Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar
Perla's has Austin’s prettiest oak-shaded patio and a comfortable airy dining room featuring a huge saltwater fishtank, poured concrete oyster bar and open kitchen.
Good food, nice atmosphere and excellent service
We used to go to Perla’s at least 2-3 times per month, but we decided this past visit was our last. It took 15 minutes before our waitress even came to greet our table, and another 15 minutes for a very uncomplicated drink order. Which, one of the four drinks we ordered, mine, never even came. When it came time to order,I asked the waitress if I could order the lobster roll, but on the base of their Cobb salad (essentially subbing the lobster for the shrimp that comes on the Cobb instead of with a bun/fries, and that I understood there may be an up charge. She came back and said they would have to charge me for the lobster roll ($36) and the Cobb ($21), albeit not having the shrimp from the Cobb salad, which is clearly the only costly component on the dish. I was willing to pay $5-10 for lettuce, half an egg and half an avocado, but certainly not $21. So, i asked the waitress if I could just have it on butter lettuce side salad, a side that comes with another dish. She said no, they would only be able to place the lobster salad inside one butter lettuce leaf. At this point, frustrated, I cancelled my order and didn’t have anything. Which, seemed to be the right choice this go around, because they totally undercooked my friends eggs and our two other guests had steak ranchero, which they both said was the worst steak ranchero they’ve ever had. Long story short—good location, awful service, and mediocre/overpriced food.
Excellent dog-friendly fine dining. Highly recommend.
Service was excellent and prompt. Getting a reservation was easy, even Saturday night of ACL. Restaurant was flexible with our lack of punctuality. Me, my husband, and our 2 dogs were seated quickly and kindly. The host gave our pups a water bowl and multiple staff members came to say hello during our meal. One even had treats!
Well-balanced, well-prepared food and cocktails. The grilled octopus was memorable, with confit potatoes, a smokey chili oil, and minced parsley, but was a bit tough and undercooked. The scallop risotto was my personal favorite (who knew jalapenos and fennel worked so well together?), and the lobster bucatini was rich and decadent.
Total was under $150 for two excellent meals. Would return.
Great service, excelent food!!
We were fortunate to get a patio seat on a gorgeous day. The food is always delicious. Best items IMO, calamari to start, crabcake to share, LOBSTER ROLL is TO DIE FOR, and a nice glass of Henriot Champagne to pair.
This visit was disappointing. Service was awful. Waitress rushed us through the entire meal. Hostess should not have been at work - she clearly hated her job. And the food was sub par. Usually everything is great, so perhaps it was just an off night.
Amazing patio for people watching and delicious food. Go for the Tuna tartare tostadas and fresh oysters! Enjoy one of their delicious signature cocktails. A great experience!
Very expensive, small portions
All of our dishes were really tasty, but the Lobster Omelette was outstanding, loaded both with lobster chunks and flavor. Scallop pozole verde was a tasty revelation. Easily our best meal while visiting Austin.
Paige, our server, was excellent and took great care of us. The food was outstanding - don’t skip the raw oysters, the octopus, or the scallops.
Beautiful restaurant and great food. Service was a little spotty. We ordered two side dishes and they never arrived.
Very good. We'll be back! Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
We try to go to Perla's whenever we are in Austin. All the seafood is great. Try the lobster roll if you are there for brunch.
The $50 steak was not good quality.
The only disappointment I had was requesting an outside table as we were having a celebration (came there in lieu of a bachelor & bachelorette party). Requested with my online reservation and in person. The hostess completely ignored me and walked off and would not make eye contact when we were seated. Had I not been to Perlas several times before I would have make a stink with the manager - it was unnecessary. There was no need to be rude and it was 9pm with empty tables both inside and outside - we would have even waited but were not offered the opportunity. Inside was noisy inside and our guests of honor had never been there - the patio would have been a treat.
Great waitress named Rachel made it an exceptional experience!
Perla's food is good but I think overpriced - ambience is great
So many people I know love Perlas. Our experience was just ok. The shrimp cocktail looked bad with shrimps intestinal track not deveined. Entrees were just ok. Server spoke too fast. The atmosphere is wonderful though so it was disappointing the fare did not live up to the hype or prices. My friend told me it is best to just go for appetizers and no entrees. It is too expensive for the quality in my opinion.
Best meal I have had in a while!!! Loved the vibe too!
Our party enjoyed our excellent service with our fine meal. The pace was great and we come here for special occasions because we enjoy it very much. We do wish the noise level could be reduced.
Always an Austin favorite. Had lunch there for the first time. The other previous times I've been there was for dinner. Great vibe and fun people watching. We were there on a non-TX game weekend and the crowd was a little more tame. This is a great place to stop in for a bite if you are on South Congress. I highly recommend the calamari!
Great all around meal! Service fantastic
First time to Austin! Great meal! Great server!
My second timeat Perla's, and it was once again an amazing experience. Almost perfect place for a blissful anniversary celebration - the only slight down side was the noise level.
Drinks were poorly made. Too many different people were attending to the same table, so it made it difficult to give or get any feedback from your server. Mexican street corn should have been on the cob. It wasn’t. Scallops were cooked perfectly. Other dishes were quite tasty. Just not worth the expense. Especially when there were people vaping and smoking in the outside dining area. Not cool.
Perla's is a very cool restaurant with great ambiance, food, and service! We went as a group and didn't have to wait too long for anything. Not everyone in our party ate seafood, but we were still able to find super good options for everyone there! I recommend this restaurant for a date night or fun with friends. I'd make reservations to not worry about the wait! Apparently it can get pretty long. Their food was all very good quality and plated nicely. Good fresh ingredients and excellent chef! We will definitely be returning.
Always great food & service! Wish we had one in Dallas :)
Best lunch with friends I have ever had. The place was packed to the rafters with rowdy LSU fans. The serving staff were confident and efficient throughout it all. The presentation was the best I have yet seen at Perlas, and the food was beyond delicious. My friends from out of town were awed.
Great fresh seafood at Perla’s... loved the appetizers & drinks too!! Girlfriend & I always try to get by Perla’s when we’re in town.
Have dined at Perla's several times. We had a reservation for 5 at 7pm. Arrived a few minutes early and opted for the patio which was pleasant even though it was another hot summer day. Food was good as usual and the wait staff was very attentive. I tried the bouillabaisse this time which was flavorful and chock-full of goodies. Highly recommend it. My only gripe was having to pay $8 for parking as the voucher provided by Perla's was only good for 2 hours.
Best seafood in Austin
Spent the afternoon at Perla’s with my mom and wife. Food was excellent, 1 dozen oysters and the crab cake for starters.....our meal got better and better from there!
Crispy Snapper, Gulf Tile fish, King Crab grits, bloody Mary’s....book a table and find out for yourself.
Fantastic food. Great service.
I think we had a new server - she didn’t seem to know the menu
We went on a Sunday for lunch. Ordered a dozen mixed oysters. They were fresh and delicious. I can also recommend the ceviche and the ahí tuna. Make a reservation, as this place is very popular.
Enjoyed very fresh seafood excellent
And so was our server Bree. She was so helpful, friendly and an overall terrific server.
Fantastic food and awesome atmosphere
No valet parking is a disincentive to return. Valet parking should be an essential to a restaurant of this quality.
Amazing food, and great service! We loved everything we ordered, which is rare.
We were celebrating 2 birthdays. Everything was perfect. Food delish. A little pricey not not terrible. They sent over Birthday cake home made ice cream on the house. Nice way to end a great night. Waiter was attentive and informative.
