Peter Chang China Cafe - Fredericksburg

The Peter Chang brand is well known in the Greater Washington DC area for providing authentic Chinese cuisine that is accessible to all. While some of their newer locations have better vegetarian options and clearer labeling, this particular one may leave you guessing. The menu does not list drinks, which can be a little odd when placing your order. Despite this, I was able to enjoy a delicious meal by ordering spicy tofu skin for an appetizer and a stir-fried cabbage dish for my entree. Both dishes were flavorful and satisfying, with the cabbage being freshly prepared with a hint of spice and the tofu skins offering a unique numbing sensation. Although the vegetarian options were not as extensive as I would have liked, I still left the restaurant with a full stomach and a pleasant dining experience in a region with limited vegetarian-friendly options.

It has been a while since my last visit to this restaurant, which was not too great. About a year ago, I tried the Charlottesville location and it was the worst experience I've had. For the past few years, I have been driving to Szechuan Taste in Dale City for authentic Szechuan food, as well as to other places like Arlington and Fairfax. Some of the best Szechuan food I've had came from Szechuan Taste in Dale City, Chengdu Gourmet in Pittsburgh, and the best so far has been from Sichuan House in San Antonio. Recently, I was in the area of Central Park and craving authentic Szechuan cuisine, so I decided to give this location another chance. My server, Christine, was great! She was knowledgeable about the menu and understood the authenticity of Szechuan cuisine compared to typical American Chinese food. I ordered the cumin chicken and it was amazing, packed with all the flavors I love in this style of cuisine. The prices are reasonable as well, I ordered the dinner portion for only $16 and received a large amount of food. I will definitely be returning and requesting Christine as my server to ensure my food is made right. I highly recommend this place to those who appreciate authentic Szechuan cuisine.

My first and last experience at Peter Chang's was disappointing. I usually believe in giving restaurants a second chance, but in this case, it won't be happening. As a lover of Asian cuisine, I enjoy dishes in all price ranges, but this meal just didn't meet my expectations. I ordered the shredded pork with smoked tofu lunch special for takeout while I was in the area for work. The dish sounded unique and piqued my interest. Alongside it, I also ordered fried rice, egg drop soup, and a scallion bubble pancake appetizer. Unfortunately, what I received was thin, oily, undercooked pork with smoked tofu, red pepper, and occasional scallion chunks. The fried rice lacked flavor and was barely cooked, while the egg drop soup was average and nothing special. The scallion pancakes were cold, greasy, and lacked flavor. All of this cost me $26, including tip, and I won't be returning.

This was, without a doubt, the most disappointing dining experience I've ever had. The food was shockingly bad. Our ordeal began with the pork dumplings, which were an immediate red flag; they tasted worse than their frozen counterparts. The vegetable spring rolls were no better, and to our dismay, they appeared to be the frozen variety. The pork Lo Mein was a disaster visually unappealing, lacking in vegetables, and the pork had an unpleasant chewy and rubbery texture. Even the General Tso's chicken, a staple of American Chinese cuisine, fell short. It was oddly orange instead of the usual red, very sweet, and when we questioned our server, they insisted it was General Tso's and not orange chicken. To add to the disappointment, our server was unfriendly and downright rude. Basic condiments like soy sauce were only provided after we requested them. Despite having sampled a variety of American Chinese dishes over the years, this experience was a far cry from anything palatable even mall food would have been an improvement. The final blow came when we received the bill a whopping $70 for a meal we couldn't bring ourselves to finish. We had assumed we were dining at a renowned chef's establishment, only to be sorely mistaken. Feeling utterly let down, we left the plates untouched on the table, questioning how we could possibly seek a refund for this regrettable dining experience.

Quick service! Waiter was attentive and professional. Bang bang shrimp appetizer was delicious. We had their orange chicken and Singapore noodles for our entrees and were happy with our meal. Will return