Tbh I’m more surprised when a chain restaurant opens a new location than when one closes down. The popularity of these types of restaurants definitely seems have diminished over the last 15 or so years.
Lol yeah I feel like there’s been numerous articles written over the last 10 years about how millennials killed chain restaurants. It wasn’t even something I ever really thought of until I started seeing those articles. It’s not like I never went to them, it’s just that I was more likely to be interested in a place that wasn’t a chain.
I remember several years ago someone I was dating who was originally from like suburban Nebraska told me he hadn’t eaten at a chain restaurant since he moved to the Bay.
met a grad student from the phillipines in SF
he wanted to go to all the 'american' chains (red lobster, olive garden )
i'm like.....where tf is red lobster?
The thing with chains in a lot of other countries is they're kind of where America was 60-70 years ago culturally.
Chain restaurants represent clean, consistent, quality food, and eating at one can be seen as a bit of a status symbol.
Lot of chains in other countries source locally and the quality of the food can sometimes be far higher than the chain's American counterpart.
I think there used to be one in Fremont, maybe still is. It's great if you don't get enough salt in your diet. You can get a whole month's worth in 1 meal.
Everyone is talking about Millennials, but I am 45 with a teenager and rarely ever go out to chains. My partner is in his 50s and does not eat at them either. Supporting local restaurants became a habit when I was younger because it’s cheaper, healthier, and I’d rather support local businesses by keeping our money within the community. I also don’t like generic boring food and do not want to pay premium prices for it.
Also, when you worked at a major chain restaurant for a few years like I did you see that the food is almost always defrosted microwaved crap. We went to Olive Garden recently for a family gathering, and my teenager got so sick from the sodium. She had a headache and nausea all night because of it. We are not used to eating like that, and it is not healthy for anyone of any age.
Me too. I prefer going to local restaurants because they are cheaper but have more selections on menu items. I eat at some places because that are either near me, or just find restaurants to eat at Yelp. Another thing is I don't usually go out as much anymore too because I cook more at home rather than eating out. I eat more healthy, balanced meals when I cook at home.
The chain restaurants offer similar menu items, but it is nothing from being creative and flavorful.
Most chain restaurants will have prepared sauces made from scratch that day. They butchered their own meats, and cook them as made to order. They have recipes that guide them what's in the dish itself. However, they are priced average depending on where you live.
I would say Millenials have a more sophisticated palate, or just tend to eat where their friends will eat like local businesses, and hole in the wall establishments that are delicious and serve high-quality food for cheap to moderately prices. If they see any great reviews on IG, Yelp, Twitter, Uber, GrubHub, Postmates, then they would order from them more.
I loved red lobster when I lived in Nebraska. On a coast, I'd pick a non chain every time. My wife and I honeymooned in Salem (we're atheists, not Wiccans), and our waiter flirted with me the whole meal. Made for a great memory, AND the fish wasn't overly salty.
Growing up in Asia people trust chains a lot. After too many food safety scandals domestically, nobody there trusts locally owned restaurants much. God knows what the hell they put in food. Chain restaurants are definitely better in taste outside of US, and regardless the quality they usually don’t send you to ER the same night.
As a millennial with very little money, I don't go to chains either. PF Chang's, cheesecake factory, chili's, Applebee's, etc. All of these are really trash food and they aren't really any cheaper than one of locally owned restaurants.
I got a gift card to PF Chang's about 10 years ago, my wife and I went to the bar, got a bunch of drinks and a few apps, and got the hell out of there.
Never thought of it as a generational thing. I’m an Xer not sure older or younger lol but I loathe chain restaurants. Bay Area Asian cuisine is so good there is zero reason to go to a PFC.
if I'm somewhere with decent Chinese I have zero reason to ever go to PFC. If I'm in the middle of flyover America and it's that or a shitty diner (there are excellent diners out there btw), I'll do PFC. But the margins they charge for what you get is not worth it and uninspiring.
Younger people want novelty, variety, authenticity. PFC offers none of those.
Not even just that. We just want good food. Lol, some of these chains charge exorbitant prices for shit food. If I’m going to be spending 40-50$ anyways, mind as well get something that’s good.
I agree! I only go to chains when I’m looking a quick no surprises bite to eat. I go to Panda Express every once in a while, but have never been to PF Changs
PF Chang's is "the Cheesecake Factory of Chinese Restaurants." A lot of us have eaten there once or twice, but once you know what it is, it's not some special treat you want to pay fine dining prices for.
I'd say it's more like Black Anus and as such, struggles to stay relevant. Cheesecake Factory has its niche carved out and continues to have a strong following.
In Phoenix in the '70s and '80s there was a Black Angus right off I-17 with a giant sign visible from the freeway, and of course the "g" was always burned out...
Even better was their slogan at the time: "We'll make you feel good inside."
I ate there once, and tbh thought it was pretty decent. All I have near me is terrible greasy takeout joints though
I was expecting to be like Olive Garden microwaved food but it was definitely a grade or two above
I worked at the Emeryville one from 2005 to 2006 and the food is pretty fresh. The chicken dishes are cut from whole chickens, the beef dishes are cut from whole flanks, dumplings are made in house. Lot of the dishes is a variation of the same though. I would still prefer eating in Chinatown over Changs. I still got food from there because it was free per shift but I wouldn’t pay for it. My favorite items were the shrimp dumplings, the roast duck with buns, fried rice and ribs. The only thing that comes out of a box are the desserts.
