Peking Duck Restaurant

I was encouraged by my coworkers to try this place. I always use Unilocal for the reviews. This place had a lot of bad reviews but I still decided to call for a reservation. The lady that answered the phone and made my reservation didn’t ask for my name or party size which tells me she could care less if I had a table at my arrival. I asked her if she wasn’t gonna ask for my name. She then asked for my name as I was bothering her. Needless to say I won’t be going at all. First impressions are important And that was a bad one.

I have to say both food and services are pretty bad. The only thing I like is the duck. Other dishes are salty, and not authentic. Waitresses were fine if you don’t expect any good services. But if you ask anything, anything, they talk like they were bothered and want to be left alone. Plus, the service is pretty slow.

We selected Peking Duck on Christmas Eve because our usual go-​to duck place, Peking Gourmet on Route 7, said the wait for a table would be four hours. I was under the mistaken impression that the two establishments had some kind of a family connection. They don’t. The duck at Peking Duck was stringy, tough, overcooked, and badly carved. The General Tso’s chicken that one of our table mates selected was gloppy and way too sweet. The décor, as others here have noted, is worn and very old. The service was so-​so. Save yourself the trouble … if Peking duck is what you’re looking for, just go to Peking Gourmet and wait … or better yet, call ahead and make a reservation!

This place may seem cool and authentic to people who have never travelled to China, but it will turn a Chinese person’s stomach! I have lived half my adult life in Beijing, and my wife is from there, and we couldn’t believe how bad this place was. First, the service was pushy, rude, and pretentious. It was very off-​putting how the waitress would repeatedly come by our table and as us if we wanted different random dishes, after we had already ordered a sizeable quantity of food. That practice might be appropriate for selling gym memberships, but it was very irritating when trying to eat dinner.
The aspect of this restaurant that is the worst, though, is how bad its signature dish; the Peking duck, is. They are seriously overcooked, and the carving job is the worst I’ve ever seen. Peking duck is supposed to be cut so that each slice has a piece of skin, fat, and meat on it. What they did here was first skin it completely, and then hack off huge chunks, containing big pieces of cartilage, tendon, and even bone. The whole point of carving a duck, and what makes it Peking duck in the first place, is that the carving is done to avoid these undesirable pieces. Almost every bite would give you crunchy and gristly surprises.
Also, WAY overpriced!

Visiting from out of town. I thought being they have been here for so long and many of the good reviews outnumbered the bad, this would be decent? It’s so old that the lobby has a cigarette vending machine in it! (Anyone have a roll of quarters handy? LOL) Sorry, just average. Ordered tofu. News flash: Tofu does not need to be fried to the point to which it would be considered well-​done! Next time, go easy on that delicate curd…

Not only is this the only Chineese Resturant in this part of Richmond highway, it’s one of the best places to eat in the Mt Vernon area
PD has been around for decades operated under the same family. The dishes are unique and a welcome break to the dozens of carry out Chineese places dotted all around
The peaking duck is excellent and carved table side. Little kids will be enthralled by the cutting mastery of the owner/​chef. Don’t play with knives!
You will love the food and ignore the dated ambiance.

I love Peking Duck! The interior needs work, but the food is delicious. Its been operated by the same owners since I moved to Alexandria 15 years ago. There never seems to be a huge crowd, and service is fantastic. We love their egg rolls and house spicy mustsrd. Lo-​mein is good, but the noodles are wide, so it is a little different. The bang bang shrimp smells amazing! Of course, this is the place for Duck! Eat here!

Great family owned restaurant. Good service and a huge menu. Their duck really is their signature dish, and for good reason. It’s so delicious and crispy. They carve it right at your table.

What a treasure we have in Peking Duck. The 8^th generation of master duck chef! The best Peking Duck you will find anywhere! An assortment of fabulous meals, run by a dedicated husband and wife team.

My husband loves this place. His favorite item is the fried duck! The people are nice. Place is clean and nice looking. Food is fresh!!!

I love this place, we have been coming here for almost 30 years. You will find no better quality with regards to preparing of a Peking Duck in the DC area and to have them carve it table side is something to see to believe. Their Kung Pao Shrimp is with 21 – 25 ct shrimp that have been cleaned and the vein is removed, while most others in the metro area use shrimp that are half the size and not cleaned. The Egg Rolls are egg rolls, and not some tiny wafer wrapped spring roll. The one opportunity they really have is updating the interior of the restaurant, while it is cleaned and maintained, it hasn’t changed in my memory of eating here, and could be updated a touch.

Yea! They are open again. After being closed for a couple of months during the holiday season for a family illness, they have opened again. Since our move from Boston, we could not find great Peking Duck and dumplings. Most places serve already made dumplings, not this place, homemade and perfect whether steamed or pan fried. The Peking Duck is terrific and served by the chef at your table. I suggest you have the dumpling the real Chinese way with white vinegar and hot oil, something Joyce Chen, and old family friend, who has passed taught us to do in Cambridge MA. So happy all is well with these lovely folks who own Peking Duck are well now. Don’t let the 50’s décor deter you, the food is great.

A placed that is often passed, either doesn’t get noticed or appears closed. But this place is still alive and well. Very friendly family orientated staff. Very quiet and peacefull atmosphere. Great food and overall a wonderful experence.

