It was ok. It's a fast food chain restaurant. It is what it is. I wanted some fried rice and it was pretty good.

I went in around what I thought would be chaos and a long wait time as I saw a line out the door. To my surprise, the staff was welcoming, fast, friendly, and got the line of people in and out and everything was available. It's refreshing to see restaurant workers happy to serve you. The food was hot and fresh, I got fried rice the new bourbon chicken and paired it with their watermelon drink. That definitely hit the spot after a spicy dish. I will be back again. read more

It is fast food Chinese, however it is pretty good. On my most recent visit I had the Beijing Beef and Orange Chicken Plate with Fried Rice and Vegetable Spring Rolls. I asked to taste the Beijing Beef since it was listed as spicy before ordering and found it to be just the right level of heat to my taste. The spring rolls were crispy on the outside without being too done. The serving size was plenty for lunch. read more

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I really enjoy Panda Express, and this location is my favorite. It is always clean, and the employees are extremely nice. The only negative thing I have to say is that they are sometimes really understaffed, but I don't think they have much control over that. My order was orange chicken, chow Mein, and crab Rangoon. It tasted really good and not like it was sitting there for a while. I like their online pickup service and it would be nice if they incorporated more paper instead of plastic in their packaging. Overall, really great experience and awesome people. (The location is also nice with easy parking.) read more

Are they cooking rice at local kitchen or just serve cooked one at store? I ordered plate with half & half of fried and white rice. Both were still raw "uncooked" means most of rice were harder than "al dente", like "grain". Surprisingly, fried rice was looking fried and tasted but rice are almost raw. Is there anyone who can teach cooking rice? It is not so difficult. read more

Panda Express - Chicken with mushroom, Beijing beef and raw white rice/raw fried rice. Thankfully, I did not get cracked teeth. - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

Arrived at 8:20pm. This location is open until 9pm. Restaurant was midway through nightly clean-- nothing was stocked, mop out, floor wet. Food depleted and staff made a big deal of having to cook to order because "we close soon." read more

This was my second visit for lunch. I don't know why other yelp folks give poor reviews. The staff were very nice and helpful with my hard of hearing with that HUGE exhaust system they use. The menu was plentiful and was fresh looking and tasting. I arrive just before noon and by 12:30 I was done with my meal and the dining area was about 25% full but a line to order was getting long and to go pick up were plentiful. I enjoy my meal. The bathroom,soda area and tables in the dining area spotless. I will say the dining room was chilly to sit and eat. read more

Panda Express - Pepper Angus Steak - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

First let me say how much I love this restaurant. When I walked in the atmosphere was so inviting. It was quiet and calm with only a couple of people inside so it wasn't stressfully busy. It's so clean and neat inside as well. When I went to order, the staff were friendly and helpful and made sure my order was correct. I ordered the plate (it comes with 2 entrees and 1 side) and I got the Orange Chicken, the Honey Sesame Chicken, and the Chow Mein as my side. The food here is so delicious and fresh that it doesn't leave me feeling gross when I leave! Also for the price of the plate, the portions are amazing so you truly get what you pay for! All in all, if you want some good, fresh, and affordable food. This is the place! read more

Panda Express - Orange Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, and Chow Mein Noodles - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

Ordered the Mongolian beef, Kung Pao chicken, had noodles and half rice and my goodness everything is terrrible! I only gave 2 stars because the girl at the drive thru window was super nice. The noodles were flat and so bland. The beef had so much sauce on it it overpowered everything and the chicken tasted straight like peanuts-nothing else. This was my second attempt at this location and I was not pleased the first time either. So I won't be back. Edited to add that I don't know how to DM a business. But no thank you anyway. read more

Panda Express - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

This is one of my favorite fast food restaurants, probably one of the few I still go to. This is American Chinese fast food and it is done really well. Pro tip - look for the dishes that are the freshest. Sometimes a new batch is coming out and it is worth a five min wait to get the fresh batch! I love the honey walnut shrimp! Heck, I haven't had anything here that I don't like. Angus beef and mushrooms, sweet and sour pork, teriyaki chicken, it is all good. So of course this isn't the same as some of the other Chinese restaurants I frequent but it is way faster and a few dollars cheaper (a lot cheaper at dinner). So, I will definitely be back and happy to do so! read more

I've never been a fan of orange chicken until I started coming here. It is so delicious!! I usually just get it with white rice. Their chicken and spring egg rolls are also equally delicious. Their chicken teriyaki is also divine. read more

Panda Express - Orange chicken and brown rice - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Never have I gotten fast food this fast in my life. Everything was bagged up and ready to go as soon as paid. I really don't know how they did that. But as far as tastes goes, Panda Express is very Americanized, basic, Chinese fast food. Not sure why people love it so much. But you really can't beat their prices and swiftness so maybe that's why. I just know once you've had good Asian food and there's plenty in town, this stuff just tastes fake, flavorless and processed. But when desperate, hungry and lacking time, not a bad idea. read more

