PF Changs

When I first went to a PF Changs 7-8 yrs. ago in Vegas, I thought I'd died and gone to Chinese food heaven, ever since then every visit has been a little more disappointing, had dinner in the Tysons Corner VA. the other night, the H&S soup had the consistency of watery mashed potatoes, the lamb dish horrible, WHAT HAPPENED?? As a chain they had it going, how do you screw something so cookie cutter like Changs up?

I really like the ambience at PF's but what they do is create many sauces for the same type of chicken/beef/fish.

They becamse sort of ordinary really fast. When they first opened in Knoxville, it was hard to get in the door and now it is no issue.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Going to PF Changs and calling it Chinese is like eating Wonder Bread and calling it "real bread"!

I go along every few months or so to the one in Atlantic City to be sociable with some of my poker dealing buddies...

The flash fried kung pao chicken is too dried out tasting...I've given it 2 tries already


The best thing about the place is their nice atmosphere, and caring service..
plus the prices are'nt too crazy.

I'm a huge (not literally) Kung Pao chicken guy.Its the acid test for Chinese places for me.Unfortunately,90% of the places I've been make it wrong.Its supposed to be chicken,scallion (with possibly bamboo shoot instead of scallion),and peanuts with spicy brown sauce.Too many places are putting green pepper,mushrooms(gah),and worst of all those little ears of corn in there.And with these extra vegetables they reduce the quantity of peanuts and chicken.Not to mention no matter how earnestly I ask for extra spicy I never get it.
I've never been to PF Changs.Can't imagine what flash fried kung pao is all about.I've had flash-fried flounder before and it was pretty darn good.But thats a whole other animal,so to speak.
Tomorrow nite I will get some KP chicken at one of the 2 places I know will make it correctly-the Hunan Village in Brooklyn Park MD.This place gets no critical love.Its just a neighborhood place with no flash or ambience that quietly produces solid cuisine for many years.Nobody reviews it,nobody gives it stars.I dont care.They make some nice Mai Tai's too.Hey Generation X,with all your silly mixed drinks,you ought to sit down and have a couple Mai Tai's sometime.But you probly wont.Again,I dont care.
Thanks for leting me rant.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymo

Going to PF Changs and calling it Chinese is like eating Wonder Bread and calling it "real bread"!

Mrs QFan and I visited the one in N Naples twice. Not only was the food just ordinary, but the atmosphere sucked. It was like a cattle call with all the people waiting to get in and that's just how the staff treated you. The place was so noisy (all hard surfaces) that you couldn't even hold a conversation with the person at your table. We had drinks while we were waiting and the bar stuff was all greatly overpriced, as was the food. Won't be sorry if they close up!

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Went to the PF Chang's in Oak Brook Illinois and found it way too noisy to the point of being uncomfortable. The food was so so, not worth a trip.

The ones I have been to have been acceptable but nothing to write home about.

quote:

Originally posted by V960

The ones I have been to have been acceptable but nothing to write home about.

I agree. They have mediocre food at best. They came on strong but have bagan to fizzel.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I've always thought the best way to enjoy PF Changs was to grab a seat at the bar and stick to apps and cocktails.

I ate at the one in the Alamo Quarry MarketPlace in San Antonio.The food was all right,but I prefer eating at the local chinese places around by me.The place was packed,and seemed noisy inside.It really isn't a very big place inside.
The Alamo Quarry Marketplace is built in the old Alamo Quarry,and there was even a little town there named Cementville for the workers of the quarry lived there.
Inside the Regal Cinema theatre there,is this huge engine that was used in quarry operations. It was too heavy to move,so they built it into the theatre design. The place has a website.They have Chico's\Whole Foods,Joe's Crab Shack,P.F.Changs,Linens and Things or Bed Bath and Beyond,etc.

In it's early days, PF Changs was very good. I used to dine at the one in Newport Beach in the early 90's. I haven't been to one in 15 years.

quote:

Originally posted by Billfish

I'm a huge (not literally) Kung Pao chicken guy.Its the acid test for Chinese places for me....

I'd urge to check out this step by step pictorial by an outstanding cook Ah Leung http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=79461&hl=Kung

Evidently the photo's are not downloadable but if you check out the link you'll get the idea. I'm a member there and hopefully the link (which works for me) works for you.

They are downloadable.

quote:

Originally posted by enginecapt

They are downloadable.

Bad choice of words. I meant that I couldn't seem to upload them here.

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

Roger that, a PF opened with great fanfare in Cumberland Mall in ATL. Mediocre Chinese, I felt I was in an oriental version of Chili's or Friday's.

