P. F. Chang's is the place where Americans go when they want the nice Chinese food, the stuff that is a step above what they get at the local Chinese buffet or takeout spot. It's far from authentic Chinese food, but it's also undeniably delicious. You may just want to sample one of everything on the menu.
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00:00When it comes to Chinese-American chain restaurants, nobody beats P.F. Chang's.
00:04After all, the food is so good that you may find yourself eating too much of it.
00:08These are the P.F. Chang's dishes to order next time your craving takeout ranked worst to best.
00:14Although beautiful to look at, P.F. Chang's Mongolian beef comes in last place in our roundup.
00:18We had high hopes, especially after sampling some of the chain's other beef dishes,
00:22which were delicious. But this one lacks what made the others really shine — attention to the beef.
00:27It is a very simple dish with only two ingredients,
00:30and it originated at my mother's restaurant as a lamb dish.
00:35P.F. Chang's describes this dish as flank steak with sweet soy glaze, garlic, and green onion.
00:39While we can confirm that all of those ingredients do indeed exist in the dish,
00:43none of them were particularly well-crafted. The flank steak, which looked so appealing before
00:47biting in, ended up being an odd combination of tough and chewy. Besides just having an
00:51inconsistent texture, the lack of consistency between each piece was a bit of a letdown as
00:55well. While some bits were more cooked through, others were a tad on the fatty side.
00:59Instead of leaning into curating their beef slabs to a higher level of perfection,
01:03it seems P.F. Chang's opts to rely on the sweet soy glaze to bring the entire dish up a level.
01:07It's not a bad wager — the sweet soy sauce is amazing — but the way they absolutely
01:11douse this dish in the glaze gives them away, and it's not enough to save the entire meal.
01:16The crispy honey chicken was another dish we were eagerly anticipating.
01:19But not unlike the Mongolian beef, this dish also fell short of our expectations.
01:23First of all, when it arrived, every individual chicken bite was stuck together.
01:27We get it, it's honey chicken, so it should be sticky. But should it be that glued together?
01:31Probably not. When we slid it out of the takeout container onto the plate,
01:35the entire dish moved as one mass. Amusing? Yes. Concerning? Also yes.
01:40We picked apart the mound and grabbed a single piece of chicken. Stickiness aside,
01:43this is appetizing to look at, and the piece of chicken held promise.
01:47Unfortunately, upon biting in, it became clear that the ratio is just a little out of whack here.
01:51The fried coating makes up about 70 percent of the bite,
01:54which is at least 30 percent more than it should, even for takeout Chinese food.
01:58This might not have been as much of an issue if there wasn't a second factor at play.
02:01The honey seemingly seeped into the breading, making it more soggy and wilted than anything
02:05else. There was definitely no crisp factor, as the name would leave you to believe.
02:09Dare we say that the Chang's Spicy Chicken is just the crispy honey chicken with some spice added?
02:13Well, according to P.F. Chang's, it's not. They describe it as chicken with their signature
02:17sweet spicy chili sauce and green onion. But despite how different that description sounds
02:21from crispy honey chicken, we think the two have more in common than not. We gave Chang's Spicy
02:26Chicken points for the spice factor. The signature sweet spicy chili sauce truly is sweet and spicy
02:30all at once. That said, this dish has the same issues that the crispy honey chicken had.
02:34The sauce seeps into the breading, leaving you with a bite that is mostly soggy breading with
02:38a tiny bit of chicken encased inside. The chicken itself has nothing to write home about either.
02:42It's slightly slimy for our taste and ultimately bland. If P.F. Chang's made the chicken itself
02:47spicy instead of just focusing their efforts on seasoning the breading, maybe we would be bigger
02:51fans of this dish. But as it currently stands, it's just a less sticky, slightly spicier version
02:56of the previous chicken dish. Sesame chicken is an above-average dish at most Chinese restaurants.
03:01P.F. Chang's, however, does sesame chicken particularly well, by piling on the sesame
03:05sauce and coating every slab of chicken in juicy, thick deliciousness. Additionally,
03:09sesame seeds adorn the top of the chicken, creating a subtle added texture that makes
03:13the entire dish stand out. The pieces of chicken themselves are a better cut than
03:16in P.F. Chang's other chicken staples, like the crispy honey and the Chang's spicy.
