I ate my food so fast I didn't take a picture. Music, bustling energy, good vibes. I ordered the pork belly combo (comes with side of plantains, salad, and arroz con grandules). Cook time was about 20 minutes but I didn't mind because that means the chefs took their time to make it tasty. The first bite of the pork belly was an epic burst of flavor. The owner brought over sauces to try with the plate, and the dressing on the plantains worked for some reason. I was hitting the table because the food was so good! read more

The food was authentic and delicious. Served hot and fresh. The flavors were perfect for my wife who is not accustomed to Latin / Caribbean cuisine or any cuisine that has peppers involved . I was able to ask for some special spices and sauces that made it bring the heat the way i like ;)) The service was on point, everyone was friendly and offered suggestions based on our questions. The ambiance was great! You order at the counter and can sit anywhere. We chose to sit on the balcony overlooking the marketplace allowing us a great vantage point to enjoy some people watching. The plates were large so we were ready for a nap after we finished. We will definitely come again! read more

Finally a Puerto Rican restaurant semi-nearby! The ambiance is cute with good music. Drinks include fresh coconuts, alcohol, and I believe PR sodas. The 2 chicken appetizers could have used slightlyyyyyy more seasoning though. The beef empanada was huge and filled well. May come back to try other stuff. Cashier was friendly. read more

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This place is a gem. If you order what I order you are going to have a great day. I eat this 2-3 times a week and I think I could eat it everyday and be stoked. Get the Pollo Encebollado, with Arroz con Gandules and Maduros. Put the mango habenaro sauce on the rice and beans. Put the garlic mayo on the side to dip the chicken in. The sauces are made in house and Chef Cheo"s creation. And the sweet maduros, I swear they are like dessert while you eat. I would like anyone to please tell me where I can get a better tasting chicken thigh, anywhere!? I challenge anyone. Also a beer goes absolutely stunningly with this meal. On top of all this flavor they also have friendly staff that break out in some bangin salsa music occasionally. This place is my happy place. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Pollo Encebollado - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The empanadas and plates are very good. Great quality each time. Fun atmosphere and friendly staff. Recommended!

Best authentic Puerto Rican food in the Bay Area hands down! My hubby and I were so happy to find a spot that reminded us of the Spanish food back at his hometown in Massachusetts. Furthermore, the decor blew me away with all the Puerto Rican flags, art, pictures on the wall and bright colors. They serve authentic dishes from Pernil with arroz con gandules, beef and chicken empanadillas, and mofongo. For this visit, I ordered the daily special, which was the combo Pernil plate with arroz con gandules, tostones (fried plantains), and a beef empanadilla. My hubby ordered the chuletas combo plate. All I gotta say is that after I took that first bite of Pernil, I instantly knew that this was not going to be our only time eating here. The Pernil wasn't dry and the skin (the best part) was so crispy, including the tostones. The beef empanadilla was delicious! Not only was the food amazing, the service was excellent! Plus I couldn't stop dancing while eating in my seat while they played Bad Bunny songs. We met the owner who was very friendly and I loved the positive energy that he brought to the restaurant which made our first dining experience such a vibe! If I could give this place more than 5 stars I would. Can't wait to come back to try the mofongo! read more

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First time trying Puerto Rican cuisine. La Perla is located on the second floor of the Castro Valley Marketplace. We decided to come here because parents were visiting from out of town and Dad wanted to try this place out. The decor is very cute. Streamers of Puerto Rican flags strewn across, bongo drums, and colorful tables and chairs. Also the energetic trumpet sounds of Latin jazz filled the air. You place your order at the register and choose your seating where you like. They offer water , pitcher for self serve. Husband ordered the pork chop. I ordered the chicken combo plate. My chicken was very tender and juicy. My husband's pork chop was also thick and tender and juicy . I also loved the vinegared onions on top of my salad. The olives in the rice was new to me but was also very yummy. And of course the fried plantains were hot and sweet and delicious. We really enjoyed trying a new cuisine, something new and different for us. I have no comparison for Puerto Rican foods and other restaurants, but from a first timers experience I would rate 5/5. Would love to come back again. The food was good, hot and tasty and it's a cute little corner shop with fun festive decor. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - First time trying Puerto Rican - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This Puerto Rican restaurant is NEXT LEVEL! I've been rocking with them since they were in Oakland off Fruitvale, and I'm so happy they're now at the Marketplace in Castro Valley (second floor go find them!). The hospitality? 10/10. Customer service is always on point, the staff is welcoming, and the whole vibe feels like family the second you walk in. Now let's talk about the FOOD. Flavor packed in every single bite! I ordered the arroz con gandules, pastel, sweet plantains, and the tostones. FIRE. Whew! Everything was seasoned perfectly and cooked with real love. And don't even get me started on the sauces... GAME. CHANGER. They take the whole meal completely over the top. read more

