We have been enjoying Panda since they opened. I grew up in Hawaii and had calabash Chinese relatives. I know quality Chinese food. May cost a little more but it's worth it. I have sampled all the other competitors in the county and where Panda is a 10 the others don't go over a 4. Very clean kitchen, never messed up an order in 30 years. Judging by pot stickers shows a lack of knowledge. Most people want cheap chop souy, plenty around. Great food, go to Panda. Not the chain. Ed Schindler read more

Szechwan Chicken- Szechwan style! None of that disgusting battered fried chicken. Just order it. Thats my advice. Just Do It. read more

This place has revived my battered and bruised love for Chinese food! My experience with Chinese food is typically "ehhhhh," with an occasional "so-so" or an "at least it didn't give me stomach cramps and bad gas." Panda Inn is definitely a notch above any other Chinese food I've had the pleasure (displeasure?) of sampling. It all looks and tastes very fresh and everything isn't cooked in gobs of oil. The meat in the dishes is actually enticing, and they prepare it so that you can actually tell what you are eating from sight (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp vs. tough, chewy little nuggets of anonymity). I would definitely suggest the orange chicken. The chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Plus, they serve the orange sauce to you on the side, so that you can dip your chicken in bite by bite or decide you like it so much you just wanna pour the orange sauce straight into your mouth if you want. I also recommend the Shrimp in Garlic Sauce. Really good flavor to the sauce, and the shrimp in it are big, plump, and tasty. read more

Panda Inn has become our favorite Chinese restaurant. It is a little out of the way for us (requires driving on the highway) and it is well worth it. When my husband is feeling down, saying 'Let's eat at Panda Inn' always perks him up! The food is excellent! Our favorite dishes: - Hot and sour soup. I normally am not a fan of hot and sour soup in general. But the soup at Panda Inn is very flavorful, full of white pepper, and lots of different mushrooms. Delicious! - Corn soup is also super tasty and satisfying - thick, rich, full of flavor. - Tai chin chicken - Hunan fish and Panda fish - both are great! - Peking eggplant, served on crispy noodles - super yummy! The decor includes adorable pandas everywhere and other Asian artwork. The restaurant is fairly large, so we have never had to wait for a table. The servers are friendly and easy going. The entrance has a beautiful glass door with a bamboo motif. I have not eaten outside at Panda Inn, but I did discover a very cool, giant abacus on the exterior wall - go in the daytime to see it! read more

AT LAST! Our search for authentic, non-greasy Chinese food is over. Panda Inn is FANTASTIC! We love their sizzling rice soup in chicken broth (it contains chicken and shrimp), their beef with broccoli (tender good quality meat cooked to perfection) and their kung pao shrimp is off the chain (LOTS of large flavorful prawns with peanuts and veggies - never salty, always delicious). Lunch specials are a great deal @ $8.50 but even a la carte the prices are quite decent for the outstanding quality. Another big plus for us is that they serve brown rice upon request. Check it out the next time you are in the area (or drive to Aptos just to try ) - you will be glad you did! read more

Someone else said this is the best Chinese food in the area and I completely agree! The quality of their food is consistently excellent and so is their service! Our daughter has moved to San Jose and when she's sick, I'll bring her an order of soup noodles from Panda because there's nothing like it where she lives. We've cut back on a lot of things, but bringing dinner home occasionally from this restaurant is something we're continuing to do. I've even been there to pick up food for dinner, only to have the owner say, "Oh, your husband was here for lunch!" So go, and enjoy! read more

Tried the eggplant with Peking sauce and the vegetarian chow fun. Never was able to get the spicy condiments that I repeatedly requested. (Stomp) read more

Tasty food but a little bit greasy. Very slow service. Only one person in the dining area who had to serve as hostess, wait person and busser. Bright yet cozy atmosphere - restaurant however is a little dated. read more

Ive always enjoyed eating here,very clean and well kept.prices is pretty reasonable and service is great!!food is well portioned so you can really say you over paid.havent tried going here during dinner mostly lunch but its always good!! read more