03:20Here, they are larger and more rectangular, and every bite is a noticeably better ratio
03:24of chicken to breading. So instead of feeling like you're eating fried dough with a hint of chicken,
03:28you feel like you're getting the real meaty deal. And the chicken isn't even the best part
03:31of this delicacy. When it comes down to it, the broccoli steals the show here.
03:35Soaked in the same sesame sauce as the chicken, the broccoli has all of the flavor and none of
03:39the unhealthiness of the chicken. If we could order sesame broccoli, we would. But until someone
03:44decides to actually create that dish, ordering sesame chicken and picking out the broccoli is
03:48the next best thing. While good, P.F. Chang's sesame chicken offering ultimately doesn't rank
03:52higher because it's still just chicken. In our opinion, P.F. Chang's does a much
03:56better job with their seafood than they do with poultry. Exhibit A, the dynamite shrimp.
04:00"'Dynamite shrimp' has become one of the most popular items at P.F. Chang's."
04:04This appetizer, which could also function as a meal, presents a lot of the same issues as
04:08the crispy honey and Chang's spicy chicken. There's way too much tempura batter here,
04:12and again, the batter is not quite as crispy as we'd like it to be. The key difference,
04:16of course, is what lies beneath the batter. Where the aforementioned options revolve around
04:19the chicken, this delicacy is built around shrimp. And it turns out that makes the difference.
04:24Unlike the chicken options, this app doesn't skimp on the amount of shrimp in each piece.
04:27It's far more than the bite-sized nugget that's standard with the chicken. The juicy piece of
04:31shellfish is flavorful and thick, tasting both salty and fresh all at once, and leaving you
04:35ready to pop the next piece into your mouth. The meat is not the only upgrade that the
04:39dynamite shrimp boasts. This appetizer is tossed in a sriracha aioli, which almost
04:43automatically makes it delicious, and plated with shredded cabbage, lettuce, and carrots.
04:47The only qualm we have, beyond the shrimp's over-battered nature,
04:50is that P.F. Chang's lists this app as spicy. This made us excited about potential heat,
04:54and ultimately, we were disappointed. The dynamite shrimp is good, but not spicy.
04:59There's nothing like a solid vegetable spring roll at any restaurant, and P.F. Chang's is no
05:03exception. On P.F. Chang's menu, they're described as crispy rolls stuffed with julienned veggies
05:07and a sweet chili dipping sauce. That description just about perfectly sums up P.F. Chang's vegetable
05:11spring rolls. The rolls, unlike other misnamed menu items, are actually quite crispy. The
05:16wrapping is thin and neatly folded, although one of ours did come slightly misshapen. However,
05:20it didn't affect the taste, which, overall, was flavorful and enduring. The julienned veggies
05:24also hold their own. These rolls do have room for improvement, though. The one word that wasn't
05:28quite accurate in their description is stuffed. That adjective conjures images of a roll that's
05:33absolutely bursting with vegetables, which simply isn't the case here. Instead, they coat the bottom
05:37half of the tube, leaving a lot of space for air in every bite. To amp up their roll game,
05:41P.F. Chang's could definitely throw another handful of veggies in there. At the end of the day,
05:45though, the lack of vegetables isn't a deal-breaker. These rolls have the signature spring roll taste,
05:49and honestly, dunking them in the sweet chili sauce results in a pop of flavor that makes up
05:53for any of the potential drawbacks of the dish. As a second roll option from P.F. Chang's,
05:57the pork egg rolls are indisputably better than their vegetable spring roll competition.
06:01We weren't rooting for these, honestly. For health reasons alone, we assumed we'd favor
06:04the veggie option. However, one bite into this appetizer, and it was clear.
06:08We immediately wanted to finish the whole roll, which, when you're 15 dishes of P.F. Chang's deep,
06:13means something. The pork is dry and shredded to a point that makes it less offensive than
06:16we were imagining, and the julienned veggies pack the same flavor they did in the spring roll.
06:21Except here, there is definitely more of them. The roll as a whole is thicker,
06:24more densely packed, and as a small bonus, this duo came more neatly wrapped than the spring
06:28rolls did. Beyond plating this appetizer with rice noodles, P.F. Chang's includes a side of
06:32sweet and sour mustard sauce, which is a definite showstopper and, surprisingly,
06:36airs more on the sour side than the sweet. Taken with the semi-sweet pork and julienned vegetables,
06:40the sauce adds a powerful punch, carrying from the first bite through to the aftertaste.
