Amazing shop in San Diego! Wow, I have been thinking of this place and missing it. Until last week when I received an email from them, they are now shipping their Biltong and some other items outside of California! I highly recommend stopping by and trying Graham's awesome meat pies and meat pastries. The shop is small but they have some fresh warm pies, ready for a lunchtime snack! Now I await my order, it was supposed to arrive today, but delivery companies being delivery companies, the package is delivered to another day. My only complaint is that I didn't get my tax refunded on my order. Their shipping system set my state to California instead of New Hampshire and assigned me a sales tax. When I brought it up, they gave me an incorrect answer, but honestly, this place is so awesome, I don't care. read more

Pretty good steak mushroom pie. Nothing crazy. Personally I found it expensive for what it is.

From Deli S.A. to Perky's Restaurant back to Perky's- wherever they sell these delicious flaky crusted pies I will go. I don't often find myself up in Kearny Mesa these days, but if I am and they're open, I'll be there. My top three pies are the pepper steak pie, chicken curry pasty, and the Cornish pasty. That pepper steak though...oh, that's a good pie. All of the pies are tasty in their own ways, even the veggie only ones. The pies will also be packaged up nicely for takeout for you, in their own little bags with napkins and fork for the pot pies. Don't forget to head to the back to check out the grocery shelves! There you'll find all kinds of imported treats like sauces, spices, teas, those UK Heinz Beans so you can taste the difference, plenty of sweets and candy, and other pantry items you will enjoy trying. There's also a fridge case so be sure to grab some of the fudge. It's this brown sugary confection that is quite tasty, though rich. The big container is best for sharing with a bunch of your nearest and dearest. But they also sell a small little package of it too! They also stock frozen pies for you to bake at home if you want to stock up for those "don't want to cook" nights but still want something warm and comforting. Don't think it's just pies though! They have other foods chilling in the back that need to be explored. Plus they can also be hired for catering if you're looking for a way to spice up your next event! read more

So happy to find this place. Amazing! Authentic !! Loved a taste of home Try everything and then some more .

The meat pies are fantastic! South African food at its finest! I would eat one everyday. The fudge is something else also. read more

I've been eyeing this place for quite some time, and finally said f**k it and went here on a whim. Perky's is in a business/industrial complex right off the 163, sandwiched between other notable landmarks and other food places to boot. You might not see it at first, but they do have a sign outside. Once inside, you'll find that the store itself is quaint and small, displaying different decors to highlight Perky's South African roots (love!). They also have a (South African) grocery inside! Perky's is somewhat of a "hole in the wall," but what a hidden gem this place is. An elderly (couple?) was in front of me during my (first) visit. Shortly after, the store was filled with more people! The pies on display were also limited, so an ambulance was going off in my head. I CAME HERE FOR MEAT PASTRIES AND THERE WASN'T A LOT LEFT :( AND PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ME. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE "THAT" CUSTOMER THAT TOOK THE LAST XYZ PIE :'((( WELL, PLOT TWIST: I WAS STILL THAT CUSTOMER ANYWAY, lol. I may have taken one of the lasts: + Chicken & Mushroom Pie + Steak & Mushroom Pie ...So, yeah, I was "that" customer. I'm honestly not sure if they can make more, or if it's a "what you see here is what you get" kind of deal. If that's the case, then you need to come here once they open for the day... I am not kidding when I say that they did NOT have many pies left on display. OKAY, ON TO THE FOOD. I love mushrooms. I'm a mushroom fiend. Mushroom mama. The pies are as big/bigger than a palm (bigger than mine, at least). I heated them up in my air fryer and I, unfortunately, JUST EVERY SO SLIGHTLY burnt them :( It ended up being OK! The meat and mushrooms were neatly tucked away under that layer of buttery and flay goodness. They were seasoned perfectly and each bite was truly just so darn good. Though they were slightly smaller in size, the 2 pies made me full! If you have a larger appetite, I would definitely get a 3rd one (for an afternoon snack... or eat all 3 in one sitting... you do you... and they're that good). CONCLUSION. I am looking forward to many other meaty trips here and will be back to check out their grocery store! GET YA PERK ON AT PERKY'S!!! read more

