I have lived around the corner and have driven by Peking Garden countless times over the last few…read moreyears and finally I stopped by for lunch, and was happy I did so. I had heard through family and friends that Peking served tasty, well portioned, always hot and great priced Chinese food...so, what is not to love about all that!
If you ever cruise up and down South Cobb Drive between the Concord Road and Windy Hill Road intersections, there is a high probability that you saw the building that is 80% green roof tile with a bunch of angled and sloped walls and roof lines...and that building would be the one and only Peking Garden. It has been in Smyrna for around 30 years and I do not think the building has changed too much since they opened. While the decor and overall look scream dated, they do maintain it all quite well, so I am not mad at it!
Parking is limited with spots lining the sides and front, but in the event they fill up then you can grab a spot in the massive lot that is directly behind the restaurant.
Service was great! We were sat immediately upon entry and gave our drink and food order within moments. Once she delivered the food, she came back to check on us through out and made sure we had the check before we were ready to ensure no wait. Check out was equally easy.
When you walk in, you are transported back to a Chinese restaurant of the 90's that features beaded curtains, ornamental ceilings, large art pieces, dim lighting, a fish tank and lots of the color red. Again, not hating on it as it definitely took me back to some of my favorite spots down in Newnan from my childhood!
As with most Chinese restaurants, they have an extensive menu with all the favorites and a few house specialties. We happened by for lunch, so we hit the lunch menu which again had all the favorites you are used to. The average price was around $6 - $7 for a lunch meal that consisted of the protein, fried rice, soup and choice of egg roll, spring role or chicken wing. I ended up getting the tried and true OG meal of Sesame Chicken. For the soup I got wonton and I chose the egg roll. My Aunt got the Sweet and Sour Chicken with the same side choices. Both meals came out piping hot, so you know they were cooked fresh. In addition to being freshly prepared, they were portioned quite well, especially for a lunch portion! The only complaint was the "fried rice" which appeared to just be rice cooked in a variety of soy sauce. There was nothing about it that screamed fried rice as it was missing the veggies and the crunch I am accustomed to. For both meals and one drink, lunch cost us $16, so not bad!
Overall, Peking Garden is a solid spot for Americanized Chinese food at a good price. I currently have a neighborhood favorite for fast service Chinese, but they do not offer dine in, so I think I found the niche that PG will fit into when the craving for Sesame Chicken hits!
