Walrus & The Pearl

The oysters here are a big draw, and for good reasons: they are very fresh, different varieties are offered on different days, and the happy hour prices are great ($ 1 oysters on Monday and Tuesday). I tried a half-​dozen each of Paradise and Fanny Bay oysters, two of the 3 varieties offered on the Tuesday that I came here. I tried them plain as well as with the mignonette and freshly-​grated horseradish; either way, they were delicious and pleasantly briny. The place is tucked in a little area near the stairway inside DeSoto Central Market. The design elements are minimal, but for me that just adds to the comfortable informal vibe.

The oyster selection! Great service, great oysters, and a great city market feel. It was a little bit pricey for a dozen oysters and a cheap glass of champagne but I enjoyed the experience.

Reasons to come here:
1– it’s a part of DeSotto Market, which is a pretty cool spot filled with several tasty options and plenty of space to hang
2– fresh oysters! Yum! Prices vary depending what kind, but you can count on $ 1 oysters m-​t 3−6pm and $ 2 oysters w-​f 3−6pm
3– the people who work here are pretty legit. I don’t always know which oysters to order so they’ll explain brininess and size. And they’ll recommend some if you ask
4– speaking of happy hour … $ 2 off wines and $ 1 beers. That makes the sparkling rose only $ 6!
5– clam chowda. Yup. Get it.
Reasons why I’m not giving it a 5^th star (if I could do 4.5, I def would!)
1– if you order here, they prefer you eat here. That’s tough when you’re with a group and they have limited bar seating
2– speaking of bar seating. The seats are stools and don’t have backs. It’s not the most comfy thing to sit on long term
3– while the people are super friendly, they’re normally pretty busy. You normally have to ask for more napkins, refills on water, etc. (hey I’m really stingy about that 5^th star!)
4– parking can be tricky. There’s a lot next door, but sometimes the gate is closed. There’s a small lot across the alley and metered street parking (the kind that don’t take credit cards)

Walrus & The Pearl is set within the beautiful DeSoto Central Market just off Roosevelt and Central. It’s hard to miss with its trademark logo (image of a walrus with the business name artfully inscribed within the form) and glorious displays of oysters!
Walrus & The Pearl is where I tasted my very first oyster of all time. I visited months and months ago with a friend who is proficient in such matters and she assured me that these oysters were some of the freshest around. I was not disappointed.
The oysters are beautiful and delicious, but the rest of the menu, though small and unassuming, shines equally as bright. The poke, in particular, is wonderfully delicious and surprisingly filling with a dash of spiciness to it as well (which I love!).
Considering the quality and portions of seafood sold at Walrus & The Pearl, I consider the prices to be very fair. I’ve also greatly appreciated the outstanding service I’ve experienced here every time I’ve made the drive down for a visit.
DeSoto is a really neat little market, rich with tasty options, but Walrus & The Pearl stands out as an easy favorite. Its setup is small yet intimate and would make a really great date spot (sure has for me, anyway!).
If you haven’t been to Walrus & The Pearl yet and you find yourself in the area, I would strongly recommend a visit. Order the poke and a couple oysters — it’ll make your day (or night). If you have questions about the menu, the staff is always more than happy to help.
Walrus & The Pearl Team: thank you for being so amazing, so knowledgeable, and so willing to help in every case I’ve needed it. You’re doing a great job. I hope you’re able to hang around for a good long time. :)

We stopped in last weekend to enjoy a drink at the bar and were hoping to have some shrimp cocktail as well, but no such luck on the weekend! My rose sparkling wine was perfect and a great prelude to our amazing dinner at the Larder and the Delta. Everyone that sat down next to us raved about the oysters, so if that is your thing definitely come and check it out.

I am huge fan of Desoto and the communal space they have created. We were here for brunch on a very rainy Sunday at around 2pm. I went to Walrus & The Pearl to order clam chowder (I had just seen it on Desoto’s instagram) and they told me it takes around 5 hours to prepare.5 hours! Sooooooo we ate at Radish which was great.

