13 P.F. Chang's Cocktails, Ranked

When you're craving a swanky cocktail during a nice meal out, P.F. Chang's likely isn't the first spot that comes to mind. It may be known for serving up delicious Asian American dishes, but you don't often hear guests raving about its cocktail selection.

Now, I'm always a little dubious about the cocktail menu at restaurant chains that aren't necessarily drink-forward. Yet when given the opportunity to try the entire selection offered by P.F. Chang's, I was understandably excited. After all, who doesn't love a beverage-loaded happy hour? While my expectations weren't high beforehand, it's time for me to change my tune. In fact, I'd posit the cocktails are some of the most underrated items on P.F. Chang's menu.

Despite not having an intimate familiarity with the chain outside of this tasting, I was impressed by the mix of classic and inventive drinks offered by the eatery. I may even have to frequent it more often – if purely to get another sip of that lychee-infused Cosmo. Either way, after trying all 13 of P.F. Chang's cocktail offerings, I ranked them based on the balance of their tasting notes, and how unique they are in comparison to standard cocktail menus.

Taking the bottom spot on my list is P.F. Chang's Zen Margarita. I don't have anything bad to say about this drink, but it didn't wow me. That said, it stayed remarkably true to its name, and is the cocktail to get when you want a sense of sipping on something fancy without feeling the aftereffects.

The Zen Margarita is impeccably smooth and unassuming, well-suited to a business meeting or a sophisticate's night out. Made with Lunazul tequila, lime juice, pure cane sugar syrup, and a Cointreau floater, the result it a remarkably subtle cocktail (even with the floater) that isn't the slightest bit punchy. Simply put, if you want an understated drink, this is an easy one to pick. It only takes last place because it doesn't bring much of anything new to the cocktail scene. I struggled to get much lime — which I like to be particularly punchy in my margaritas — and the salt rim was a little overbearing given the gentleness of the rest of the cocktail.

Up next we have the Golden Buddha Mai Tai, which takes a lower spot on my list for an entirely different reason: It's too strong. If you want something to knock you off your feet a little, it's certainly not a bad choice, but you'll have to enjoy alcohol-forward cocktails to appreciate this one.

On the plus side, the Golden Buddha Mai Tai sits at a special price of $8.99 on weekends as of June 2025 — reason enough to get it if you want to kick off happy hour on the right foot. This cocktail is made with a white and a dark rum — Bacardi and Zacapa, respectively — and also includes lemon juice, a house blend five-spice simple syrup, and orange curaçao. The result is a layered drink that visually reminded me of a Long Island Iced Tea, and was strong enough to be confused for one. In fact, the dark rum is very apparent even after making it past the floater.

Still, I can't call it bad, and it's a good choice for rum fanatics. The five spice simple syrup is subtle but apparent, helping round out the drink (though I could have used a little more of it in this mixture).

P.F. Chang's Jade Margarita takes spot number 11, and I suppose now is a good time to acknowledge that there are, indeed, four different margaritas on this list. Remarkably, each tastes quite different, even though the Zen and Jade varieties look virtually identical. To be honest, the two drinks taste pretty similar, too, but the Jade Margarita had one huge thing going for it: A welcoming smoky appeal.

The Jade Margarita is made with Espolon tequila, lime, and a Cointreau floater (and, of course, it's garnished with a salted rim). Like the Zen Margarita, it tastes like a pretty standard and unassuming margarita, but I preferred the Espolon tequila used in this drink to the Lunazul used in the other margarita. While I wouldn't hesitate to get this drink again, it also probably wouldn't be my first choice. I thought it held a bit more interest and was more palatable than either of the previous drinks, but it didn't stand out as much as any of the following.

I won't deny being smitten with the appearance of P.F. Chang's Rising Dragon when it first hit my table. What you don't see in the above picture is the dainty little lid that came on top, which was holding in rosemary smoke and lent itself to a more fun drinking experience. The Rising Dragon is essentially a pomegranate margarita, and while I'm sure some (mainly pomegranate fans) will go absolutely gaga over this drink, I can't say it was for me. 

In addition to its notable pomegranate qualities, the Rising Dragon is smoked with rosemary scent, and garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a black lava salt rim. The result is undeniably gorgeous and even a little exotic. It's also not a sweet margarita at all; rather, it strikes a good balance between being subtle and juicy, with pomegranate giving some sharpness to the beginning of the sip.P

Personally, I felt it could have used more rosemary (like a rosemary simple syrup), and though the black salt rim was beautiful, it was slightly overbearing. Despite not being my personal favorite, it's a fun concoction that will have pomegranate fans swooning, so it easily earned the number 10 spot on my list.