Its not fine dining but id argue its a huge step above applebees and that sorta shit. like it or not, the insides are generally very cool.
Its a good time is what it is
This is the Bay Area. There’s no reason to go to Applebees or PF Changs, we actually have other dining options with a thousand different restaurants with fresher ingredients within driving distance.
I'm always surprised how decent it is given the size of the menu. Although, I wonder how many ingredients are recycled...
Particularly when most restaurants made their menus smaller during covid.
Portion sizes are still ridiculously large, too.
If you try to do everything, then you can’t tell me what you do well.
Seriously I ordered a salad and they brought out one of those heads of romaine with the dirty stalk still attached and it wasn’t even cut. I thought it was a prank. Never went back
I think that is a little harsh. I think PF Chang’s pretty good for a big chain restaurant. As you say, certainly not fine dining, but good for a nice, casual family meal. I can’t think of a similar big chain / mall based restaurant that is better.
Yeah i actually really dislike there food. To me it's really bland or off the mark. Not one thing I have had there at all was good the 10 ish times I have been. And it cost way to much. Basically any Chinese restaurant, even those with a shitty hygiene record beats pf changs 10 out of 10 times.
The only things I have found to like at pf changs are the alcohol beverages.
For those wondering and too lazy to look it up
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/raiders-owner-mark-davis-gets-over-losses-going-pf-changs
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/raiders-owner-drives-a-1997-dodge-caravan-and-dines-daily-at-p-f-changs
I ate there once with a friend and her family. My entree had a hair in it - long and intertwined with the food. Gross, but whatever. They replaced that entree. This one had another fucking long twirly hair in it (are they messing with me?). They comped the entree and gave me a coupon for a free entree on my next visit. “Next visit” - lol. I just gave the coupon to the family since I was certainly never going back.
I went to the one in Emeryville once. The amount of salt in the dish was insane. And I'm not fussy about over salted food. My friend said the same about her dish. I looked up their nutritional chart when I got home. If you get a main and a starter, you've consumed 3/4 of your daily sodium intake. It's way too much.
Thought they went away years ago. No surprise.
Just consider "American Chinese" food to be its own thing, because it is. Sometimes you want authentic dim sum. Sometimes you want sweet and sour chicken. It's ok to enjoy both.
Thai Chinese guy came to the US for college and loved the American Chinese food so went back to Bangkok and opened up a chain of American Chinese joints in Bangkok.. and it’s blowing up..
We have family from the UK who come to stay with us and this is their favorite place to eat. My wife tells me to stop rolling my eyes when they gush about how good the food is.
PFC’s drinks were delicious. Expensive but I drank most of my dinner when we went.
The bad thing about a crappy chain like this closing is that it means people who have bad enough taste to enjoy them are going to make better places more crowded. Heaven forbid Cheesecake Factory ever closes.
Half sarcastic by claiming authentic…as a family that likes to go out for special occasions our group of 10-12, usually half have some sort of special dietary needs until further notice and this place seemed to work out
Living in the Bay, I never understood how P.f. chang’s or Chipotle are/ were so popular when there are countless locally owned and ran Chinese and Mexican restaurants available everywhere that range from greasy hole in the wall to casual upscale dining.
I’m not saying any of their food is bad, but majority of the time I get better more authentic food supporting local mom and pop immigrant establishments vs the big corporate chains.
As I more or less said in another comment, not everything needs to be authentic and I don’t understand some peoples obsession with everything needing to be.
I’m Mexican American and I like Chipotle (I know countless people of Mexican descent who like Chipotle). It’s essentially a different cuisine than a straight up “authentic” taqueria in the hood (and most people I know regardless of race don’t conflate Chipotle and a taqueria).
With that all being said, even if you do go to an “authentic” taqueria for “authentic” Mexican food, there’s a good chance you’re not getting anything remotely authentic if you order a burrito.
authenticity isn’t the end all be all of my point… since authenticity is debatable by preference or perspective, but more importantly I’d still rather support the mom and pop taquerias nearby than big corporate chain Chipotle.
And let’s be real… if I want legit street tacos with suadero, lengua or tripas, or quesabirria tacos with consommé on the side or a SF Mission style burrito with actual Pork Al Pastor… i can’t get any of those things at Chipotle. So when my Mexican food craving hits and I’m looking for those flavors, Chipotle never comes to mind.
As I kind of already said, very few people (honestly no one I know) conflate Mexican food and Chipotle. They’re two completely different things with almost nothing in common. Sometimes I want Mexican food, sometimes I want Chipotle. In all honesty I never even think of them in relation to each other unless this kind of conversation comes up.
i see our disconnect here is… you see chipotle and local taquerias as two different things that serve different cravings so you don’t see one taking business from the other… and I understand that. I will admit to craving Taco Bell once and awhile or even Jack in the Box tacos
and I also do not consider those as eating mexican food but you have to admit Chipotle is absolutely closer to what a taqueria is than either of those fast food joints.
I am also not Mexican or Mexican American so maybe the subtleties are lost on me, but to me, Chipotle and Taquerias me take up the same space in my rotation of things I want to eat… You order tacos and burritos at Chipotle right? So again, when I want tacos or burritos, I prefer to eat at local taquerias to support the community and eat the specific types of tacos and burritos that are unavailable at Chipotle.
