Panda Inn has been our "Go To" Chinese restaurant for about four years. It had a great combination of huge portions, a great menu selection, and fantastic prices. A couple months ago new owners took over, and things have gone down hill to the point we won't be going back. You still get huge portions, can't beat that. Easily two meals out of what they bring you. The prices have gone up, but since Biden took over, whose haven't? Still a good deal with regard to the portions. The problem is, my wife and I both thought this independently over the course of two different dining occasions, the food has gone from "Better than OK" to just below "Bland". I don't know what they did, likely cost saving measures, but out of two dinners for two adults each getting a different thing each meal, we both expressed sadness that the quality has dropped so notably. Time to find a new "Go To". :( read more

Best Lo Mein in town !! Love the giant egg rolls ! Very fast and good priced as well! :)

So we stopped at this Panda Exp......er.....inn. It was better than I expected. The tea was a generic low quality tea with no flavor. It was fine. Chicken lo mein is a tad dry, but the flavor is not bad. Broccoli in the broccoli beef seemed okay. Not too mushy. Mushroom chicken was fine. All of the meats have the distinctive American-Chinese rubberiness with all of the food being coated with that creamy oiliness, but the overall flavor and quality was above average. The portions are relatively large, with generous amounts of meat at a low cost. read more

Tried this on a Sunday after church. Place was fairly busy, but we were seated quickly- a nice feat considering there were 6 of us. The wait staff seemed a bit short handed, looked like our waitress was running a bit rampant. Food was timely and seemed to be in good quantity. Overall, taste was quite good-- Although my General Tso's seemed to be a lot milder than what is common to that dish. Ultimately, I'd like to make this stop again sometime. read more

Yuk! Absolutely awful.! Having never been here before I had high hopes that FINALLY I had found a decent Chinese restaurant in the area. Boy was I wrong. Of course we ordered way too much but I was looking forward to having leftovers to take home. I'll start at the beginning, we ordered fried shrimp and BBQ pork to start. The shrimp were actually quite good and I was hopeful for a continuation of good Chinese food but it was not to be. The BBQ pork was tough, dry and stringy and had no flavor They also gave us about 10 sesame seeds sitting on top of the catsup and mustard that came in little dishes on the side. I asked for more sesame seeds that never came, which was actually ok because the pork was inedible. Next egg foo young. I asked the waitress if it was made fresh and she assured me it was. Two minutes later she brought over what looked like vege burger patties. They were soggy, tasteless, heavy and incredibly dense. She insisted they were made as ordered to which I asked how they could do that in literally 2 minutes? They were disgusting not to mention the "gravy" that was the neon yellow, not anywhere near the brown gravy usually served with egg foo young, I wouldn't even try it. Plus on top of that the foo young itself was soggy and gray. GROSS. The rest of the meal came out just as fast. Clearly not enough time to make anything too order. NEXT UP Kung Pao Shrimp. It looked ok but was flavorless, the shrimp were the kind of precooked shrimp you can find in the supermarket frozen food section. Nothing to write home about although I managed to eat a few bites because by this time I was starving. The Chicken with snow peas was yet another flavorless concoction from hell although the snow peas themselves seemed fresh not frozen. The House Fried Rice was greasy, had almost no meat or shrimp in it and what there was was just more of those same horrible frozen shrimp and almost microscopic pieces of chicken and pork. Two of us had a cocktail and they were just ok. I refused to pay for the BBQ pork ($11.75) but reluctantly paid for the rest. At that, the bill was over $100. Definitely not worth it. We will never be back and I would caution anyone who does go to do it at your own risk, The restaurant was fairly clean and our waitress was pleasant but unfortunately that is about all I can say for this restaurant. read more

As a local to this establishment, I highly recommend this American Chinese restaurant. The portions are Amazing and it's like having 2 days worth of food. So many options on the menu and the staff always seems friendly. I usually order take out and my order is always correct!! They even have thing for the kids. read more

Been eating here for years, it's my favorite american-chinese food place. The food is super yummy, and they make the best fried rice i've ever had. They're always very fast, I ordered takeout last week and it took them less than 5 minutes to get my 3 meals. I highly recommend it here read more