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Wow! What a great little spot to get a variety of South African foods. Both handmade pastries and sausages, as well as canned and packaged items. I ordered the Chicken Curry pie, and it was flavorful and delicious. The chicken was nice and tender. I enjoyed the fact the pie wasn't messy, yet each bite had a burst of flavors. PLEASE BE AWARE: The curry had some heat to it. I highly recommend this if you love spice! If you don't, please skip this and try another item. I will definitely come back to try other items! read more

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Now you mean to tell me I've lived in SD my whole life and never went to Perky's?! A crime! This hole in the wall spot sells South African style pies, desserts, and condiments of all sorts! You can buy the meat/veggie pies piping hot or frozen for later -- I grabbed a few of each! My absolute favorite was the steak & mushroom pie ($9), which had a perfectly flaky pastry crust and the most delicious, umami-full steak and mushroom filling. The steak was tender, not chewy! I was able to prepare it at home by simply throwing it into the toaster over for 10 minutes. I still have a beef curry pie at home for later! I also got a milk tart to share ($18 large, $6 small) by recommendation of the owner, and just as he said, it was not too sweet, and almost like a flan! It's a fluffy sponge cake base with custard and cinnamon on top. You'll have to scoop it out with a spoon unless you're really talented with pie cutters, since it's so soft. But oh my was it delicious. Cant wait to come back to try more! read more

Perky's - The freezer of delicious pies! - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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4.5 stars Organized take out lunch for the office and got an assortment of individual pies ($8.50 each) and a dozen beef samoosa's ($22). We ordered chicken curry, pepper steak, steak and mushroom and cornish pastys. They were all very good, the pepper steak and steak and steak and mushroom were in a tiny pie tin, while the chicken curry and cornish pastys were hand pies, or more like a super sized empanada. Everyone loved them, the running theme in them all is the flaky crust, just decide which filling you want i guess. I usually get the pepper steak, the steak is very tender and has a strong ground black pepper taste. My friend had the steak and mushroom and said that it as basically the pepper steak with mushrooms, i may have to try that one next time. This time i had the curry chicken, it was good but not as tasty as the steak, but seemed much larger. My other friends also raved about the cornish pasty too. The samoosas were awesome, they had a bold spicy flavor to them, and were deep fried so they were nice and crispy. I also brought a bottle of sriracha from home to put on the pies at work, thats a great condiment for any of them. Ordering was easy, i went down the day before and paid for them and set a time pick up time the next day. A flawless and easy transaction. The location might be difficult to find as it tucked away in an industrial area. If you know where Societe brewery is, its further back down that drive way. I have also ordered a large pepper steak which lasted me a few days, they make all the pies as individual or large. The individual pies are good to share and try different once, but once you find one you like you can order a large and feed the whole family or eat it for multiple days. They also sell the pies both large and small frozen and you can heat them up as your leisure which make a great instant meal. read more

I had an incredible meat pie and the owner was so kind and friendly. I have no experience with South African food but the pie was delicious and the owner is awesome. I will definitely come back soon to try everything read more

Perky's is a fantastic South African deli/grocer/caterer. The meat pies and sausage rolls are incredible. We've been there twice now. The most recent time we walked in and they were actually closed and were just stopping by to pick something up. They very graciously let us in to purchase more sausage rolls. Delicious food and super nice owners. read more

Just had my first meat pie at Perky's! Can I just say that this is about as close to the ones at home as possible. I'm an Aussie and was very impressed with the African meat pies made here. The gentleman who served us (I'm assuming) was the owner and very chatty! He kept telling me that his pies were better than Aussie pies! And so we're his Lamingtons and baked beans.... I had a good laugh with him, he was funny. The sausage roll was pork, I liked it, but did not love it. Either way, I ended up buying some already frozen pies and beef sausage rolls to go as we make our drive back to Vegas! If I'm back in San Diego again, I will be sure to come back and get my fix of meat pies! Tip: if you can - call ahead of time and place your order. When we got there around 12 - all that was left were two beef and mushroom pies and a few sausage rolls. read more

