Pearlz Oyster Bar

Just okay. This is another place everyone seems to rave about, but honestly service and food were par if not below.
Ordered a tuna and a mahi fish taco both of which were somewhat flavorless.
Service was just ok as well but especially disappointing as it wasn’t crowded at the time.

The seafood was as good as the best restaurant on the coast. We will be back to try other selections on the menu.

House oysters are an amazing value! Cassie is our favorite server. Fun vibe and atmosphere. Live music outside on the weekends is a plus!

I was craving oysters and this place somewhat hit the spot for me. The other dishes were just underwhelming and the atmosphere sorta dull.
Sundays have a $ 3 mimosa, $ 5 Bloody Mary drink special. But, I didn’t like my Bloody Mary. It tasted like watered down tomato juice with cheap vodka. I got the house oysters steamed and they were pretty good. Shucking them myself for the first time ever was a bit difficult though. The calamari appetizer was good but salty. We had to ask for lemon wedges and extra sauce (it came drizzled on top of the calamari not on the side). The crab cakes were small but tasty. Our waitress was really nice and informative. My friend got the lobster roll. It was just ok. The lobster meat was tough and chewy to me. Maybe we came on the wrong night (a Sunday stormy night) but this place can have potential if they work on improving their drink specials and dishes. Overall, too expensive for what you get.

Ate a late lunch here today. Wifey wanted me to try this place. She was right the Mussels are very good as well as the calamari. The fish! The fish! OMG! It was some dam greasy I had to peel the beer batter off. DON’T GET THE FISH AND CHIPS!!! The chips are excellent but the fish was so greasy it made my stomach hurt for 3 hours. When I pushed the fork into the fish, the grease rose like water in a sponge. EEEK!!! 14.50 for 8oz’s of fish, that’s expensive for enough fish to fit in a grade school milk carton and I didn’t even finish but half of it. The funny thing is I’ll probably go back again but just won’t get the fish and chips.

Visited a second time. Service very good. I again ordered the crab tomato bisque which was yummy. My friends ordered the fresh oysters and thought they were very good. Presentation of food excellent. Hubby ordered a medley of grilled fish with deep fried mashed potatoes. I ordered hot tea but they we’re out of tea bags but charged me for a cup of hot water.

First time so we did our usual, try it for lunch first. This is part of the HOMETOWN HOSPITALITY GROUP out of Charleston. I had the Soup (Tomato/​Blue Crab) and Slider (Crab Cake). The Soup was very good with a decent amount of Blue Crab… and very hot! The Crab Cake had very little filler and a Mustard Cream Sauce, Tomato and Arugala. My wife had the same except New England Clam Chowder. Thanks Chowder was overloaded with Clams, potatoes… but was very bland with very little flavor at all. I took the Chowder but had to add Salt and Pepper. I’m sure we’ll be back but as far as the Chowder goes, I’ll ask for a sample first!

The staff here is very sweet and attentive. The house oysters were great but the oyster shooter was not. The food here didn’t really stand out to me it was just okay.

Tried here a few weeks ago on 2 different occasions. The food was good — not great but solid good. The menu changes for some items so keep that in mind. I had a really good dish my first visit and my second order of the dish was quite different and didn’t taste all that great. The space is really nice and the servers are friendly. The oysters were good but on the small side. Overall ok.

This is an unholy union between Fatz & Hooters!
Food was so-​so, service was deplorable. Tea was served with no lemons, bench seat comes up for storage, or at least it did for the hefty fellow that sat next to us! I guess people in Charlotte are willing to pay big bucks for seafood! Menu was pretty skimpy and weak. Can’t really recommend this place. If you’re angry, look like Sam Kinison, like crapohydrates, you’ll fit in great here!

The food was good. The fried oysters & the raw on half shell was tasty. The waitress was very rude, uneducated regarding the menu. She had an attitude that almost got her cussed out & fired!
Training needed on customer service. Unfortunately first impressions can dictate if a person will return. The waitress lost custimers b/​c of her unprofessionalism.

First time and we enjoyed it. I just had the grilled veggies or seasonal veggies and they were hot and very tasty; definitely cooked with butter. Son ordered fish tacos and every time he took a bite it was with a mmm. He thought the fritters were great. Other son had fried oyster appetizer and loved it; said tasted fresh. Wife had seafood blt and at first she returned it because they forgot the crab, but they apologized and she said it was very good. Great first experience. .we’ll be back for sure.

