Mel had the best recommendations! The mapo tofu and Jade Ember were amazing! Will be back soon.

everything was so amazing the food was so fresh the staff were super nice and our waitress Jenifer was amazing very kind

Amazing for large groups. It's bright and spacious inside. Excellent Chinese American fare served in HUGE portions. I need to visit the Pasadena location next! My only note - I wouldn't recommend the Panda Beef unless you enjoy the crispy flat texture. read more

See all

The original Panda Inn was established in Pasadena in 1973. In 1982 a second location opened in Glendale (there is a third in La Palma). When my sister lived in Glendale we would come here often. They have since relocated to a bigger space next door and the aesthetic is more modern & brighter. My family came here after my nephew's graduation. There were nine of us, and we were seated in a private area around a circular table with a Lazy Susan on top. Our waiter was so nice and checked on us frequently. (I didn't get his name but he was part of Team 3 Wed June 10th). They have a full bar, which is nice. I ordered the Yuzu Lemon Drop. It was a bit sweet. Menu offerings include a variety of Mandarin & Sichuan dishes. We ordered several to share: Honey Walnut Shrimp, Mapo Tofu, Panda Beef, Cashew Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Orange Chicken, Vegetable Lo-Mein, & Vegetable Fried Rice. Mom was initially going to order each dish family style but thankfully our waiter suggested that two would be ideal with the others being regular portions. I'm glad we took his advice because it would have been way too much food. Everything was tasty & flavorful and the Lazy Susan made it easy for everyone to sample their dishes of choice. Our meal ended with a fortune cookie dipped in white chocolate. We took turns reading our fortunes aloud. Overall, it was a nice celebratory meal and the staff were all friendly and courteous. *Metered street parking or public lots. read more

See all

I'd been curious to try this place and see what an "elevated" Panda Express experience would be like. We walked in on a Friday night and only had about a 10-15 minute wait for a party of two, though we did arrive close to closing time. Our server was friendly and recommended the phoenix chicken, honey walnut shrimp, and lo mein for first-timers, so we went with those along with a couple of cocktails. The lychee martini was really good -- definitely a great choice if you prefer sweeter cocktails like I do. As for the food, it was decent but nothing particularly memorable. The portions were huge, so we ended up taking leftovers home. The phoenix chicken was flavorful, but a bit dry and not as crispy or juicy as I'd hoped. The honey walnut shrimp was solid. Unfortunately, the lo mein was the biggest letdown -- pretty dry and lacking flavor. Overall, I'm glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn't go back, especially for the price. read more

Staff is always so nice and attentive. Surprisingly we didn't need to wait this time to be seated. Usually, it's always packed. Our food came quickly. I always like to order oolong tea and for dessert the green tea ice cream is a must. read more

Panda Inn - Our table - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

See all

There's someone who eats at a lot of authentic Chinese restaurants. This place is okay. I just came here to try it out for the experience. They're aiming for a more upscale Chinese restaurant with a hipster vibe. It was a nice experience to come once. Then, compare it to similar authentic Chinese restaurants. The only thing is that the portion sizes are smaller. They do have some unique dishes like the smoked duck mango salad. The lobster wonton has a bit of a kick to it. It was delicious, and I enjoyed it. My mother enjoyed the white chocolate-covered fortune cookies. Overall, I can't complain about the food. It's comparable to other authentic Chinese restaurants, just nothing special. I think if you want to come here, you would come here for the environment and the ambiance. I would have to rate the environment four stars. read more

See all

The entire experience was great, was seated right away on a Saturday afternoon. All the food came out hot and all were delicious. Mapo Tofu came out sizzling. The inside was very spacious. read more

See all

I have always been a fan of Panda Express. You can call it unauthentic Chinese food but regardless to me it's good food. Well this is fine dining Panda Express, it's Panda Inn (which actually came first before express) And they have your panda favorites but more options and even sushi. Food is made to order so everything is fresh. The restaurant is bright and modern. There is a bar area and even a private room. Today I came in to try the DineLA 3 course lunch menu. It includes appetizer, your choice of entree, and choice of dessert. These were our picks below- Party of two Dine LA lunch special $35 pp APPETIZERS -Albacore Crispy Onions albacore tuna, black garlic aioli, crispy onions, ponzu sauce -Golden Pickled Cabbage spicy, pickled cabbage Albacore was great with the crispy onions and the pickled cabbage was refreshing, crunchy, and the dressing was delicious. ENTRÉE -Honey Walnut Shrimp crispy battered shrimp, sweet glaze, candied walnuts -Spicy Chicken doubanjiang sauce, Serrano chili, young bamboo The shrimp was hot and crispy! So so so good and with those candied walnuts- Amazing. Everything in the spicy chicken was great- chili, bamboo, green onion, garlic, jalapeños. Definitely umami. DESSERT -Uncle Tetsu Cheesecake light, fluffy Japanese-style cheesecake The texture of the cheesecake was more cake than cheese, not creamy but like almost solidified mousse. It was yummy and came with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or green tea ice cream. The green tea ice cream was the best. Service was great and I really love the fortune cookies dipped in white chocolate. If you park in any of the nearby leveled parking structures, you can save on parking fees. Try it out for any special occasion! read more