Perky's - Beef and mushroom pie - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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I met the owner Graham and he invited me to come check out his store. The biltong was so tender and well spiced, better than what I had in South Africa years back. I bought a pound of biltong and a mushroom and beef pie, I can see why he has many devoted customers. There is a great little shop in back and Graham says he does catering for parties as well. Thanks for a fun morning on my birthday! read more

Perky's - Graham the owner of Perky's - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

Thank you for the most delicious fish and Slap chips. I recommend the sausage rolls, borewors ... Kirk and Jennifer Bayless - Victorville read more

HEAVENLY cuisine!! Absolutely wonderful, scrumptious authentic South African dishes!! Some of the finest cuisine on the West Coast!! Perky's always has the freshest and high quality gourmet food! I LOVE everything on their menu especially their meat pies, lamb curry, Samoosas, Bobotie, Cottage Pies! If you haven't already - you have to go!! Treat yourself!! read more

Goddamed they're that good. And if I lived here, I'd live here. Lol No, really, I'd prolly come in at least once or twice a week. Loved em'. They're great, those pies. They're so well seasoned, rich with aromatic flavour. Brilliant!! I think I saw there's a small shop up in there too but didn't venture in due to some engaging conversation. Excellent take away for the neighboring breweries too. Cracking good pies, those. read more

I grew up in Northern Michigan, where the Cornish Pasty is King. As common as a Burrito is in San Diego. Yoopers (people from the U.P., upper peninsula of Michigan) pride themselves on their Pasties. So when my South African co- worker told me that Perky's has the best Pasties in North America, I felt the hankering of a challenge! So I went there for lunch today, and got the last Cornish Pasty they had. Here's the run down. Perky's has the dough on lock-down. Like, perfect! Flaky, not too crisp, not too doughy, buttery... just perfect. The filling was delicious, though more stew-like than I'm accustomed to. Seasoning was also a bit different than I am used to. Best in North America? Nope. I grew up in Pasty Country. Pretty damned good? Absolutely!!! Regional taste differences aside, this was easily the single best Pasty I've eaten outside of Northern Michigan. read more

There's unfortunately no good South African shops in Los Angeles, but Perky's satisfies my need for all the fixings, as well as house-made Bobotie and the best Drowers I've had since I was last in Africa. read more

Today my mom and I decided to go here to try out traditional South African cuisine for the first time ever. It can be a harder spot to find and honestly looks closed from the outside but once you open up the door inside there is a counter with warm Gourmet Meat Pies and a hallway to a small authentic grocery market filled with foods, snacks, frozen treats, and more imported straight from South Africa. Today we were greeted by a very nice lady who helped us peruse throughout the store and give us detailed descriptions of pretty much every item in the store. Definitely a great experience especially since my knowledge of South African culture and food was basic. In the end we ordered 1 warm Gourmet Meat Pie with Beef Curry, 1 read more

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If Chicken and Mushroom, Chicken Curry, Pepper Steak and Steak and Mushroom pies do not sound good to, read no further. We just stopped in at Perky's and got these four pies. We went back for seconds, but by then they had already run out of the chicken and mushroom pies. The crust is just soft and flaky, and each of the fillings were really delicious. We will be back for the sausage rolls and cottage pie next. read more

Perky's - Pie selection - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

Perky's has made life worth staying in Cali, it is home cooked South African food. We are your super fans. I cannot eat fish 'n chips, meat pies, bunny chow anywhere else in the USA, it can only be at Perky's. read more

HOME AWAY FROM HOME!!! baie lekker Friendly, loving people that are passionate about their home. Everything is fresh & absolutely delicious!! read more

Perky's - MILK TART - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

Perky's meat pies are the best! They have various warm pies ready to eat and a stock or frozen ones if you prefer to take and bake later. They also have frozen meals like chicken or lamb curry, cottage pie, and bunny chow! The food is high quality - they don't skimp on the meat. The people that run it are really nice and proud of their offerings, as they should be! There's a small market in the back where you can buy some nostalgic candies, sauces, and dry goods. read more

