These 2 Restaurant Chains Are Owned By Panda Express. Have You Eaten At Them?

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There's a good chance that you've taken a bite of some of the best menu items at Panda Express, like its popular orange chicken. The fast-casual Chinese restaurant chain has more than 2,300 locations across the country, so there's plenty of opportunities to dig in. But what you might not know is that Panda Express owns two other restaurants that you might not have even heard of, much less tried.

The company owns both Hibachi-San and Panda Inn, both of which are Asian-inspired eateries like Panda Express but are quite different. Hibachi-San is a Japanese-style kitchen that has a few locations in states like California and Pennsylvania, so it's not quite as easy to try its array of dishes like it is to dine at Panda Express. On the other hand, Panda Inn has just five locations, all in California, but it makes a bit of sense considering Panda Express is also based in California, after all.

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At Hibachi-San, a smaller menu is offered compared to what you might be used to at Panda Express. It highlights poke bowls, which come in three sizes and have protein choices like its Original Tuna, Spicy Crab, and Creamy Bay Scallops. Hibachi-San also has bowls like its Speggy, which has Spam and a Sesame Chicken Bowl that might remind you of the classic option offered at Panda Express. The reviews over on Yelp for one of its locations are mixed, with complaints about pricing, so take that into consideration before deciding to go.

In comparison, Panda Inn seems more like an elevated sit-down dining experience compared to the casual vibe of Panda Express. The restaurant in Pasadena reopened in November 2024 after closing for nearly two years due to renovations, and other locations are in places like Glendale. Some of the appetizers include spring rolls, crab wontons, and cucumber salad like you might expect from a typical Chinese restaurant. There are also traditional Chinese-American entrees like Mongolian beef and fried rice, of course. Perhaps what sets it apart are its sushi options, like its Tofu & Green Treasure Roll, which has asparagus and cucumber. Published reviews give it a favorable rating, so it might live up to the hype and be worth a try if you find yourself hungry in California sometime.

For more on the chain, here's the lowdown on how Panda Express transformed American-Chinese food.