La Perla 3 Mexican Restaurant & Grocery Store

SOO delicious & authentic!!! I was born & raised in Los Angeles County & this is by FAR the MOST authentic Mexican restaurant we’ve found in Johnson City! :D (We’ve tried several others around here that we hoped would be really deliciously authentic, but sadly, they weren’t). We all had burritos and they were very flavorful, absolutely delicious, and HUGE. (I had the tripas — would’ve got lengua but they were out — & the rest of my not-​as-​adventurous-​as-​me-​family had chicken). They had all sorts of awesome things on the menu too like huaraches, sopes, mariscos, guisado, etc). And pictures of the food on the wall. The salsas they brought us were very good. As we sat there eating, we looked around us and we were surrounded by Mexicans eating even more amazing-​looking food — you know, the kind of «secret» stuff you wonder what it is
& wish you could’ve ordered, LOL).
There’s also a market inside — we also bought a bunch of different dried chiles & a tres leches cake. VERY nice, friendly, humble people. Since discovering this in this area, we’ll definitely be coming back VERY regularly!!!

Oh my goodness, what an outstanding place! Huge portions, so share or prepare for leftovers. This is the only authentic Mexican restaurant I’ve found in the Tri-​Cities! I will be going regularly.

After moving to East Tennessee from Southern California, we were quite disappointed with the authentic Mexican food around, until we found this place! Real Mexican dishes, variety and huge portion sizes. Best Mexican eats in town

The word, «Authentic» does not do them justice. When a restaurant has items such as Lengua de Res (Beef Tongue), Cactus, and Codorniz (quail) on their menu, it is clear they are a rare delicacy. Their portion sizes do not disappoint. The menu has a half page of soups & stews along with a full page of seafood. For a land-​locked region, their selection of fresh seafood is superlative. They make practically everything on site, fresh everyday.
And if you have not decided where to spend your Cinco de Mayo, this is a no brainer.
And don’t forget to shop their storefront before you leave… there really is no where else in town to find better pico de gallo, made fresh to order.

If you are in Johnson City and you even kinda like Mexican food, do yourself a favor and try this place. If it was just a question of variety, quality and quantity then you would be a foolish to discount this place. But when you take their salsa and the ability to personalize with as hot you like it, it makes this place a must. A dollar taco is beyond amazing. A small burrito defies the description of being small. Like every review here says just come here and experience it for yourself. :)

A true hidden gem! Authentic, delicious Mexican food at an amazing price. Don’t forget to bring cash!

Best surprise in East Tennessee — authentic great Mexican food — at a good price.

This place has delicious, authentic food. It’s actually half-​market/​half restaurant so you can pick up some of the harder to find items while you wait for your food. Not the coziest restaurant atmosphere but definitely worth stopping for pick up and make sure to hit up any stand you see. You get huge portions but it’s so good, you’ll still want more.
The only take cash so be prepared.