Shits Bangin! I was truly impressed by the level of professionalism displayed by the staff. The young lady that took our order was very informative, and gave very good suggestions, which we definitely did not regret! I highly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for great tasting, high quality chinese food. I have eaten at this place for over 10 years and I enjoy every bite! Owwwww

Excellent Chinese food. This place is a cut above your typical Americanized Chinese takeout joint. We have gotten takeout from here a couple of times: the first time was good enough that we went back. The second time around was outstanding! All that we ordered (pork lo mein, chicken and beef Szechuan combo, steamed dumplings, bang bang chicken, veggie fried rice, hot and sour soup and a half order of the signature Peking duck) was fresh, nicely prepared and very tasty, with no gelatinous sugary sauces to be found. One of our guests, from the SF Bay Area, remarked that it tasted more similar to the food he’d been served when in China on business than any other takeout offerings he’s had. The above fed four adults generously with leftovers to spare. Bravo, Peking Duck!

Before I write the review I have to say that I have eaten very authentic Chinese cuisine for MANY years.
The food in this place caters for a western audience, its tailored for locals.
I’ve had Peking Duck many times and this one was below average. The fried dumplings were below average, skins too thick and pretty tasteless. The sesame chicken didn’t even taste anything like I’ve had before, very very bland. The rice was great.
We took home a lot of leftovers and put them straight in the trash as we couldn’t face eating more of it.
I was going to give the restaurant 1 star but receives 2 because of the customer service and ambience.
The restaurant has been around since the 1980’s and I am sure will be round for many years as it does cater to a certain market… not those who have eaten traditional Chinese cuisine though.
Sorry, wish I could have written a nicer review.

I have been coming to this place all my life. I am surprised by other Unilocalers who have reviewed this place. Their Peking Duck is succulent and crispy. I have been to Mark’s Duck House and ordered theirs and it was not as crispy and lean. The chef/​owner here, knows how to cut his duck. My hubby is very particular with his Chinese food and never tried this place until we met. He was very impressed and still notes that this is the best Sesame Chicken he has ever tasted. It wasn’t too heavily syruped. We also ordered Shrimp with Mixed Veggies, which was okay, in addition to the whole duck. Three of us on one whole duck? Yes, we were like vultures. Nothing can compare.
The décor, eh, could use an upgrade. But I am used to it. It is like going to your grandmother’s house all your life, and what? Modern furniture and fixtures? Out of the norm! It does look a little divey in and out.
I wondered how they managed to stay in business so long because it was far from busy. I sat and noticed elderly customers coming in and gingerly speaking with the owner and his family. The owner and his daughter sat with one couple as though they were family too. Now that is how this business manage to survive! Loyal customers all the way for a family style dinner. Hopefully, the younger generations will ditch the ritzy PF Chang’s and come here. Nothing beats a Mom and Pop restaurant!
So forget the appearance of the building because the duck is all that matters. Literally, just go in and order an appetizer and a whole duck. That is all you need… If you need to pick a dish, try them out. But the duck is the star!

Okay, okay, so I’m a douche for writing such a bad review after ONLY trying the lunch buffet. But it WAS a special Mother’s Day buffet, you know?
However, I am in a new relationship, and my partner announced that he wanted to go to Peking Duck one evening. I slow-​blinked at him: «what? the place down Richmond Highway?» He knew the reputation: «yeah, it’s a bit of a dive. But they have some good stuff.»
So… SCIENCE, you know? Might as well give it another go. One cannot judge a Chinese restaurant solely by the buffet alone. So I went back. THREE TIMES. We have shared the Peking Duck twice now; it’s a good, solid Peking Duck. The «Duck Guy» (as my partner calls him) is very adept at his craft, and the service is much better when it’s actually dinner time. My partner has known this place and the family that runs it for many years now, and now Peking Duck makes more sense. It’s a mom-​and-​pop style Chinese restaurant, with some great dishes (I also had the pineapple duck, which was quite tasty), and then the usual medley of Chinese standards that are ubiquitous on most Chinese restaurant menus. Quality varies; while the duck is good, the wontons and the soups are «meh» at best.
But in stark contrast to my previous review, I’m actually a fan of Peking Duck. Not the best, but certainly worth a second look if you ever find yourself a bit WTF after a mediocre meal. TRY THE PEKING DUCK. Seriously.

Beware: you need to request no MSG. And I think some of their products are frozen and already have the MSG included, so if you’re prone to migraines or have diabetes, you could be in trouble.
Overall, I wasn’t too impressed. The food was bland and over-​priced. The décor tried to be «too Asian», with artifacts from Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai cultures. It really made no sense. I had a duck dish, and my wife had a chicken dish, both of which were drowned in horrible-​tasting sauces. The food didn’t even look good… it was all monochromatic.
Try the Green Olive buffet up the road a bit. The food is much better.

I am obsessed with sizzling rice soup. I’m from the west coast. It’s not a thing in the east. So, I sought this place out. Oh god. So, so BAD. It was basically Campbell’s tomato soup with tons of duck sauce as the broth. I need go no further, except to say that it was so sweet that you should get tested for diabetes after.
All there sauces, for the walnut shrimp, for example, were equally as sweet and gelatinous.
Then, their credit card machine broke. They treated us into criminals. I didn’t know the area. My fiancé did. But, they held him hostage (not even allowing him to step outside) until I drove down the road, used the same card to get cash, and returned with cash.
Ambiance: cockroach, with old-​school, cheap decorations that support the egg-​crate walls.
Do not ever go here. EVER. Ever. #BigFatFail.