Perl

I wish they had been able to stay open. This place was awesome but they were ahead of their time in Bellevue. Put this place in 12^th South, Sylvan Park, or East Nashville and I think they would have flourished. I will miss them.

Very good! Excellent, organic and clean eating. I love this place!

Loved loved loved my pot roast. It was perfection. Only thing I can say is that the service is not amazing. They’re usually on their phones not doing much of anything. It’s a little frustrating to see however the food makes up for it.

Great concept and environment. I really want this place to exist at least until I can bring my grandkids in for a cookie.
There were a few kinks to work out when I was there… the service was slow, the portion sizes were a bit misleading, but all in all, any spot (in a strip mall, no less) with high quality, creative vegetarian options has my vote. The fry bread sandwich really is accurately hyped up, but I’ll need a few more visits before I can vouch for the quality of the biscuits that they were out of *sheds single tear.*
Not to undermine the significance of MacArthur’s quote, but it seems appropriate to close out this review with. I shall return.

Fried green tomatoes, duck confit sandwich, waffle battered chicken… need I say more?

I happened upon Perl and was pleasantly surprised! They are the only spot in Bellevue with organic/​local options and I was excited to see such a unique menu. I’ve been back twice and while my food has been very delicious my only complaint is the serving sizes are very small for what you pay!

I just had the veggie sandwich. It was terrible! It was tiny and completely boring. The bread was fried and heavy. The“home made” chips were greasy and tasteless. And it’s very expensive. $ 10 for that. I want my money back.

Love the veggie sandwich. Fillings are delicious and distinct, and combined with the crispy chewy texture of the homemade fry bread, outstanding. Came back for another try, yum!

Just had the Perl Burger. Wow! The flavors in that sandwich were amazing!!!

My husband and I love Perl! The food is fresh and the menu options are original. The prices are great for the value and it’s so nice to dine at a local, family-​run restaurant and not another chain.

What a cute place! Mismatched tables and chairs galore, art on the walls, a take-​out «market» section in the back of the restaurant. I went for Valentine’s Day breakfast, and my friend and I both had Perl’s breakfast sandwich. I ordered it without bacon. The biscuits were great, the CHEESE used was great. My only complain is I ordered my egg pretty cooked, and it was runny. My friend ended up with the harder egg, but by that point there was no turning back…
What a GREAT menu, for lunch as well as breakfast. A duck confit sandwich, fancy chicken and waffles, pasta of the day (Mm I LOVE pasta of the day! Sorry, bad joke), and the ever tempting acorn squash pot pie. I’m just remembering that Perl also had a little list of specialty coffee drinks — I had the Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and It was awesome.
Can’t mention Perl without mentioning its great dessert selection — beautiful looking pies, cookies, and VEGAN desserts. All this denying bacon and excitement about the acorn squash pot pie may allude that I’m a vegetarian, but I am not. However, the vegan oatmeal cream pie cookie was one of the BEST things I’ve maybe eaten EVER. I liked it more than the butter ‘n egg linzer cookie I also bought in the marketplace. Perl’s a little far from my abode, but thinking about that oatmeal cream pie makes me want to get over there way sooner than later…

I ordered the mozzarella app and the short rib sandwich. Wasn’t really impressed with either one.
I went there because ScoutMob had a 50% off deal. The ScoutMob app said they had Cassoulet, but it wasn’t on the menu.

So glad I finally decided to try this place. I am over the moon to have this breakfast option literally across the street from my apartment. I love early Saturday morning breakfasts with a good book. Usually I find myself at one of the big chain breakfast stand bys on Charlotte Pk or if I’m in the mood, driving to East Nashville or Franklin to try something new.
Now I can just get out of bed and if its warm walk over to Perl or if not take the 2 minute drive down the street.
The décor is adorable, with mix and match table and chairs and original artwork on the walls. Willie Nelson and I had breakfast together. A cute portrait of him hung directly in my eyeline.
The hostess and server were super friendly and helpful.
The coffee was flavorful and fresh tasting. I also really enjoyed the square cup. (Its the little things!)
I ordered the breakfast biscuit with house cured bacon, fried egg and local cheddar. The biscuit was flavorful and the perfect consistency for a sandwich, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I really could have eaten just the biscuit and be satisfied. Growing up in a household where my dad only knew how to make eggs «however they came out» I am always overly impressed by a perfectly fried egg. Dipping the biscuit in the yolk makes the both even better. Sometimes I find homemade bacon really salty but this was well done. Flavorful without being over powering. I also enjoyed that it was served with a side salad. Most people don’t think of salad and breakfast as being good partners but its was nice to have something light and fresh with my breakfast.
I look forward to coming here often, not just for breakfast. A welcome addition to fast food laden Bellevue, seriously there are 3 fast food chains in the same small shopping center as Perl, 4 if you count Jersey Mikes.

Perl is a fantastic new gourmet addition to the west side. I highly recommend the DLT: Duck confit, house bacon, smoky tomato jam & wilted chard on a hoagie roll served with an apple and fennel salad.

