This is not a fancy sit down and be served place. But the food is really quite delicious. The wonton is some of the best ever. So fresh and crisp Veggies are like just picked. Loved the noodles and they are amazingly generous with portions. Brought home coconut shrimp, fried ce, spicy green beans, chicken and ( omy so so good) and chicken with mushrooms enough left vers for two meals. All this for twenty bucks And bless those noodles read more

It's one of those cheap Chinese food places where you pay a below average amount for a very large portion of decent food. It's like nine bucks for a two item and it's pretty good. Inside looks pretty clean too and there's a lot of seating. read more

Food and service is on point. If they're out I'd coconut shrimp,it's with the wait! Will be going here again to try more

Great service only goes so far.. Dragon Express is relatively new but I decided to try it anyway. Upon entering you'll likely be greeted by the smiling owner of this location, Xinai. You'll also be granted a sample of anything you'd like. Unfortunately, I sampled most everything and was only able to find two items that were fine. The trouble was that most of the items were so chewy. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the reinvented Panda Express but there were issues here. I'm not sure if it was the boneless thigh meat or just too much cornstarch. One thing that's great about the Escondido Dragon Express is that if you love noodles you'll get a Mount Kilimanjaro sized portion. Service is great here but the food needs work. For me, Cheap Price for Cheap Food isn't good enough. Maybe it is for you tho.. - Buy three plates, get the fourth for free. - I appear to be the only legitimate reviewer.. read more

Dragon Express - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

Friendly workers and large portions but orange chicken was so dry and chewy. Chow mein lacks flavor and fried rice is just nasty. Disappointed I drove across town for this. And what kind of Chinese place doesn't give you a fortune cookie! I would've been better off at Panda Express and I don't like them. Won't be back. read more

Great food for an affordable price! The customer service was great too! If you're looking for something to eat now and eat later the portions are great for that. read more

Let me start off with the two main reasons I'm giving this place 5 stars. 1. The customer service, the lady is always nice and remembers my husband every time, it's a nice touch, gives me a sense of community. 2. The portions. Omg they pack those plates and it's AMAZING. Best bang for your buck. It's not a Panda Express replacement, Panda has their signature taste, which I also love, but what makes us go for Dragon is wanting to support the AAPI locals and the amount of food they give. I had initially tried the coconut shrimp by itself but wasn't fond of it... but then I ordered it as one of my entrees and omg. Game changer. Jalapeño chicken + coconut shrimp is my holy grail. Salty and sweet, I never thought I'd enjoy it so much. The rice is just ok, pretty plain, I prefer the noodles. I'm not fond of the orange chicken but my husband is. Orange chicken + teriyaki chicken and steamed rice is his go to. The Thai tea is really good, the egg rolls are also good. Overall, the main lady (maybe owner) keeps us coming back with her customer service and her portions! Panda who? read more

Thank you DRAGON EXPRESS FOR BEING THE ONE OF THE BEST IN NORTH COUNTY! Yes, you got that right, one of my top two favorites! I wouldn't say the most favorite just because I have nostalgia with this Chinese restaurant in Vista, and I just believe that's just not fair. After looking for some Chinese restaurants on my fb and yelp, I had many people recommend Dragon Express in Escondido. I had this place ready to go once I had my Chinese food cravings, and bam, 2 days after the search, it happened and did not regret it! It is extremely delicious and the employees are just way too nice! Dragon express should be YOUR GO-TO CHINESE FOOD restaurant when you are in the area or at least craving it. I had the coconut shrimp and jalapeño Chicken with chicken wings on the side. Best combo IMO! Price is just out of the ordinary! Extremely affordable and this is not your "hit or miss" Chinese food. It's pretty much a guarantee you will like it. I just wouldn't eat it all the time, knowing how bad Chinese food is to a human's body, but hey, sometimes you just got to! It is normal to have bad customer service at Chinese restaurants, but here, that's not the case! The two ladies that helped me out had a passion to serve their customers and help this business grow. The enthusiasm and effort they put just makes you want to work there too! Thank you Dragon Express for a delicious dinner! Can't wait to come back for more. read more

