Pagoda Chinese - Jacksonville

Super cool old Asian motif. The interior has posts and beams with a high ceiling. Fun Eastern decor with notes to boot. The food is really good and cheap. Very recommended. I had Mongolian beef I'm gonna get back. I'm probably not gonna get it back.

I had a Guinness World Record experience at this place on June 9th. I went out to celebrate my mother 's first birthday since she passed away. She loved eating this type of food. I ordered an egg roll, fried rice, and egg foo young with gravy. I received the egg roll and my drink first. The food came out extremely fast. They brought out white sticky rice and the egg foo young. I was told there is no fried rice and it will take 20 25 minutes to make it. I told them I do not want white rice, I do not like it. So I was given the option to wait. I told them I did not want the egg foo young. It would have to sit all that time. It would be cold and the gravy jelly like. I ordered a different entree. The waiter told the chef who was sitting at one of the tables behind me. The chef said, no, I am not making something else. The rice can be done in 10 15 minutes . The waiter told him, yes but the egg foo young will be cold and she does not want it . The chef said, no, I do not care what she wants, I do not want this food to go to waste, no . This is being discussed as I sit and listen in disbelief. The waiter came back to me with the food in his hands and I said I heard everything, he is rude and out of line. I do not want the food and I do not want anything else. I will pay for the egg roll and the drink . I actually took my drink to go I could not wait to get out of there. I am still in disbelief that I was told I cannot order what I want to eat, the food I am paying for. I will not ever return there. Not to the restaurant or the lounge in the back. I will not recommend this place to anyone and will tell my story to everyone.

Their menu comes off as a pretty standard option of your normal fast casual Chinese restaurant, but they did offer tofu options. Dishes came with plain fried rice with no option to upgrade, you have to purchase the separate $14 meat dish fried rice. I will say I did not take the recommendation of the waiter because I don't like beef or seafood dishes sooooo with that being said I thought the dishes we got were ok. Nothing over the top but nothing to bring me running back. The service was good, we came on a Tuesday at 6pm not packed by any means got food fairly quickly. The waiter was very friendly and accommodating.

One of the most beautifully decorated and unique restaurants I've ever been to! Will be back for sure.

The Pagoda is still run by the same family after 40+ years. It is a restaurant in front and a secret bar in back. The private room in back is where all the 20 40 year old singles hang out on Baymeadows Road. Same chef in the restaurant after 40 years. He can customize anything on the menu for you. Go early if you are meeting up in the Private room. Seats and parking lot fills up fast.