Yet another disappointment in Washington Chinese food, which really sucks cause I like the atmosphere inside this place. It captures that Eastern feel better than most I have been to. I got a to go order and the hostess was prompt with the menu and the food was also prompt, probably too prompt. The combo plate I got had greasy chow mien and pork fried rice, soggy shrimp, and forgettable bbq pork. All of it tasted like it came out of a freezer and then got cooked and sat on a warmer for hours until I bought it. It seems like Panda Inn subscribes to the same theory I have run into in the PNW with this cuisine and that is the most important factor to them is FAST, not quality. read more

what great food. they young man who waited on us so great. well worth it The bathroom s were clean . Restaurant. was clean good place for a group. read more

Food was absolutely awful. Got my food 2 minutes later after I ordered so I know it wasn't fresh. puked 3 times. Had to go to the emergency room and brought left overs with to be tested. I wouldn't recommend anyone to go here. read more

Gross. Never again. Called for takeout today. The person who took my order got my phone number, then hung up w/ out telling me how long, or how much. When I got there another customer was asking if they had gotten their inspection issues resolved, because he'd heard they had problems with that. ( I don't hold this against the restaurant, since I don't tend to form judgements from rumor, but it did set a tone....) The pot stickers were uninspiring. The dough didn'tseemfully cooked. That was the best of the meal. The BBQ pork was dry and bland. The "spicy" General Tso's chicken was also bland - and less spicy than the pot sticker sauce. The beef lo mein seemed to be missing any sauce or flavor other than the main ingredients. This served to highlight the distinctly fishy flavor of the beef. Cooked on the same surface? At least the beef was fully cooked and incredibly tender. Not that I can bring myself to eat it. read more

Food is always really good and what you would expect from a chinese place. They have delicious huge egg rolls & fried shrimp. I love their hot & sour soup as well. I've gotten draft Coors Light twice and both times it was sour & almost tasted like wine. Maybe that's why it's only 3.50 for 16 oz. Dirt cheap for the amount of food you get. Service can be hit or miss.. Pray you don't have an issue because they will make you feel like you're the one who made a mistake. One time our chicken wings were raw in the middle and the waitress didn't offer to get us new ones just said "SO YOU DONT WANT THEM????" read more

My wife and I discovered this restaurant about a year ago when we noticed a decided decline in the quality of our old "Go to" Chinese restaurant in this area. Wow! Am I glad we did. It's not the top of the Chinese gourmond tree, but what it lacks in artisan quality, it more than makes up with in portion size (Huge, and I'm a big portion eater!), and cost per plate. The menu is big enough that there is sure to be something you like, and they have some customizable "Combo" offerings that work well. Many Shrimp choices. The decor is a bit akin to a 1970's buffet, but the staff are friendly, the service is quick, and again, the portions and price are hard to beat. 2 adults with drinks under $30 with leftovers enough for another meal. Beat that! Worth the drive from Olympia. read more

Wonderful food with HUGE portions. Wait staff is extremely friendly and is always there to refill your drink. The BBQ pork with hot mustard sauce is my absolute favorite. Prices are a bargain. Panda may not be the healthiest dining option, but I go at least once a month. read more

why i didnt give this 5 stars. everything we had was delicious :) very fast and friendly people. this is the second time that we have ate here. LOTS AND LOTS of food :) which hey no complaints here. the only thing of why its 4 stars instead of 5.. just needs a little bit more flavor in their food but other than that! Kudos!! we will definitely be back to this place. even though we hardly see any cars or people during the week the place is busy during the weekend and around dinner time :) whats that tell ya! i would recommend this place for sure! read more

After moving to Washington in 2020 we have been stuck at home due to Covid. Recently we have been able to get out to try some restaurants. So far only 3, one Chinese in Olympia, a steak house in Chehalis, and now Panda Inn. Gotta say the food was great and plenty of a helping. So far our favorite and we plan to visit again. The service was good and the restaurant appeared clean and with proper distancing during for Covid-19. Love the Crab Puffs! read more

Our go to place when we are heading to Seattle or the casino. Best bbq pork and General Tso's Chicken! Everything we've had there was good