Unilocal said they open at Noon but we were here at 1pm and no one was in sight. We waited around a bit and asked one of the busboys walking around and he said they opened at 2. We walked around some shops along the street, even checking out some of the food trucks parked at the Public Market, came back at 2:06pm and still, no one in sight! We asked the busboy again and he then said it opened at 3!!! W-​T-​F!!! This was very disappointing especially since we came here specifically for this place (we’re visiting from LA, so it’s not like we’re locals and can come back another time).
Get your sh! t together and update your hours for your patrons that actually want to try your food!

Cute place inside DeSoto Central Market… the seafood is outstanding for AZ!

We love this place. Their oysters are fresh and they have a wonderful variety to choose from. The $ 1 and $ 2 happy hour specials are a great value! It’s great watching the chef shuck right in front of you and I’ve seen him toss one or two that didn’t meet his standards. We plant to go back when we get the chance!

Cruised in on a holiday Saturday p.m. & they were empty. First time we’d seen more than one stool available so we saw our chance & grabbed some wood.
Very, very knowledgeable staff walk you through the diff types of oysters & pairings. So yummy & fun. I def recommend.

Oyster lovers, rejoice!
As here you will find some of the best shucked Oysters, varieties hailing from New Zealand and BC, East Coast and West Coast, briny or salty, sweet and petite.
On my recent visit, I sampled all of the 7 varieties.
Kumamotos from Humboldt Bay, Coromandels from New Zealand, Eld Inlets from Washington, Misty Points from Virginia, Kumiais from California, Miyagis from Puget Sounds, and Kaiparas from New Zealand. A more eclectic and delightful combination of oysters I have never had. They were perfect with W&P’s cocktail sauce and shaved horseradish.
The spicy tuna tartare was pure heaven, nestled on a spicy citrus avocado mousse, and for $ 8 it was a fantastic price.
The oysters varieties vary in price, but during Happy Hour they are $ 1 and $ 2. I believe hours are Mon-​Thurs 3 – 6 — and the occasional Friday night when there is an overabundance of these beauties.
This will be my destination for oysters forevermore!!! Finally, the ocean feels a bit closer.
Be aware that there is only bar seating at this cozy oyster bar, and raw seafood can only be consumed at the bar. So timing here is everything :)

Great Oysters! Nice atmosphere. A very small Oyster bar in a nice and much bigger building with other food businesses. Pete, the chef, was terrific. I’m coming back for sure!

Incredibly insightful staff, shucking oysters as you watch. Amazing!

Attended the #nationaloysterday Oyster Tasting (with the drink pairing) at Walrus & the Pearl. My first time to DeSoto Central Market– it’s an awesome space with tons of potential. I wish it were busier!
Our tasting was excellent. One-​bite appetizer, first course, oyster course, and last course. Everything was super-​fresh and absolutely delicious. The chef and shucker were really knowledgeable and fun. I would absolutely come back just for the oyster happy hour! (I also added pics, which speak for themselves.)
Honestly, the only critique I would have is that the overall the service needs to work on its timing. I felt like diners at the tasting were often waiting around for the next plate to happen. Perhaps this is because it’s still a relatively new space and is still working out the kinks.
Thanks for a fun time :)

This place in Desoto Market made my month! Watching them shuck delicious oysters right in front of you is so refreshing and not to mention reminiscent of being in Seattle. They have my beloved Kumamoto oysters (that are the most expensive) but are so worth it. During happy hour they have oysters for a dollar a piece. I actually came here the first time, after being to a few other places in Desoto, for National Oyster Day and they did not disappoint! I went to Little Cleos last year, and was so sad that by 6 pm they had run out of oysters.
Thanks guys for being awesome and giving me a good dozen! Will be back for the rest of the menu.