See all

One of my fave dining spots in Glendale, providing great flavor food and exceptional guest service for decades. I have nothing bad to note, every visit is absolutely fantastic. Great place to dine for all occasions. My fave meals: Orange chicken Veggie low mein Shrimp fried rice Vegetable egg roll Fried wontons Crispy tune rice Salmon carpaccio Garlic shrimp read more

See all

Such a great, huge, dinner at Panda Inn tonight. Jennifer was amazing and the food was delicious! Definitely don't forget the fortune cookies! read more

Not going to lie--this place was decent, but for the price, I expected a lot more flavor. I ordered the lo mein noodles, which were just okay. They had vegetables and chicken, but surprisingly, it tasted pretty bland--even though there was plenty of sauce in the container. I also didn't realize the lo mein came with mushrooms; had I known, I probably would have ordered it without them. I also tried the minced chicken lettuce cups, which came with only four pieces of lettuce. The lettuce was starting to turn pink, which was a bit off-putting, especially since it's meant to be used as a "cup." On top of that, there was way more minced chicken than lettuce, and there didn't seem to be an option to request or pay for extra lettuce cups. Overall, I think this place is probably better for dining in rather than takeout. My favorite part of the meal was honestly the white chocolate-dipped fortune cookies--they may be simple, but they were a nice touch. The girl at the takeout counter was friendly and helpful. It was a little odd that there were no utensils included in the bag, but she explained that they stopped automatically adding them after customers complained about staff handling them. Not sure how accurate that is, but that was the explanation given. read more

I grew up with authentic Chinese food. As you would expect, Panda inn is going to be a little different. The service is elevated and the food, a bit more fusion/Americanized. I was skeptical to have favorites but I have to admit, the honey Walnut Shrimp is a winner. It is elevated from the version at Panda Express. Another winner is the Asian spiced beef short ribs. It's well balanced with protein, spinach and udon. I think these two dishes are an easy crowd pleaser. The braised String Beans are very comparable to Din Tai Fung. I love that the space can accommodate various party sizes. It's perfect from dates to large gatherings. Would like to come back for their lunch specials. read more

See all

My friend and I had lunch at the Glendale Panda Inn. This was our first visit and we were so impressed with the ambiance, food and service. Jennifer was our server and she was excellent. She gave some helpful recommendations. The Honey Walnut Shrimp and String Beans were my favorites. We also ordered the Eggplant and Tofu and the Crispy Phoenix Chicken. I was happy to take home our leftovers! The white chocolate-covered fortune cookies were the perfect end to our meal, and we will come back for sure! read more

This place is the OG. If you like Panda Express come check this place out and you'll get a taste of the origin story. Delicious Americanized Chinese Food in an upscale setting. Get the Sweet and Pungent Chicken and Pan Fried Noodles! Enjoy! read more

See all

Absolutely loved it!!!!!!!!! Excellent service, good food and good mood! The vibe was great and the food was so phenomenally delicious , I really enjoyed the lo mein with vegetables along with the wonton soup. I highly recommend this place! Will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Panda Inn - Lo mein noodle with vegetables, side order of lemon chicken and rice - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

Based on the quality at the Pasadena location, I wanted to see how this long-standing location compared. It was better. The flavors were a lot better, even the same dishes head to head. Comparatively, the decor may be a bit dated, but the food and service were spot on, indicative of a staff that knows what they're doing. If you're wondering, they do offer high chairs. Parking is available on the street or in parking lots and I did not have an issue finding a spot on the weekend. Here's what I tried: Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken - Really well seasoned, light on the breading. They came correct. Honey Walnut Shrimp - Cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of walnuts Spicy Orange Chicken - Actually spicy and tasted better than at a regular Panda Express Braised String Beans - Average, and just what I expected. Fried Rice - Really tasty and a good option if you're looking for a rice dish that isn't boring. Beef Short Rib with Brussel Sprouts - As advertised-- super tender and flavorful. Loved the crispy brussel sprouts too. read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