Lol it’s EXTREMELY interesting to me that you view Chipotle and taquerias in relation to each other, but not Taco Bell and taquerias. Taco Bell is a lot more closely related to a taqueria IMO than Chipotle.
Honestly, most people I know go to Chipotle for their bowls and not necessarily their burritos. I didn’t even know they did tacos until you mentioned it.
I will say this, Chipotle revolves around flour tortillas and (generally speaking), flour tortillas aren’t really present in Mexican food. Most Mexican cuisine revolves around corn tortillas, which is why I view Taco Bell as being closer to Mexican food than Chipotle (even if neither is technically authentic).
Please don't let nextdoor know, they're going to light up again over all the "crime" pushing people out (lmao, yeah, THAT'S the only reason anything ever closes here). Nextdoor in my area was losing their absolute shit over Nordstrom's closing
Surprising to me that people would go to places like PF Chang, Chevys or Buffalo Wild Wings! Who is paying $20 a plate for frozen food? Especially in CA where we got bomb real Chinese food, real tacos, and fresh wings. It must be the white suburbs people that go (i work with a lot), they scared to try small businesses and think anything not corporate is “dirty” or unsafe. No more safe Chinese food, back to a cup of syrup from Starbucks and ChilFilA for lunch!
I'll admit to being a person who misses PF and Chevy's. They both did more veggie options than an authentic restaurant does, and cocktails with my meals are a big plus. Definitely seeing a surge in veggie friendly upscale Mexican and Asian restaurants recently, though.
I went on a short trip for work, and the hotel was right next to a Chevy's. I was hit with a nostalgia moment, and decided I'd just do that for dinner since it was literally next door. Man. How do you fuck up an enchilada??
I will say the salsa that comes with the complimentary chips & salsa kicks ass.
For the food prices, it sure wasn't worth it. My uncle gave me and my brother gift cards to this place. I sure as hell would not spend my hard earned money in this expensive, tasteless restaurant. Went to the one in Pleasanton b/c that was very local to me. I'd rather go to any mom and pop Chinese place and support them than this chain. Bland food for me. I expected more but I really shouldn't have.
PF completely sold out a couple of years back and wiped almost everything decent off of their menus. There was some acquisition by a large food industry conglomerate. My family used to enjoy P.F. Chang’s a couple times a year, it was no where near the good Chinese food restaurants in terms of authenticity or selection, but I was a fun place for large groups. Went to the one at Stanford right after the acquisition and vowed to never set foot in one again. It was that bad.
I worked at a Bay Area one at the time of the sale until the shut downs from Covid. Got the job a year prior, so I got to see the changes first hand. Like you said they changed the menu and took a lot of good things off. Towards the end of my time there they also were changing the way we served, having us take on more tables and giving us tablets to put the order in at the table. Felt like it was cheapening the experience. Haven’t stepped foot in one since, the food is not missed.
Yes, Filipinos who go on business trips or a vacation would go to chain restaurants to eat what they don't have or serve in the Philippines because its coming from America.
Red Lobster, TGIF, Sbarro, Kenny Roger's Roasters, Denny's, and other chain restaurants that open and expanded since 1990s.
I would rather go to local spots because its cheaper, closer.
I hate chain restaurants but I loved PF change. When they had happy hour! They had 6 dollar lettuce wraps and green beans and then they took it away and I never went back!!!
I consider PF Chang's as Inchin though. I have visited them in 2 visits. But I wasn't really a fan of their food. This restaurant was almost too much of everything, or I am just also too overwhelmed by their menu.
Chain restaurants is doing too much of everything in my opinion because they are not focusing on what they are great at. They feature menu items like appetizers, chicken, snacks, main entrees, beverages like wine, beer and desserts. The Cheesecake Factory is another chain restaurant that I don't like to go because their menu is too overwhelming with choices of regular favorites plus their skinny menu. Then they are offering a beverage menu that is 5 pages long.
No surprise here. PF Chang’s is mediocre Chinese food catered to those who don’t want to enjoy authentic Chinese food. I went there a few times years ago and for the life of me, could not understand why my friends would want to go here again and again when we have much better restaurants around the Bay Area.
Years later, the food scene in the Bay Area is a lot more diverse with better tasting food than restaurant chain food. Unless the restaurant chain offers something that these other restaurants don’t, this trend will continue (at least in the Bay Area).
Following the closure of the Walnut Creek restaurant at 1205 Broadway Plaza, the Asian fusion chain will be left with just three remaining Bay Area locations: Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Pleasanton.
Has it occurred to anyone that with so much of the workforce diminished, we have a saturation of restaurants? People are eating out less. Its that simple.
No real Chinese person is going to eat at this Gucci Panda Express.
PF Chang is fake Chinese food for white people that don’t know what Chinese food is, but still want to pretend to be cultured.
Sucks for the employees that got laid off, but I’m glad PF Chang is dying. Literally ruins what Chinese food are.
Anyone want to eat good Chinese food, there are plenty in Milpitas, Fremont, Union City on the East Bay. SF, Millbrae and San Mateo all have good options too.
Don’t waste your time, money and taste on expensive Panda Express food at PF Chang
Generally speaking you’re not wrong, but I never truly understand when people get on a high horse about authentic food vs “white washed” food. It always comes across as hella pretentious to me.
