Amazing food, service, & atmosphere. The Hugo Spritz was so refreshing & the burger with the truffle fries were the best!

Perla is one of my favorite in town. It may be a seafood restaurant, and the Oyster Sampler is awesome....however locals know this place has one of the best smashurgers in town. Friday afternoon/evening is the best. Great bar staff! read more

Perla Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

From the first bite to the last spoonful of dessert, this meal felt less like dinner and more like a victory lap for my taste buds. The ceviche set the tone immediately--bright, citrusy, and impossibly fresh. The fish was tender without being mushy, each piece tasting like it had just come off the boat. The acidity was perfectly balanced with herbs and a gentle heat that crept in at the end, the kind that makes you go back for "just one more" forkful until the bowl is mysteriously empty. Then came the octopus, which can so easily go wrong but absolutely didn't here. It was beautifully braised, yet fork-tender inside. No rubberiness, no chew--just rich, savory depth that paired perfectly with the subtle seasoning and whatever magic they're doing on that grill. The crispy shrimp were pure comfort food: golden, shatteringly crisp coating giving way to juicy, sweet shrimp. Light enough not to feel greasy, crunchy enough to be wildly satisfying. The kind of plate you instinctively guard from the rest of the table. Even the salad refused to be an afterthought. The deviled egg added creamy richness, the feta brought salty tang, and the green goddess dressing tied everything together with fresh, herby brightness. It somehow managed to feel indulgent and refreshing at the same time--a rare feat. And then the smash burger. Oh, the smash burger. Crispy-edged patties with those lacy, caramelized bits, deeply beefy flavor, perfectly melted cheese, and a soft bun that held everything together without getting in the way. Paired with hot, crispy fries--salty, fluffy inside, crunchy outside--it was the sort of classic combo that reminds you why burgers became famous in the first place. Just when I thought they couldn't top it, dessert arrived: espresso berry salted caramel custard beignet. Silky, rich, and luxurious, with deep coffee notes and a salted caramel that kept it from being cloying. The salt sharpened everything into focus. It was the kind of dessert you slow down for, even if you swore you were full. This is the rare spot where every dish feels intentional, every flavor dialed in. I'd go back for any one of these items--but together, they make it a meal worth planning your week around. read more

Best meal I've had in a while!! The flounder was incredible - such unique flavors it was paired with - delicious. Our waiter was very attentive. The food was brought out quickly despite it being somewhat busy! The restaurant has a nice aesthetic and has a good layout where it doesn't feel too crowded. We sat in a booth seat which was comfortable. While we sat indoors, the outdoor area is roomy and has lots of seating as well. Looking forward to going back! read more

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This place is so beautiful!! It has a huge outdoor area, but the inside is also wonderful. Every item we ordered was delicious and tasted so fresh! They had caramel coffee soft serve with banana bread crumbles on top - so unique tasting. They make their own salt and vinegar chips!! Service was wonderful. There were 3 of us and with tip it was about $90. It's a lot for lunch, but damn it was good! read more

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AMAZING. Best shrimp burger I've ever had and the hand cut fries were so much better than normal fries. They have great indoor and outdoor seating plus both an indoor and outdoor bar which is really nice depending on what you're in the mood for. The seafood and cocktail menu is awesome and it's a perfect spot when you're on vacation. My only complaints are that they call themselves a raw bar but only have oysters at certain times of the day, and when you order tacos you only get two. Other than that everything was great. read more

Perla Raw Bar - Shrimp Burger - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Perla has been our go to when craving oysters. We sit at the bar inside or outside and service is always good. They have some good small plates to share also and love the decor read more

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Another great experience!! Our waitress, Brittney W. was so sweet!! There was a party going on so everything was loud, but Brittney made the experience easy and stress free. I order a Spicy Bloody Mary (amazing) and the happy hour oysters (amazing flavor, but very small). I did notice the price increased for happy hour from $1 per oyster to $1.50 which was a little disappointing, but I'll know better for next time. Thank you, Brittney! read more

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Perfect brunch spot. Nice bar and outdoor seating, food is super yummy. The decor at this place is super cute. read more

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Food was incredible and the atmosphere of this place was so refreshing and inviting! The service was also welcoming and kind. We will definitely be back next time we are in Wilmington! read more

Perla Raw Bar - Lobster Bao Buns - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