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Order: 1 Chicharrones de Pollo (Fried Chicken Cracklings) with Arroz con Habichuelas Price: $17.00 1 Pollo Encebollado (Baked Chicken with Sautéed Onions) with Arroz con Habichuelas Price: $17.00 Total: $47 The restaurant is located inside the Castro Valley Marketplace on the second floor. There are both stairs and elevators available. Parking is plentiful in the lot and free. The food was great--truly a delicious meal. The chicken was very tender and juicy, and I loved the tostones; they were super crispy. My husband really enjoyed his fried chicken cracklings and said the meal was a 10/10. We enjoyed every bite. Service was good. The young lady at the counter was friendly and polite and answered all of our questions since it was our first time visiting on 01/25. You order and pay at the counter, then take a seat. I'm personally not a big fan of ordering and paying at the counter because it can feel a bit rushed. Water and utensils are self-serve. I loved the ambiance of this place. They incorporated their culture throughout the entire restaurant--very colorful, vibrant, and visually appealing. The aesthetics were beautiful. Overall, I will definitely be coming back to try other dishes. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Solid Puerto Rican spot tucked in the top floor of the CV marketplace! You can hear the music when you walk in, and it was a bit busy on a Sunday afternoon. You order first at the counter and then seat yourself, with self serve water available. The food arrived in decent time, and we were given two sauce bottles as well. The pork chop mofongo was my favorite out of everything we ordered! The pork chop was tender and juicy, paired well with flavorful mofongo and surrounded by a delicious sauce. The empanadas were also good and filled with meat, albeit the beef one was a bit dry - the chicken was less dry. The baked chicken plate was great as well! Juicy chicken, well seasoned rice, and solid yuca fries. The only disappointment were the fried chicken cracklings - they were overcooked, hence dry. Overall, had a pleasant time here and enjoyed the food! read more

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I love !!! First time trying this kind of food and it was so delish ! Came here for superbowl and everyone was having a good time listening to bad bunny representing the culture and it was so amazing to see. I would definitely come back!! The prices were so fair also ! I loved the decor and the ambiance. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The food was good as always! I finally got the empadillas! It was SO good! You can taste the seasonings and the coconut in the chicken! The counter and service was quick! The art of the wall is timely and historic! I love the fact that they didn't over clutter the decor! The rice was a little on the dry side for my personal taste, but the yucca was on point! This is definitely our go to Puerto Rican spot near the house! read more

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We went for lunch and spoke to the owner who explained the various food options available and also how some of them are cooked. That was our first visit, so I was impressed that he took the time to explain things. We ordered the baked chicken and found it to be delicious. Will return in the future to try some of the other dishes. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Baked Chicken - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The food is absolutely delicious. My husband and I both had the empanadilla combo. We will visit again!! read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Beef empanadilla, arroz con gandules and maduros (fried plantains) - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

so glad to find good Latin Caribbean food in Castro valley. I had chuleta (pork chop}, habichuelas (beans) white rice. the pork chop was a big bone in chop cut with most of the rib meat still attached. it was fried but they had prepped it correctly so it stayed flat and didn't seize up in a ball. it was thick and very delicious probably the best pork chop I've had out in some years. it was the heritage breed from a local butcher a duroc pork chop. my wife ordered the mofongo and some fried chicken on the side it was so good. took me back to Brooklyn. eat this food now do yourself a favor order the pork chop if you are in the pork chops it is so good. I used to sell me in New York City to the finest restaurants and it was all heritage breed pork just like the duroc pork we had here. so good. a gem, I'll definitely be back. read more