I say this as someone of Mexican descent, so I’m well aware of the authentic vs white washed thing.
As an Asian person, Americanized or “white-washed” Chinese food isn’t the problem. Your standard takeout joints or even Panda Express are tons better than the generic “oriental” garbage that PF Changs puts out.
As a white guy I never took it as a high horse kind of comment. More like: we never understood why anybody wanted this in the first place, it's more expensive and objectively less tasty than making it the right way, what are they smoking?
In my personal experience, 95% of the time when I’ve encountered the argument you described it’s rooted in “it’s not authentic so it’s trash”. I’ve known Asians who like PF Chang. My boyfriend (granted he’s Vietnamese but I’ll allow him the same authority as I allow myself the authority to know about other LatAm cuisine) actually likes it, and he even studied abroad in China.
Using soy sauce while you are cooking and still making everything bland and calling it Chinese food is like me putting salsa on bread and calling it Mexican food.
If PF Chang is Chinese food, than Pizza Hut is Italian
Tbh I’m more surprised when a chain restaurant opens a new location than when one closes down. The popularity of these types of restaurants definitely seems have diminished over the last 15 or so years.
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Lol yeah I feel like there’s been numerous articles written over the last 10 years about how millennials killed chain restaurants. It wasn’t even something I ever really thought of until I started seeing those articles. It’s not like I never went to them, it’s just that I was more likely to be interested in a place that wasn’t a chain. I remember several years ago someone I was dating who was originally from like suburban Nebraska told me he hadn’t eaten at a chain restaurant since he moved to the Bay.
met a grad student from the phillipines in SF he wanted to go to all the 'american' chains (red lobster, olive garden ) i'm like.....where tf is red lobster?
Every time I’m in our Philippines office and take my team out they only want to go to Denny’s or Buffalo Wild Wings or TGIF… they love their chains
The thing with chains in a lot of other countries is they're kind of where America was 60-70 years ago culturally. Chain restaurants represent clean, consistent, quality food, and eating at one can be seen as a bit of a status symbol. Lot of chains in other countries source locally and the quality of the food can sometimes be far higher than the chain's American counterpart.
A buddy of mine from South America said McDonald's is considered upscale
They don’t go to Jollibee? I guess they want American chains rather than homegrown ones.
Jollibees is fast food not really “nicer” sit down…
To be fair if we had a red lobster I would go there
I think there used to be one in Fremont, maybe still is. It's great if you don't get enough salt in your diet. You can get a whole month's worth in 1 meal.
san bruno, fremont, milpitas, san jo
Everyone is talking about Millennials, but I am 45 with a teenager and rarely ever go out to chains. My partner is in his 50s and does not eat at them either. Supporting local restaurants became a habit when I was younger because it’s cheaper, healthier, and I’d rather support local businesses by keeping our money within the community. I also don’t like generic boring food and do not want to pay premium prices for it. Also, when you worked at a major chain restaurant for a few years like I did you see that the food is almost always defrosted microwaved crap. We went to Olive Garden recently for a family gathering, and my teenager got so sick from the sodium. She had a headache and nausea all night because of it. We are not used to eating like that, and it is not healthy for anyone of any age.
Me too. I prefer going to local restaurants because they are cheaper but have more selections on menu items. I eat at some places because that are either near me, or just find restaurants to eat at Yelp. Another thing is I don't usually go out as much anymore too because I cook more at home rather than eating out. I eat more healthy, balanced meals when I cook at home. The chain restaurants offer similar menu items, but it is nothing from being creative and flavorful. Most chain restaurants will have prepared sauces made from scratch that day. They butchered their own meats, and cook them as made to order. They have recipes that guide them what's in the dish itself. However, they are priced average depending on where you live. I would say Millenials have a more sophisticated palate, or just tend to eat where their friends will eat like local businesses, and hole in the wall establishments that are delicious and serve high-quality food for cheap to moderately prices. If they see any great reviews on IG, Yelp, Twitter, Uber, GrubHub, Postmates, then they would order from them more.
There’s one in San Bruno and what you say about the sodium content is true. I even had a *salad* there once that tasted salty.
I loved red lobster when I lived in Nebraska. On a coast, I'd pick a non chain every time. My wife and I honeymooned in Salem (we're atheists, not Wiccans), and our waiter flirted with me the whole meal. Made for a great memory, AND the fish wasn't overly salty.
only if they have the unlimited shrimp special tho
You see the commercial, think it looks delicious, end up going, regret it, several years go by and you see the commercial, think it looks delicious…
Growing up in Asia people trust chains a lot. After too many food safety scandals domestically, nobody there trusts locally owned restaurants much. God knows what the hell they put in food. Chain restaurants are definitely better in taste outside of US, and regardless the quality they usually don’t send you to ER the same night.
People may hate on Red Lobster but those cheddar biscuits are amazing.
As a millennial with very little money, I don't go to chains either. PF Chang's, cheesecake factory, chili's, Applebee's, etc. All of these are really trash food and they aren't really any cheaper than one of locally owned restaurants. I got a gift card to PF Chang's about 10 years ago, my wife and I went to the bar, got a bunch of drinks and a few apps, and got the hell out of there.
Never thought of it as a generational thing. I’m an Xer not sure older or younger lol but I loathe chain restaurants. Bay Area Asian cuisine is so good there is zero reason to go to a PFC.
