Yes, I mean Panda Express. It would have been light years better than Dragon House and that should tell you something.

I was in Urbandale, IA visiting an old college friend. While she was at work I went out to look for a bite. I was really in the mood for noodles and Chinese sounded like the most viable option at the time. I googled and found a place called Dragon House just down the street. The reviews from others seemed relatively decent so I went.

The parking lot was vacant on a Saturday afternoon. Located next to a run down Motor Lodge, the whole place looked a little shady. I maybe should have gone with my instincts on this one, but I did not.

The inside was surprisingly clean for what the outside looked like. I took a quick glance at the menu and just ordered something with noodles. The dish itself came with a soup choice and steamed or fried rice. For 8 bucks it seemed like a steal. After ordering I waited for less than five minutes before carting a giant bag of food back to my car.

Disappointing would be an understatement for this food. The noodles were beige and salty. The chicken was slimey and almost made a mush in my mouth as I was eating it. Even the steamed rice was bad. I think it was Uncle Ben’s instant from a box or something. If you can’t get steamed rice right you should probably just stop right there. I won’t be back and I would suggest you find another place for Chinese if you’re ever in Urbandale.