I was hesitant to review this 3 stars as I much more preferred 3 1/2. It was quite the tiny spot to find within the industrial area and as I had 1 hour for lunch, boyfriend was off for his day - we went to grab something to eat. I've actually had this on my list for a while. Astonishingly enough, there was no menu listed. So here is the listing of what they claim to sell from the website online. Still wondering why they did not make one in-store. Unless the Perky's food and the DeliSA (that this is otherwise known as) is not the same thing. Chicken curry or lamb curry with rice and the fish and fries are limited. They make a specific amount and then they have no more - hence why they run out. Chicken curry was tasty - I give it that, but there was no sign of vegetables besides the chunks of potatoes. Yellow rice dominated half the plate alongside with the curry. Fish was nicely pan friend and very tasty. However it still felt like something was missing. My boyfriend tried to see if there was a sauce that they might have with it but after trying the ones that were on the table, it just didn't taste like the right sauce to complement the fish. French fries were crunchy and tasty. Place is small! So if you were planning on bringing a party in, this is not the place for it. There were 2 small tables right in front of the counter when walking in and then looping around the corner behind is a larger table with seating for 6 people. This definitely is not a restaurant - and if it is, it is a very tiny one. Family owned and apparently has been around for about 5 years according to the guy I asked who was working there. Might come around again to try out the pies. Just wish the place was bigger. And small as it is, it looked as though they just started working in that location though they had said they been around for 5 years. http://www.perkysfoods.com/menu.html The remaining part of this review lists the menu from the site. Most likely have to call and ask to see if they have things available as well as the timing for it. FROZEN GOURMET PIES FAMILY SIZE $25.00 SMALL $7.00 SIGNATURE SAVORY FILLED PIES BAKED TO PERFECTION CHICKEN CURRY PEPPER STEAK CORNISH PASTY VEGETABLE CURRY STEAK & KIDNEY STEAK & MUSHROOM CHICKEN & MUSHROOM SAUSAGE ROLLS (1/2 DOZEN) BEEF OR PORK WRAPPED IN A LIGHT FLAKY PASTRY $12.00 SAMOOSAS (DOZEN) A THIN AND CRISPY WRAPPED PASTRY WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAVORY FILLING, POTATO / CHICKEN / BEEF $20.00 LAMB CURRY / CHICKEN CURRY GRAHAMS SIGNATURE CURRY COOKED WITH A BLEND OF HERBS AND SPICES LAMB CURRY TRAY FEEDS 10-12 PEOPLE $95.00 SMALL LAMB CURRY FEEDS 3 PEOPLE $30.00 CHICKEN CURRY TRAY FEEDS 10-12 PEOPLE $85.00 SMALL CHICKEN CURRY FEEDS 3 PEOPLE $25.00 COTTAGE PIE SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE SHEPHERD PIE LARGE FAMILY PIE FEEDS 10-12 PEOPLE $85.00 INDIVIDUAL SIZE $8.00 BOBOTIE NATIONAL DISH COMPOSED OF SWEET & SAVORY GROUND BEEF MIXED WITH WALNUTS, RASINS & APRICOTS TOPPED WITH EGG & BAKED IN THE OVEN. SERVED WITH YELLOW RICE. SMALL FEEDS 3 PEOPLE $25.00 LARGE FEEDS 10-12 PEOPLE $90.00 read more