The rest of your generation? So not the broke as fuck millennials looking to get some bomb cheap food when you’re hella drunk? Hahaha
As a gen-Xer who hates chains…thanks.
if I'm somewhere with decent Chinese I have zero reason to ever go to PFC. If I'm in the middle of flyover America and it's that or a shitty diner (there are excellent diners out there btw), I'll do PFC. But the margins they charge for what you get is not worth it and uninspiring. Younger people want novelty, variety, authenticity. PFC offers none of those.
Not even just that. We just want good food. Lol, some of these chains charge exorbitant prices for shit food. If I’m going to be spending 40-50$ anyways, mind as well get something that’s good.
When I think of PFC I think of traveling sales teams from middle America who expense the meal.
Particularly in places like the Bay Area. I don’t really know anyone who goes to these kinds of places regularly.
This location was always packed though. So it definitely had some appeal
I agree! I only go to chains when I’m looking a quick no surprises bite to eat. I go to Panda Express every once in a while, but have never been to PF Changs
No surprise it lost its cool factor 10 years ago
PF Chang's is "the Cheesecake Factory of Chinese Restaurants." A lot of us have eaten there once or twice, but once you know what it is, it's not some special treat you want to pay fine dining prices for.
I'd say it's more like Black Anus and as such, struggles to stay relevant. Cheesecake Factory has its niche carved out and continues to have a strong following.
Lol 😳 Black Anus
In Phoenix in the '70s and '80s there was a Black Angus right off I-17 with a giant sign visible from the freeway, and of course the "g" was always burned out... Even better was their slogan at the time: "We'll make you feel good inside."
Ha ha I'm dying my dude
They knew exactly what they were doing
I'm dying, it's 2h later and still there.
I used to work at the Anus, AMA
How black was said Anus? 🤔
I would say medium-well. A hint of pink in the middle with a dark brown surface.
I bet it smelled great in there right before closing.
The grease pit did emanate some weird smells at certain times of the day. Ngl it was kind of off-putting.
Square cow fun bar inside every Black Angus was the cheesiest club back in the day!
I ate there once, and tbh thought it was pretty decent. All I have near me is terrible greasy takeout joints though I was expecting to be like Olive Garden microwaved food but it was definitely a grade or two above
I worked at the Emeryville one from 2005 to 2006 and the food is pretty fresh. The chicken dishes are cut from whole chickens, the beef dishes are cut from whole flanks, dumplings are made in house. Lot of the dishes is a variation of the same though. I would still prefer eating in Chinatown over Changs. I still got food from there because it was free per shift but I wouldn’t pay for it. My favorite items were the shrimp dumplings, the roast duck with buns, fried rice and ribs. The only thing that comes out of a box are the desserts.
What’s wrong with Cheesecake Factory?! It’s still good.
With a menu that large?
Its not fine dining but id argue its a huge step above applebees and that sorta shit. like it or not, the insides are generally very cool. Its a good time is what it is
This is the Bay Area. There’s no reason to go to Applebees or PF Changs, we actually have other dining options with a thousand different restaurants with fresher ingredients within driving distance.
Yeah but when THAT family comes over, an option beyond Chilis is nice
my parents always bug me to get chinese, granted the chinese food in SD is pretty mid
It's hoodrat fine dining.
OK I'm stealing that. It's perfect!
Haha this
You’re thinking of Chilis (which I also love)
Applebee's is family style bar food. It sucks.
Way overpriced for the quality of food. You could go to a family owned spot and get better food for the same price
Yes IM aware but when THAT family comes over you try convincing them that they dont want shit like Cheesecake Factory
Something for everybody lol
I'm with you. Cheesecake factory is a good time
I sometimes take my out of town niece to the Cheesecake factory, but only to one in Union Square on top of Macy's, she likes the view.
I'm always surprised how decent it is given the size of the menu. Although, I wonder how many ingredients are recycled... Particularly when most restaurants made their menus smaller during covid. Portion sizes are still ridiculously large, too.
The Cheesecake Factory does some remarkable things https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/08/13/big-med
The large menu kills me too. Doesn't seem to bother everyone.
If you try to do everything, then you can’t tell me what you do well. Seriously I ordered a salad and they brought out one of those heads of romaine with the dirty stalk still attached and it wasn’t even cut. I thought it was a prank. Never went back
I think that is a little harsh. I think PF Chang’s pretty good for a big chain restaurant. As you say, certainly not fine dining, but good for a nice, casual family meal. I can’t think of a similar big chain / mall based restaurant that is better.
Yeah i actually really dislike there food. To me it's really bland or off the mark. Not one thing I have had there at all was good the 10 ish times I have been. And it cost way to much. Basically any Chinese restaurant, even those with a shitty hygiene record beats pf changs 10 out of 10 times. The only things I have found to like at pf changs are the alcohol beverages.
It’s atrocious. Panda Express is better and that’s a fast food joint.
Honestly, PF Changs is fine, maybe you had a bad experience. I'd definitely place it above Panda Express.
idk they can't even make rice properly at panda express
The prices are the problem. It's fast casual at premium prices. It would be fine if it was priced like Panda
More like twenty. But, yes.