La Perla's new location inside the CV marketplace is a big upgrade from their former location in the Diamond District of Oakland. Plenty of seating, TVs, and access to the rest of the marketplace make it a place worth driving over for. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but my personal favorite is anything with the chicharrones de pollo. Their in house hot sauce is excellent too. Their ordering and food pickup process could be a little smoother, as everything is ordered at the counter, and it's confusing as to whether or not you are supposed to pick up your food from the counter, or it will be delivered to your table. And for the price you pay, it would be nice to see some real plates utilized rather than paper boats. This will not however deter me from returning for more delicious mofongo, chicharrones, camarones, and empanadas. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Hot sauce - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Came here for the first time a couple weeks ago on a Tuesday for lunch. My order: combo plate with chicharrones de pollo, with the sweet plantains (you can choose between the savory and sweet one, or yuca fries), and I got the seasoned rice. My husband got the mofongo. Dishes are around $17 to $25 if you get the average priced ones. Pros: - I feel like it's really rare to have puerto rican food in the East Bay area, so this is a really nice addition to the indoor market here in CV! - Really warm and bright atmosphere, open seating, very colorful - The worker was really nice, and explained the items on the menu in a patient way since I hadn't had Puerto Rican food before - Pretty large portions, we definitely had leftovers, especially if you get the combo plate - Really good bottled sauces that you can use with your meal! there's like a spicy one and a mango one and it's really good on the chicharrons, plantains, and rice. Cons: - Everything to me felt very ... dry? I felt like I had to put sauce on everything so that it didn't feel so dry in my mouth when I was chewing it. It could also be my own ignorance since I haven't really tried Puerto Rican food much before - Not great for parties bigger than like 4 if it's a busy time like during dinner, since most of the tables are smaller - Parking can be tricky if it's a busy meal time, since the village is always super crowded. Overall, not a bad try! Wouldn't mind coming here again read more

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The setting is perfect and clean. Nice music playing. Friendly service. The mango sauce in the squirt bottle is perfect to use as salad dressing. The pork chop dish was very good and it comes with a flag as garnish. The baked chicken with onions was juicy and the plantains were excellent. Rice is a nice change from the usual although a coconut rice option would be a great addition to the flavors provided here. As some noted, the credit card charge back is weak. That should be stated as you order as nobody likes surprise charges. Maybe just increase the prices a couple points and don't cause people anxiety. Bottom line though - the food and setting are very well done. read more

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Omg the place is so cute ! So colorful and it gives that Puerto Rican feel like i legit thought i was on vacation especially because the music is blasting with good vibes. The staff is super friendly which made the experience that much better. They have some good food options my favorite is the pork chops definitely 10/10. For kids the tenders are not tenders lol just chicken with no sauce but still good just fyi. read more

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This is a walk up, order, find a seat and pick up your order when it's called out kind of restaurant. It's located upstairs in a grocery / food hall, but separate from the other businesses so it isn't confusing to find. I ordered the creole shrimp. I can't really remember the name, but it was very flavorful and if garlic was used like I think it was, it definitely made an impact in the dish. Side note - you know when you're younger and there are just certain things that your taste buds don't like? Mine was pickled onions from only God knows where, until last Sunday. They weren't half as bad as I remember. In fact, they weren't bad at all, so kudos to growth. Anyway, the one thing I have to pick at is mofongo not being offered as a side. It's only offered as an entree, but I would have loved a side of it. This is a simple restaurant in terms of seating and just ordering your food. We were checked on about our food and that was it - I was able to eat and enjoy in peace. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This place is legit. We ordered the fried chicken and baked chicken combos, a veggie empanada, two juices of boxes, and coconut. This is not going to part of the normal rotation. The food was delicious. Three plates and the additional item I mentioned was roughly 80 bucks. I guess this is the norm in costs these days. Process- you order at the counter and sit down. They yell your name and you pick up the food. When you are done, there is a trash can just outside for you to toss your food and drop the plastic trays. Easy. FYI. All the tables were filled by 7pm on a Friday night. They have big tables so it's nice for kids. I consider this a family friendly atmosphere. read more

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I'm sorry for the three! Our first time coming and we were so lost! I walked up to the counter. No greeting. I'm huge on greeting's. I almost left. But I really wanted to try Puerto Rican food. And I had read so many great reviews so I said OK maybe it's me. So so I look at the what you call it. KISOK and I said OK maybe I order here? So then I asked the young lady behind the register. Do you take my order and hello how are you? And she said I could take your order you can order on there. It wasn't busy. I don't know why I felt a little brushed off! So my daughter proceeded to give her her order. And then I had a few questions and after that she was really friendly and very helpful. It's just the first impression for me is something else. I've always been huge on greetings. So she did make up for it that's why it's three stars. I can't remember the names of the things I ordered. So there's pictures and I enjoyed the food. I won't say that I would eat there again because it just wasn't to my daughter or my liking. But that's just us nothing personal food was really good. It was just different so I would honestly give it a 10 out of 10. My daughter had the pork belly. She said it was all fat so she gave it a Three out of 10. read more