Very, very, very tasty! After an afternoon in Capitola, we weren't very interested in any of the typical beach pub food their. A quick Yelp search revealed this gem of a place right along our way back to Monterey. Like many other reviewers, we couldn't find the place at first! We literally walked around the entire strip mall only the find it at last. It really is tucked in between the bank and drug store. I had the crispy noodles and my friend the vegetable delight platter. Both were extremely tasty. I didn't think I could finish it all, but before I knew it, everything was gone! We also liked the extra special attention to the decorating inside. It was very unique, warm, and not over the top. More Chinese restaurants should take note! We really did want to return once more during our vacation, but we ran out of time. If we're ever back in the area, this is where we're eating first!! read more

Ridiculously good and absolutely insane that they are associated with Panda Express. Panda inn, delicious, Panda Express, garbage . Let's cancel Panda Express and only have Panda Inn. read more

Panda Inn is absolutely delicious. The food is quality, service is great, and the atmosphere is mellow and comforting. My favorites are their potstickers, black pepper beef, veggie chowmein, and the BEST EVER: General's Chicken, and their Hot and Sour Soup. If you're craving soup, you absolutely must try this one. If I'm in the mood for Chinese, this is first in my mind, and when i move away from Santa Cruz, I know I'll be there when every time I come home to visit. read more

My family and I have been a huge fan of "Panda" for as long as I can remember - I think we order to go food at least 2-3 times per month. We definitely have our favorites... but everything we have tried on the menu is tasty, fresh, and very well prepared. Our favorites include: Sizzling rice soup with tomato base (amazing!), Wonton soup (equally amazing!), Spinach with garlic, Combination fried rice, Chicken with cashews, Long life shrimp...I could go on... but those are the dishes we order the most and like the best. We don't eat at the restaurant very much, but I just went for lunch the other day and the service and food were as good as ever! Very Highly Recommended!!! read more

I have only been to a few Chinese restaurants in the area however this is the best so far for me. Not only is the food awesome, the setting and location of the place is great too with easy parking. The interior is laid out well and the decor is pretty cool too. I like the lighting, the bamboo partitioning and all the rest of the stuff they have. It makes for a great experience. It really can be a 5 star for me as well!! I just have to check out a few more places read more

Solid Chinese Food here. Probably one of the better Chinese restaurants in the area. However you will notice not many local reviews for Chinese food coming from me, because most are not note-worthy, in my opinion. Being a former "valley", my tastes are discriminating because good Chinese food was everywhere. I like this place. Great potstickers, good chinese chicken salad, and I love the Beef with Asparagus. ONE complaint. The hot and sour soup does not have enough sour in it. We get very tiny hints of it but we are REALLY hoping the chefs in the back will see this review and kick up the "sour" with the "hot". . We've ordered it twice now with hopes that the first time was a botched batch, but the same thing happened the second time around.. That soup is almost near perfect but it's like climaxing and missing the big "o" without enough sour in your soup Overall, good food.. read more

Chinese food is always pretty safe fast food for a pescaterian. The food here was fresh and made to order. I ordered my food to go and it was ready when they said it would. Unfortunately, they do not have delivery. I was very happy with my meal. But, I don't think I could say best of Santa Cruz. Although, I think they do a pretty damn good job. read more

This place is good, a solid 3 stars. Nothing creative like say, Heaven's Dog in SF but still, good. I also should admit that I currently have a ton of dietary restrictions so the plate I ordered was steamed shrimp and green beans with sauce on the side and an order of brown rice. I was very impressed with the staff's willingness to accommodate my (overly picky) requests. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Next time I look forward to trying something more exotic, like say one of the fish dishes, maybe the one that comes steamed with ginger. I'll report back and hopefully, raise the review to 4 stars. From here I'd say 4 would totally be within reach. read more

this is my first time getting food from here and I've only heard good things but I am pretty dissapointed. I got chow mein and gong bao chicken and the chicken was literally like 30-40% peanuts. I wouldn't have ordered this if I had any idea how many peanuts were in it, it's crazy lol. The chow mein was pretty good! It definitely tastes like healthy Chinese food. It's not bad but I don't think I'll order from here again. read more

