Food was pretty good, customer service was good I don't believe this is true authentic Mexican food It's missing a lot of flavor read more

Perla - Enchiladas Michoacanas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

The food is delicious. The margaritas are great. The service is amazing. A fun and yummy place to go with family and friends. You can sit outside or inside. Try Perla in Santa Ana, you'll be glad you did. read more

Food is good but not worth the price. On top of that they didn't even bring my mom the birthday desert I asked for that I was willingly willing to pay. read more

First time experiencing this beautiful place! The GM, Daniel and the bartender, Matthew (name is Matt, only i call him Matthew. Thank you!) are the best! Didn't have a chance to try the food yet, just drinks this time. But I will definitely be staying for food next time I come! Guess I can add this place to one of my go to spots! Cleanliness, service, environment, people, all a five star! read more

The price for the food was terrible. My friends and I went for brunch Saturday morning. The enchiladas were not great. My friend got the mole enchiladas and it had to flavor for $30 you only got 3 enchiladas and the sauce. To think for that price it would come with beans and rice also but it didn't. Basically paid $10 for each enchiladas. I got the shrimp enchiladas and same thing just 3 of them with just sauce for $30. My friends got the bottomless mimosa and I just got sprite...our waitress came and refilled the mimosas but never checked if I ever needed a refill for my sprite. When I did ask for a refill she came back with a pitcher of sprite and just poured in it my old cup that had water down ice already. The music was alright they were fun to watch. Definitely would not come again it's too over price for the amount of food you got. read more

Perla - $30 shrimp enchiladas....this is all I got with my food....the shrimp were not whole they were chopped in the enchiladas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Had the chicken mole enchiladas, friends had the chicken suisa mole and the fish tacos all were great . Great presentation and service

We came for dinner and loved everything! The cocktails, enchiladas, steak tacos, and short rib tacos were all so yummy! We will definitely return! read more

It was so good it brought me here to write a review and I don't write reviews. The art, the chandelier lights, the aesthetic and sharpness of Perla was beautiful. The manager Daniel was very welcoming and I decided to sit at the bar. The bartender Nyah was cool enough to explain the history of the drinks and the significance of the bottles I was asking about. I tried the Arrache plate and it was delicious, it came with salsa's and frijoles. I tried the wet mixed burrito and I have to admit my favorite was the red side but the green side was almost as good, I was content with this. I came in around noon so the Jamaica margarita was exactly what I was looking for to feel refreshed, it was so good. I was scared to try the "Me Gusta EH-LOTE" but I was not disappointed, the elote taste was fun to try. The owner Matt and the staff were very nice and the live music was perfect. read more

See all

Went here for a work lunch. Parking is free for 2 hours in the parking structure. I got the 3 enchiladas and it was delicious!! My boss got us some tamales with cheese on top beforehand and it made me full. My coworker recommended me the jugo verde and it was bomb. Refreshing drink with gin and I don't even like gin. I like the cups it came in. The interior is pretty nice and modern with open windows, where it's super bright during the day time. I would definitely come back to try their other offerings. I don't really like sweets but the churro ice cream was good, and the churros had unexpected filling inside. I also really liked the flan. It's on the pricier side but mid range id say. It sucks u have to order rice and beans on the side, as my coworkers did. Workers were nice/friendly, and remembered my boss from previous experiences lol, and they joked around. read more

Perla - Trio de Enchiladas - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

Friendly service, delicious food, in walkable Santa Ana! The fish tacos were recommended, and they were wonderful.

Every now and then, you walk into a place that instantly feels special--and Perla in the heart of downtown Santa Ana is just that. From the moment I stepped in, I was swept up in the warm, vibrant energy. The decor is elegant but grounded in tradition, and the service? Impeccable. I started the evening with one of their masterfully made tequila cocktails--crafted with our very own AsomBroso Tequila-and let me tell you, it was pure artistry in a glass. Smooth, bright, and beautifully balanced. Then came the food--bold flavors, beautifully presented, and clearly made with care. Every bite told a story, from the handmade tortillas to the rich, soulful sauces. Perla isn't just a restaurant, it's an experience. A tribute to culture, community, and the kind of hospitality that leaves a lasting impression. If you haven't been yet, go. Bring your appetite, your curiosity, and your love for good tequila. read more