Stopped by here while out running errands at lunch. Got the orange chicken and a chicken egg roll. Staff was friendly and somewhat fast. The food... was ok, have had better at other locations. The chicken egg roll had an odd flavor to it, and the little clear "noodle" like things in it made me a little squeamish and could not finish it all. Now on to the main course, the orange chicken was better than the egg roll. The chicken in the dish was a little fatty or grisly for some reason. Once I hit one of those it was pretty much over as well. Luckily it was close to the end of the bowl. Not sure if I will be back if I am in the area, maybe after some time to see if they are a little better. read more

Yeah, no self-respecting foodie would be caught reviewing a fast food, Chinese chain restaurant. And especially not someone who loves the finer points of Szechuan, Cantonese, and Hunan cooking styles. Well, sometimes you are in the mood for Chinese food, and fast and convenient are important. The Panda bear to the rescue. This Panda Express is a stand-alone building that is new and is aesthetically pleasing. I would encourage you to try with an open mind and realistic expectations. I studied the menu carefully, and settled on two item lunch. Fried rice, Pacific Chili Shrimp, and Green Beans with Chicken. In context, I thought my lunch was actually pretty good. read more

Panda Express - A big box - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Checked out the ole Panda today with my foodie buddy Paul. He beat me to it so I'm the 2nd to review. We both love Asian food and we both came here with an open mind. It was quite busy at lunch time on a hump day, but that's the best thing about these places. It's FAST! It takes longer for you to pay than it is to get your food because most everything is already cooked and sitting under the warming lamps. This is a brand new location on the corner of Lorna and Hwy 31 by the Galleria. The area is a booming with new construction and is being "revitalized" with a recent opening of Walgreens and Steak and Shake on either side. There is also a Whole Foods opening soon in the same parking lot. The exterior is beautiful with a surprisingly contemporary interior. There were clean booths, table, chairs and even tables with handicap access. Also worth mentioning are the bathrooms. I can't speak about the women's but the men's bathroom was spotless! Think mall food court but much nicer and with a nice restaurant type interior with a self serve soda machine and you have this Panda Express. Oh I forgot, they have a drive-thru! Now that's convenient. I haven't tried it so I can't attest to the wait times, but if the food is already prepared and you just choose from the list, surely it shouldn't take that long. Their menu is simple and their pitch is that you can create any combo you wish. They have a kids meals for $5. You have option of Bowl (1 entree & 1 side) $5.90, Plate (2 entreess & 1 side) $6.90 or Bigger Plate (3 entress & 1 side) $8.40. Your choice of sides are chow mein, fried rice, mixed veg, white or brown steam rice. I ordered the Bigger plate with their new Pacific shrimp, string bean chick breast, black pepper chicken with fried rice. They give you a healthy portion of fried rice. The shrimp was quite flavorful with large pieces of snap peas and bell pepper. The string bean chick breast was also flavorful and spicy. The string beans might've been a little over cooked sitting under the hot lamps but tasted delicious. The black pepper chicken was my favorite. It had generous pieces of white onions, celery and of course black pepper. Paul also got the shrimp and string bean chicken and he enjoyed his meal as well. My daughter tried the brocolli beef. She said "it tastes like beef and brocolli". I had a good time. This Panda Express certainly took the image of mall fast food out of my head because this location was a refreshing change. If the food we were served had been made fresh after we placed an order, I would've given this place an extra star. The food tasted as good as I would expect and the atmosphere was enjoyable despite the bustling afternoon lunch crowd. I'll try the drive thru next time. read more

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I arrived at the Hoover location at 11AM which is time this restaurant is scheduled to open. There was absolutely NO FOOD READY on the Hot Bar and along with myself and several other people we had to wait 30 minutes for our food to be cooked. When I asked who was the manager, the cashier said she wasn't sure. No one apologized for the delay and no one asked if we wanted courtesy drinks. They really need to improve their customer service skills. I gave it two stars because the food is good but they could use a major lesson in time management and customer satisfaction. After paying for my selections, I asked for a courtesy drink & received a small Mountain Dew. I would recommend this location but if you don't want to wait for your food to be cooked, try arriving at 11:30 AM instead of 11:00 AM. read more

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This place is a little too nice and clean to just be called a fast food restaurant, but the food is hot and ready when you walk in. The staff is all super friendly here, though I did have to get the cashier's attention more than once at the checkout. They have pretty simple menu options so even the fussiest eaters can choose something they like and order it every time they return. We all know someone like that LOL! read more

Panda Express - Gift card for my coworker! This is her favorite restaurant - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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Not worth the price. The meat was tough and didn't taste good at all. The rice was dry. The staff is not very friendly.