The worst Chinese food my family ever experienced. Only the honey walnut prawns were palatable, probably because they are deep fried. The moo shu pork was slimy, tasted terrible and their pancakes were flour tortillas! The asparagus chicken was slathered in sauce and the potsticker filling tasted like cat food. read more

Ordered prawns, mong. Beef, hot &sour soup, bbq buns, general chicken. Soup was very bland and had no real flavor, everything else was pretty good though. Easy menu to order from and fast for take out. Prawns were the best thing we ordered. Chicken was tough but the sauce had a good kick to it. read more

I am very disappointed with the quality of the food. I don't typically write reviews but tonight was just horrible. I got a large hot and sour soup, lemon chicken and egg rolls. On top of the quality not being so good. There was also 2 pieces of plastic in the hot and sour soup for which my friend almost swallowed. He had felt something hard and spit it out. read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Aptos, California

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I've come here twice, for both lunch and dinner. I think dinner gets 4 stars, but lunch only 2, so I've settled on 3 for my review. The dinner was very tasty and fresh, and I remember that both my husband and I were very happy. A while back I had lunch here for work, so it was just me. I had their lunch special, which includes soup and an appetizer. It seems like a good deal, but I didn't think the quality of the food was as good as the dinner. I would prefer to just have a one-item or two-item kind of set-up and pay the same price for better quality. I was also disappointed that both the soup and the appetizer had meat in them, and they didn't offer a vegetarian option. read more

We had a very solid dinner experience. Sizzling rice soup, BBQ pork with a refreshing touch of garlic, scallops and broccoli in garlic sauce, a well-prepared lemon chicken dish, and big bottles of Tsingtao. If this restaurant was in Sacramento it could well become our go-to place - it's that good. So why only three stars then? First, the traditional Asian music on the sound system was played too loud. The volume of conversation strained to rise above it, so the aural experience was a bit chaotic. Also, during our meal, somebody in the kitchen occasionally fired up what sounded like a leaf blower. I didn't dare ask why. read more

The same company that owns Panda Express owns this brand as well. This may be a franchise. I like Panda Express, and the quality of Panda Inn is just a little better. It is certainly better than the other two Chinese restaurants in town, The Golden Buddha and Uncle Kwok's. I had never been here before, so if the recent closure was to do a remodel, it looks great inside! We ordered the standard stuff, fried rice & chow mein, sweet & sour pork, beef & broccoli, egg rolls. All arrived steaming hot, and nothing microwaved. Plenty left over to take home for another dinner. read more

Best Chinese food in all of Santa Cruz county. Can't believe I didn't find this place sooner!!

This place is pretty good. A little expensive. We have only ordered take out but they seem friendly.

Best Chinese on this side of Santa Cruz for sure. The sweet and sour chicken is always good never any weird or questionable meat, thank youuuuu! read more

We have eaten here once and had take out twice. We just ordered the best combination of dishes this time which included Fish Fillet in Garlic Sauce, Broccoli & Cashew Nuts with Garlic Sauce, Curry Fried Rice and Singapore Style Thin Rice Noodles. All were delicious and complemented each other very nicely. We also requested they prepare all of the dishes gluten free and they said no problem as long as we request ahead of time. We will definitely be ordering this same combo again. So yummy! read more

This spot has a secluded patio with outdoor tables that are spaced apart. The courteous young man sanitized our table before we sat down. The food was fresh and low in salt/oil as I had asked. Lastly take out food was served in paper cartons, not hard-to-recycle plastic as with all the other restaurants. read more

Best Chinese food in the area. I've never been disappointed. Kung Pao Chicken is my favorite and always great service.

Best Orange chicken ever! Make sure to ask for the sauce on the side. Our order is usually fresh and warm. The staff is friendly and fast.