Perky's - Chicken curry - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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I'm a dork because I totally thought this was a sandwich deli, you know, the kind with meats and cheeses, with someone putting stuff between slices of bread. Nope, that's not the case here. I got to hang out with yelpers for this edition of the KMLB: Anita Dale Kelly MaryLou Tyson Warren Go figure, that I was the junior among this group of old-schoolers. I'm not counting, but I think there was a combined tenure of about 30 years, with nearly a decade of yelps from OG Anita alone. Like whoa! It was so nice to meet the folks at Deli SA and their food was fantastic. Mary Louse and her kitchen staff brought out a sampling of South African dishes. I've never had traditional South African fare before the Lunch Bunch uye, but much of the cuisine included familiar flavors shared by neighboring cultures. Samosas - crispy puff pastry triangles, some filled with beef and others with curried chicken Pepper steak pie - mini empanadas Sausage rolls - puff pastry pig-in-a-blanket It was all delicious, hearty and filling. There was some leftovers that I was more than happy to scoop up to snack on later. Don't be confused when you get there. It's not your usual full service sit-down restaurant. It's more like a catering kitchen with a small retail storefront. Visit the cafe for some good eats, take home some pies or SA grocery items to enjoy later, or inquire about having them catering your next event. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised at the pork sausage roll. Its texture is reminiscent of a Vietnamese patê sô -- light and fluffy. I had thought it would be a lot more sausage-like in texture but it was very soft! It had plenty of umami but was still light and flaky and buttery. I also bought the frozen pasty and curry beef to reheat at home. They were really big and filling! The fillings were plentiful, but in my opinion a little lacking in umami. I don't have anything to compare these to because I've never had them before, but those are my two cents. I don't think I'd get these again though. Maybe not my thing? A complaint that I do have is the pricing. These three pastries came out to $25 total -- quite expensive considering the cost of a pie at Pop Pie Co or a meat pie at Los pollos Cuban cafe. read more

Graham was super nice on the phone! Service at the store was great! I shared a Chicken Curry and Steak & Mushroom pie with a coworker. The portion was enough for me, but you might want to order at least 2 if you're super hungry!! Flavors for both were excellent!! read more

Please make steak and kidney available hot!!! The steak and kidney pie is the best meat pie I've ever had. I've not had many meat pies bc I've not had a good one til i found perky's. All butter crusts, quality meat, handmade and fresh daily. Get you some. I've also tried the fudge and milk pie. The milk pie is a light yellow cake base with a milky cinnamon custard topping. I sprinkled salt on top and it was yummy. Sweet and milky so needs strong espresso on the side. Had the steak and mushroom which was also good. Also had the Cornish pasty which was made well but I'm personally not into double carbs (potatoes inside a crust) so it was too much potato for me and I'll stick with continuing to try the other flavors! read more

A great treasure hidden in San Diego. Amazing frozen food ready to heat up and a hot ready one for the road. Discovered as a contractor on yachts and SA mariners. Show up with meat pies and Mrs. Balls chutney And I'm famous to the crew read more

Shhhh!!! This place is a secret!! Hard to find - so think of this as a 'Raiders of the Lost Meat Pie' where you must carefully sort the clues (photos enclosed) to find this tiny little gem of a deli. I call it a 'deli' because this is more of the place where you grab your pie 'n go.... Unfortunately, I came too late for the pepper steak meat pie -- but the two that I did buy - AWESOME. The chicken curry pie was sweet with a hint of fire - almost like a Thai curry. The beef in the Steak pie just falls apart in your mouth. Cover them both in a tasty pastry puff -- and you've got a winner. Then top the winner with the fudge which was just a burst of sweetness with a caramel finish. Make you want to go? Well, fire up that vehicle! I met the owner, Graham, who was extremely helpful in describing the different pies, desserts, South African Spices and treats adorning his little deli store. He also sells a wide assortment of sausages for the grill, dried sausages (the sample I had was incredible), and South African jerky. read more

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What a gem!!! The steak and mushroom pies are amazing. Brings back so many memories of home. The biltong!!! Absolutely delishes. Will be back soon with the rest of my family read more