See all

Prices are 5 stars. Customer service 5 stars... amazing. Food is decent but not as fresh as Panda Express. I would go again here in a heart beat. 5 stars total. Dragon express wins five stars as easily. read more

Dragon Express - Bowl with thia tea. Very happy - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

Very friendly people and cooperative for catering. I ordered 7 party platter the night before Chinese New Year and they were ready on time the next day. For roughly 30 people, I ordered (price rounded up) 1. Lo Mein $16 2. Orange chicken $26 3. Kung Pao chicken $26 4. Broccoli beef $26 5. Chicken Wings $26 6. Coconut shrimp $40 7. 15 egg rolls 50 cents each Every $100 you spend on party platters will come with 15 free egg rolls After tax the total was $181. Grab 2 cases of beer and utensils and you have a party! It's very difficult to beat these prices because most Chinese delis in the neighborhood would offer orange chicken for over $30. Even if you're not here for party platters, their lunch prices are unbeatable and they fill the box much more than Panda Express. I would definitely order from them again for my next Chinese food take out party! read more

Great food , fair price, excellent service. Easy to find. Yelp sucks 85 characters is redundant

food is decent definitely better chinese places out in escondido service is great nice and friendly employees ambience is clean very clean restaurant read more

I have been going to this place since it opened! Great prices and the food is amazing. I recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for delicious food from a mom and pop shop. read more

Food was mediocre at best. The coconut shrimp was all breading and some of it was uncooked breading. I rarely waste food but I found it inedible. My beef and broccoli had a funny taste to it. The egg rolls and rangoons were good. Servers were nice. If I hadn't gotten carry-out and already went home 15 minutes away, I would have taken it back. Makes me sad for a local place to not be up to standards as I like to see small businesses succeed. I hope they take heed and improve their food. read more

Just drove by at 11:30am and they were closed. Can not rate but will try again at a later date.

We were very pleasantly surprised with Dragon Express! We did not have any preset expectations. We wanted Chinese food for lunch. Came here as it was closest with great Yelp reviews. Dragon Express is a fast food shop. As a matter of fact, they are a hot table fast food shop with adequate seating for about 30 people. They offer combo deals that start with fried rice and chow main and a choice of 1, 2, or 3 food items. They also offer "Cook to Order" dishes. They have a very friendly staff. Their place is clean and lots of parking. We ordered a 3-item combo and each item was flavorful and done wonderfully! We thought the fried rice tasted like Mexican Fried Rice. . Seriously! Also, while their menu showed combo plates include rice and chow menu, we were asked which of the two for our plate. This being our first time, we didn't notice the "and" vs "or". While no biggie, it's an opportunity for them to get it right. For us, we, too, have our own opportunity to be more attentive to details. They are worth the visit if you're looking for something fast! They have a good number of dishes to select from and prices are very reasonable. read more

Watch out and check your receipt because the woman adds a bunch of charges to your order without any explanation. I asked for a 3 item plate (should have been $10) and somehow ended up getting charged $20 for nothing. She wouldn't correct my order or give me my money back, and became belligerent when I asked for any explanation of the extra charge. The food is really greasy and sweet and not in a good way. Disgusting I really hated this place. read more

Definitely a hole in the wall but a really good one. This place here has reasonable prices with plates that can feed for two. They always welcome with a smiles and a good attitude. If you're a local or even passing by, this is one of the best spots to go when your hungry and want Chinese. read more

Everything was amazing!!! They are so friendly and welcoming. They also pile that food on the tray! read more

Dragon Express - Double orange chicken double chow mien (Left) Coconut shrimp and Kong pao chicken - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

You know what? 5 stars for the lady who works there. Super nice to EVERYONE. Steam table restaurant where you can also order other items cooked to order. Place is clean. Food is presented nicely. Portions are large and prices are small. What's not to love? Nice variety of dishes. I'll be back. read more

My Girlfriend and I came to Dragon Express as first timers, the moment we came inside the restaurant we got greeted with a positive attitude. The Manager was really helpful and patient while my girlfriend and I were browsing thru the menu. She also filled up our 2 plates all the way to the top. Food is pretty delicious. The only thing is that they need to put AC because it does get hot inside. read more

Dragon Express - Menu - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

We've ordered party trays often and they are always great each time. They will fulfill last minute requests as well. The food was fresh and tasted great. Would recommend! read more

Food was okay, not sure if i got the bad batch of the orange chicken but was very chewy, chili oil was more of just oil and some chili and not spicy if your that typa person. read more

Consistently good food and excellent customer service. Always a smile no matter the time of day. Large portions. No MSG!

Amazing food, and amazing customer service. Theirs this lady whom I forget how to spell her name but she is amazing and is really welcoming and makes me want to go back there each time I want authentic Chinese food. read more

A very clean & friendly eatery, food was good for the price. Very affordable and a great variety of Chinese fresh foods to select from. Fresh veggies, chicken & beef dishes. I would definitely return & try ther dishes on the menu. Not disappointed at all considering some of the Reviews I read prior to trying. read more

Dragon Express - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

Pretty sure the chow mein was actually spaghetti. The fried rice had very little else than rice. The bbq pork was pretty good, the egg rolls were mostly dough. The staff was very nice. read more

This wonderful place serves amazing Chinese food at very reasonable prices. They will even make custom dishes which are not on their menu if you ask. The young ladies working the counter are incredibly polite and cheerful to everyone walking in and it is a joy just to hear them interact. You will be pleased and I only wish Yelp would let me give 10 stars. read more

I really enjoyed the friendly service and the delicious food. I had the teriyaki chicken with chow mien and white rice it was very good. Highly recommend it. Great ambience. read more

Food is yummy, the staff is super nice. Ortions are super super big, so bring your appetite. Highly recommend.

The Lovely Ladies up front were great! Amazing food and portions for the price! What a great buy! I called in my order and she joked with me about me calling from Sacramento and How long of a drive it would be to pick up my food! Lol We were in town for the week and this was the first stop we took in San Diego for food what a Great Experience read more

We ordered take out. Very generous portions and it was quite good. Super friendly staff.

Picking up dinner! We love coming here because the service is amazing everytime! The food is delicious as well! It's one of our favorites places to stop by! Great prices and large portions! read more

Amazing food. If you're craving Chinese food this is the place to go. Reasonable prices and they load your plate! They are super friendly as well. 10/10 read more

Best fast Chinese food in Escondido. Way better and cheaper than Panda Express. The staff are always friendly and they pile the food high. I hope they stay in business. Yum! read more

See all

Wow. So much food. We have dinner for 2 nights!! It is good, inexpensive Chinese food. Very friendly staff.

They warmly great you as you enter, their steam table is clean and food is fresh and visually appetizing! My wife and I chose two item plates both filled over the top and taste was amazing something we've missed for a while when in Escondido. The Kung Pao Chicken, orange chicken, candy shrimp and mushroom chicken were all just wonderful and we now know where to go for reasonably priced friendly Chinese dinner. We highly recommend this place. read more

BETTER THAN PANDA EXPRESS IN EVERY WAY. Fresher food, authentic recipes, huge portions, and MUCH CHEAPER prices. I cannot hype this place up enough. Go there and try it! read more

Dragon Express - Coconut shrimp, beef broccoli, chow mein - Chinese Near Me - Escondido, California

Asked for half and half orange chicken. The fried rice was tasteless, chow mein was not the greatest, and the orange chicken was super dry. Also I was wanting to use my Amex card and they insisted on me using my Visa card when they had Amex acceptance on the door with discover and MasterCard as well. P.S the Decor was also dreadful, they could get a real boost if they invested a little in Home Depot. read more

Food is great, Service is always splendid & The restaurant is comfy inside! I always enjoy coming back here with my loved ones. :)