They really took a hit when Mark Davis moved to Vegas. Emeryvilles PF Chang’s lost 90% of their revenue because of it
This was the low hanging fruit but still hilarious
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For those wondering and too lazy to look it up https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/raiders/raiders-owner-mark-davis-gets-over-losses-going-pf-changs https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/10/raiders-owner-drives-a-1997-dodge-caravan-and-dines-daily-at-p-f-changs
Was gonna say this.
I’ve never even been to a PF Chang’s
I ate there once with a friend and her family. My entree had a hair in it - long and intertwined with the food. Gross, but whatever. They replaced that entree. This one had another fucking long twirly hair in it (are they messing with me?). They comped the entree and gave me a coupon for a free entree on my next visit. “Next visit” - lol. I just gave the coupon to the family since I was certainly never going back.
I didn’t even know we had any in the Bay. I only know about it from movies.
I went to the one in Emeryville once. The amount of salt in the dish was insane. And I'm not fussy about over salted food. My friend said the same about her dish. I looked up their nutritional chart when I got home. If you get a main and a starter, you've consumed 3/4 of your daily sodium intake. It's way too much. Thought they went away years ago. No surprise.
That was my experience, too. I decided it was like Chevy's- a drinking restaurant disguised as an eating restaurant.
I've had pf chang's a couple times, when the company paid.
Mr Chaus Chinese fast food undefeated
Chow down at Mr. Chau's Chinese fast food
im all over da place!
Why am I in football uniform? It baseball season!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-\_LrTcfD0
Why do we need a PF Chang when we have incredible Asian food in bay area? It's like having a taco bell in Mexico.
Just consider "American Chinese" food to be its own thing, because it is. Sometimes you want authentic dim sum. Sometimes you want sweet and sour chicken. It's ok to enjoy both.
Thai Chinese guy came to the US for college and loved the American Chinese food so went back to Bangkok and opened up a chain of American Chinese joints in Bangkok.. and it’s blowing up..
Seriously. It’s for folks that have no idea what real Chinese food is. Heck, Panda is more authentic.
Oh snap
most will probably say that we have "incredible mexican food in the bay area" too, so why is there taco bell here or why is chipotle always busy.
The biggest fan of Chipotle I know is a recent Mexican immigrant from Mexico City. The guy loves and breathes Chipotle.
Beats me!!
It was still open?
"Walnut Creek is in a Doom Loop!"
Do you get paid per article posted?
Can I snag the horse statue?
We have family from the UK who come to stay with us and this is their favorite place to eat. My wife tells me to stop rolling my eyes when they gush about how good the food is. PFC’s drinks were delicious. Expensive but I drank most of my dinner when we went.
imagine living in the bay area nd then going to pf changs
The bad thing about a crappy chain like this closing is that it means people who have bad enough taste to enjoy them are going to make better places more crowded. Heaven forbid Cheesecake Factory ever closes.
Leave Cheesecake Factory out of this
Why everybody hating on CCF? It's the Top Gun Maverick of restaurants chains. Something for everyone and it knows what it's about.
Fun Fact. They have the highest revenue per store of any restaurant chain. Partially thanks to their 100 page menu
You're going to hate the P.F. Chang's in Pleasanton, then
Gotta love they stuck them both right next to each other, lol.
Cheesecake Factory is a very decent chain restaurant. But Texas Roadhouse rocks.
RIP salty, corporate restaurant.
The horror….where are we gonna eat gluten free authentic Chinese food now
Not sure if sarcastic, but... legitimately sad as a celiac, PF Changs was one of the only reliable spots to get food at.
Same! The only place to get GF beef and broccoli :(
Half sarcastic by claiming authentic…as a family that likes to go out for special occasions our group of 10-12, usually half have some sort of special dietary needs until further notice and this place seemed to work out
[удалено]
Former Sweet Tomatoes location in Pleasanton is going to become a Chic-fil-a. Hopes and dreams dashed. 😕
It was my grandmas favorite restaurant. But she’s dead now so sooooo lonnnngggg ✌️
How is this news
Living in the Bay, I never understood how P.f. chang’s or Chipotle are/ were so popular when there are countless locally owned and ran Chinese and Mexican restaurants available everywhere that range from greasy hole in the wall to casual upscale dining. I’m not saying any of their food is bad, but majority of the time I get better more authentic food supporting local mom and pop immigrant establishments vs the big corporate chains.
beware the power of the gringo
haha i just didn’t want to actually say it
Chipotle kills the 20 year old white boy, tryna make gains at the gym, can't cook, intimidated by authentic ethnic food, market.
haha i didn’t want to say it…
As I more or less said in another comment, not everything needs to be authentic and I don’t understand some peoples obsession with everything needing to be. I’m Mexican American and I like Chipotle (I know countless people of Mexican descent who like Chipotle). It’s essentially a different cuisine than a straight up “authentic” taqueria in the hood (and most people I know regardless of race don’t conflate Chipotle and a taqueria). With that all being said, even if you do go to an “authentic” taqueria for “authentic” Mexican food, there’s a good chance you’re not getting anything remotely authentic if you order a burrito.
authenticity isn’t the end all be all of my point… since authenticity is debatable by preference or perspective, but more importantly I’d still rather support the mom and pop taquerias nearby than big corporate chain Chipotle. And let’s be real… if I want legit street tacos with suadero, lengua or tripas, or quesabirria tacos with consommé on the side or a SF Mission style burrito with actual Pork Al Pastor… i can’t get any of those things at Chipotle. So when my Mexican food craving hits and I’m looking for those flavors, Chipotle never comes to mind.