From the service to the ambience to the quality of the food, this place was definitely a easy five star review. I ordered the shrimp tacos kind of messy but I like it like that the salt is they put on it or beyond describe the food overall has a clean taste to it. Fresh and sophisticated taste. We will be coming back! read more

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Oyster bar was excellent, so fresh. Deco ambiance was very nice. You can find lots of dishes under $20.00. Dessert coconut cake was very good, but it $12.00. read more

A lovely first-time experience! The service and food were both perfect. The oyster assortment was delicious, though the oysters themselves were surprisingly small. They have a solid wine list; even though I missed seeing a traditional dry Muscadet, the Vermentino was a delightful choice. Definitely worth a visit! read more

Perla Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I had dinner with a friend Lastnight around 5 pm. It was chilly but I insisted on us sitting outside anyways. The outside was decorated for Christmas so beautifully. They really put time and effort into it. Our server was so wonderful. She set up the heater for us, and was very attentive. I had the $1.00 oysters and my friend had the baked oysters. We also split a shrimp appetizer. It was really good and the slaw that came with it was delish. read more

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Had such a nice visit to Perla with friends that I came to town to visit this weekend!! The ambiance was so cozy & festive, service was super nice, and food was delicious! read more

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Giovanna is always great for brunch. Her service is excellent. Drinks and food are fantastic. We always enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant for any occasion. Brunch or Dinner. read more

Perla Raw Bar - Tuna Tartar, Ceviche, Salmon Toast, and Truffle Fries. Of course Mimosas - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Updated review! We just went back for a second time and the service/food was pretty bad. We were placed in the back corner high top table situated next to the door to the patio and end of the bar with traffic of people coming in and out. We wondered if we were placed there because of how we looked (young in casual sundresses/athletic clothing) versus when we went with my parents the first time we were seated at a nicer booth with a waitress that was far more attentive. The ahi tuna tartare did not taste good and although I didn't complain, when the waitress asked if I had liked it (only 2 bites taken of it at end of meal), I was honest and said, "um I think I just ordered the wrong thing." She didn't take it off the bill or offer to comp anything. My fiancé got the fish and chips and the fish wasn't properly deboned so he bit down and had to spit out a huge chunk of fish spine! On a positive note, the truffle fries were bomb. Overall we were very dissatisfied and will not be returning! read more

Perla Raw Bar - Grilled Octopus Small Plate - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Had dinner here with my wife while vacationing at the beach. We had happy hour oysters, mussels, and then I had the seared scallops and she had the lobster roll. Overall, the food was good: the oysters and scallop was great, the mussels were fine. My wife enjoyed the lobster roll, they do theirs Maine-style (cold, mayonnaise based salad) where I prefer Connecticut-style (warm with butter). Our server was helpful and attentive, overall it was good although if you are sitting inside take note that it is fairly loud, with lots of smooth, flat, hard surfaces for sounds to bounce off of. read more

Fantastic restaurant in Wilmington. The food and service are great plus the atmosphere is awesome. Highly recommend sitting at the outside bar. Will continue to come back in the future! read more

| 4 Stars | Perla Seafood Restaurant - Wilmington, NC Perla Seafood is the kind of coastal gem that reminds you why fresh seafood and sunshine are the ultimate combo. We stopped in on a surprisingly warm November afternoon and, with weather like that, there was no way we were sitting inside. Now let's talk food--because wow. The Crispy Oyster Sandwich was the absolute star of the show. Perfectly fried oysters piled high with lettuce, tomato, and bacon--yes, BACON--creating a flavor bomb that hit every note. Crunchy, salty, smoky, briny... yummm-yumm. If you order one thing at Perla, make it this sandwich. The Shrimp Dumplings came next, delicate little wontons filled with minced shrimp and paired with a soy-glaze dipping sauce that had just the right balance of savory and sweet. Ouhhh yeah, they disappeared fast. The Lobster Soup was another hit--rich and creamy with real chunks of lobster that made it feel downright luxurious. The only miss of the day was the Shrimp Burger, which leaned too heavily on the panko breading and not enough on the shrimp flavor. However, the chickpea salad was delicious. To their credit, the staff handled it like pros--the manager took it off the bill without hesitation after we decided to pass on a replacement. As we were getting the check, we saw a table getting salads with grilled shrimp and that will be our next order when we return. All in all, Perla hits the mark with fresh seafood, a friendly vibe, and an atmosphere that's pure coastal North Carolina charm. We're giving it four enthusiastic thumbs up and four shining stars. Next time you're in Wilmington, make sure Perla Seafood is on your list--it's absolutely worth the stop. Creating Exposure.....Through Food mP... read more