Any other sangria fans here? I love red wine in general, but it's hard to drink in the summer, when all you want is a cold, crisp beverage. Sangria is the creative solution to this dilemma, and I'll never say no to a glass (or, you know, a heaping pitcher). P.F. Chang's Red Crane Sangria is a notable addition to the restaurant's repertoire, and its ingredients — red wine (typically Josh Cellars Merlot), Tito's, lemon juice, orange curaçao, pomegranates, and berries — gives it enough versatility to be enjoyed year-round. 

Now, you may have noticed P.F. Chang's gives its sangria an upgrade with Tito's — and, boy oh boy, does it make for a strong sangria. On the plus side, this may make for a one-and-done drink; on the downside, you may need a designated driver if you indulge in this huge glass. The red wine is readily apparent but slightly muted by the vodka, and the rest of the drink is bright, fruity, and juicy, as you'd expect a good sangria to be. It's not overly sweet and has a welcome dark stone fruit appeal.

To be sure, I thought this was a more well-rounded drink than the lower-ranked choices (and I enjoyed it more), but I don't see it being universally loved. Its high alcohol content may limit its audience, as well, so it ranks ninth.

P.F. Chang's Agave Margarita was absolutely my favorite of its more standard margarita offerings. This margarita uses agave syrup instead of a sugar simple syrup, and the agave brought out a depth of flavor that none of the previous margaritas had. We also see yet another tequila being used in this drink — Patrón tequila is the star here — and it does a remarkably good job at amplifying the cocktail's tasting notes.

If you want a classic, fun, and flavorful margarita, this should be your choice. It's punchy without being overbearing, while the salt rim gives just the right amount of contrast to the rest of the drink. It lacks the subtlety of the previous margaritas (which, in my book, earned some points in its favor), and on the whole, I thought it was more universally palatable than any of the aforementioned drinks. Then again, it's a fairly standard margarita at the end of the day, so I couldn't justify ranking it any higher. 

If you're in need of a tropical addition to your P.F. Chang's meal, look no further than the spot's coconut mojito. This effortlessly attractive drink is made with Bacardi, Rum Haven liquor, mint, lime, some lime juice, and coconut puree. At first glance, I was fooled into thinking it would be wildly coconut-forward (look at that color!), but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I could have done with more coconut since I love the flavor.

Still, I think this drink is balanced in a way that makes it more palatable to those who aren't as coconut-obsessed as I am. It's definitely rich and tropical with a creamy mouthfeel, but the lime and liquors cut through the coconut enough that it's not overwhelming. I liked the bright, fresh element that mint brings to the equation, too. The alcohol is subtle enough that you could easily down this in one go, though, so watch out for that. Overall, this was one of the spot's more inventive and delicious drinks, so it merited a higher spot on this list (even if its slightly muted alcohol notes keep it from ranking higher).

Putting P.F. Chang's Japanese old fashioned at number six may be a hot take, but hear me out. Firstly, I'm not typically a fan of old fashioned cocktails, as I find them a bit boring. Though a classic drink, I'll usually go for something more intriguing when that option is available. But this drink is a different story. It uses Iwai Japanese whisky, bitters, orange peel, and cherry, and is another drink that comes with a lid to hold in smoke, giving it an almost barbecue appeal.

Swapping bourbon with Japanese whisky was a smart move in this cocktail. I already knew I adored Japanese whisky, but this drink made me love it all the more (and may have even turned me into an old fashioned fan in general). It smelled very clean, mature, and smoky after removing the lid, and the Japanese whisky smoothed out what I usually find to be a rather harsh drink.

The subtly sweet appeal takes it over the edge, too. And while I found the top five entries to be more inventive or appealing taste-wise, this old fashioned was really, really good. As a result, it takes a fairly high spot on this list.

If there's one drink I adore, one that's an easy go-to no matter the situation, it's the espresso martini. My review of bottled espresso martinis has to be one of my favorite taste tests I've ever done, even if just to sample the wide range of options available on the market. Now, I'll say off the bat that P.F. Chang's didn't have my favorite espresso martini in the world (I prefer mine with some cream). But it was still a remarkably good one that I wouldn't hesitate to have again, so it comes in fifth place.

P.F. Chang's makes its espresso martini with Licor 43, Borghetti, coffee concentrate, vodka, and simple syrup. I assume it's shaken to get that thin foam layer on top, and the finishing touch is a delicate espresso bean garnish. This drink made it all the way up to number five for a few reasons. First, it's definitely strong, both in its coffee flavors and alcohol content. Given that I can't stand a watered-down espresso martini, this gave it automatic bonus points. It also had some chocolatey appeal, with just the right amount of simple syrup to mute the bitterness of the coffee liquor.

This is a very indulgent, not-too-sweet drink that's enhanced by the velvety texture of the foam on top. Since I adore espresso martinis (and this is an exceptionally good one), it was easy to give this a high ranking.

