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| - I love seafood; it's probably my favorite type of food. There is nothing better to me than sitting along a coast or body of water, on a patio, enjoying fresh, steamed seafood. With that said, I'm giving Pearlz 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 for its: nice ambience (4 stars); friendly, courteous service (4 stars), quality seafood (4 stars); and consistency (3.5 stars).
Nice ambience. Pearlz is a little off the beaten path in a strip mall about 11 miles from Uptown (distance matters: see below). The area is relatively new and on the weekends, it's definitely bustling, where the parking lot is full and there is a live band playing for your entertainment off the patio. Inside, it's set up like a bar: booth or high top seating comprised of dark wood in a dimly lit backdrop. During the day, its large windows stream light in and at night, you have lighted trees right outside to enhance the playful atmosphere.
Friendly, courteous service. I've been to Pearlz several times now for both lunch and dinner, usually on the weekends. My most recent visit was on a Thursday night at around 9 pm, my only weekday visit. On my weekend visits, they're generally relatively busy (the longest that I've waited for a table was 5 minutes) but they are always upbeat, attentive and prompt. I order a very specific virgin margarita and like to have a new salted rim cup brought; further, I make revisions to the menu that they very kindly accommodate. However, the one weekday night I went, we were 2 of 3 patrons in the restaurant and the service was very slow, which was a break from the very expedient service to which I had grown accustomed.
Quality seafood. The seafood I've had here is always fresh (as fresh as you can get being 3 hours from the coast) and the food is always flavorful. I've had:
--------DELICIOUS (I always order these):
+ oysters. The oysters aren't briny or fishy; they melt in your mouth like butter. They're not the best I've had but are good for the price.
+ steamed clams. For some reason, I can't do the raw ones even though I always do raw oysters. I get them in the garlic butter sauce, which has light onions and freshly toasted, lightly butter garlic bread and it is so yummy.
+ peel and eat shrimp. The shrimp is plump and succulent. You have to do a little work but these guys are almost the size of prawns so they're worth it. They are also well seasoned in Old Bay.
+ clam chowder. It's very hearty, full of chunks of potatoes and clams. The broth is creamy. Not the best I've had but still very good.
+ fried shrimp dinner. My boyfriend loves this, the fries are good, the shrimp are well seasoned and plump. My boyfriend always orders this.
--------GOOD (sometimes but not always):
+ Caesar salad. The dressing is lemon-based and creamy, a step up from store-bought but not quite as good as the house-made versions at steak restaurants.
---------MEH, JUST OK (tried it but won't order again):
+ calamari. They are breaded and fried, have good flavor of Old Bay and a hint of butter but not memorable.
+ Lobster sandwich. The lobster is tasty, the roll is buttery. This is a good sandwich but not the best I've had.
+ crab cake sandwich. This is a crab cake dressed like a burger. The crab cake is tender and sweet but not worthy of a repeat.
On their raw menu, they have a 4 clams, 4 oysters and 4 shrimps item and I always revise this based on whether I order a full shrimp or full oyster (I typically end up with 6 clams and half a dozen of one other item).
Consistency. I would have given Pearlz 4.5 stars but they got knocked down for consistency. My last Thursday night visit had dissapointing service. Our server would disappear for prolonged periods of time even though we were her only patrons.
So I eat raw oysters all over the world without hesitation. Usually, I'm willing to risk the upset tummy here and there because I do love oysters. All the other 5+ times I've been, I have never had a problem -- until last Thursday. The 11-mile drive back home was sheer torture... I'm certain it was the oysters or clams because my boyfriend was fine and didn't have either. I'm not saying that it was enough to deter me from returning but I would say skip this as a first date location or at least skip the oysters or clams for such an occasion.
Overall, I've been to Pearlz many times and would not hesitate to come back (but I'm willing to take calculated digestive risks), although consider yourself warned as far as consuming raw oysters or the steamed clams here (my adverse reaction was the exception not the norm but I've been to many other places throughout the world and only have problems 5% of the time, if ever).
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