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This is a "kind of" restaurant. It's a restaurant that wants to be viewed as a premium dining experience but lacks so many aspects of what you should find. It started with the bar. Our friend ordered the same drink and instead of mixing one at a time, the bar tender mixed both in the same shaker. When she realized it didn't fill two glasses, she topped them off with the tequila. I'll give her that, instead of filling it with club soda she did use the tequila but the portions were not balanced. She heard us talking about it and came over and topped the drinks off with the residual of the tequila left in the bottle. "Kind of like a good bar." We then got seated and when we told the waitress we had an onion intolerance she basically said there is "nothing on the menu that doesn't have onion."She then stated it was the second time this week that someone came in with an onion issue. No chef or manager came over to address the matter or find a resolution. So "kind of like" a good restaurant with a chef but not really. Later my husband was placing his order after consuming the shrimp egg rolls and noted that what he wanted to order had almonds. The waitress turned pale and said "you have a nut allergy? That dish had peanut oil in the sauce." Clearly this restaurant does not take allergies seriously which puts them at a huge risk. Then the bathrooms...two small stalls in the women's for that busy of a restaurant?!? I will say the food did taste really good. The burger (which is basically all I could eat since everything else had onion) was probably the best burger in Wilmington. When we ordered dessert, I asked for coffee and the waitress said "we don't have coffee or tea," again a "kind of" restaurant. We ordered both desserts and noted we would share. When they were delivered we asked for plates and the waitress rolled her eyes and proceeded to slam the plates down on the table. My friend did go speak to the manager who did offer an accommodation but I noticed when she was speaking to the waitress at the terminal, she once again rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. The restaurant has potential with the freshness and newness and cool indoor/outdoor vibe and the taste of the food is good. But to become a really great restaurant versus a "kind of restaurant" they need to enhance service and take allergies seriously. read more

Disregard my post completely unless you're from the northeast/NYC area, I'm only speaking to fellow transplants. Perla has the best tuna tartare in the area. They let the fish shine, instead of dousing in sauce. Lobster ceviche, VERY good. It rivals Savorez. Fish ceviche, also the best I've had in town. Nuanced, complex flavors as opposed to just a lime/fruit assault. HighlY recommend. Oysters? Meh. But disregard unless you've tasted oysters all over the world. IMO, best Atlantic oysters in the area go to Seabird (some harvests, not all), and Manna, who doll them up in a way you dont care theyre Atlantic. I will give credit for Perla's baked oysters - very good. Fish tacos. I lived in SD for years. Perla has the best fish tacos I've had in ILM. We're talking grilled, not fried. If you like fried, this review is not for you. Truffle fries were underwhelming. For reference, I'm comparing them to Oceanic's. Potato salad was pretty good. Love the ambiance, service is great. Yay Perla! :) read more

Perla Raw Bar - Yum. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

everything was amazing! Victoria was an EXCELLENT server and made our meal even more special!!!

Great food great service and always a lot of fun! if you love oysters, this is the place to go!

Loved the outdoor area and inside is pretty too. Service was great and food was good!

Very pretty outdoor space. I wish the quality and execution of the food matched the setting. I was served shrimp dumplings that were deep fried, room temp and nothing special. The seafood stew was a disappointment, as well. All the fish and seafood were overcooked, for $32 this dish was very average , if that. The ceviche was the best dish on the table, as were the shrimp burgers. Lovely waitress and service. read more

Hostess was very rude. Server was good. Food was okay. Appetizers were much better than entrees. Price does not justify quality of food. read more

I was excited to try Perla as it is always busy and maybe we caught their shuckers on a bad night but I will be hesitant to order raw oysters here again. Oysters were not cleanly shucked, chopped up and yet couldn't cut the bottom muscle plus full of shells. Every single oyster of the 2.5 dozen we tried. For being a coastal town, this is a serious problem. On the plus side, the Gin & Jam was delicious and bar staff was friendly. read more

Perla Raw Bar - Gin & Jam - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The atmosphere was great! We loved the outdoor seating. The food was wonderful! The service wasn't over the top but it was fine.