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La Perla is on the second floor of the Castro Valley Marketplace. There is an elevator so it is accessible. You ordered at the counter and the food is delivered to you. We dined there on a Sunday for lunch, and almost all the tables were occupied when we arrived, a good sign. The menu is only one page and a bit limited. I was a little disappointed that the Pernil(roasted pork shoulder) they are known for is available only on Saturdays, but we tried the chuletas pork chop, the fried chicken, the baked chicken, and grilled shrimp. For each order, you can request up to two sides, such as plantains or seasoned rice, and a side of salad is also included. Don't come here if you are already very hungry, cause it took about 25 minutes before our food started to arrive, and the reason for deducting a star. While waiting, the owner was singing along to the Latin music he was playing over the sound system. He actually sang pretty good, and with the Puerto Rican decor around the place, it is not a stretch to imagine you are in Puerto Rico. Onto the food, the pork chop was one of the best I ever had. It was chunky and thick with meat, and the way the seasoned the meat made it tasted so good. I am salivating just thinking about it. The fried chicken was also pretty good, but my wife thought the baked chicken was a bit bland. My mother enjoyed her grilled shrimp. The portions of the order were pretty good, so we didn't have room for dessert. As we were finishing up our meals, the owner came by and asked us how's everything, and we gave him a thumbs up. We plan to make a trip back on a Saturday for the Pernil. read more

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I m a Fan of La Perla !!! I have wanted to try them, when they were located in Oakland!!! Now they have a New Home in the Castro Valley Market Place!!! There's Tons of Parking and It's a lot safer than Oakland!!! La Perla is definitely a Family Owned Business and a Family Run Business!!! Decor is Vibrant and very Puerto Rican Proud !!! La Perla was recently featured on KTVU Zip Line Feature on their AM News Show!!! I arrived at La Perla to a very Clean and Festive atmosphere'n The Owners DAUGHTER IN LAW took my Order! I ordered the Beef Empanada , Yucca Frite and Arroz Con Gandules Combination Plate !!! I also ordered a Coconut for a Beverage!!! I grabbed a Table and Chilled out!! 15 minutes later my Food Arrived at my Table. It was a Nice Presentation!! I used some of their House Secret Sauce on my Beef Empanada and my Yucca Frites!! That Sauce is like Crack!!! Yummy!! The Owner and Chef ‍ is Quite Hospitable and Social able !!! For All These Reasons, This Is A Baller On A Budget Approved Establishment!!! I Always Keep My Pimp Hand Strong !!!! read more

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Repeat customers of the former Fruitvale District location and had to check out the new spot in Castro Valley. Different staff (at least on the day we visited), but nice and friendly. We noticed the portions are smaller, mojo used to be complimentary and we paid $2.50 for less than 2oz. The beans are usually delicious but primarily gravy and less beans. I specifically asked for more beans and less gravy and received more gravy and less beans, which were completely bland. I was so sad, the beans were one of my LaPerla favorites. We also ordered an empanada and didn't receive it but also wasn't charged so we didn't attempt to reorder. read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Carnitas plate with rice, beans, salad and order of chicken chicharron. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

The pork belly was cooked to perfection rice was moist service was friendly and sweet plantain was delicious. Strongly recommend

What a gem of a place! So nice to have a local Puerto Rican restaurant (my fav one is Sol Food in San Rafael). La Perla is a delicious and authentic restaurant located within the Castro Valley Marketplace. The decor and ambiance feels like you're in Old San Juan, and the music makes you want to dance! The owner also came out to play the drums a bit and mingle with the patrons, love how personable he is. Came for dinner around 5pm on a Saturday and it wasn't busy. Ordered the pork combo plate which came with 2 sides and a small salad while my bf ordered the chicken combo plate and an empanada. Food came out relatively quick, you can tell they make everything fresh. The chicken and pork were superb, very moist and tender. We ordered the arroz con gandules (rice with pidgeon peas) and the sweet plantains for the sides and WOW the rice had the same flavor that I remember from Puerto Rico and the sweet plantains were just the right amount of sweetness and a little firm. They were out of the beef empanada so we went with the chicken, glad we did! They stuffed the empanada with tons of chicken that was seasoned so well. It's also pretty big, you could definitely get one and a side of rice and be full. The sauces they give you with your meal are also delicious and complimented the food well. The only thing I wish they had on the menu was some type of skirt steak. When I was in Puerto Rico every restaurant had that on their menu and it's delicious. I know it would sell well! I've already been twice and I'll keep coming back to support! read more

