My wife is picking up takeout dinner tonight! We discovered this place when I first moved to California in November 2012, living out of a nearby hotel. We ordered takeout and were immediately hooked! We are vegetarians and they still have many amazing choices. read more

Don't ever order door dash from them. They confirm your order and take your money then don't follow through on your order and cancel it and don't give a reason why they cannot fulfill your order. Very unprofessional and frustrating. read more

Wish I could give 10 stars! This place is amazing. The only bad thing is once you eat here everything else is dogfood. The war soup is the best. The sweet and sower pork is by far the best I have ever had. read more

Best Kung Pao Chicken! Sooo good. The Beef & Broccoli is also delicious, I like that it has a strong ginger flavor. Add veggie chow mein and you're set. I'm hooked, I order take out almost once a week. We also like to dine in with friends. read more

By far the best Chinese food in the entire area. The sauces are tasty and the service is great. I especially love the sizzling rice soup, Hunan beef, and king pow chicken. Been going here my whole life. read more

Came here with my boyfriend and the service right away was confusing. Didn't really take us to our table and let us choose ourselves. Not really friendly or have the best communication. The place has a cute funky vibe and it's sort of dark. BUT, the food we ordered came out great! Everything seemed on spot and that's what made our first time great. There Thai teas are good. And they bring out water to you right away when you sit at the table. They do have two well clean & maintained restrooms. So I'd recommend this place to others. read more

I've been visiting this place for years and it's always been great. I posted a review almost 10 years ago and I spoke negatively about the egg rolls, but I don't even remember a bad experience. The vast majority of my meals here have been perfect. Highly recommend the gan bung chicken wings. 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

Our first take out order and it was yummy! Chicken Chow Mein, General Chicken and Pot Stickers! We will def. be ordering again.

OMG best take out I've had in a while. Uncle Kowks ain't got shit on this place. The Panda inn is the bomb! Super cute restaurant too. Everything tastes fresh and homemade. The pork buns are off the chain. read more

I've been coming to Panda since I was a kid and everything is still as good as it always was. I wish we had a Chinese place this good in San Diego but at least I get to eat here when I come back to visit. My faves are the shrimp sizzling rice soup and the shredded beef szechwan style. Everything is awesome though so you really can't go wrong! read more

We asked if our dog can sit by us outside and they said yes , so we did, ordered pot stickers very yummy, war wonton soup, curry chicken ,broccoli beef and steamed rice... Very yummy, great service, clean bathrooms:) read more

Ok, Panda Inn has the BEST Chinese food in Santa Cruz County. Seriously. Canton comes in 2nd place. But there is something about the food here that most other Santa Cruz Chinese places are seriously lacking these days- true quality and freshness. I was getting used to Chinese food being overly rather oily and gelatinous with some very low quality meat. The food at Panda reminds me of what Chinese food should be. The sauces and flavors are absolutely delicious. So far, I can highly recommend the Four Season beans (string beans) and the Spicy Fish Fillet with Broccoli. Oh and the ambiance is very cute. I'm hooked. read more

Best around. A few trials with iffy chefs made for some inconsistency and a grimacing front desk for awhile but it's better now. Favorites: Sesame Chicken appetizer (a crunchy sin, great with a rich red or pinot) Chinese Greens Chicken with Vegetables Brown Rice Lichee read more

Best Chinese food in area. Served hot and fresh. I have been going here since very early on in my childhood and it is very consistent. Great place is you are looking for good prices, service and food. read more

Let me start by saying that I've had better Chinese food and this place really does not do justice. I ordered the Wor Won Ton Soup, Mongolian Beef and Hong Kong crispy noodles. I had ended up throwing out the entire soup because it did not taste right (it tasted spoiled). I know what won ton soup should taste like. Secondly, the beef dish was too sweet for my taste buds and usually Mongolian beef has a little kick to it. This was just bland no flavor. The only thing that was half way decent were the noodles and rice. Frankly I do not understand the 4-5 star reviews. It's obvious that people do not know good quality Chinese food. Not going back. read more

Delicious!!! Best Chinese food near town, I think. Love their egg rolls, Crispy Beef dish ( forgot name but, spicy), fried rice, and chow mein. Service is good and place is clean. Available for take out also. read more

UPDATE ON 10/29/15: My husband asked me to try this place again and the people were LOVELY, and the food much better than the 1st time I came. We have gone back several times after & it's now become one of our favorite Chinese places. It's still a little over-priced for the portions, but the flavor & employees make up for it. read more

Really impressed and happily surprised. This restaurant looked like a hole in the wall and was pretty empty when my wife and I came in. The quality of the ingredients was excellent and the food was great. I look forward to going back. read more

I am not sure what has happened to the Panda Inn....new ownership? new chef? new recipes?We have been eating here for 25 years...something has changed. Our dinner tonight was barely edible. What a disaster!!! Mongolian beef - no flavor at all. Gong Bao chicken - so dry, no flavor. Sizzling rice soup - terrible. Very sad. read more

Solid Chinese food. My family and I come here every now and then and are rarely disappointed. It is actually one of the better Chinese places in Santa Cruz county and deserves at minimum 4 stars. As for the few bad reviews panda has received let's all be real... every restaurant makes mistakes now and again so it's unfortunate they went on one of the very few off days they have or they were just rude customers and got what they deserve. read more

Huge portion sizes and delicious food! My buddy and I stopped here for dinner after a long day, we were starving. We ended up ordering the General's chicken, Peking style sweet & sour pork, veggie chow mein and veggie egg fu yung. He also got hot & sour soup and some rice. It was all absolutely amazing. Each dish was bursting with flavor and there was a beautiful crunch to the chicken and pork that so many chinese food places lack. We ate way more than we expected, finished off all of it except some of the chow mein and the rice, but what we ordered could have EASILY fed a family of four and it was under $50 (not including tip)! Great service as well, friendly staff who were very attentive to our needs and actually held a conversation with us for a bit while we waited on our food. Awesome place to eat. If you're ever in or around Aptos stop in here, it's well worth it! read more

I love this place! Everybody is friendly and the food is amazing! Never had bad service there

So glad they finally reopened. Tucked in between the pharmacy and the bank. Nice and casual dining.