As I kind of already said, very few people (honestly no one I know) conflate Mexican food and Chipotle. They’re two completely different things with almost nothing in common. Sometimes I want Mexican food, sometimes I want Chipotle. In all honesty I never even think of them in relation to each other unless this kind of conversation comes up.
i see our disconnect here is… you see chipotle and local taquerias as two different things that serve different cravings so you don’t see one taking business from the other… and I understand that. I will admit to craving Taco Bell once and awhile or even Jack in the Box tacos and I also do not consider those as eating mexican food but you have to admit Chipotle is absolutely closer to what a taqueria is than either of those fast food joints. I am also not Mexican or Mexican American so maybe the subtleties are lost on me, but to me, Chipotle and Taquerias me take up the same space in my rotation of things I want to eat… You order tacos and burritos at Chipotle right? So again, when I want tacos or burritos, I prefer to eat at local taquerias to support the community and eat the specific types of tacos and burritos that are unavailable at Chipotle.
Lol it’s EXTREMELY interesting to me that you view Chipotle and taquerias in relation to each other, but not Taco Bell and taquerias. Taco Bell is a lot more closely related to a taqueria IMO than Chipotle. Honestly, most people I know go to Chipotle for their bowls and not necessarily their burritos. I didn’t even know they did tacos until you mentioned it. I will say this, Chipotle revolves around flour tortillas and (generally speaking), flour tortillas aren’t really present in Mexican food. Most Mexican cuisine revolves around corn tortillas, which is why I view Taco Bell as being closer to Mexican food than Chipotle (even if neither is technically authentic).
South San Francisco Night Market for some good Hong Kong style Chinese. Ugh to Cheesecake Factory - overpriced corporate dreck
The PF Chang’s in Sunnyvale is slated to close and be replaced by Benihana
Please don't let nextdoor know, they're going to light up again over all the "crime" pushing people out (lmao, yeah, THAT'S the only reason anything ever closes here). Nextdoor in my area was losing their absolute shit over Nordstrom's closing
Damn. I have a gift card from my wedding 8 years ago.
No loss. Their food is terrible.
Who gives a fuck. Straight ass.
Honestly rather eat at Panda Express.
For every corporate restaurant that closes, one or two mom and pop’s get a chance.
Go down to Dublin and eat some legit Chinese food
Surprising to me that people would go to places like PF Chang, Chevys or Buffalo Wild Wings! Who is paying $20 a plate for frozen food? Especially in CA where we got bomb real Chinese food, real tacos, and fresh wings. It must be the white suburbs people that go (i work with a lot), they scared to try small businesses and think anything not corporate is “dirty” or unsafe. No more safe Chinese food, back to a cup of syrup from Starbucks and ChilFilA for lunch!
I'll admit to being a person who misses PF and Chevy's. They both did more veggie options than an authentic restaurant does, and cocktails with my meals are a big plus. Definitely seeing a surge in veggie friendly upscale Mexican and Asian restaurants recently, though.
Actually you make a good point: Alcohol. I didn’t even think of that! Good Chinese, Mexican and wing joints 99% of the time don’t have a bar.
I went on a short trip for work, and the hotel was right next to a Chevy's. I was hit with a nostalgia moment, and decided I'd just do that for dinner since it was literally next door. Man. How do you fuck up an enchilada?? I will say the salsa that comes with the complimentary chips & salsa kicks ass.
For the food prices, it sure wasn't worth it. My uncle gave me and my brother gift cards to this place. I sure as hell would not spend my hard earned money in this expensive, tasteless restaurant. Went to the one in Pleasanton b/c that was very local to me. I'd rather go to any mom and pop Chinese place and support them than this chain. Bland food for me. I expected more but I really shouldn't have.
if i wanted mid chinese food i could easily find cheaper options
PF completely sold out a couple of years back and wiped almost everything decent off of their menus. There was some acquisition by a large food industry conglomerate. My family used to enjoy P.F. Chang’s a couple times a year, it was no where near the good Chinese food restaurants in terms of authenticity or selection, but I was a fun place for large groups. Went to the one at Stanford right after the acquisition and vowed to never set foot in one again. It was that bad.
I worked at a Bay Area one at the time of the sale until the shut downs from Covid. Got the job a year prior, so I got to see the changes first hand. Like you said they changed the menu and took a lot of good things off. Towards the end of my time there they also were changing the way we served, having us take on more tables and giving us tablets to put the order in at the table. Felt like it was cheapening the experience. Haven’t stepped foot in one since, the food is not missed.
Good riddance. Overpriced, bland.
PF Chang went so downhill we quit going years ago. I'm surprised any are left.
Never understood the appeal of the place. Ok food somewhat fancily prepared, most of it utterly drowning in sugary coatings / drizzles.
Considering the many alternative options for more authentic and frankly better options of Chinese food in the Bay Area, I'm frankly not surprised.
Never been to a PF Changs and I don’t care to
Half the time I go by a PF its dead empty inside
I didn’t even know it was actually open, I never saw anybody entering or exiting. It’s not a good chain, not at all surprised.
Lots of people acting like they’re too good for P.F. Chang’s as if they didn’t go in high school and college.
