When you think of quick, cheap Chinese food, Panda Express is the first to pop into mind. Well, there’s another place very close to Elgin Community College that you can go to for either take out or dine in: Little Panda.

Little Panda, located at 267 S Randall Rd just south of the Marcus Theater in Elgin, IL, is a nice, little Chinese place to go to if you up for some good, quick Chinese food. However, if you are thinking of going somewhere fancy, this is not the place for you; fun and cheap are simple descriptors of the establishment.

Located in a heavily traveled area, Little Panda’s business is always booming and thankfully the food makes up for the wait that customers may have sometimes. When you first walk into Little Panda, you are greeted with brightly colored light green walls, a great color choice in this reviewer’s opinion.

The ball chandelier that hung from the top of the ceiling in the middle of the room made the small room seem even bigger. The restaurant’s concept is a bit different compared to other Chinese places I’ve been to. I placed my order from the front of the store instead of sitting and getting my order taken. Considering the size of the establishment itself, I would recommend taking your order to-go.

However, I decided to stay in and eat there, which was actually not as bad as it sounds because the restuarant was not as busy as I expected it to be, considering the time of day, which was around one o’clock. The fast service was admirable; I spent no more than two to three minutes talking and placing my order. After placing my order, I could not help but notice the tininess of the restaurant; in this reviewer’s eyes, it needs to be much bigger if they would like to focus on becoming a more sit-down-friendly place. However, if their goal is to stay a quick serviced take-out or sit-down establishment, then honestly they are doing alright the way they are.

After waiting maybe a maximum of five minutes to get my meal, my order arrived. The meal was served in a box, just like the ones Panda Express uses. The main entree came with a side of either rice or noodles; this is where my first problem lies. I was never presented with the choice of either options, so instead of getting noodles like I would have preferred, I recieved rice, which was disappointing, nonetheless. However, the rice was not too bad, although there was an overwhelming amount.

The main entree I ordered is one of my personal favorites for Chinese: Orange Chicken. However, this was nothing special. Although good, I could have gotten the same type of entree at Panda Express for a few dollars cheaper. The rice that accompanied the chicken included broccoli and onions mixed throughout. Overall, I would give the main dish 3 out of 5 stars.

Look to Panda Express for cheaper options with similar tastes, but Little Panda offers a wider variety of food selections.

Overall, Little Panda is a close but a slightly more expensive place to go for Chinese food; I would recommend Panda Express over Little Panda just because of their prices. I give Little Panda an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars.