The Bottom Line
PF Chang's is not what you might think of when 'Chinese food' comes to mind. There are no pre-prepared sauces from a distributor, no canned carrot or pea pieces added to your food, no packets of duck sauce and mustard, no lunch combos with egg roll. These restaurants prepare fresh and very tasty food. My car has a hard time driving PF Chang's without stopping. I love this place.
Pros
- The lettuce wraps at PF Chang's are the best.
- I love the ability to fix up your own dipping sauce so I can make it spicy!
Cons
- Very popular means crowded.
Description
- The environment at PF Chang's is casual but not sloppy or cheap. Chairs and booths are comfortable.
- PF Chang's is suitable for casual meals, date night office get-togethers or special celebrations.
- These restaurants are almost always noisy, and there are lots of staffers always scurrying around.
- For dessert, try Banana Spring Rolls served with coconut ice cream, berries and light caramel sauce.
- PF Chang's has locations in Chandler, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale and Tempe.
- Although it is a national chain, PF Chang's was started here in Scottsdale in 1993.
- There are four PF Chang's locations in the Phoenix area: Chandler, Tempe, and two in Scottsdale.
Guide Review - PF Chang's China Bistro
On this trip to PF Chang's my three companions and I ordered pan fried Peking Dumplings, and Chang's Chicken in Soothing Lettuce Wraps, which is pretty much their signature dish. It is so popular that I have noticed other local Asian restaurants copying the concept. The Lettuce Wraps are large enough for two people to share, although most people have a hard time getting me to let go of mine! For our entrees we had Garlic Noodles, Chang's Spicy Chicken, Almond and Cashew Chicken, and Singapore Street Noodles with Shrimp and Chicken. All were very good. The staff at PF Chang's was very interested in hearing our opinion about a new dish, and we had some recommendations. They immediately brought the chef out to speak to us, and offered us another dish if we didn't like it. We explained that it wasn't that we didn't enjoy it, but that we expected something a bit different from the description on the menu. They were very gracious about our comments, and seemed genuinely interested in gathering opinions about the new dish.
As always happens when I go to PF Chang's, I ordered more food than I could eat, so I'll be enjoying it for lunch again tomorrow. I have been known to take so much home that a shopping bag was required!
In 2010 PF Chang's introduced Triple Happiness, happy hour everyday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It's a special menu of Drinks, Dim Sum and Street Fare. While I was sorry to see Dynamite Shrimp leave the happy hour menu, there are more choices now. My favorite drinks? Sake, Chiness 88 martini, Organic Agave Margarita and the Chang's Mai Tai. My favorite happy hour food items? Shrimp and Pork Steamed Dumplings, Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps (naturally), Shanghai Street Dumplings, Beef Street Tacos and the Egg Rolls.