My friends and I came here for a nice dinner and we had an exceptional experience. The entire experience was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming. We got cocktails and two bottles of wine, everything was solid. Lychee martini was my favorite drink. For appetizers we did veggie egg rolls and crab rangoons. The egg rolls tasted light compared to others I've had I liked the fact that they weren't dripping in oil. For our mains we ordered orange chicken, honey walnut shrimp, mongolian beef, garlic noodles, fried rice, green beans and the mapo tofu. I'd rank the monoglian beef and the string beans as my number one followed by the orange chicken. I'd skip the garlic noodles as the flavor on those was a bit lacking. Overall solid spot, especially if you want to up your game from the usual Panda Express! Bonus- the fortune cookies at the end are the perfect dessert and even come coated in white chocolate. So delicious. read more

See all

Place was big, service was very good, food was very good as well -- hot and cooked to perfection. Very flavorful. The place was clean. I would come back to try other dishes. Tried the orange chicken, beef and broccoli, crab creamcheese wontons, eggplant tofu, beef lo main, sweet and aromatic shrimp, spicy tuna crispy rice and I forgot one sushi roll we had. I was very surprised. But this place is an elevated Panda. I'm ready to go back to try more of their menu. read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

The pan fried noodles were amazing, that's my favorite dish! Next is the honey walnut shrimps, yummmm. We also got the lo mein, sweet and sour pork, beef with broccoli, orange chicken, fried rice, fish fillet with black bean sauce, all good! Service was also good, our waiters were friendly and quick. Ambiance was kinda noisy because we brought a lot of kids lol. I think this is the original Panda Express that started it all. Parking though is not free nor do they validate read more

See all

I placed a phone order for take out and when it came time to pick up my order, I left my wallet at work. They dont accept TAP payments or cash apps. They need the physical card. I asked if there was another way to pay and they said if they can get the information of the card, they can manually enter it and charge it. AMAZING, because I called my husband to ask him for our credit card information and provided it to the host. It was good, food was paid and I was able to go home. I recently went to visit the Pasadena location and they didnt have the Asian Spiced Beef Short Ribs plate, which is my favorite! So I had to come here because I was around the neighborhood. Parking is by meters. The parking allowed you to pay by the app. They have two quick green parking spots right in front of the restaurant. Ive only ever been to two locations, this one and Pasadena. Even though pasadena is right near where I live, I feel the food quality is a lot better in Glendale. Plus the service and ambiance is up there too. I will choose glendale over pasadena. read more

Excellent food, ambiance and service (thanks to our server Jennifer for plate recommendations).

Have to say I'm a sucker for lunch specials, after covid alot of resteraunts started to cheap out, Panda Inn is not one of them, I got the hot and sour soup with beef and Broccoli and it comes with an egg roll.. My only complaint was that there was a little lack of unami in the sauce.. read more

See all

Food 3/5: we ordered the same fried rice we ordered in Pasadena and wow it was so bad in Glendale location. Panda beef was better in panda express and phenix chicken was pretty good. I would highly recommend Pasadena location. Price is the same but quality is a lot better in Pasadena with less quantity I would say. Service 5/5 Ambiance 3/5 looked like Express Inn. read more

See all

I had not been here since they remodeled. The place looks great. The food was very good. I especially loved the shrimp and lobster wontons. Even the cocktails were surprisingly pretty good. I highly recommend the honey whiskey drink and the passion fruit margarita. I wasn't that crazy about the service. They were pretty packed, so maybe the staff was frustrated. The staff wasn't attentive, and they looked annoyed any time we would ask for something. Maybe it had something to do with having 3 different servers, which was a little odd. read more

Jenn was fantastic! The food was great, the service was great as always. Highly recommend this place!

