Pearl Raw Bar

Really poor service. Over cooked fish. Really small portions. We won’t be going back.

Came here with my parents on Monday’s oyster night and got 3 dozen raw Chesapeake oysters for $ 30. Such a great deal comparatively to when you go normally. The oysters were half off, but also include fried and baked options for those who don’t like them raw.
Great vibe, even greater server who was so accommodating. Parents loved the place. Give it a visit!

So many great memories at this establishment! Their happy hours are phenomenal with great $ 8 specials on oysters! I’ve eaten here countless times and have to say their fish tacos are my favorite. They’re some of the best I’ve had!

went there, all I can say is this over rated. Food’s quality did not worth the price. Spend almost $ 130 with tips got us nothing. Oyster are the smallest oyster I’ve seen in my life.

Their seafood are always fresh and good. Love their oysters and crab legs!

BEST OYSTERS WE EVER HAD! No need for a long review, just know that this place has the best oysters hands down. If I could give this place 10 stars, I would.

2 sickly olives in my martini which was meh, a massive pile of bleu cheese on the charcuterie board with little anything else except fossilized bread. Oysters were pretty good. No one was impressed by drinks – bland. Everything could use a little more thought put into it. Overall I was very disappointed, especially considering the prices.

My friend and I attempted to try them for Restaurant Week. We walked in on a Wednesday night around 4:45pm. Other than three people sitting at the bar, the place was absolutely empty. Over the course of five minutes, two people working there separately looked a us, said nothing, and just plain didn’t acknowledge us. We left. I guess they didn’t want our money.

The atmosphere in this place is soothing, the music isn’t loud, and the staff is extremely friendly as well as on point. I started the night with a Bayou Bloody Mary and it was just fantastic. I also decided to try the Firecracker Shrimp as an appetizer with the Corn and Crab soup and I wish I had a bigger stomach because I would have ordered more.
The Lobster Pasta was incredible, which I chose as my entrée. I recommend this restaurant to any seafood lover in the area!

Okay, so not my favorite spot in Richmond, but let me explain why.
We came in and sat at the bar during happy hour, one of our favorite places to sit as we often get the best service (an RVA fact!). It was Monday so I was expecting a somewhat slower day. Nope, it was decently busy. So, I had high hopes. If everyone else seems to be enjoying this place, it cannot be half bad. However, the service was lacking as the first 10 minutes of sitting down at the bar, we were completely ignored by the bartender.
When the bartender finally came around, he asked our drink order. As we were still deciding on dinner, we both opted for water for now. I had not even glanced at the drink menu at all. After all, I was hungry. It took another 10 minutes before we got our waters and we decided we might as well just order our meal or it would be after Happy Hour. We ordered mussels and fries (a HR special) and guest ordered crab dip and sliders (another HR special).
When we finally got our meal, it was so-​so, and not even warm. Nothing special, and we have had great seafood at places like Lady Nawlins and Sticky Rice. Unfortunately, I assume since we did not order drinks (since we sat at the bar), we were ignored for drinking customers. I found this disappointing as I had high hopes for this place. I had been once before years ago and sat at a booth and had a wonderful time. However, coming back, I was very disappointed. Had this been my first time, I doubt I would ever return. I am hoping one day when I get the urge to go back, the service will improve.
Disappointing as most fan spots tend to be good food and great atmosphere. As a «higher end» type of establishment with a classier vibe, compared to that of a dive bar, it was lacking in its customer service.

Went here with a rather large work group a little while ago. Their alcoholic drinks are amazing. After living in England for a while I was so excited to find out they had Pimms! The seafood was amazing and very fresh. I’d did get a bit loud inside but when the weather is nice they can open up doors and the breeze is amazing.

Excellent Raw Food aka SEAFOOD Bar located in Cary Town– Wonderful! Cozy little joint looks and sound more like a bar than a five star seafood restaurant, but the seafood is delicious and fresh, served up perfectly with good old southern hospitality.
We got there in time for Happy Hour and tried the Snow crab legs– a steal– to work our way into the rest of the meal that included oysters (outstanding!), fried oysters (yum– did not share), Crab cakes (were not shared), Ahi tuna, and… when they say lobster pasta– they bring you pasta… and a whole lobster!
Damn! After stupendous seafood dining all around, we knew we had to stay for desserts and we were not disappointed. The New York Cheese cake was one of the best ever, and both the key lime pie and the chocolate tart had no chance of survival!
This is a great little joint, but wow! Was it LOUD and a total bar scene! Know that going in you will have to shout above the very loud music and the very loud bar ruckus. Come with that friend who always has the same old story, and you will be fine. Other than needing a hearing aid, this place was FAB!