We live in Olympia and every time we travel south we stop in. The staff is always very nice, attentive and it seems pretty clean. It's an old building right off the freeway. We always order the #20 special... a whole bunch of food for $6.75!! I'm mean a whole bunch!! This isn't a fancy, dress up, date night spot. It's a never leave hungry, always good and dependable place to visit! read more

Zhanna loved it! She would give it multiple stars! She wants everyone to check it out!! read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

The staff is very genuinely pleased to see you and food is superb. My forever favorite is the Walnut shrimp which I could eat until the end of time. I'm a permanent customer definitely. Thanks you all read more

Food is alright and nothing special, however you do get a lot for the price and the crab wontons are amazing!

Great food bad service. Decided to try this restaurant for lunch. They have great lunch specials with good food however service was not so great. They forgot to serve us soup and check on us throughout our dining experience. They were not too busy. Might try again later but not sure at this time if we will com back. read more

This is a nice restaurant. I know the owner and how it operates. They prepare the food every morning and prepare to be fresh. They never use MSG and have tasty sweet and sour sauce. If picky on Chinese food, it may not be a good perfect place. However, if you found good reasonable deal and tasty Chinese food. it is good. read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

See all

Well, you certainly get lots of food for the money. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and my son wanted noodles. Just has spaghetti so this was the next food group. Got the Combo meals for less than $12 per person and let me warn you to plan on taking left overs for the next days lunch and dinner. The food just kept coming. It's impressive. The quality is okay. The vegetables are fresh and they use a lot of onions (which I love but my wife not so much). It's a bit bland so don't expect gourmet Chinese with layers and depth of flavor. Service was okay but we had a new gal and it wasn't too busy when we were there. But I can see why people keep coming back. Lots of food for sure. read more

My family loves this restaurant!!! Food is always great and their take out time is always amazing. This is our first choice for Chinese

I am leaving 1 star because zero stars is not an option. It wasn't busy but our waitress acted like she was inconvenienced by our taking a moment to look at what seemed like a 25 page menu. Our food came pretty quickly The almond chicken looked like it was covered in mustard, the veggies in the chow mein were grey and the bbq pork was orange instead of red.The sesame chicken was bland but it didnt actually taste horrible. About 3 bites in one of us found a hair in our food. We quietly told the waitress and after she examined the hair, she looked at each of us like it was one of ours and we planted it, she left the table with the hair. When she came back she said her manager offered to make us something else. Needless to say we passed and asked for our bill. No one in our party ate even 1/3 of our meals but we were charged for all of the meals. The right thing to do would have been to take the meal with the hair off off of the bill. This place is AWFUL and the service is equally awful. If you can go anywhere else I would highly recommend doing so. read more

I love Chinese-style cuisine, and the Panda Inn has got to be my overall favorite in Washington outside of Seattle. The food is very good, both takeout and dine-in. The service is top-notch. I have never felt my kids were anything less than welcome at any age, and always had plenty of space for my family. The General Tsao's Pork; yes, I said PORK, is awesome, as is the sweet and sour. The house Kung-Pao, full of shrimp, scallops and chicken is mouthwatering and perfectly spicy. The crunchy spring rolls are just right, and the potstickers are always perfectly steamed. The Lo Mein and Cashew chicken are always favorites of ours, as well. Always timely with the takeout, friendly from beginning to end, and serving up fresh-tasting, award-winning oriental cuisine, the Panda Inn is the place to go for a delicious, family-friendly dinner. read more

Don't judge the Panda by it's Italian Cook sign! It's clean & friendly inside. Portions are inhumanely HUGE. Food is good American Chinese food. My favorite is # 13 off the regular menu. This is one of our favorite lunch places in Centralia. read more

See all

Immediate seating for Saturday dinner at 6:30. This is a large well lit restaurant. The floor is dirty and I was thankful the food was good. Fresh ingredients and nothing was greasy. Generous helping. The restrooms were clean too. Ordered Singapore noodles: curried noodles with shrimp, chicken and vegetables. Beef with vegetables: tender slices of beef with tons of vegetables. Great service! Will be back if in the area! read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

