two main ways to find Panda Express locations near you.
Panda Express Drive-Thru Locations
Is there a Panda Express Drive-Thru near me?
A bit surprising for some, there are actually many Panda Express locations with Drive-Thru capabilities. Similar to the search techniques above, a simple Google search will reveal these locations to you.
What are the Panda Express hours near me?
Fortunately, Panda Express is open 7 days a week. Typical Panda Express hours are found below.
Please keep in mind that some locations may have shorter or longer hours. If unsure, it’s recommended to call ahead in order to confirm.
Is there a 24-hour Panda Express near me?
There are some Panda Express locations open 24 hours. However, this is pretty rare. You can find any 24-hour locations by searching Google with the keywords “24-hour Panda Express” and calling the location ahead of time to ensure the hours are accurate.
Does Panda Express deliver near me?
Yes, many cities do have Panda Express delivery options available. Panda Express currently offers delivery through its partners, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and GrubHub. In some areas, Panda Express has also begun to take charge of handling delivery, thus lowering the cost for customers.
You can check availability on any of the major delivery apps or order directly from the Panda Express website.
What is on the Panda Express menu near me?
Panda Express is the place to go when you’re looking for Chinese American cuisine.
Below you’ll find the entree items featured at most of the Panda Express restaurants. These all come with one side (your choice of chow mein, white steamed rice, fried rice, brown steamed rice, or super greens). You can also add an appetizer or dessert to your order.
The Original Orange Chicken is one of the most popular dishes at Panda Express. It was created by Chef Andy Kao in 1987. It’s crispy chicken tossed in sweet and spicy sauce.
The String Bean Chicken Breast is just as it sounds—made with chicken breast, string beans, and onion tossed in a mild ginger soy sauce.
The Sweetfire Chicken Breast is made with white-meat chicken, red bell peppers, onions, and pineapples in a sweet chili sauce.
Kung Pao Chicken is another popular choice at Panda Express. It’s made with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and is seasoned with chili pepper.
If you’re craving something with a kick, this is the one for you. The Black Pepper Angus Steak dish is made with angus steak, baby broccoli, onions, red bell peppers, and mushrooms in a black pepper sauce.
The Mushroom Chicken dish is a combination of chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini tossed with a light ginger soy sauce.
Black Pepper Chicken is marinated chicken, celery, and onions in a black pepper sauce.
Another popular option, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken is chicken thigh hand-sliced to order and served with teriyaki sauce.
If you’d like to get some iron in your diet, Broccoli Beef may be your best bet. The dish comes with broccoli and beef in a ginger soy sauce.
Beijing Beef comes with crispy beef, bell peppers, and onions in a sweet-tangy sauce.
Honey Walnut Shrimp is tempura-battered shrimp, tossed in a honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts.
Is there a Panda Express secret menu near me?
You might be surprised to learn that there is a Panda Express secret menu. Although there currently aren’t many items on the secret menu, the ones that are available are still worth the try.
Here are some cool, off-menu items to try:
Who doesn’t love bacon? Panda Express has recognized the bacon trend and now offers their famous Orange Chicken with huge chunks of applewood-smoked bacon.
The fried rice at Panda Express is typically made with white rice. But, as you may know, brown rice is much healthier. You can actually ask for Brown Fried Rice and you’ll receive your healthier alternative prepared with soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions.
If you have questions or complaints for Panda Express, you can phone them at (800) 877-8988.
Sources:
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/3200389001
https://www.pandaexpress.com
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/menu-price.net/secret-menu/panda-express/amp/
https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/exhibits/exhibits/show/pandaexpresshistory/pandaexpressfounding