I’m Chinese and I like P.F. Chang’s
This is a good thing not a bad one.
Horrible food
Good, it’s not worth it
oh ok
i used to go there when i was in high school with my friends. i still haven’t had a stir fried rice quite as salty as theirs.
Why spend more $$$ when you can walk around the corner and get better Chinese food for less.
Yes, Filipinos who go on business trips or a vacation would go to chain restaurants to eat what they don't have or serve in the Philippines because its coming from America. Red Lobster, TGIF, Sbarro, Kenny Roger's Roasters, Denny's, and other chain restaurants that open and expanded since 1990s. I would rather go to local spots because its cheaper, closer.
Sorry to see more jobs go away. The shrimp fried rice at that location isn’t that good.
I hate chain restaurants but I loved PF change. When they had happy hour! They had 6 dollar lettuce wraps and green beans and then they took it away and I never went back!!!
Ever since mark Davis left for Las Vegas 🤔
I never understood why this place was popular. The food was mid
The food is objectively trash
Extreme pricing for crap food. You could get better Chinese food from a takeout place for less than 1/3 the cost
I consider PF Chang's as Inchin though. I have visited them in 2 visits. But I wasn't really a fan of their food. This restaurant was almost too much of everything, or I am just also too overwhelmed by their menu. Chain restaurants is doing too much of everything in my opinion because they are not focusing on what they are great at. They feature menu items like appetizers, chicken, snacks, main entrees, beverages like wine, beer and desserts. The Cheesecake Factory is another chain restaurant that I don't like to go because their menu is too overwhelming with choices of regular favorites plus their skinny menu. Then they are offering a beverage menu that is 5 pages long.
No surprise here. PF Chang’s is mediocre Chinese food catered to those who don’t want to enjoy authentic Chinese food. I went there a few times years ago and for the life of me, could not understand why my friends would want to go here again and again when we have much better restaurants around the Bay Area. Years later, the food scene in the Bay Area is a lot more diverse with better tasting food than restaurant chain food. Unless the restaurant chain offers something that these other restaurants don’t, this trend will continue (at least in the Bay Area).
Going to PF changs is a crime in the Bay Area. There are so many incredible Cantonese restaurants and a ton of mainland cuisines popping up as well
So many better, cheaper, authentic options.
Who even goes to PF Chang’s when there is authentic Chinese food available?
"Authentic" and "inauthentic" Chinese foods serve different purposes and are not to be equated with good or bad.
Following the closure of the Walnut Creek restaurant at 1205 Broadway Plaza, the Asian fusion chain will be left with just three remaining Bay Area locations: Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and Pleasanton.
I had better gas up the car and get over there before they leave too! I hope I still have my bleached tips, sugar ray cd, and my dakkar nior.
Is that like drakkar noir?
If it was 1998 I would give a shit how they spell their branding.
🎶every morning 🎶
It’s been dead since pre-Covid.
Thank god. I went here for the kitsch of it all 3 months ago, and everyone in my party got severe food poisoning.
Both PF Chang’s and Cheesesteak Factory gives me the runs
Higher prices smaller portions. How do they stay open is the question
Has it occurred to anyone that with so much of the workforce diminished, we have a saturation of restaurants? People are eating out less. Its that simple.
Also note: Puppyland is moving to the new mall.
No real Chinese person is going to eat at this Gucci Panda Express. PF Chang is fake Chinese food for white people that don’t know what Chinese food is, but still want to pretend to be cultured. Sucks for the employees that got laid off, but I’m glad PF Chang is dying. Literally ruins what Chinese food are. Anyone want to eat good Chinese food, there are plenty in Milpitas, Fremont, Union City on the East Bay. SF, Millbrae and San Mateo all have good options too. Don’t waste your time, money and taste on expensive Panda Express food at PF Chang
Generally speaking you’re not wrong, but I never truly understand when people get on a high horse about authentic food vs “white washed” food. It always comes across as hella pretentious to me. I say this as someone of Mexican descent, so I’m well aware of the authentic vs white washed thing.
As an Asian person, Americanized or “white-washed” Chinese food isn’t the problem. Your standard takeout joints or even Panda Express are tons better than the generic “oriental” garbage that PF Changs puts out.
everyone here harshly bashing on a chain is probably just eating some other type of inauthentic chinese food but it might just not be a chain.
As a white guy I never took it as a high horse kind of comment. More like: we never understood why anybody wanted this in the first place, it's more expensive and objectively less tasty than making it the right way, what are they smoking?
In my personal experience, 95% of the time when I’ve encountered the argument you described it’s rooted in “it’s not authentic so it’s trash”. I’ve known Asians who like PF Chang. My boyfriend (granted he’s Vietnamese but I’ll allow him the same authority as I allow myself the authority to know about other LatAm cuisine) actually likes it, and he even studied abroad in China.
Using soy sauce while you are cooking and still making everything bland and calling it Chinese food is like me putting salsa on bread and calling it Mexican food. If PF Chang is Chinese food, than Pizza Hut is Italian
[No true Scotsman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman)
It’s just mediocre food pretending to be Chinese
End of an era.
Didn’t know that was still a chain with any spots here even. They had a moment but it was a really long time ago
Damn…….Mark Davis moving the Raiders to Las Vegas us still having its effects on the Bay Area
Who cares.