Little Pan Santa Ana

By far the worst service I’ve received all year!

My friend and I ordered about $80 worth of food at 7:22 PM and were told the wait would be 13 minutes. About 20 minutes later, we noticed our ticket said takeout even though we were never asked if we wanted to dine in or take it to go. I showed our receipt to the cashier and asked if we could dine in, and she agreed, bringing us paper plates and cups. That was the last time anyone came to our table.

After waiting an entire hour and watching other customers get served, I noticed that some people who had been waiting almost as long as we had started getting their food, but not by much. It seemed like the staff prioritized takeout orders and large dining parties, while smaller tables like ours were completely overlooked. I finally went to the counter at 8:23 PM to check on our order. The cashier looked surprised, even though multiple staff members had walked past our table the entire time without acknowledging us.

She printed a ticket, went to the back, and came out to say the Thai tea machine was down and that we needed to pick another drink. I told her we would just take water at this point, and she said that was not an option and we would have to choose jasmine milk tea instead. When I asked if our food was ready, she said yes, they just needed the drink. A few minutes later, she came out with our order bagged up and completely room temperature.

There was no apology, no update, and no explanation for the delay. We ended up eating in the car because the food was cold and unappetizing by then. I was extremely disappointed with the entire experience. The food might have been good if it had been served fresh, but the lack of communication and care from the staff ruined it. Busy night or not, customers should never be ignored or treated like an inconvenience. An absolute waste of money and time. I would not recommend this place at all.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

Seriously so good. Everything we ate was delicious.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food, table little sticky

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Was here one when they just opened and only sell buns only. Now they have plenty of dishes to choose from. We dine-in so you scan and order at the table and once the foods are done, they will bring it out. It was easy, fast and convenient. Staff are friendly & nice when interacted asking for stuffs or paying the bill. They do have inside and outside seating and the place is neat and clean. Prices wise, not bad and the portion is big too. Taste wise, overall good, just good. I would say that don’t expect too much or else I would suggest to go else where for better quality but for the pricing and portion, it a nice package overall.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

This is a nice, casual place. We came on Sunday for brunch. Staff was friendly. The food was tasty and the restaurant has a peaceful, unpretentious atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I have been wanting to try Little Pan for a while. We ordered cucumber, fried rice and 2 lunch specials. Order via QR. I did need some help ordering 🫣. The food was good. Parking that might get a little tight at prime lunch time. Bet they do a lot of to go orders.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

We love the food here! We come often and usually order the original and shrimp and leek 生煎包, eight treasure and millet porridge and the spicy noodles. The restaurant is clean and restaurant staff are always nice.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I'm going to give this place a 4.5 for the overall experience. The staff were welcoming, the girl at the desk was very nice. We were able to get food pretty quick and without fuss.
The food overall was excellent and we were glad to have stumbled on this joint.
I particularly like the broccoli beef and kung pao chicken sets.
Interestingly, the dumplings were not as good as I had hoped but all the other items were excellent.
There was a little confusion to me as most of the food was Chinese but then there was, Katsu and Kimchi too.
Oh, the shrimp fried rice was awesome!
We were pretty full after and I really enjoyed the food overall.
It's more of a quick drop in place, non pretentious.
With drinks etc about $25 per person.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 4

Me and my son always enjoy our experience at Little Pan… delicious food :)

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Beef Pancake 牛肉卷饼, Pork Buns, Dumpling

Little Pan – Santa Ana
If juicy buns are your love language, Little Pan speaks it fluently. I popped in for the House Special Pan-Fried Pork Buns and left with a full belly and a new obsession. Crispy bottoms, savory fillings, and that perfect steam-kissed chew—chef’s kiss. The beef rolls were another standout: flaky, flavorful, and ideal for sharing (or not). Service was warm and attentive, even during the lunch rush, and the open kitchen adds a fun behind-the-scenes vibe. Parking’s a bit tight, but the food makes it worth the squeeze. Pro tip: grab a Thai tea to cool the spice and round out the meal.

🧡 Family-owned charm meets modern Shanghai comfort food. I’ll be back for the dumplings and maybe a second round of buns.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Little Pan is a little gem! The pan fried buns are fun and festive, the dan dan noodles and sweet, spicy cucumbers are bursting with flavor. Look out for their promotions (including $1 Sapporo!. Will definitely be back.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is a must have if your in the area! Def coming back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food was amazing. The house special pork buns and the mini pan fried buns in chili sauce were delicious.

We ordered the pork pan fried buns, beef mini fried buns and the sweet and sour cucumbers. We loved everything! It was super fresh and full of flavor. Absolutely delicious

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Love this place. Best Kung pao I’ve had in a long time. Been here 5 nights in a row while staying at hotel across from the street. Highly recommend their noodles, dumplings and everything really.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5