To circle back on what I wrote prior:
Service: much improved. The staff is much more comfortable in their rhythm. Still super friendly and chatty (the good kind, not the annoying kind).
Oysters: the selection has gotten much wider and they are very tasty. Also, they have some very reach happy hour hours during the week, where oysters that usually go for $ 19.50 a half dozen, for $ 1 or $ 2 each during HH. I don’t remember when, but it’s on some weekdays at least from 4−6pm (including Friday). They are damn good.
Also, their HH includes $ 2 off drinks. I love having bubbles with oysters and they have a pretty good selection.
They currently have a salmon salad (it’s raw, FYI). It is a TON of fish per order despite how small it looks in the cup, so I would get one to share– yes, share.
The only thing is I find the sauces they come don’t really enhance the taste, so I just ask for lemon instead.
The main reason I come to Desoto Market is for this spot, and I will surely be back!

I love that I can finally get fresh oysters shucked right in front of me in downtown phoenix! They offer a wide variety of oysters from the Pacific Northwest so far, all of which are priced fairly considering they are being shipped to the desert. They also have great happy hour prices on their oysters ranging from $ 1 – 2 per oyster! This is a very welcome and exciting addition to the market!

Say hello to the newest of DeSoto Central Market’s creations. An oyster bar serving a pretty wide variety of seafoods. They were a little late in joining the DeSoto family, but finally came into the fold on May 9^th, 2015. Having sampled all of DeSoto’s other creations, I figured I’d give this place a shot. I should preface this review by saying that my rating is closer to a 3.5, but I’m rounding up largely because of Chef Pete. Super classy guy who answered pretty much all of my questions and explained his rotating menu (though he didn’t give up all his trade secrets). The prices are such that I can’t give this place a super high mark yet, but my first visit gives me plenty of reason to be hopeful of this new upstart.
Among the items on Walrus & The Pearl’s food menu include different types of oysters, shrimps, as well as other fish species. Among the menu items that caught my attention during my first visit here was their pokes. I’ve heard of poke (pronounced po-​kay for those unfamiliar), which I know is huge in Hawaii and parts of Asia, but I’ve never sampled it for myself. Essentially pokes are small bowls of raw fish that are covered with sea salt and an array of various marinades. Today I decided to have a Yellowfin Tuna Poke.
The menu doesn’t mention what was in the poke other than the tuna, so I did my best to figure it out on my own. Aside from sea salt, I picked up sriracha, lemon juice, pepper, parsley, and scallions. Might’ve been a few other items in there, but that’s what I could make out. The portion was fairly modest (though plenty for lunch), but about what I expected based on seeing poke dishes on the Food Network. Overall, I was a big fan of this dish. The sriracha gave it a little bit of a kick without being too spicy and the tuna tasted good enough to be sushi grade (who knows, maybe it was). I also got a glass of the Pinor Noir. I was pretty happy as I was the first one to have their Pinot Noir so they opened the bottle in front of me. Refreshing accompaniment to the poke for sure.
So back to the drawback of this place. The prices. Total tab for the poke, glass of Pinot Noir, tax and tip came to $ 35. Granted, I ordered one of the more expensive wines on their list. But still, $ 15 for a glass of wine is pretty steep. Most of their drink offerings are around $ 10 or less so don’t let my experience scare you off on that front. The prices of the seafood items themselves pretty much vary on which type of seafood you get and how much of it. And as I mentioned earlier, the food menu rotates depending on what they have available so bear that in mind.
Taken as a whole, Walrus & the Pearl has promise. It remains to be seen whether this oyster bar/​seafood restaurant concept can work when there are much cheaper offerings at DeSoto, but its certainly worth a try. As mentioned Chef Pete is a super friendly guy and has been an apprentice of famed valley chef Stephen Jones (i.e. Blue Hound Kitchen, Yard Bird, etc.), so he’s got the lineage to succeed. Hopefully he’s able to work out the menu to a price point that will make his oyster bar a regular mainstay for Downtown lunch and dinner crowds. After all, taking risks are pretty much what every aspiring restauranteur at DeSoto is here to do.