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P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Rating Details »
The Mall in Columbia
10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 730-5344
10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy
Columbia, MD 21044
(410) 730-5344
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
12 reviews for P.F. Chang's China Bistro
This was my first time at this location and it was okay. We were recently here for my mother's birthday so it was a large group. We went in right around the reservation time and were seated quickly. The waitress was nice and made sure we all had silverware and she took our drink orders and came back to get our food orders in a timely manner.
Some of us decided beforehand what were going to get by looking on the website to see the menu. I got the Sesame chicken which I was anticipating eating based on the menu online. I was disappointed with the amount of chicken I got for almost $13 and I understood why I was given what appeared to be half a cup of brown rice.(Look at my pix) My brother got the fried rice that was cheaper and was way more quantity than I expected. My mother did not like the Changs Spicy Chicken. My sister did not really like her Chicken Lo Mein and the rest were kinda okay with what they got.
If I go back I may get the popular lettuce wraps mentioned in many of your reviews but I can see myself going more to PeiWei which is owned and operated by P.F. Changs but is a much better representation of American Chinese cuisine and is a lot more affordable. It has been a while since I went to a Changs but I did not expect portion sizes to go down. It will take a while for me to go back to PORTION FAIL Chang's.
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Not bad... but I think our waitress was in a hurry cuz she kept zooming by and dropping stuff. But she was nice... just fast.
The food was good. We got the lettuce wraps for the appetizer. It comes with 4 lettuce, but the waitress offered to give us more if we wanted. Not necessary. Then we got an eggplant with chicken dish, a lamb dish, and a beef dish. All were very tasty, but of course, not completely authentic but what would you expect from a chain? I think my favorite out of all the dishes we got today, I'd pick the eggplant. Not too salty and goes well with white rice.
Bottom line: I think with all the other chinese restaurants in Columbia, this one can be skipped... but if you're gonna be at the mall, why not?
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Americanized Chinese food that tastes ok. The place looks really nice but the service wasn't that good. I usually get the chicken letuce wraps which are good. We got the Chengdu lamb, chicken and eggplant and pepper steak. The lamb was really good but the peppersteak tasted pretty much like the fast food stuff. The eggplant was pretty good. The food was ok but for the price, I would rather get authentic Chinese food.
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I've never had to wait here and the food is always good at any pf's. I love the wonton soup, but there is a lack of noodle selection, and I'm not crazy about changs spicy chicken.
I went to P.F. Chang's with two friends, one from Laos and one from India. Needless to say, we each had high expectations for our first time at this deceivingly upscale looking excuse for a Chinese restaurant. To be honest, for the same price, I could order the Happy Chef Special from my local takeout for about the same price, but with double the flavor and half the trumped up pseudo-Asian decor.
I ordered dim sum, and instead I got several shriveled, tragic wantons that were dry and withering away like an elderly Zen master. Maybe P.F. Chang's orders their dim sum frozen. Maybe P.F. Chang's doesn't have any Chinese customers. Like the lack in authentic Asian patrons, there will now be a lack of one Indian, one Laotian and one Jonathan H. on future occasions.
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The food is very good. Get the lettuce wraps and the Kung Pao chicken - yummmm!!!! However, there is usually a wait. And the service isn't that good. And...well, it's not super-cheap. But the food makes up for it.
If you want something cheaper, go to Pei Wei. They have virtually the same menu but at a better price.
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Similar to my experience in Columbus, the food was good and the service was pretty lackluster. The difference here is that the managers didn't step in to remedy the situation. I've frequented this establishment many times in high school, but I hadn't noticed anything wrong in the past. I'll admit, things have changed since I remembered.
I arrived for lunch to be greeted by an unenthusiastic but pretty hostess. I was quickly seated and my waiter Patrick stopped by with some friendly banter and to take my order. I ordered the Garlic Noodles and Lemon Scallops. As usual, I was dining alone, and I'm not really sure if eating by yourself constitutes poorer service, but for some reason, at the two PF Chang's locations I've been to, it has.
After taking my order, it took a while to get water, and my waiter had tor return to confirm that I wanted the scallops. When my food came, I got the scallops, but instead of garlic noodles, I got some bland side noodles. I wasn't sure if they had changed the appearance of the food, but halfway through, I realized that it was not what I ordered. On top of that, I did not have my glass of water refilled once.
By the end, I was rather frustrated. I realize that I could have complained about my food, but I figured that would take half an hour for anyone to notice that I was trying to get their attention. When I got my check, I intended to pay with credit card, but after waiting several minutes, I gave up and paid in cash and left. I will say that the food was good or at least the scallops, and it was the only redeeming aspect of my experience. I think next time I'll just get carry out.
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The food is great, the service is crap, and the wait is forever.
I want you to picture this: it's a Friday night -- Mom's birthday, and she really wants PF Chang's. So, you call PF Changs to make a reservation for 7pm. 'No worries!' they say. You won't need one. Settling on the knowledge of the person on the phone (and shoving aside your gut instinct), you don't make the reservation. You show up at 7, and there is a 60-75 minute wait.
excuse me?