Very disappointed that my chicken egg roll was overcooked and cold. This was the only item that was ordered, since I was craving an egg roll. I enjoy crispy egg rolls but not burnt egg rolls. This batch should have went in the trash. I gave 3 stars because the server was friendly and fast. read more

Panda Express - Chicken egg roll (toasted) - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

I'm not a huge fan of Panda Express. I just feel there are better places to get American-style Chinese food. However, this location is convenient to my job so that's why I was there earlier this week. I probably shouldn't compare other fast food restaurants to Chick-fil-A, but I do. Panda Express could take some pointers from Chick-fil-A on how to make sure the drive-thru traffic is moving at an acceptable pace. There were only two cars ahead of me, but you would have thought there were 6 cars ahead of me based on how slowly the car line moved. When I finally reached the window, I did get my food quickly. I ordered the Teriyaki chicken bowl with chow mein noodles. I wasn't overly impressed with the taste it. I kind of wish I had gone with my usual of orange chicken. Overall, this place is okay. It will probably be another 6 months to a year (if not longer) before I try this place again. read more

horrible. got the sesame chicken and orange chicken and fried rice. i felt sick after i ate it but woke up at 3 am throwing up and then again ar 6 am. Ive been throwing up off and on all day. convinced it's food poisoning. i havent felt this bad in a long time. i will never eat this again read more

OK, so you know how you crave Chinese food but don't feel like chancing it at the mall food court for freshness or don't really have the energy to dine in at your favorite restaurant? No? Just me...well I do! This place is a great go to for that exact feeling! Super convenient & might I add fresh as fresh can be (for a fast food joint). Decent menu with enough options to get a good variety for your taste buds. Now seeing how this is indeed a fast food spot I wouldn't get too crazy with high expectations. The rice isn't the best but all of the protein and sauces Ive tried were good enough to make up for it to me. This is a super new location so I suggest trying it while everyone's still on their toes whipping out some good Chinese food on the go! read more

I had my first lunch at Panda Express today. It's the new building in Hoover between Steak & Shake and the drugstore. It took a moment to understand the way the place was organized and how to proceed. Here's a hint. Enter through the doors closest to Steak & Shake. The other doors are more of an exit so you don't have to pass every table to get to the order area. Like other reviews, this is pre-prepared, but fresh, Chinese food. Just like the mall or a buffet restaurant. The food was beautiful and it is certainly NOT self serve. The basic way this works is you will probably get one of three available meals. BOWL - 1 entree & 1 side. $5.90 and up PLATE - 2 entrees & 1 side. $6.90 and up BIGGER PLATE - 3 entrees & 1 side. $8.40 and up The sides consist of 3 types of rice, chow mein or mixed vegetables. You can mix any two if you like. There are a eleven entree options. Seven are chicken dishes, three are beef and there is shrimp. NOTE: The Shanghai Angus Steak and Honey Walnut Shrimp are "Premium Entrees" and there is an additional charge for them. I chose to go with Flied Lice, I mean, Fried Rice, Beijing Beef and the Honey Walnut Shrimp. The shrimp upgrade was $1.25. Adding a medium fountain drink brought my total to right at $11 There is a nice patio just outside. Four tables with four chairs each. This isn't the wobbly wrought iron tables and chairs found most places. NOTHING MOVED UNLESS I MOVED IT! A huge canopy covered all four tables, but you won't be protected from the rain. I chose to eat outside with my dog. The shrimp was the last scoop remaining in the container. Whoever ordered the dish next got a new batch. DAMNIT! Still, I enjoyed the shrimp and will order it again. The beef was cooked with red bell peppers and onions. The sauce was a nice combination of sweet with just a little zing of heat. Fried rice was very adequate for this meal. Overall, I enjoyed this visit far more than expected. It is better than your average buffet restaurant and nudges past mall pre-cooked. I will come back and try something different next time. Panda Express is a must try on anyone's list if you like fair priced, fast Chinese. read more

Panda Express - Roomy patio dining. (Dog not included) - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

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My child has been obsessed with Panda Express for the last few months. He always gets the orange chicken, rice, and noodles. I swap my entree (you can get half of two items as well) amongst a few things including mushroom chicken that I like to eat with the rice. The downsides of this location is they have had something going on that has their drive thru closed for a long while now. They also have gone through a few different ways of handling COVID and not all have made sense (made the wait times extremely long, which is extra frustrating considering all the food is already cooked and it's supposed to be a quick serve restaurant). Tonight we had Door Dash and everything came through as expected and in a timely manner. read more

We really love this place. I've been having Panda Express since I was young and it's never tasted better. The food is always fresh and flavorful. Only disappointment is that they up charge for the different shrimp and meat options which is annoying. Shrimp up charge and steam is 1.25 each. read more