I found Perla by browsing Yelp and decided to give them a try since they have amazing reviews. I was expecting this to be a popular place, so I made dinner reservations for a Saturday evening through OpenTable. Located in the downtown area of Santa Ana, Perla is a cozy restaurant found on the corner of W 4th street. The restaurant has an industrial feel to it, with a fully stocked bar and open kitchen concept. The restrooms did need some attention. Ordered enchiladas de camaron, these were very creamy and flavorful. The enchiladas didn't come with your typical side of beans and rice so I had to order that on the side. Also ordered the enchiladas de mole they were great too. We had an esquite as an appetizer, with a Michelada and a Jamaica Margarita. The food was great. Our waitress, (sorry I forgot to ask for her name) was friendly and attentive. We started to see more people arrive after 5pm, so I recommend you reserve a table before arriving! read more

See all

Good food, great service, fun place to be at lunch or dinner! Strongly recommend it. I'd like to comeback and try other items from the menu.

Awesome food, awesome service and awesome staff. Shoutout to Danny and Daniel for 5-star service

We came here for date night and we enjoyed it. It was a smaller restaurant/bar but the food and service were pretty good. The cocktails were very aesthetically pleasing and delicious, although I felt like mine was not very strong. For food, we started out with the ahi tuna ceviche and I would say that was the best part of our meal! It was SO flavorful and delicious! I then ordered the steak tacos and those were okay in my opinion. The meat wasn't as flavorful as I thought and they only topped them off with some grilled vegetables. I didn't taste any salsa in them either so they weren't very authentic tbh. The prices were pretty high as well, especially since it was more of a casual spot, so I don't think I would go out of my way to come back. But, overall I'm still glad we tried it! read more

See all

Great food, great service! Awesome spot for drinks and small bites. The spot has a great vibes, and the mariachis add even more too it. The GM Daniel made our meal that much better! read more

Food and ambiance were top notch! Love the live mariachi! Enchiladas suizas are my favorite! Special shout out to Daniel and Mario! Great service! read more

Was recommended to try Perla and went for lunch. the craft drinks were really good and the food was excellent. They also have a very impre tequila selectio. Definitely will be going back. read more

Here for the first time to enjoy brunch. Nyah was our bartender and she was amazing. She made us feel welcomed and listened to our wants. Thank you Nyah for your amazing customer service. read more

Omg!!! Wow and just wow, how come I've totally overlooked this place all this time while living in OC and also frequently visiting Santa Ana? Perhaps because I spend most of my time in Old Town of Santa Ana and I wasn't even aware that this cool part of town even existed? Came across Perla after my date recommended it since the other place we wanted to go to was closed on Tuesdays. The main reason I picked this place was because it was advertised as New Mexican cuisine which it wasn't and that was quite alright with me. Instead this was modern Mexican food with a twist which made this visit so much more enjoyable!! First off the customer service and the atmosphere here are the bomb. As soon as you enter the establishment you're treated like a king and everyone is giving you their full attention. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and very spacious because of the layout. We started off with their signature pineapple cocktail and their fish tacos as our appetizer. Both the cocktail and tacos were amazing and both were very flavorful plus had a nice kick to it!! Our chicken nachos were also very amazing and very well balanced between flavor and heat. For our dessert we chose the Churros Rellenos which came with ice cream plus strawberry but it was a little bit too sweet for me but still great. Overall this was one of the best restaurants I have been to in a long time and I can't wait to come back. 5 Stars for exceptional food, service and atmosphere!! I'll be back! Enjoy and Bon Appetit!! read more

See all

Amazing restaurant! I recommend 10/10. Good vibes good drinks good food ! Great customer service!