I think they have the best Chinese in Aptos area. My favorites are the shredded chicken szechuan style and the Gong Bao. They will make it spicy if you ask. Service is adequate if not a little rushed and sometimes unfriendly. This is our go to for Chinese. read more

This is the best Chinese cuisine I have eaten thus far. The lemon chicken was perfect not too much batter and the sauce was well balanced. The combination fried rice and chow mien compliment our entree well. I recommend the next time you craze Chinese food to give this place a go and you will not disappoint especially with the Super Bowl approaching. read more

We're so lucky to have Panda Inn in little Aptos, as it is the best Chinese food in the Bay Area. Each dish is unique, and our favorites include: Tai Chin Chicken, with chicken breast, bell pepper, baby corn and celery and Long Life Beans with Shrimp (yummy!) They also can prepare with low oil and have a brown rice option. We eat there once a week and never tire of them! read more

Been eating at Panda Inn for 20 years plus. The owners are fantastic people. Everything on the menu is great. Recently we've become hooked on their fresh springs rolls with spicy peanut sauce! The rolls are large and filled with greens, peanuts and tofu. So refreshing and filling is an order of 4 large rolls for 1 person. And of course, no MSG! read more

Seaweed egg drop soup is fantastic! If you want something fresh, healthy and love the taste of ginger, this is the soup for you. Tried a few more dishes (sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef, mushu chicken and veggies and tofu dish) and everything was delicious and seasoned well. Service was above average even during a busy night (Friday) . read more

The best thing about this place was the orange slice. I don't even know how to start this review there is so much I disliked. The service was cold and detached. They flung down my food as they raced past my table. They had to ask my husband three times what he ordered. They brought the wrong soup. They couldn't remember who asked for the straws even though they immediately went to get them after I asked for them. They stood in the middle of the restaurant yelled out "who ordered the straws?" They served our meals at different times. There was stuff in my dish that was not listed on the menu. Unfortunately for me I couldn't eat the meal because of one item that was not listed that I don't like to eat. I didn't eat my food and not one time did the server ask me if everything was okay. Instead the server brought the check. That was one expensive water only lunch that I had! I certainly won't be going back there again. read more

We moved here from the East Coast...how hard would it be to find an awesome local takeout Chinese place...the search continues! We were so disappointed. We called and called to place a take out order...that should have been my clue that it would take over 45 minutes to get our food. We had to stand in line to order takeout - behind all of the people waiting to get tables to sit down. What was that about? Same thing when your order is ready. You have to wait and wait until you get to the front and give the hostess your name. She said 25 minutes - 45 minutes later we were still waiting. The kids got General Chicken and the chicken alone was good but the sauce to put on it had a weird thick vinegary taste. My husband got the scallop asparagus dish. He said it was fine - nothing extra special. I got the chicken and veggies and asked for it spicy. It was covered in ginger and not spicy at all. The potstickers were good on the outside but the meat had a weird aftertaste. You also might not have a worker be pushing a dolly through the entrance with huge boxes and food in the middle of waiting people. The best things about the meal - the white rice, the brown rice and the fortune cookies. Sorry Panda Inn. read more

This is a hidden spot with great service and wonderful Chinese food. The take out is quick and easy. My favorite dishes are the chicken curry (a yellow spicy sauce) and the steamed pork buns. read more

I really like Panda Inn i've been going for years and years, however i only get 2 plates every time I go so keep that in mind. I get the broccoli chicken (ask for white meat aka breast. They might already use breast to begin with but I make sure to ask for it each time). And the 2nd plate is veggie chow mein, which i love here more than at any other chinese restaurant. I also order the sizzling rice soup and I ask for chicken only which is really yummy(normal order has seafood as well). Im a simple gal and have always stuck to these things and have never been disappointed! read more

OK... Bad service one time...But food is great and they more than made up for their mistake the last couple of times I have been. Their Fish is very fresh and very Spicy.... read more

Everything was good, but I will go back just for the pork fried rice! It's delicious!

I usually get sick from eating Chinese food, but not with Panda Inn. This place is absolutely delicious. Get the lemon chicken or sweet & sour pork. They have a great lunch menu. read more

Their chow mein was terrible. We basically just threw it away, & it wasn't cheap. We did eat the war won ton, & the fried shrimp appetizer. The noodles were so bad, they should be embarrassed. Step it up, or step out read more

Panda inn is amazing. Hands down the best chinese food in the area. Service is always great - our company regularly gets takeout.

Hands down the best Chinese food EVER! The food and service is unbeatable. My favorites are sweet & sour prawns, lemon chicken, hunan beef, and chow mein with cashews. I've been hooked to the Panda for 15 years, and the food has always been delicious! If you haven't tried Panda now is the time, you will not be disappointed! read more