Worst Panda Express we have ever been to Arrived at 11:10 am and was informed by a lady that they were not open Even though opening hours clearly states opens at 11 So we ordered from a minimal choose of items as not all dishes were ready We ordered spring rolls And they had no sweet and four sauce Ordered a drink and was informed there was no ice Very badly managed franchise Won't be back read more

Ended up with a strand of hair that got mixed in with my chow mein that ended up in my mouth read more

Panda Express - Employee hair got hidden in my chow mein and ended up in my mouth - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

It looks like there has been quite a bit of hit or miss with this location based on the reviews. I have probably been here 5 or 6 times, and the service and quality has been the same every time. Which, that is a good thing, because they are located close to work and provide a fast solution when a quick lunch is needed! Same as all Panda locations in that you can build your own size of combo. Plate: Includes 1 side (rice or chow mein) and 2 entrees for $7.10 Bigger Plate: Includes 1 side and 3 entrée items for $8.60 Bowl: Includes 1 side and 1 entrée (my typical go to) $6.00 I have three dishes that I rotate between: - Five Flavor Shrimp large premium marinated shrimp, red bell peppers, onions and green string beans. - Black Pepper Chicken: Marinated chicken, celery and onions in a bold black pepper sauce. Truth on this menu item...too much celery (I'm really not a fan of celery at all!!!!) but the flavor of the chicken is good. - Beijing Beef Spicy: Crispy beef, bell peppers and onions in a sweet-tangy sauce Food has always been fresh, warm and quick. Review is based on drive through experience only. Still need to get inside and check it out. Will update my review once I try dining in. As for the drive through they do an overall good job and I wouldn't hesitate to return. read more

This Panda Express was amazing. The food was baller and the workers were wonderful they gave us extra fortune cookies. Like what is better. All in all I highly recommend this Panda Express read more

Food is good, sometimes. I always get rice with my entrees. Sometimes the rice is undercooked. They don't give you enough meat depending on the entree you get. read more

Horrible service Took 30 minutes to get my food Didn't have any drinks didn't have any water just a apple juice Very rude and snarky The food was terrible read more

My first trip to Hoover Panda Express. I did my research , picked out the top two dishes . Orange Chicken and Honey Walnut Shrimp. No sauce with each dish and both the fried rice and the brown rice had no taste. Sorry. Not my cup of tea! The website pictures looked great! The food was not. read more

Terrible!!!! On lunch break...wanted Chinese ... bad idea! $10 for cold , dry food! No straw, napkin, fork or spoon in my bag. I'll pass on Panda Express here on out. I should have gotten soup fro Styx... that's worth the money. Pissed and still hungry. read more

Panda Express - Cold and dry! You won't catch me slipping in the drive through again!!! Pissed and hungry! - Fast Food Near Me - Hoover, Alabama

We get carry-out from this restaurant at least once a month. The food is good and the staff is usually friendly and helpful. On last visit we went through the line and got our food from restaurant staff who were helpful and friendly. But when we got to the register to pay everything changed. The checkout person whose name was Karen was extremely rude, disrespectful and condescending. We were astonished to be treated in that manner. We've never been treated so rudely. We will not be returning here again. There are plenty of other Chinese restaurants in the area who value their customers and treat them with respect. read more

Mall Chinese food sans mall. When I lived in California this was a typical food court stop for me. This location still has the fresh paint feel about it and employees that haven't yet had their zest for life flattened by the joys of retail. We got a very talkative and enthusiastic employee who handed us samples on toothpicks and talked about the differences between Panda's food in Louisiana (spicier) vs. Alabama (sweeter). Orange Chicken was as great as I remember it. The Sweetfire Chicken was too sweet overall and had no fire, sort of a pale version of the Orange Chicken. Beijing Beef was pretty good. Black Pepper Chicken lived up to its name. Kung Pao Chicken was OK. Chow Mein was OK. Everything was OK. As long as you know you're getting Americanese food, this is a safe bet for a quick, cheap meal. read more

The food was cold as ice. But the person was kinda nice but kept giving me a stinky eye. Kinda dont recommend

Very dissatisfied with the speed of pick up service. Order was placed ahead of time and still had to wait another 25 minutes at the store.

The food tastes fine, I was served chow mein from a full pan (it was all shredded up, noodles too) orange chicken was great though. Unfortunately I ordered and paid for 2 egg rolls and only received 1. Already made it back to work when I noticed, nothing I can do... read more

The food was not good. I had Kung pao chicken and fried rice. It was expensive for what I got in comparison to other Asian restaurants. The fried rice was so undercooked with clumps of very hard rice. I will not go back. read more

Not too bad for drive through Asian food. I agree with another persons review as I would liken it to mall food but a little better. The drive through wasn't too bad ... Not super fast but not super slow. I would recommend to others and return as well. read more