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

That is incorrect. PF Changs is a public company that also owns Pei Wei.

I have only ever eaten at the one here in Pittsburgh and the original in Scottsdale, AZ. As for Americanzied Chinese food, I think it is better than most. I really like the Soothing Lettuce Wraps appetizer and Great Wall of Chocolate dessert, but have never had an entree that I have been really satisfied with. Another thing I like is that it is a good place to take a date.

Given the choice, I would much rather go to an authentic Chinese restaurant, but unfortunately we have so few few of those here.

I would agree with LL that PF Chang is on a downhill slide. It's as Sundancer stated - they are fizzling. The Oak Brook, IL. location is really noisy and has major issues in seating. The hostess stand is repeatedly rude and follows the corporate chain rule of creating a wait to boost bar business and make it appear as a hot spot even though tables are open everywhere. This really irritates me!

quote:

Originally posted by ChiTownDiner
The hostess stand is repeatedly rude and follows the corporate chain rule of creating a wait to boost bar business and make it appear as a hot spot even though tables are open everywhere. This really irritates me!

Enough to not wait? If I saw that crap going on all they'd see of me is my dust.

I had horrible service at the PF Changs in Memphis, TN. They forgot my friends entree, and the waiter was so snooty to us, complaining about having to refill a drink, in which he said he only had two hands and "couldn't do it right now". I complained to the manager and he only offered to comp one drink, which to me was abysmal after the way we were treated.
I do like their food, but won't go back willingly again.

I ate at one in San Antonio when it opened up a while back (we had gift certificates) and i wasn't impressed at all. I ordered the lemon chicken and I don't know, I guess I'm just used to me little hole in the wall chinese buffets that I was expecting something different. I keep meaning to go back to give it another try and order something different but when I crave Chinese, I crave what I'm used to.

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

actually its not owned by the same company. pf changs is owned by paul flemming...pf...and phillip chiang...changs. if tgi fridays were owned by the same company then, myself as a pf changs employee would get a discount at fridays, which i dont...do your research before you open your mouth.

quote:

Originally posted by alicia69

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

actually its not owned by the same company as fridays. pf changs is owned by paul flemming...pf...and phillip chiang...changs. if tgi fridays were owned by the same company then, myself as a pf changs employee would get a discount at fridays, which i dont...do your research before you open your mouth.

also, everyone keeps talking about how pf changs is soo busy and soo loud. it is not our fault that the guests are idiots and will wait 3 hours to eat there. that is your fault as the consumer for waiting so damn long. its loud because 200 people try to cram in the door to get in...why, because we have good food. if the food werent any good like you all keep saying then the restaurant would be closed. instead there are over 20 pf changs in the country and not a single one has had to close yet. ive worked there for almost 3 years and only had one complaint about the food. so is it that the food is average, or you all are just being too critical? if you dont like it, dont come back...the 200 other people that wait all night to eat there will keep the business open.

quote:

Originally posted by alicia69

quote:

Originally posted by alicia69

quote:

Originally posted by MandalayVA

PF Changs = Chinese TGI Friday's (owned by the same company)

actually its not owned by the same company as fridays. pf changs is owned by paul flemming...pf...and phillip chiang...changs. if tgi fridays were owned by the same company then, myself as a pf changs employee would get a discount at fridays, which i dont...do your research before you open your mouth.

also, everyone keeps talking about how pf changs is soo busy and soo loud. it is not our fault that the guests are idiots and will wait 3 hours to eat there. that is your fault as the consumer for waiting so damn long. its loud because 200 people try to cram in the door to get in...why, because we have good food. if the food werent any good like you all keep saying then the restaurant would be closed. instead there are over 200 pf changs in the country and not a single one has had to close yet. ive worked there for almost 3 years and only had one complaint about the food. so is it that the food is average, or you all are just being too critical? if you dont like it, dont come back...the 200 other people that wait all night to eat there will keep the business open.

quote:

Originally posted by enginecapt

quote:

Originally posted by ChiTownDiner
The hostess stand is repeatedly rude and follows the corporate chain rule of creating a wait to boost bar business and make it appear as a hot spot even though tables are open everywhere. This really irritates me!

Enough to not wait? If I saw that crap going on all they'd see of me is my dust.

tables are open everywhere because we accept reservations. you have to hold tables in order for the timing to be correct of a table leaving and a reservation being sat. if you made a reservation and then came in and the host told you that you had to wait because some dude got here before you and we didnt want to see "his dust"...you would be pissed too buddy.

t

Thanks for the insider reservation lesson there sugar booger, but it's kind of wasted on me. I wouldn't touch PF Changs with a 10 foot fork.