I stopped by for the first time this morning. Walking in my first thought was that it was super cute, even though the art on the walls reminded me of Portlandia’s «Bad Art Good Walls» skit. When you first walk in there is a dining area, but if you keep walking to the back, there is a deli case and a bunch of other stuff like a fridge full of local goat cheeses, local candles, local Love coffee, etc. It all looked great and I can’t wait to explore all the products more.
I ordered a bacon egg biscuit to go. I wanted a sausage biscuit, but they didn’t have sausage for some reason. I also ordered a coffee, and found it very tasty, although not very bold/​strong. My to-​go breakfast sandwich came in a large to-​go container with a side of salad and small container of vinagrette. One plus for me — I asked where the meat came from, and they could tell me the farms that provide the meat products.
I don’t normally eat in the car, but was in a rush today. I was driving and bit into the breakfast sandwich, then egg yolk shot out all over my coat and work clothes. I kind of freaked out in the car and had to pull over. The egg yolk was completely uncooked. Don’t get me wrong — unlike Jesco White, I love sloppy eggs, I just wasn’t prepared for one in a breakfast sandwich. So, my advice, don’t eat their egg breakfast sandwiches while driving :). It did taste good though, and while I don’t normally eat salad at 7:30 in the morning, I did nosh on some of the greens.
So, strange first experience, but I’m definitely going to visit this place again. I’m a Bellevue resident and want this place to stay here forever!

I decided to check this place out based on the article in the Tennessean. I really liked the dining room and the food was excellent. I had a pancake & bacon latte and the vegetarian sandwich. Both were awesome. The only reason they’re not receiving top marks is because of the wait staff. The lady, while pleasant, neglected to mention all the specials and there were some other administrative issues. Overall, well worth the drive to Bellevue. And they have a deal on scoutmob too.

Fresh local food in Bellevue. It even has a little market. Loved the food! Will be back for sure!

I’m actually giving them a 3.5, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt because the food was good — I really commend Perl for having an eclectic and ambitious menu in an area where I wouldn’t expect it. I also really appreciate that they serve «real» coffee and espresso, because it means I don’t have to stop at a coffee shop before/​after my breakfast to get caffeinated. The space is nice, and although it is in a strip mall (hey, it’s Bellevue) once you’re inside you barely notice because it’s tastefully decorated and has cool art that mesmerized my baby daughter.
However, Marche this place is not… We were there alone for the first half of our breakfast, although things picked up a bit before we left, but considering it was around 9:00 on a Saturday I was a little surprised. The service was a little weird, and as another reviewer pointed out the waitress failed to mention specials and was otherwise somewhat awkward to interact with.
All in all, for Bellevue this place is great and I hope it sticks around. If you’re into morning hikes/​runs at the Warner parks I would definitely recommend stopping here before/​after.

What a refreshingly different brunch! Yes, you can get poached eggs, scrambled eggs, biscuits, home fries, and your other usual brunch suspects. But here you can the poached eggs on a bed of crispy mustard greens and potato latkes or braised pork or eggs scrambled with goat cheese. Even their selection of desserts and lattes are a tad more creative than the average brunch joint, e.g. bacon beignets, Elvis latte. As suggested in another review, Perl provides a great alternative to Café Marché.
PROS: A warm ambiance created by a collection of colorful mismatched upcycled wooden furniture, friendly waitstaff, and most importantly – delightfully creative, fresh, well-​executed foodstuffs. If the poached eggs that we ordered are at all representative of all the other menu items, the chef knows what s/he’s doing. Just reading the menu is in itself a thrilling part of the dining experience at Perl.
CONS (that have PROS potential): Breakfast portions were a tad smaller than what I expected (but maybe that’s for the better). The bacon beignets with coffee sabayon were delicious, but I think they could’ve been even better served dry in a basket with some kind of maple-​y sauce on the side instead. Not a huge fan of the kind of random assortment of art on the walls, but that’s just me being an art douche.
I would definitely return to Perl… if not just for the sheer experience of reading their menu.

If you are looking for a market for unique food products, or a casual gourmet breakfast /​lunch spot on the west side of Nashville, comparable to Café Marché (but more eclectic and comfortable) this is the right place. Not only are the dishes beautiful and flavorful, but healthy, local, and vary by the season. Robert is a true chef.
I had a poached egg on a latke «nest» and mustard greens. It was artfully plated and the flavors and textures combined well into something greater than the sum of its parts. I rounded this off with a great cup of their house coffee, which is from Just Love. The attentive waiter brought me a warm-​up at the right time. My wife had a cliff-​sized portion of a sort of bread pudding /​french toast with pomegranate seeds and whipped cream with fresh fruit garnish, which she says was also very good. Her americano was just right. From the children’s menu our son had the fluffy scrambled eggs, and it came with two pieces of delicious toast. Other interesting breakfast items include Bear Creek farms flank steak with sweet potato hash, and a biscuit sampler with homemade preserves (the preserves can also be bought in the market area in the back).
If we had come later we would have ordered one of the interesting items from the brunch menu, like the short ribs benedict or buckwheat pancake with cannoli cream.
It was an excellent experience for such a new place. I can’t think of any negatives. The Spinellis have been catering in the area for a while now and the experience obviously translates well to their storefront /​restaurant. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays, but they take reservations those days for special events.
Note also Samma’s review for other offerings from Perl’s catering services which have been thankfully available for a while now.
Tip from my friend Joe: Kill two birds with one stone, and swing by here on your way to or from McKay’s new location just up the road, about 10 minutes.