We ordered oysters, lobster roll, flounder, buttermilk biscuit, and beignet dessert. Everything was good and service was great. Might be a little hard to find out since there is no sign-it's joined on the right side to a bunch of apartments at the end of the roundabout. Couldn't get through the phone line to make a reservation so we just did a walk in and there was still plenty of seating available on a Wednesday around 5 PM. They were nice enough to let my husband hang out at one of the dining booths for an hour, waiting for me to arrive. Atmosphere, decor and design are beautiful, particularly the wall filled glass flowers and lights. Casual. Nice design where the bar is open to both the indoor and outdoor seating area. They have outdoor heaters. Booster chairs are available but no changing table in the bathroom. My partner enjoyed the lobster roll. Didn't realize until later that they didn't give us the side that was supposed to come with the lobster roll. Our 15 month old enjoyed the lobster, flounder, and biscuit. The flounder dish was a little spicy and very filling. I loved the apple butter and dried apple chips that came with the petite biscuits. Beignet came with an espresso, salted caramel mousse and fresh strawberries. read more

We love Perla Raw Bar. Dined there at least 20 times in the past six months. My wife and I aren't raw seafood lovers, but we love the food - we get salmon, tuna, burgers, and salads and we love the indoor/outdoor bar area which we consider the best in Wilmington. The staff are always professional and friendly. The atmosphere is lively and excellent. We like everyone we've encountered but we love the bar tenders Giavanna, James, Marina, Chris, Charlotte, and Cierra. One of our 3 favorite Wilmington restaurants! read more

Perla Raw Bar - Enjoying the Perla Bar scene - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Happy hour oysters for the win! What else do you need to know? Why are you still reading this. Perla awaits.

Didn't love Perla Raw Bar. It's a pretty restaurant, but the portions were small and our food was mid. My boyfriend got the shrimp burger and it was a little too fishy. read more

On the positive side, the restaurant and courtyard are beautiful. Service was excellent, and when the waitress noticed I hadn't had any of my drink, she had it taken off the tab. There is a problem with salt and acid in the food as well. The ceviche needed some balance, and the tostada rounds needed half as much salt. Ditto the chips that came with the crispy oyster sandwich. I did not care for the carrot slaw that came on it, and it was over-dressed. My first bite was a bad oyster, which can happen, but the rest were ok and properly cooked. All in all, over priced and under good. read more

Great happy hour special $1 oysters. (Downside is there's a Limit 12pp) They have a beautiful outdoor patio with lots of seats and chairs. read more

Perla Raw Bar - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Super oysters with selection from all over north east of the country. Ambiance was right with great service. Enjoyed my dining here

So gosh darn good. Mama likey what she tastey, for darn sure. Highly recommend if you love a good, raw taste. Got the seafood tower and wanted to swallow that up, whole! read more

We went there as a group of 4 in the evening. Called in advance to ask about the waitlist and the hostess was extremely rude and unhelpful. When we arrived around 6:30 there was a very short waitlist. Not a long wait time overall but specifically requested patio due to hard of hearing member of our party and extremely loud house music playing inside. Once we got the text that our table was ready, it was inside despite this request because the table was "by the door" and when I asked about outside again I was told it would be a "much longer wait." Thankfully they found an outside table to seat us at anyway when we noted multiple tables being cleared. Our waitress was good, appetizers took awhile to come out but were tasty. Main dishes, specifically the fish tacos, were very dry and the mussels were extremely gritty. We likely won't be coming back or recommend to anyone, which is a shame because it looks like it would be a lovely spot. read more

I usually avoid the cool bars and restaurants such as perla, and tend to seek out more down to earth establishments. my wife told me the burger & fries here were excellent, so tonight we went to perla with friends. ironically considering this is a fish restaurant, it does have the vibe of a meat market, but to be fair to the restaurant, the burger & fries are the best in wilmington - absolutely delicious. come for the burger, but leave before you turn into a pumpkin. read more

Was our first time here and hands down was so good. I would 1000000% recommend. We got the crispy shrimp and the cesar salad for appetizers and for the main entrees we got the shrimp tacos and the burger with truffle fries. I would defiantly get those again. For drinks we got the frozen sangria and an espresso martini. The espresso martini was TO DIE FOR. It was super enjoyable even on a cold day. We sat outside with some heaters because it was a little warm inside. Noise level not too high and great service. We had Peyton and she was so sweet and recommended us our food we had tonight. She has such an amazing energy and made our nights so fun. read more