06:44While both roll options are flavorful, if your diet doesn't restrict you from the pork egg rolls,
06:48we'd recommend giving them a try first. The veggie rolls will always be there for
06:51the next Chinese night. The miso-glazed salmon is hard to rank fairly because,
06:56in full transparency, we got it delivered. Not that delivery should affect taste to any notable
07:00degree, but if it ever were to, it would be in the case of a fresh fish fillet.
07:04This dish is meant to come flying out of the pan, onto a plate, and maybe even still be a
07:08little too hot by the time it gets to you. Instead, our delivery salmon came off the stove,
07:12was sealed into a plastic container, traveled 25 blocks downtown, and then up five flights of
07:16stairs — a different journey, and one that it's easy to imagine might make anyone a little less
07:20flavorful than they usually are. The delivery salmon still pulled a fairly high ranking,
07:24all things considered. It takes eighth place out of 15 dishes, which means that with this menu
07:28option, we're officially transitioning from dishes we're less crazy for to the top-ranking dishes
07:33that we're all about. The salmon tasted fresh, if a little dry. The work P.F. Chang's did to
07:37char the skin to a buttery crisp was definitely the standout factor here, and the spinach,
07:41cabbage, and garlic ginger aromatics made for a strong backdrop. Even if you're not big on
07:45mushrooms, the Asian mushrooms in this dish are well-cooked and seasoned to a point where they're
07:48hardly objectionable. Overall, we'd recommend the salmon, especially if you live closer to a P.F.
07:53Chang's.
07:54Brussels sprouts are almost difficult to rank, for a simple reason. Having Brussels sprouts is
07:58legitimately always better than not having them. Even if they aren't the most memorable sprouts
08:02you've ever had, you still have the privilege of enjoying one of nature's greatest creations.
08:06Small, round, bite-sized vegetables — there's nothing more convenient,
08:09healthy, or fun to eat than that. With that caveat explained,
08:12we will say that P.F. Chang's Kung Pao Brussels sprouts aren't the most delicious we've ever had.
08:16On the menu, P.F. Chang's describes them as wok-charred Brussels sprouts, with peanuts,
08:20chili pods, and Kung Pao sauce. Maybe it was just a case of too much Kung Pao sauce,
08:24but these sprouts did not have a charred texture. In fact, each individual leaf was
08:28practically dripping, and the dish as a whole was mush with peanuts and chili pods sprinkled in.
08:32The peanuts were an interesting touch, but the chili pods were bizarrely tough to bite into,
08:36and we're not sure how much flavor they actually contributed to the appetizer.
08:39Usually, you can convince yourself you're doing something healthy by opting for Brussels sprouts
08:43over another appetizer. In this case, the sheer amount of sweet sauce makes it less feasible to
08:47do so. However, these are still sprouts, so order away! If we were giving superlatives to these
08:52rankings, the beef with broccoli would take most unexpected. As rare consumers of red meat due to
08:57flavor and texture alone, we did not have high hopes for P.F. Chang's classic dish. The beef,
09:01by all accounts, shouldn't taste that different than the lowest-ranking Mongolian beef.
09:04Both are flank steaks, and although P.F. Chang's menu doesn't specify,
09:08it looks like the beef with broccoli is slathered in the same sweet soy glaze as
09:11its Mongolian cousin. But for some reason, these beef dishes could not taste more different.
09:15Perhaps it was the addition of ginger garlic aromatics in this one that did the trick,
09:18or maybe the green onion. Either way, we couldn't get enough of this meal.
09:22We ended up eating more steak than we expected to, and powered straight through all of the broccoli,
09:26which was doused in sauce. There's nothing like fresh steamed veggies smothered in a
09:29sweet-tasting soy sauce that retains a slightly beefy flavor.
09:33The beef with broccoli was an unexpected favorite, but the Chang's chicken lettuce
09:36wraps were a completely expected favorite. First of all, it can be made to be gluten-free,
09:40which is an added bonus when you're loading up on Chinese food. Second,
09:43it is clearly fresh, and unlike other dishes, you know exactly what you're getting. The lettuce is
09:48buttery and surprisingly sturdy enough to effectively wrap the chicken rice noodles
09:51and sauce all in one bundle. The chicken is also incredible, and we will never know how
09:55to replicate it because, as P.F. Chang states on their menu, it's a secret.