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Cached in the corner upstairs in the Castro Valley Market, this little place offers Puerto Rican cuisine with 'order at the counter' convenience to eat there amidst the festive decorations or take out. I got carried away and ordered a combo plate, a mofongo plate, and three empanadillos. Total was like $72. Saving the empanadillos for leftovers. Chicken with Mofongo was delightful, savory, and like homemade. Mofongo is made from Plantains, cooked, partially mashed, then maybe fried together. Winds up half way between mashed potatoes and a dumpling. Shrimp in creole sauce tasted really good, and it's not spicy like Cajun creole Worth checking out! read more

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Boricua, wepaaaaaa baby! Oh how I love to see Puerto Rican restaurants. They are so hard to come across. As many Puerto Ricans as we got out here, igs we always only eating at each others houses lol. We definitely need to open up some more Puerto Rican restaurants/food trucks and bless the world with some of our sazon! Because we don't see it enough. I didn't know that this spot was the one that used to be on Fruitvale and prior to that on MacArthur in the liquor store in Oakland! I noticed the name, but I just didn't realize until we got there and I noticed the decor and the owner! The set up is nice, restaurant is a little small but it has such a home-y feel!! The decor takes me back to Puerto Rico. The music was a vibe. All of the food was 10/10... We came on Mother's Day and everything was great, except for all of our food was cold except the tostones. I figured it is Puerto Rican food so takes time, so they make it all in the morning and keep it on like a hot plate or stove? Not sure, but everything was cold and we just felt so bad asking them to reheat it because we ordered so much food and the place was packed plus we aren't ones to complain, but the food shouldn't have been as cold as it was, it was disappointing especially for it to be on Mothers Day. However, the flavor was there!!! Gave me a taste of mi isla del encanto Chuleta Mofongo 10/10 the pork chop was seasoned perfectly and juicy! Chicharrones de Pollo 10/10 the chicken was so tender inside yet crispy on the outside. Flavor profile was good. Arroz con gandules 10/10 Just like my Mami's Tostones 10/10 hot and crispy, perfect saltiness. Maduros 10/10 sweet sweet bananas, sprinkled salt on em so yummy! Pernil 10/10 tender, juicy, flavorful. Pique 7/10.. I wasn't really a fan of the mangoey habanero flavor I tasted.. but it wasn't bad, just not my flavor profile. Didn't taste like the pique I usually eat. I'm talking all the food was authentically Puerto Rican. Way better than I remembered it on Fruitvale! I would definitely be back, I think I'd just come earlier in the day because maybe then everything will be fresh off the stove or out oven and HOTTT. I 100% recommend for you if you're reading this to try this authentically Puerto Rican Restaurant! read more

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We were so happy to find a legit Boricua joint nearby and we had to check it out! Cute spot - welcoming, bright colors, comfortable vibe, good music, and friendly staff. Tasty, good portions of food - nice selection, and the mango habanero sauce is delicious. We will definitely be back! read more

La Perla Castro Valley - Carne frita special - Puerto Rican Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We got the shrimp, pollo encebollado, and pork chop with mofongo. All three were great, chicken and pork were both very moist and tender, they were definitely slow cooking that chicken. I'm pretty practical, so as long as food is good and service is servicing, that warrants a good rating. here both were great read more

Cool new spot for this great restaurant! We loved the Fruitvale spot as well. But this place is cool, hip, way more tables and the food is still delicious! Service is with a smile. You do most of the work here, bus your table, pick up your food, utensils, etc. Check out the other businesses in this market place as well! Cheers! read more

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I have been waiting for this place to open up since I saw the owners interview about leaving his Oakland location. We finally came on the weekend and it was busy but not packed. The service was great and the wait was not long at all. The vibe is very welcoming and the owner walks around greeting and checking on everyone. He's very friendly and nice to talk to. What we ordered: Pollo Encebollado con arroz y habichuelas: 10/10 ** The chicken was moist and tender. The bean "soup" you can pour over your rice and it's fire! The side salad has pickled onions, yum! The fried plantains were perf. The sauces were delicious! Beef empanadas: 9/10 Kids chicken tenders: 9/10 **real chicken (my kiddo approved) Camarones ala criolla: 9/10 If you know this market, you know it's had many restaurants come and go. I really hope this one lasts here! They are so good! read more