Hopes were high for Panda Inn, as we were welcomed by a large Buddha statue, and Asian-inspired architecture and decor. Our party of 6 got seated at a large round table, and our waiter introduced himself. We had a toddler with us, and on asking about a kids menu, we were informed that they do not have one. Instead, he recommended that we order the Orange Chicken, sauce on the side, amounting to essentially kid-friendly crispy chicken pieces. More on that later... Our drink orders were taken. After talking among ourselves for a while, we started to wonder when our drinks were coming. Finally, they arrived, sans straws. After another wait, he brought straws and took our food orders. Having a hangry kid in our midst, we asked if they could please expedite his chicken order before anything else. Some time passed, and then more time. Then, more still. Where was our food? Surely, we could expect at least our appetizers to have arrived by then. But we continued to wait. At long last, a tray of food came out, including appetizers and half the entrees we had ordered. Still no kids' chicken. OK, lets dig into these postickers and crab wontons. Potstickers: I could tell as soon as they hit the table that these could not possibly be handmade. As soon as I struggled to pick one up with my very slippery chopsticks, it was clear there was no crispiness to it whatsoever. Flavor was bland. Crab Wonton: These were at least slightly crispy on the folded edges, but stuffed with too much cheese. The sauce? Generic sweet chili sauce from the bottle. As is so often the case with these, where the hell is the crab? Orange Chicken: I can truly say that the dinosaur nuggets I warm up for my son at home are better and more appealing than these freezer-burned chicken chunks. They had browning marks all on the same side that suggested having been left on a sheet pan in a warmer, to be plated as needed rather than cooked to order. The sauce tasted like every other sauce on the table. Overly salty, overly sweet, no depth or distinguishing flavor. The menu said it comes with "baby corn". It came with exactly one baby corn. Crispy Garlic Chicken: Apparently in ordering the sauce on the side for the Orange Chicken, our waiter also thought we wanted sauce on the side for this dish. So we got a dry chicken cutlet with side sauce. Where is the garlic component of this dish? In the sauce? Every sauce seemed to have garlic. The (blanched?) bok choy was a welcome addition, because it was good in its own right. It didn't need any help. Help, that this place desperately needs. Hmmm, something was still missing from the table...Oh yeah, rice! How is it OK to leave a table full of entrees riceless for 15+ minutes? White Rice: I suppose it's very presumptive of me to think that white rice is the one thing an asian eatery should get right. How wrong I was. Would it be too much to ask for each of us to get individual warmed rice bowls? The rice was not only dried out from the get-go, it got cold immediately in its container. A lid on top of the bowl might have solved this. Beef and Broccoli: The broccoli beef off the line at Panda Express is much better. The beef was serviceable and not tough, but not memorable. Broccoli was at least tendercrisp. It was coated in nondescript, salty, cornstarch-thickened sauce, which frankly didn't seem much if any different from the sauce that the pan fried noodles were swimming in. Can we talk about the Pan fried noodles? Pan Fried Noodles Combination: What do you get when you put a big pile of overcooked, stuck together wheat noodles in a bowl, drown it in brown sauce, and toss a hodge-podge of mushy stir fry meat and vegetables on top? You get disappointment. Honey Walnut Shrimp: Again, I've had it better off the line at Panda Express. The flavor was good, i'll give it that. But the shrimp weren't very crispy and a good amount of them had broken apart. They also just weren't plated very nicely. The walnuts were good and as you'd expect. But that's a low bar. And then there's our waiter. Requests seemed to go in one ear and out the other. The kids entree didn't come out first as we asked. We gave him a heads up at the beginning as to how to split the bill, which he said he would do at the end, and didn't. After reminding him, he split it per our request. Finally, 4 of our 6 fortune cookies brought with the bill had duplicate fortunes. Real nice. Panda Inn - What are you DOING? I'll never come back here, and if anything, this place makes me appreciate Panda Express more for having fresher, higher quality food, at a better price, that comes out fast, and doesn't put on any airs. This place stinks! read more

Mel was cool, food was great! Fortune cookies were amazing. The restaurant ambience is nice and the cutlery is quite aesthetic read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

My husband and I decided to have dinner here after the movies. We sat at the bar and Daniel was our bartender/server. He was great!!! Friendly and kept us updated when our food came out, just a little late. We ordered appetizers and a few entrees to share. Food was hot and delicious . I like going to this particular Panda Inn because the venue is bright and clean. read more

Panda Inn - Fish with black bean sauce, beef short ribs with Udon noodles and spinach sautéed in garlic. - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

OK, I gotta say this is several notches above Panda Express and I guess the price reflects that. I really do like the food here and the portions are fantastic. service was excellent and although I would say this is Chinese food for western tastes it's nevertheless still very good. read more

Panda inn's food is good and consistent. My favorites were the honey walnut shrimp and the chocolate dipped fortune cookie! The servers seemed like they were on autopilot and did not really listen to our requests. We didn't want them to mix the noodles into the sauce because we wanted to do it ourselves. The space is beautiful and clean. The flavors of Panda Inn and indeed an elevated version of Panda Express options. read more

See all

We had a wonderful lunch again at our Happy place, Kevin, the manager is very welcoming, attending to our needs and the other customer, he is like an eagle watching our needs, You are blessed to have a person like him to manage the place. It will keep on thriving read more

