Since 1982 Peking Duck has been serving up Chinese food to the local community. Peter Chang is the general manager and chef at Peking Duck. His father opened the eponymous Duck Chang's in Annandale in 1975.

Duck Chang's was the first Chinese restaurant in the U.S. to serve Peking Duck without 24 hours notice. And they have been serving this time-consuming and delectable dish ever since. It's the star of the show at Peking Duck. If you sit down for dinner you will see at least three or four ducks wheeled out and carved table-side while you're there. Chang has been doing the honors since the very beginning.

Locals frequent the place, and there are many service groups that use the private dining room for meetings and functions. The interior is clean and family-friendly but could use some upgrading. The service is solid and friendly, and the prices are reasonable.

Having eaten there for the past 20 years, the duck is the reason to eat in or carry out. And while you can get a whole or half duck carved for take out, it's really much more fun to have it carved at your table—the kids love it. It's a classic Chinese menu for American diners and can be a nice weekday respite from frozen entrees, pizza or TexMex.

Fortunately Peking Duck has avoided getting in the delivery business, but the time it takes to drive up and get the food is a lot faster than waiting for a pizza. The food doesn't suffer the fate of far too many other Chinese restaurants built to American palates—greasy, over cooked and over sauced dishes.

The egg rolls are solid, and the fried chicken livers are almost a meal in themselves. The hot and sour soup is usually quite good, and the sesame chicken and the twice-cooked beef are also toothsome. There is a buffet lunch every Sunday, which is a good introduction to the menu beyond duck. There are also family menus that you can choose from if you don't have a particular favorite and aren't a big fan of duck.