Yes, they DO take dinner reservations, but for some reason, they discouraged me from making mine on what was apparently the busiest night since they had opened! When I mentioned as much, they acted like it wasn't a big deal, its just a 60-75 minute wait.
On a positive note... the food...
I've been to other PF Chang's, and seeing as its a chain, the recipies are standardized and the same from place to place, so its safe to say that the food is pretty darn good. It's Chinese food that's been modernized and is far from authentic. But it's yummy. The lettuce wraps are really kickin'. And their bar also has some nice selections -- they make an asian pear mojito! And they make it really well. Who knew! =)
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We went in for lunch and only had to wait a few minutes for our table.
We missed the lunch rush by minutes; lucky for us.
The lettuce wraps which were very tasty and the spring rolls were our choice for appetizers.
We shared the Kung Pao Chicken which was very good. The big chunks of chicken were juicy with a bit of spice.
Why three stars when the food was worth more? The service.
This seems to be common with other yelpers. What's the deal?
Umm hey waitress, I know you're standing right next to me but for some reason I still CAN'T HEAR YOU! Speak up for crying out loud!
She was somewhat lifeless. And yeah, to the lady who delivered our apps but couldn't walk six feet to the bar to give us straws that our server forgot: THANKS!!! Her response to us was, "um you need to ask your server."
Okay, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt your day and all. It's not like you're working in a restaurant or something. Sheesh!
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What a waste.
Pierre Francis Chang's is a pretty well known establishment around here. I have heard all mess of opinions on the food, good and bad. Now it's time for me to give it a try, and you know... I'm pretty happy I didn't pay for this. I had never been here before, but always wanted. Just never really fit it in... I suppose is how I could say it. We went for a business lunch. The event was actually really nice, which I think actually helped me to make this determination of the food. I wasn't soured by crap company or staff, and I wasn't getting a staff handy under the table that would make me think it was totally great either. Let me make sure this is known: This review is based entirely on the food. I'd give the staff and atmosphere a much higher review. I have read some bad stuff about the staff and packed-ness of the place, but that's not the experience I had. Both were great. But I'm not there for the staff or atmosphere, I'm there for the food. I only rate on those items if they totally blow Chang.
The food was... who cares. That's what the food was like. Professor Frank Change's food was... I mean, really, it was lame city.
It was a business thing, so there were lots of appetizers. They were all pretty good and interesting. Starts off on a good note, right? There were these crazy lettuce wraps, which I didn't get to try... but that ain't why I was there, so eff it. I do have to mention that I did want to try it, as it seems to be the first thing any of Perry Fred Chang's fans mention to me when I ask. Otherwise, I had some great dumplings and fried wontons, very yum. The appetizers were good and all, but they weren't special. In fact, I enjoyed the ones from Peking more, and those are less expensive with greater quantities.
For the main coarse, I got the Chengdu Spiced Lamb. I have a love of lamb and anything lamb like, so I hopped all over this. This was kinda no good. That's not true, it was pretty good... but it tasted more like some strange place between chicken and beef than it tasted like actual lamb. Maybe I got that feeling because the sauce was so overwhelming, that it was all I freakin' tasted! What the EFF!!! I wanted a lovely tasting lamb dish, I got a friggin' General Tso's Chicken. There was plenty of flavor, it just wasn't lamb that I was tasting. A waste of perfectly good lamb. EFF you, Post Factory Chang's. The brown rice was really good, though. My lamb was $14. It was not as good or as plentiful as the $4 - $8 feast that I would have gotten at Peking, Lucky's, or Hunan. I would have saved money driving to Bowie for that killer place down there. I really hate that.
Then came desert. We got the tiny portions, 'cause it was a business thing, and they had already spent $14+ each on everyone's main coarse, along with a small fortune on the mountains of appetizers. At this point, I was wishing I had partaken more in the appetizers. Then I actually got a spoonful of this strawberry cheesecake shooter thing in my mouth. This part makes me sad. This was really good. Super EFFing good. But I could get this anywhere. ANYWHERE!!! I don't need to go to Patricia Fernanda Chang's for this. To be fair, I wouldn't think "man, I gotta have ____ desert from that pan-Asian cuisine restaurant." anyway, but I figured this was the point when it might be saved. No dice. I guess it doesn't matter at this point, because even if it was an incredible and unique desert, the main meal was still boring and lacking the EFFing lamb taste I so desired. *Sigh*, the faux stir fry I make at home is better, and now I want Peking.
Paula Francisca Chang, you were alright, but I wouldn't take you on a second date.
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the food is good and the place is nicely decorated. it's a switch from greasy carryout chinese and the decor is nice. going with friends is tons of fun. the lettuce wraps are good and the kung pao too. however, the wait is ridiculous on a wknd which is why PFC wont get more stars from me!
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This place has the best chicken lo mein I've ever had. Actually, second best. But still, this place is wonderful. I know it's overdone and all, but the chicken lo mein is so damn good.