Excellent! Excellent!!! Came here for the all you can eat crab legs and man are they all you can’t eat! I didn’t even have to ask for another plate they just kept’em coming! The pricing is great the cheapest all you can eat place I’ve been to and it’s well worth it! The atmosphere is the best I came in after six so around dinner time and every table has a pretty floating candle in the middle
I sat right in the corner by the large garage door that is actually a huge window which is super unique! Customer service was great and despite having a few tables to juggle my server (Riley) was beyond attentive and on point, you’re in luck if you get one of her tables! All in all this place did not disappoint, I wanted to come here for a long time and now I’ll definitely be back!

I was invited by friends for the Wednesday night crab leg special. We had a blast. Starting the evening with happy hour specials enabled me to sample quite a few menu items.
Fresh oysters were FANTASTIC! All of the seafood was very good. We had the crab dip and crab legs, steamed clams and the fresh guacamole was so good we ordered a second round!
As a native of Richmond, I will be adding this to my rotation.

I previously visited this location when it was Delux restaurant and bar. A friend and I decided to stop in for dinner and drinks. I ordered the crab dip, 1lb of steam shrimp and a side salad. My friend ordered the lobster pasta. The crab dip was extremely salty and the lobster pasta was extremely bland. Later that night while asleep in bed I was awaken with a serious stomach ache, ending up vomiting till I filled the bathroom sink to the brim. I later spoke with my friend and she also had stomach pains, but no vomiting. I think the customer service was good, but the kitchen needs some work.

Experiences here have been mixed but I’m reviewing just Monday night Oyster night. Sit at the bar and eat oysters by the dozen for under $ 10. Steamed clams also under $ 10 for a dozen (these were great). A small menu of various items including a «Rockefeller» type oyster plate of 6 on special. Also delicious. If you come during happy hour you can also take advantage of beer/​drink specials. Bottom line, a chill place to go (and for sure on Mondays) for inexpensive raw bar fare, some cold brews, and a couple TV’s to catch a football game. There is a larger dining area in the back, so it’s not just a bar, in fact, it’s mostly NOT a bar. That just seemed more fun for the whole oyster/​clam fest.

Who says that the Unilocal app isn’t handy?
I recently stopped here during a road trip to Virginia Beach.
The décor is pretty minimalist bar with accents of the word pearl.
While here I got to chop it up with the shuckers who informed me of the latest bivalve delights!
I finally settled on a half dozen little neck clams, a half dozen of Chesapeake oysters, a Natty Boh Tall boy and an Oystershooter. I was not disappointed. Each selection was just as the shuckers had advised, briney and delicious. Might I add, all of what I mention was just 24.00. I had to cut myself off because I knew I would keep eating.
Our bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable.
If you ever find yourself in the area and are indeed looking for a Raw Bar, this is your spot.
Ps. This place does have adequate bathrooms. :)

This may be one of my new favorite restaurants in Richmond! Great staff, great food, and reasonable prices.
We came to Pearl and because of the wait, we decided to sit at the bar for a little and order some drinks and raw oysters. They have a great happy hour! I got the margarita and it was delicious. The oysters were great too, I’m not a raw oyster expert, but these tasted great to me. We happened to come during Richmond Nacho Taco week, so we had to try the $ 5 taco special, they were so flavorful, and definitely worth the price. We also tried the buffalo fried oysters and I will definitely be getting these again, it was probably my favorite thing I had there that night. If you do go, definitely try the oyster shooters, $ 5 seems like a good deal for these, and they are very interesting to try. I tried the bacon one, I didn’t love it, but it was a fun experience to try it.
The best thing about Pearl is their atmosphere, it always seems to be crowded and it’s just fun inside. I’ve never made it to their back porch, but I’ve heard great things and I will definitely be visiting once it gets a little warmer!

I went to Pearl Raw Bar with my mom for lunch. This restaurant was laid back around early lunch hours (weekday). It began to get busier about 1pm. We shared Pearl’s Chesapeake crab dip appetizer. The crab dip was good. I had a fried fish sandwich (house made slaw, tartar sauce on a leidenheimer roll) with street corn as an entrée. Pearl’s fried fish sandwich was delicious! The fish was fried to a nice crisp and all ingredients blended well together. Sandwiches come with one side which you can substitute. The street corn was decent. Our server was very attentive and polite. She stayed on top of our table. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Pearl Raw Bar. I will be back to try other items on the menu. I give Pearl Raw Bar a 3.5 rating on my first visit.

Good ambiance, good service, good beer selection. We were less impressed with the food. My oyster stew was OK. An oyster po boy had a generous number of oysters but they were small and had as much «fried» taste as oyster taste. My wife had scallops — OK but not worth the price. If you want scallops, go somewhere with stronger seafood vendors.
This seems like a good neighborhood watering hole with a decent kitchen but I think we aimed too high in ordering. I’d stick to more basic bar food.