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Came here while walking around Castro Valley. I was surprised to find a Puerto Rican place on the second floor of the shopping center and had to check out their menu even though I wasn't too hungry. There was a good amount of seating and not too many people when I went in the afternoon so after looking at the menu, I had to order the mofongo with pernil to take home for later. The owner took our order and was super nice and helpful with this recommendations. Once I got home, I took a bite of the mofongo and the flavors were great! The plantain wasn't dry and the sauce was super flavorful and not too salty. The pernil also had really good flavor but my only comment was that it was a bit on the tougher side. Definitely will have to come back when I'm over in Castro valley cause the flavors were fantastic overall and the employees were nice and helpful! read more

Found this gem on upper floor at a market in Castro valley . What caught my eye was the Puerto Rican flag hanging near the entrance . Then a beautifully designed neon light hanging to the left of that. Had to try. So glad I did. Hands down best Puerto Rican food I have had in the Bay Area . The owner was walking around checking on everyone and providing a welcoming feeling . The lady who took our order was patient and answered all our questions about the menu. So friendly . Small, clean , organized and full of life with Latin music playing in the background particularly salsa provided a lovely spot. Food came out within a decent time frame and didn't disappoint. Had leftovers which were just as tasty fried up again. A must try . read more

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I'm obsessed, I'm really happy CV has a new addition in the Marketplace, let alone a Latinx restaurant. It's located on the 2nd floor, be sure not to miss out! I haven't tried La Perla at their Oakland location so I was excited to hear they were moving to CV. The menu has various options that I'm not as familiar with, knowing there lacks a widespread access to Caribbean/Certain Latinx food in the Bay Area compared to NY, Miami, or other areas. I had the pleasure of eating the Chicharrones de Pollo and I can't wait to try the Pernil (only on Saturdays) It was amazing, the sauce really held everything together. Particularly the mango habanero sauce was my favorite. I'd love to snag a bottle of this one day if possible. Overall, service great: you order at the counter and you can takeout or dine in. It's not a huge place but it has the homey, family feel. I do recommend coming and bringing along any friends or family because it's great to share. I'm definitely coming again and you can tell the food was made with love! read more

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La Perla has amazing authentic Puerto Rican food and their chicharon de pollo is and a must have! Thank you and enjoy!

The food was pretty good but I'll have to ding them severely on the stars because they charged a mandatory 18% gratuity for a group of 6 for pretty much no service except taking our order and calling us up to collect our food. And to add insult to injury they charged us a 3% credit card fee! (oh yes the worker bent over backwards to point to the garbage bins for us to bus our own dishes and trash) Also, credit card fee surcharges are illegal in California unless posted, from AI: "No, you generally cannot add a surcharge for credit card use in California because Senate Bill 478 requires businesses to include all mandatory fees in the advertised price, effectively banning surcharges at checkout." read more

La Perla is a great addition to the Castro Valley Marketplace bringing Puerto Rican cuisine to the area. Let me get this out of the way.. HANDS DOWN my favorite hot sauce, the Fuego Mango is to die for! I couldn't get enough of it, definitely would purchase a whole bottle. Okay, now for the food. A bit expensive overall but great flavors. The empanadillas are $8 each but a pretty good size. The Mofongo Camarones A La Criolla also had warm and vibrant flavors but the portions felt a little small and the mofongo a little dry. As a comparison I usually order this same plate at Sol Food in San Rafael. Also got a side of maduros which came with a good quantity. I would come back to try some more dishes! read more

First time trying Puerto Rican food. This venue is new and located upstairs in the Casto Valley Marketplace, with over a handful of other food venues and the small grocery store. Stopped in to check out the menu and since I wasn't hungry, ordered 2 items to later snack on at home. I got the chicken chicharones appetizer (fried chicken pieces) $12. And their daily special, Alcapurria $7, which didn't appear to be on the regular menu. It is a fried starch dumpling filled with seasoned beef mincemeat. My order came with 2 dipping sauces: a garlic aioli and spicy hot mango. Both went really well with both snack/appetizer items. Fun atmosphere here: they have reggaeton music playing and I thought it was sweet that the chef (probably owner too) came out dancing to the tunes and said hello and thank you to everyone for trying their food. There's about 8 tables of 4 seats to dine here. You first order at the counter and pay. Then they bring the food to your table (if you're eating here). I'm looking forward to be back to try their other dishes when I'm in the area again. read more

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