Another great take out dinner!!! First time to order War Wonton soup.. but will definitely be ordering again! It was delicious.... along with our other order...Yum! read more

Back to our great Panda Inn again and we order great food for our family yesterday night. The food is amazing and always fresh and yummy, this is our family togo restaurant now. We love it. read more

So good. Worth the the gas, the money, the cold, the rain . Whatever. Do it. *snaps fingers*

One of my favorite take-out options. The veggies are fresh. The meat is good quality. The flavors are balanced. Yum! Broccoli beef is a family favorite! read more

As a vegan, this place is great! They have many options and will cook things specially for you if you tell them that you are vegan. My favorite is Kung pao tofu and veggie fried rice. My girlfriend loves the eggplant with garlic sauce. read more

I love the food here. I used to live in SF and have been to a lot of Chinese restaurants but thyis one is my favorite. And they're very accommodating. The ambience isn't anything special, but the food is : ) read more

We've been going to Panda Inn for years. Great service, great food and it's convenient for anyone in the Rio Del Mar area. Pork egg foo yung, szechuan dumplings, chicken curry, gong bao chicken, AMAZING hot and sour soup, lemon chicken...the list goes on. If you're in the area give it a try! You won't be disappointed. read more

Waitress very polite and attentive. The location is clean and conveniently located between Bank of America and CVS in Aptos, CA. As I described in the picture (for my Yelp Tip) this is a quiet and peaceful location and the setting with hanging privacy beads lends to the library like quiet zone. Found the decorations very much like a Japanese sushi restaurant, but the food and waitress were very Chinese, so other than the decorations, this is not an Asian fusion place which I really dislike; nope it's a Chinese restaurant. The food is good. Especially the potstickers. I found the potstickers very good and one of the best I have had in the area. The hot and sour soup was their weak link and the reason I am not going 5-stars. The soup was overdone with some kind of starch making it almost gelatinous. I also ordered the Generals' Chicken and found it only slightly above average and the accompanying egg rolls very poor. But overall, the potstickers, atmosphere, abundant parking in the shared private lot, and attentive staff win the day for just a 4-star rating. Fix the soup, and the vegetable spring rolls and this can be a 5-star rating for sure. Thank you Panda Inn. read more

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Rio Del Mar is just North of Watsonville! PANDA INN IS THE BEST! You have GOT to come here for lunch or dinner because their Chinese Food is the BEST!!! Have you ever been to a restaurant wanting a delicious fillet of flanked beef in ginger Mongolian sauce and end up with a tough, sugary mess? I had a headache from a flu for a couple of days and I wanted to sit in the sun in their quaint patio. I really wanted to have some Chinese chicken soup, since it is a something I can never have too much of in this instance. My husband definitely was set for the Soup Noodle with rice noodles and chicken only. They regularly serve it with shrimp and barbeque pork. His delicious bowl was overflowing with tender chicken. In addition, there was a deliciously slightly spicy fried chicken drumstick on the side. For my order, I actually chose the Mongolian beef or Ginger Beef instead of Chicken noodle soup because I was really hoping for some tender beef/ ginger comfort food also. I had a choice of hot sour soup or corn chowder and I was very curious of the corn chowder. When I tasted my first sip of this rich egg drop and corn chowder, I also tasted crab ... really? Then I found the little tiny pieces of crab .. ooh, that really added to the chowder, folks! Our lunch arrived together and mine was on a large plate full of luscious pieces of beef in a dark sauce on a bed of white popped noodles, a large scoop of perfectly fried rice freshly made and also a delicious fried chicken drumstick, which I savored. I took one bite out of the ginger beef and went to heaven!!! Not kidding you! YOU ARE GOING TO TRY THIS FOR YOURSELF, SOON, MY FRIENDS :-) This place has been tucked away behind the bank downstairs from the Red Apple Restaurant since 1982!!! DO NOT MISS OUT and I'm sorry it's taken us over a year to return! read more