09:59Actually, what they say exactly is,
10:01"...a secret family recipe in our signature dish."
10:03Enough said. Talk about a confident glow.
10:06While the crispy green beans only come in fourth overall in this rating,
10:09which were basing on a healthy mix of look, taste, and nutritional value,
10:12they're absolutely number one when it comes to the most addicting dish you can get at P.F. Chang's.
10:16We downed these in about three minutes flat, which, as you can imagine,
10:19made for a rough rest of the taste test. In true fried food fashion,
10:22the crispy green beans are just as incredible going down as they are terrible to digest.
10:26These fall in the same realm as the Kung Pao Brussels sprouts,
10:29a vegetable that probably has lost most of its healthiness by the time it's served.
10:32Even still, it's one that you can easily convince yourself isn't that bad.
10:35It's a vegetable, after all. It has to be at least a little bit good for you.
10:39These incredible, truly crispy fried wonders are tempura battered and come with not one,
10:43but two sides of P.F. Chang's signature spicy dipping sauce. We found the most
10:46delectable way to inhale these was to practically soak them in the sauce before biting. You'll know
10:50you're doing it right if, like us, you had about a quarter of a plate of green beans left with two
10:54scraped clean sauce containers. P.F. Chang's second option for green beans, the chili garlic green
10:59beans, does not evoke quite as much passion. Were they good? Yes. Were they better than the fried
11:04green beans? Debatable. However, when it comes to health and factoring in how each dish made
11:08us feel after eating, these green beans edged out the competition. Made with fiery red chili sauce,
11:12fresh garlic, and Szechuan preserves, these green beans are another P.F. Chang's menu
11:16item with the fire symbol next to them that ended up not actually being all that hot.
11:20In this case, though, the lack of spiciness worked for them. They are great and somewhat
11:23light-tasting on their own, but also versatile enough to mix into any other dish you might have
11:27tacked onto the order. These green beans are absolutely drenched in the chili sauce,
11:31which is thicker than we had expected and makes us question how much healthier than
11:34the crispy green beans these could actually be. But then we caught sight of our empty secret sauce
11:38containers and felt assured. These green beans are definitely the more nutritious and overall
11:42less regrettable option. The level of mastery and innovation P.F. Chang's brings to its hand-folded
11:47crab wontons is staggering.
11:48Those wontons are too big, my friend.
11:51From the crispy shell that you can tell is freshly baked to the crab filling,
11:54which the menu describes as creamy, to the spicy plum sauce, there's nothing not to
11:57love about this plate. The crab wontons dish is yet another instance of P.F. Chang's seafood
12:02really shining, as the meat in these delicacies was fresh and perfectly shredded, despite being
12:06mixed with cream. The bottom part of the wonton is completely full, and something about the phrase
12:10hand-folded just makes these seem superior. If you're going to order one appetizer and one
12:14appetizer only for your Chinese food night, we highly recommend considering the hand-folded
12:18crab wontons.
12:19Finally, we have the ultimate dish to be beat — shrimp dumplings. This appetizer was the
12:24most authentic tasting of anything on the P.F. Chang's menu. When ordering, you're given a
12:28choice — pan-fried or steamed. We opted for steamed, thinking it may provide a much-needed
12:32reprieve from the copious amounts of other fried dishes on the menu, and we were right.
12:36Not only was it a refreshing change of pace while tasting, but the steamed nature of the
12:39shrimp dumplings ultimately placed them permanently in a league above the rest of
12:43the dishes we had delivered. Beneath the sticky, soft dough, the shrimp dumplings were truly
12:47stuffed with their namesake meat. The shrimp was just as fresh, flavorful, and delicious as it
12:51was in the dynamite shrimp option. However, without the fried factor to detract, the shrimp tastes
12:55truly own the whole flavor profile. These pair nicely with the semi-spicy sauce that they're
12:59served with, but are also just as good without. Although it was a tight race for first between
13:03the hand-folded crab wontons and the shrimp dumplings, we felt lighter and less sluggish
13:07after finishing the latter. That, plus their pure and bold shrimp flavor, ultimately put the dumplings
13:11ahead.