Fried Oysters, Bar Service, and Beers were all excellent!
The Tuna Tartare (Poke) was unfortunately gooey and gloopy with a dressing that unfortunately destroyed the dish. Served with toasted baguette slices that were chewy… not crunchy. They seemed like we were served yesterday’s toast. Would be better served with chips… but sadly, I wasn’t that impressed when it came to a dish that is best served simply… fresh tuna, a dash of sesame oil, and a sprinkle of soy. Simpler is better when it comes to tartare/​poke.
I’d definitely do the fried oysters again, however! My husband enjoyed his crab cake sandwich for the most part. A-​OK.

I’ll preface this by saying that I was born and raised in the Midwest, and as such, my knowledge of seafood is pretty limited. I’m working on it.
I went here for dinner recently with a group of 6. We had to wait a while for our table, but we sat at the bar, shared some oysters (I’m a total newb when it comes to oysters but I loved them), and had a couple of drinks, so I didn’t mind.
Service was friendly both at the bar and at our table, though maybe a tiny bit on the slow side (in their defense, it was pretty busy).
We couldn’t commit to a bottle of wine, but I was pleased with the selection of wines available by the glass.
I ordered the mixed grill for dinner. Everything was fantastic (oh god, the scallops were especially amazing), except one of the fishes (I think it was the wahoo but can’t remember for certain) was pretty dry.

Recently grabbed dinner here with the family
Pros: solid service, good happy hour options and comprehensive seafood menu (even if you don’t enjoy oysters)
Cons: expensive considering portion sizes, food lacks dynamic flavor profiles.
Everyone really liked the fried oysters, scallops and lobster risotto, and mahi mahi taco. Tuna taco was fatty and had the bloodline still attached and the calamari lacked bright flavors.
Overall a good option if you are seeking seafood in Ballantyne but not destination dining.

The wife and I were a little skeptical after our experience at Pearlz in Charleston a while back, but we are all for second chances. Now the first thing may be to say that all Pearlz locations may not be equally comparable. It may be more like comparing apples to oranges really. The Charlotte location is in a shopping center, while the Charleston location is in the bustling touristy historic area. The only comparable thing really other than similar menus was the time of day that we ate there. We were there during late lunch time on all occasions. The Charlotte location was not busy at all, while the Charleston version was slammed with people there for happy hour oysters and drinks. It would be interesting to see how the Charlotte locations deals when they are slammed, likely on Friday and Saturday night. Anyway, enough about the comparison, let’s talk about the food and service in Charlotte. Both times we sat at the bar to watch the shucking action going on. The oysters were good, fresh and reasonably priced. The wife and I appreciate a variety and love the saltier/​briny ones that typically come from the colder waters of northern New England and Atlantic Canada.
On the 2 lunch visits, we also ordered apps and/​or sandwiches to include lobster roll, cod sliders, crab cake sandwich and the crab cake appetizer. All of the seafood was fresh and perfectly cooked. Oh and no filler in the huge all crab meat in the crab cake, which is always nice to see. I am particular about my lobster and lobster roll, so I was happy to hear that it was made with fresh cooked lobster. The lobster was the star of the show and also overtook and covered the whole simple hot dog bun that it was served on, again which was a good thing. It was just a little messy to eat as a sandwich and definitely requiring two hands to secure everything together. The Charleston rice was recommended as a side item to go with my lobster roll and really there is no need to opt for any other side in my book. It’s like a spicy jambalaya and very filling. I ordered it again with my cod sliders at the next visit.
Service at the bar was great and attentive. Having personable people behind the bar shucking oysters, making drinks and serving food goes a long way. The only drawback is that we are not close by to be regulars, but we will return as often as when can and whenever we are in the area.

At long last Pearlz has finally opened in Stonecrest (am I the only one who was counting down for it???). I’ve been in twice to check them out and both times I was a happy camper!
Their food is on par with the Charleston location that I know and love — I was worried it might not live up to the reputation.
Both times we sat at the bar — the second visit there was an hour and a half wait, we lucked out finding a spot. I don’t think they take reservations, so keep that in mind. Luckily the bar area is pretty big so you can hover around and eventually score a spot.
Oysters Rockefeller, steamed mussels, peel and eat jumbo shrimp, calamari… gumbo…just a few of the delish things I’ve tried. I need to venture in to the world of raw oysters, they look so good here and I doubt you can get fresher in Charlotte. They have such a huge menu, everyone will find something they like (even carnivores can get a burger or a steak).
I hope Pearlz decides to open another Charlotte location and picks something more central — Uptown maybe? Stonecrest is kind of a pain and pretty far out there.
Thanks for bringing the freshest seafood to Charlotte Pearlz, I’m so happy you’re here!