Were I ranking these drinks purely based on aesthetic appeal, P.F. Chang's Spicy Mango Margarita would have easily earned the top spot. I mean, look at it: A bright yellow base garnished with a red dried pineapple slice, and a spicy-looking rim? I promise, I didn't even touch up the above photo (very much), and the drink really looked that stunning in person. It's made with Espolon Reposado tequila, Ancho Reyes Chile Verde liqueur, mango puree, habanero bitters, lime juice, pineapple, and a tajin salted rim. Just ... wow.

Fans of mango will adore this twist on a margarita; in fact, if you don't love the tropical fruit, this may not be for you. It's incredibly mango-forward (which was delightful to me) with some subtle pineapple undertones, giving some acidity to cut through the juiciness of the mango. The tajin rim is aptly spicy but the drink itself isn't, so the two balance each other out well. It's a gorgeous and unique drink with dangerously subtle alcohol, so consume with caution — though I can't blame you if you don't stop at one. It makes the top four for its inventiveness and careful balance, even if I enjoyed the following three more.

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for anything light and refreshing, especially in warm weather months. Given I tried all these drinks on a bright June day, I welcomed the crisp appeal of each beverage with open arms — and P.F. Chang's Asian Pear Mojito stood out the most to me in this regard. I had a feeling it would make my top three from the moment I tried it, in fact, and I was right.

This cocktail puts just enough of a twist on the classic mojito to make it feel like a unique drink, while remaining familiar enough to be a safe choice for those who love the beverage. Plus, despite the name, there's no pear in this at all. Instead, the pear flavor is mimicked by using Sour Apple Pucker liqueur and pineapple juice, then rounded out with Bacardi, lime, mint, and sugarcane syrup.

I adored the use of apple liqueur. The fruity combo does indeed mimic Asian pear flavors, which made for a cooling entry in this lineup. I also got hints of cucumber (despite there not being any here), and the mint obviously offered more refreshing appeal. If you want something alcoholic that's not at all heavy, this is the drink for you, and it only ranks third because of my personal bias toward the top two entries.

Ah, the classic Cosmopolitan. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of the drink, mostly because it contains cranberry juice, which I have a general distaste for. However, P.F. Chang's managed to create a Cosmo that I utterly adored, and it took quite a bit of restraint to keep myself from downing it all. The secret ingredient was lychee syrup. When combined with the drink's other ingredients — Ketel One Citroen, orange curaçao, lime juice, and cranberry juice — I was delighted to find a Cosmo I found appealingly juicy and sweet, yet still mature enough to not feel like a grown-up kid's drink.

Lychee syrup lends a bright and fruity appeal to this drink, though it's very alcohol-forward. Orange curaçao gives just enough tang to keep the drink from being too sweet, while the cranberry juice acts as a grounding agent for the rest of the ingredients (rather than being the dominant note). The result is a very well-balanced beverage that I think most drinkers would enjoy, which gets bonus points for being gorgeous. While it was bested by a single selection that gave both nostalgic appeal and a highly unique quality, this was still the second-best cocktail I tried from P.F. Chang's.

I'll forever advocate for P.F. Chang's Cherry Blossom martini, which has made it onto the spot's permanent cocktail menu after previously being introduced as a seasonal offering. After just one sip, it wasn't hard to see why this had serious staying power. The martini is made with Hendricks gin, St. Germain, strawberry puree, lychee syrup, and lemon juice, with a sugar rim and a cherry garnish, and was the best cocktail I tasted from the chain.

Firstly, the sugar rim is just delightful. I'm not usually a fan, but it paired very well with this drink, which was lemon-forward enough to be slightly tart. In fact, the drink tasted akin to an elevated, alcoholic strawberry lemonade, which took me straight back to pleasant childhood memories of summertime sipping. It still manages to be remarkably mature, though, with the gin giving a sharpness to the nose that doesn't go unnoticed.

Any drinker will likely adore this now-staple menu item, which is why it took the top spot. If you're looking for a remarkably well-balanced, juicy, and fruity summertime cocktail from P.F. Chang's, go for the Cherry Blossom martini.

When sampling P.F. Chang's cocktails, I spent a couple hours eating and sipping at my location during one afternoon (and before you ask, yes: I took an Uber both ways). I tried all 13 selections available at the time of this writing, and had a few factors in mind when ranking them.

The top spots on this list went to flavorful, balanced cocktails that remain unique to P.F. Chang's menu. While I have no doubt some drinks I placed toward the bottom will be a favorite for certain consumers (like the Golden Buddha Mai Tai), they were either too subtle or didn't offer enough balance for my palate. Still, after doing this tasting, I'd recommend grabbing a cocktail the next time you visit the chain, as you just may find a new favorite.