See all

Not being from Centralia & looking for a place to eat I read the previous reviews written on yelp. Only seeing 1 negative review I gave this place a try. I'm sorry to say the food was very disappointing. Out of the 5 or so dishes we ordered the only one that was edible was the fried rice. The tempura shrimp was very thick & doughy as was the sweet & sour chicken. After talking to my family that lives here in town they reported similar experiences with different dishes. They serve huge portions & had friendly enough staff but still wasn't worth it. Hopefully they'll change some recipes. read more

Too expensive and taste is poor! Will never go back! Portions also suck for the price! Peking is much better! read more

Vegetable tofu dish was delish and plentiful. If you are trying to lose weight I wouldn't recommend eating three servings at one meal. The tea they serve with your meal is a welcome sight. What is hard on the eyes is their outdated decor - vintage wallpaper, 70s handrails and fake plants. But hey I cant complain... Food portions are huge and tasty. You have to eat their fortune cookie. Has a coconut kick to it. Just one though read more

My family loves this place, it's the only restaurant in town where you can feed my husband and I both to bursting by sharing a twelve dollar plate. Our son loves to tear into the pan fried noodles, and the girls are so patient with the mess. On date night we love to hit the bar for some long island iced teas, they make the best ones in town and even let you have the TV remote. It's such a quiet escape with happy hour and apps! The food is to die for, and there is almost enough for you to eat yourself to death. We love the variety on the menu. We try something different almost every time we go in and are never disappointed! They have the most tender meat stir fries ever, they are incredible! We love going in to see Elvie and Mei during the week, who have been working hard there longer than we can even remember. The other young girls are sweet and attentive and welcoming, they all make us want to keep coming back! My family has been regulars at Panda for years and we would never need to go anywhere else! They even have hamburgers! read more

Love the food, and prices at Panda Express! No matter what I order, its always hot, tasty and plentiful! Love the fried shrimp appetizer, with the mixture of spicy mustard and red stuff. Yum! Tend to always get a combo that has fried rice, almond fried chicken, and sweet and sour chicken. read more

My wife and I recently moved to Centralia and were looking for some good Chinese food. We came to Panda Inn for lunch on a weekday. My wife had a lunch special with sweet and sour pork and I ordered the house chow fun off the regular menu. The lunch special is a lot of food and my wife said it was very good. She let me try a couple of bites and I agree. My chow fun was delicious. It's pretty uncommon to find chow fun on a Chinese restaurant menu but I took a chance and was not disappointed. We will be back! read more

Confused on how many stars to give. The food is great BUT if you need to use the restroom be sure to check their floors. Walked into the bathroom and fell on my ass. No signs for wet floor. Hell, I don't think they even tried to get excess water up off the floor. Told staff and they just sat there looking at me like I'm an idiot. Let alone not a single employee went to fix the bathroom hazard. Next person who falls might not be lucky like me. So hope this place has good insurance coverage. read more

The menu was an easy read and the wait staff were pleasant. The generous portions and tasty food! I would recommend everyone that travels through this area to check this place out! The prices are very reasonable and there is a great bang for your dollar!! We were pleasantly surprised to trip into this place!! read more

Panda Inn - Great food and generous portions! - Chinese Near Me - Centralia, Washington

Outstanding. Don't let the very reasonable prices fool you, the portions are HUGE. EVERYTHING was excellent and far exceeded our expectations. Best Chinese food in Western Washington hands down. read more

This is our favorite place to stop when we're near Centralia. The price is amazing and the portions are HUGE! Definitely recommend if you're looking for some comfort Chinese food! read more

The food was very good. I just wish I got what I ordered. We ordered the family style "B" dinner. However, we didn't get any almond chicken. We got some fried chicken pieces but no gravy. Maybe that was supposed to be almond chicken and they forgot the side of gravy? We got sweet and sour pork but it was soggy because they put the sauce on the chicken instead of serving on the side (we got take out and live 30 minutes away). The beef broccoli is good, the egg rolls are huge and yummy, the shrimp is meh... the subgum chow mien is good except the crunchy noodles were stale. Everyone liked the egg flower soup. A dinner for four serves more like 7. Lots of food. I would go again but thoroughly check my order before leaving. read more