Perky's - Biltong...yummy!!! - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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This business is located across the street from Daiso in a small business park area. There was plenty of parking. It is an South African grocery store and not a restaurant as they are not allowed to serve cooked food on site currently (but the owner is hoping to remedy that soon!) They sell many different items including handmade frozen pies that you take home to cook and eat. When you walk in they have the register at the front and then you walk to the back grocery section. All the pies are in the long freezer to the right. Each pie is in a plastic container with its name and ingredients listed on top. Upon walking in the owner came out and let us know our choices and different flavors. He was extremely nice. I got the chicken curry, cottage pie and pepper steak mini pies. The owner said to let them defrost and cook them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (with the cottage pie needing to cook an additional 5-10 mins). Taste: Chicken curry: $7.95 this has a nice kick to it. The chicken was a little dry though. Cottage pie (aka shepherds pie): $8.50 doesn't have a pie crust. Just ground beef, carrots, peas and lots of mashed potatoes. Flavorful with lots of spices. The rosemary really stands out with smell/taste. Friend likes this one. Cooked this one from frozen so it took an hour to cook. You know it's done when the top browns. Pepper steak: $7.95 this tasted like carne asada. It was good. It's really 3.5 stars ... it'd be 4 if it was available fresh on site but friend really liked the pies so I bumped it up to 4. read more

Sooooooooo good. Stop by and grab a pie then go to the brewery next door to wash it down. You are welcome.

The pastries were smaller than I expected but good. The cornish was definitely the better or what I got. I think the cool thing about Perky's is that they sell these frozen so you can have them anytime. read more

Perky's - Steak cornish and mushroom pie - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

4.5 stars rounding up to 5 because the owner is super nice! This place is a hidden gem! I went to Societe Brewing Company that night and there was booth set up for selling meat pies right outside the brewery. The pies didn't look appealing so I simply ignored the booth and went straight into the brewery. Not too surprising, I got hungry after a few beers. I was gonna to grab some grub and I decided to give the meat pie stand a shot because of its proximity. The owner was super friendly and he was telling me how he has the store just on the other side of the mall and they also offer different daily lunch specials from M to F. They had steak and mushroom pies and chicken and mushroom pies and I picked the chicken. $7, cash only, I think it's kinda expansive for a meat pie but whatever, I was hungry. I took a bite out of it and it was soooooo good!!! The crust was flaky, the filling was thick and flavorful, with lots of chicken meat and mushroom. Okay, that explains why it cost a little more. The owner came to me when I was enjoying the pot pie, and guess what, he gave me a free milk tart dessert before he closed for the day. So nice! I will definitely come back whenever I have a hearty pot pie crave! And I definitely want to try their lunch menu too because I see a lot of good reviews about it from my fellow Yelpers. read more

Perky's - Chicken pot pie, yummy - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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We arrived to purchase Perky's tasty Melktert & Boerewors but they were sold out and they were still busy making a new batch. Mrs Perkett went out of her way and made a special effort to ensure we weren't disappointed. What a delightful person. We were so happy to get our melktert and boereworse!! :-) :-) Thank you for your wonderful, friendly service. It is appreciated! read more

We used to go to the old location and it's always the same quality ! Love the samosas and pies and other items here that you can't quite find elsewhere. Will be going back soon! read more

Oh myyyy gawd. Literally the best pastie I've had outside of Australia. The flavour is outstanding, the pastie is supremely flaky... so good! My dad brings these home from SD (hours away) and saves em in the freezer cause they are that good. Their chicken curry pastie is to die for. Hoping I can come check this location out in person soon. My dad says the owner is pretty neat as well. Highly recommend! read more

4.5 stars The exact location is a bit hard to find because the sign of the place isn't obvious. I was able to find the building number, and found it by the suite number instead. It was a hot hot late morning, and it was really really hot inside. Dining in would be very difficult on a flaming hot day, and it is also inconvenient because it has only 1 small table. After all, it is inside a business park so most people probably only come for to go anyway...but it would be nice to have a place to sit down. I picked up 4 pies: pepper steaks (1 frozen: defrost thoroughly and then bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes). cornish curry chicken My favorite was the pepper steak, then the cornish and curry chicken. I didn't get to eat them all fresh since I took them to go, and also eating them at a later time, but these pies were very filling. Reheating the frozen pie was literally, easy-as-pie. I shared half along with some veggies I packed for lunch and was plenty full. Filling and pastry was a good proportion, and the filling themselves are pretty well seasoned, without being too salty. The owner was really nice and helpful. It's too bad they close so early, I will definitely check this place out again!!! read more

Perky's - cases of pies! - Bakeries Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food is excellent, service great. Friendly staff and very helpful. The flavor on all the serve is delicious