We came here for happy hour on cinco de mayo and left extremely satisfied. The drinks are unique, the food is solid, the vibe was lit, and the bartenders who helped us are super friendly. The happy hour deals here are great. I took advantage of the $5 off cocktails deal and got the mi viejo ol' fashioned and el rey. The mi viejo isn't your typical old fashioned. It's made with tequila and has a smoky flavor which I loved. 3 different liquors go into the El rey and it is delicious and strong. We got the chicken nachos and chicken quesadilla off the happy hour menu. Both of them were loaded with toppings and sauces and super flavorful. We also got the enchiladas michoacanas. It was smothered with so many delicious ingredients that I couldn't even find the enchiladas lol. read more

See all

Always love going with the girls for cocktails! Service is amazing and the waitresses and bartenders are friendly and definitely deserve a raise!! It's a beautifully decorated dark velvety lounge ambiance. I have not tried any of the entrees yet but they have the best chips,guacamole, & salsa! read more

Perla - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Perla in Santa Ana is fabulous! Great food, amazing drinks, nice people! Halibut Ceviche Enchilada Trio Shrimp Tacos churros with ice cream Everything is amazing! And live music, too! read more

Perla - Our sweet girl's 19th - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

highly recommend the shrimp tacos. Originally asked for no pico and they mistakenly added it, but the staff were still very accommodation and gave me a whole new plate free of pico. i appreciate how well they took care of us. 10/10 would come again read more

Great service and amazing food!!! The general manager was very friendly. The sever Danny was very excellent.

Everything is delicious. Tacos, enchiladas, margaritas, and ceviche were all very good. Price point is reasonable and the staff went out of their way to be helpful and sweet. Beautiful spot!!! read more

4.5 Food - 4.5 stars Ambiance - 4 stars Service - 5 stars Price - 3.5 NMy husband and I flip flop on choosing date night restaurants and I chose Perla recently because I saw they have bone marrow on the menu and he's been craving it since August! Needless to say, he was very happy to see that! Food- my husband got the marrow as a appetizer, the Wagyu was great but I do have to say one bone had close to no marrow in it, which was disappointing for $25 We also split the chips and guac since I don't do marrow, the guacamole was delicious but it wasn't enough to justify $14. We both ordered the enchilada trio which came with one mole, one chicken suiza, and one shrimp enchilada. They were all delicious, we preferred the shrimp, and the sauces were on point! But, again - 3 small enchilada for $30... x 2 since we both got them.... And they do not come with a side. Hence we ordered a side of rice and a side of beans to share. The beans were great, the rice was definitely not. It was flavorless and almost like rice pilaf but with sweet corn in it. Do not waste your money on the rice. Lastly we ordered 2 cocktails. While most the food was very very good, our total after tip was $183!!!!!!!! This was a splurge for us for sure, would normally never spend that on a date night and knew it'd be pricer since we ordered multiple appetizers and had to pay extra to have sides but sheesh. It's a shame it's so expensive for the small portions, we would come back again if it was more affordable. Side note though, the service was very attentive and friendly. When we complimented the flavors in the enchilada sauces, one of the workers told us the owner makes them from scratch based on family recipes and she is the only one that knows how to make them, so that was interesting. read more

See all

My friends and I stopped here for an early dinner during the Day of the Dead Festival. Plus it was raining a bit so we needed a place to stay dry. Perla was pretty crowded already but was able to accommodate us on their outdoor patio with heat lamps. With only 2 servers covering the patio, they were still very attentive and sweet to all patrons. Our food came out fast too. We started with just chips and guacamole. Then our entrees arrived quickly after. All of our orders were pretty tasty. The portions were a bit on the medium/small side and the sides were served a la carte so it cost extra. Other than that, there's nothing to complain about besides the prices being super high. I took one star off for that. read more

See all

I love to support any woman owned business so I was excited to visit Perla on Friday night! I had made a reservation via OpenTable for 4 so when we arrived, we were seated immediately in their indoor dining room. Side note: the outside patio looked super cute with string lights, etc so would definitely want to be seated there in the summer. The mixologist crafted cocktails were delicious! We tried a variety of cocktails and each was refreshing and tasty in it's own way. For my main entrée, I had the grilled fish tacos which I highly recommend. They came out warm, were not doused in crema (as fish tacos typically are), had a crispy layer of cheese, and were well balanced with fish and cabbage. Everyone at the table enjoyed the flavors of their dishes. The only qualm I have is portion size; portions were on the smaller side which left some of us still hungry by the end of our meal. There was a sax musician playing oldies on the patio which was lovely a touch for the evening. Service was good. Parking is a bit of a hassle to find as it is all by the luck of the draw with metered street parking. Overall, Perla is a nice local restaurant to have around and I would recommend it to others in the area. read more

Perla - Grilled Fish Tacos - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

