Lunch specials are not necessarily a thing of the past, but in this economy, many restaurants are pushing past the $10 mark for meal deals. Panda Inn in San Antonio is an exception to the rule, but there are a few stipulations to consider before dining at the local Chinese eatery.
Panda Inn is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to Google, and during those hours, the restaurant is to-go only. The rotating lunch specials, which include an entree, fried rice and an egg roll, are all under $7, with some as low as $5.90. You can call ahead or order at the counter and wait briefly in Panda Inn’s waiting area, which is equipped with a modern TV juxtaposed by wooden decor reminiscent of past decades.
I visited Panda Inn on a Tuesday, when the lunch specials were a choice between roast pork and vegetables, sweet and sour pork, moo goo gai pan, General chicken and sweet and sour chicken. At the front counter, I ordered the General chicken for $6.25 and waited about 4 minutes for it to be ready. Since it was around noon, I grabbed the to-go bag and headed back to my office to eat.
The to-go package was heavy, a sign that the low price didn’t necessarily equate to a smaller portion. After unwrapping it all back at my work desk, I took note of the mound. The General chicken was giving peppery popcorn chicken tossed in a sweet, tangy sauce, a far cry from versions I’ve had at other Chinese eateries. But altogether, it was a whole lot of food for a very low price, and I know that’s what a lot of people are looking for.
Did Panda Inn deliver the best to-go Chinese food in San Antonio? Not really, but that’s not necessarily the point of places like this. A dollar goes a long way at this local eatery, and these days, a reliable, cheap place to grab lunch is a godsend.
Find it: 2201 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, TX 78209