This is one of those reviews that needs a caveat. I’m not a big fan of «fu-​fu» food. Our oysters were fresh, cold, delicious & affordable. They were served with all the necessary accoutrements, end of story. The tuna tartar tasted a bit off, fishy and I’m a huge sashimi fan. Their Cobb tower needs dressing options & if that’s not acceptable, more rather than less is necessary due to the dryness of the ingredients in the tower. The homemade chips are served with a blue cheese knock-​off, OK but two chunks amidst the liquid made us work around them to get any dip at all.
All in all, not a good first visit. I think it’s gonna take another trip to identify what they do well, did I mention the oysters…
P. S. Please stock a decent non-​alcohol import, O’Doul’s is disgusting!

First of all, our server DORN was awesome! He was attentive, friendly, and knowledgable. Frank ordered the raw oysters and said they were some of the best he’s ever had. They better be, hence the name Pearlz. I ordered the fried shrimp with the Asian chili sauce. Shrimp was a little iodiney and the sauce was way too sweet. Not bad tho. I also ordered the Corn Fritters and they were delicious. They had chopped peppers dotted throughout and they were sweet and pillowy. The only complaint that I have about them is they would be better if there was a sauce to dip into, something spicy, like a red pepper aioli to offser the sweetness of the corn. Frank ordered another half dozen of the oysters. I was gonna try the BLT TOWER WITH CRAB, but I’ll save that for next time. I’ll give it another try to order entrees. Overall, it was ok. No pearl found yet.

My friend invited me to their soft opening night tonight. While I am aware soft opening is not indicative of their normal service, I do like to provide a sneak peak of what may to come.
I have never been to the other locations and thus have zero frame of reference, but it seems like Pearlz already has its own small Charlotte fan club from patronizing their Charleston location. My overall impression by reviewing their menu is that it offers a good selection of seafood options at a very reasonable price. If you don’t like seafood (or allergic), they have plain salads, a burger and a steak to choose from.
My complimentary dinner started with half a dozen of raw oysters (this time from VA, $ 8.95 for 6 or $ 14.95 for 12). They were fresh and of good size but were little bland in taste. I was told they will have varietal oyster offerings (ex. West coast) which will be more expensive but tastier.
My appetizer was the peel & eat shrimp ($ 12.50, 8 to an order, enough to share since they are the bigger shrimps). Slightly seasoned with Old Bay, they are good for the cocktail shrimp lovers. But I am spoiled by my prior fresh shrimps eating days, I found these shrimps to lack that particular bounce and «fresh from the water» taste.
2^nd course I chose the Oysters Rockefeller ($ 11.95, 5 to an order). I may say this is one of the highlights. Very flavorful, not too cheesy, a hint of bacon but not overpowering. However I didn’t see the crawfish/​lump crab toppings as shown on menu description, but still a solid excellent dish.
Lastly I chose the fried shrimp entrée. The 2 side items semi stole the show — the homemade chips and the corn fritters. The chips (really chips, not fries) were perfectly crispy. The fritters were slightly coated in powder sugar, giving it a good contrast to the otherwise savory dish. The shrimps itself (I believe they are the same source of shrimps as the cocktail shrimps) were ok; the batter can be lighter in sodium and the weight. For $ 16.95 there was plenty of shrimps to go around.
Ok… I lied, that was not my «lastly;» the last item I had was the cup of seafood gumbo ($ 4.95) I added at the very end. And it is legit. Not some tomato based fake stuff. This is the brownish good stuff — how gumbo really should be made from a dark roux. I promise, you want a cup if not a bowl of this!
Overall from the food standpoint, Pearlz offers excellent value. So shrimps are not their strength in my opinion, but the Rockefeller and the gumbo were both solid. The portion I saw on everything is good. The tuna tartare looked divine. Fried calamari tossed with peppers is on my list to try. Local beers on draft ($ 5) and $ 9 signature cocktails — tho alcohol license wasn’t ready as of today. I think Pearlz is ready to shake things up in Stonecrest, and give the big chain restaurants around the corner a run for their money!