Decided to try Panda Inn for the first time recently! The interior was clean and bright. I really did enjoy the ambiance of the place. Service was great, servers were friendly and food came out on time. The 3 stars unfortunately comes from the food itself. What we ordered: - Mapo Tofu (2/5) Honestly there was NO real chili flavor or any flavor besides BLACK PEPPER which if you've had other mapo tofu's then you know is not the usual. It really was just okay and would not recommend this particular dish. - Upside Down Crispy Noodles (3/5) The flavor was mild, veggies ok but the NOODLES were really good honestly! I liked the contrast of the sauce, and veggies to the fried noodles. -Three Cup Chicken (4/5) The best thing we got! it was served extremely hot and had a good soy flavor. - Black Garlic Bok Choy (3/5) Just a vegetable honestly, nothing great but nothing bad Overall, I don't regret trying Panda Inn, however there are many other great chinese spots in los angeles with more authentic flavors. read more

We went for lunch it was moderately busy inside. All the dishes are family style sharing. We ordered the wonton soup, honey walnut shrimp, beef & broccoli, orange chicken, pan fried noodles, and white rice. The wonton soup is a light starter. The honey walnut shrimp is my favorite- crispy and well sauced. The orange chicken comes in a variety of size pieces and has great flavor and fry. The pan fried noodles we ordered assorted so it comes with everything. Parking- paid parking lot across the street read more

See all

Nostalgic. This place was my mother's favorite spot. We would celebrate many birthdays until she couldn't go anywhere. I recently came for my best friend's mom's birthday. I must say that the prices went way, way up. They've updated the place too. Food was good. We ordered a large spread of mixed plates and did family style. Seeing friends and family was even better. So nice to see everyone again. So nice to celebrate there. Parking is okay. There's parking garages or across the street. Everywhere is pretty much pay parking. read more

My wife and I used to frequent Panda Inn when it was in San Diego, and we were truly disappointed when it closed. We missed that authentic Chinese cuisine for years. Ten years later, while visiting Glendale, CA, we had the opportunity to stop in -- and from the moment we walked through the doors, it felt like coming home. The ambiance was decadent, filled with beauty, elegance, and grace. The service was a perfect 10 out of 10. Our waiter was more than just an order taker -- he genuinely served us, anticipating our needs and making the experience feel personal. The food was absolutely mouthwatering, rich with flavor and beautifully prepared. A special shout-out to Kevin, the manager, who took the time to speak with us and made us feel completely at ease. That level of care is true customer service. To top it all off, he surprised us with Chinese cheesecake and ice cream, and we savored every bite. Because of this experience, my wife and I have decided we'll gladly make the two-plus-hour drive from San Diego to Glendale once or twice every few months. It's a long drive -- but without question, it's worth every bite! read more

See all

Very elegant. Panda Inn is the upscale-casual, sit-down restaurant that inspired "Panda Express". Yes, the same Panda Express that's famous for Orange Chicken. Panda Inn is fancier and similarly specializes in Chinese- American food offering a wider variety of dishes, including American-style sushi. Their LUNCH SPECIALS are a good value. For $15 or so. Available: Monday-Friday (excludes weekend/holidays) 11am-3pm. Panda Inn is a great place for dates, happy hour, a celebration, or casual lunch/dinner in an atmosphere that is cozy and beautiful. Service here is nothing short of welcoming and polite. Parking: Right across from the restaurant is a contactless self-pay parking lot. read more

See all

My family loves this place. Unlike panda express, the food is actually hot and food. They give you chocolate covered fortune cookies in the end and they taste so good. The portion sizes are good too. 3 family size plates feed a 5 person family. The place is loud, but that is expected at big restaurants. read more

Panda Inn - Chinese Near Me - Glendale, California

Panda family restaurant? Count me in! Loved the fancy ambiance and kind service. Food item stand-outs were definitely the spicy tuna crispy rice and the dumplings! Loved the family style portions and the many more food options compared to Panda Express. Great place to check out if in the area! read more

See all

Service during dining was great! Food was tasty--some were better than others but, overall, good. The hostesses were okay--though the restaurant wasn't busy/packed, it took them about 10 min to seat us and we had reservations. They could have done better by communicating delay rather than the general "we'll be with you." Made us wonder if they knew what was going on. Also, saw that they seated 2 other people that came after us before us. Very much appreciated that they packed up our leftovers for us--people don't really do that anymore so that was a pleasant surprise! read more

See all