The moment we walked in, we were greeted and sat immediately in their patio since we had a dog with us. Vanessa was our waitress and she was so wonderful and attentive. She promptly took our drink order and brought over some water for our dog. We ordered fish tacos and enchiladas michoacanas; everything was delicious and perfectly seasoned. We were really pleased with our meals. We will definitely return! read more

Perla - Petey having a great time in their dog friendly patio - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

I went here for happy hour and I really enjoyed it. The price range is reasonable and it's located in downtown Santa Ana. Their food can easily be shared. I ordered their quesadilla which I really enjoyed. However, I did eye a few people order their fish tacos which looked super crispy. Do note that happy hour pricing for drinks only applies to certain drinks. It did not apply to wines. Cool place overall and very lively. It's not a super large place so expect limited seating. This place is best for smaller parties. read more

See all

Great spot to come for Mexican tapas. A real treat on the weekends when they have live mariachi. Everything here tasted amazing, especially their drinks. Their elote old fashion was amazing. I love how they put Mexican culture into a traditional mix drink. All in all the food was really good. The only group I honestly had with it was the prices versus the quantity of food that was given. food tastes good and authentic but, they could've added a bit more. $17 for three enchiladas a bit steep for me. if you can get past the price point, this is a great place to come to. In my honest opinion when I think of Mexican food, I think of a food that can be mass produced at a reasonable price. Unfortunately this was not the case here. With all this being said, I probably wouldn't come back here to eat, even though their food is really good, I just rather get filled somewhere else then come here for their amazing cocktails. read more

See all

Why do this to customers? Third time I ordered DD - your red pepper soup. Not only did I not get what I paid for, you assume I will be ok with a totally different soup- I'm not. PLEASE take the Red Pepper Soup off your menu options/contact paying customers.I paid a lot for delivery + tip. Frustrating! read more

I came here for Taco Tuesday, when tacos are $2.50 each (asada, chicken, pastor, chorizo, and Papa dorados-best ones). For lunch on TT it was pretty slow and our server was great. There was music playing and only 2 other tables at the time. I ordered one of each taco minus the chorizo. They were "street tacos" so they're cheap because they're really small. The meats were good but the tortillas were pretty oily, IDK why. The potato taco was bigger and very full, and busting with flavor. I would go back just for those tbh. I had an agua de piña and it was sugar water basically, not real agua, so I wouldn't get that again. This is my third time here and I'll go back because of the distance, the service, and the overall good food. Oh last time I had an horchata martini, and it looked better than it tasted, it was much more martini than horchata. Also I ran into T. I. & Tiny there, if y'all know hip hop lol. read more

See all

I came here last minute due to a terrible experience at X lounge for the R&B brunch. I was part of a party of 6 and Perla was able to sit us in 20-30 min. I'm so glad we came here. Our waitress Carina was incredible .. she was so sweet and attentive. Angel was also incredible. The food was delicious, with perfect portions. The music was amazing. My friend loved her birthday brunch- thanks to Perla staff ! Thanks so much ! read more

Perla - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

A beyond splendid eatery. This has to be some of the most authentic Mexican spots in the area but they add a modern twist to everything that perfectly compliments each dish. The staff is so friendly and fun that you can tell everyone loves their job. It's a cute spot that can sometimes have an upbeat atmosphere while also remaining quaint and warm. Highly recommend their brunch & themed nights!! read more

Came to try this place out. Came in a Sunday small but nice place. They have Marachi on Sunday. A great plus to the restaurant. Food was amazing. Service was ok could have been better. If you want greet Mexican food in Santa Anna this is the place read more

Perla - Ceviche de Camaron - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all

Beautiful atmosphere, great food and drinks. Service is always amazing. The only thing is we got there in time for their Happy Hour specials, but when we were seated someone told us there was no food specials. Then after 6PM once HH was over our server told us yes they do, just not advertised. I had no idea and I had to ask. read more

The new Perla's everyday lunch special are Fire .. Great food for your money specially here in Santa Ana. I ordered the chilaquiles verdez and the chimichanga burrito for 10 dollars each. ( The egg on the chilaquiles is extra I will recommend them to included next time but still a great price for the location). Great service and peaceful ambiance. read more

Perla - Chimichanga Burrito - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

See all