Perla's

I've passed by Perla's a million times within the 10 years I've lived here and had never dined with them until this week. The pricing of their menu and lack of available reservations served as a deterrent. Well, I'm happy to say I had the best first visit I could've imagined. I opted to go during their "Afternoon Snack" hours (window between their lunch and dinner menus) and grabbed a bar seat right away. I didn't get to order from their full menu but, it wasn't an issue since I went there for the oysters. I loved the variety of oyster options (FOURTEEN) and enjoyed the cocktails I ordered (margarita, paloma and Mexican martini). Their bartender, Cass, was amazing and very accommodating. He hooked us up with some complimentary hush puppies and chatted with our group in his downtime. I have no doubt I'll return to try their full menu!

Visited Perla's as I've always seen it on South Congress but it's pretty hard to get a reservation here. (Parking is fairly easy however - if you park in the garage in the back they validate!) Once you walk inside you can definitely feel the upscale / more classy vibe (and the music wasn't too loud neither)We started off with the complimentary hush puppies and ordered the Calamari as an appetizer. Both were DELICIOUS - the hush puppies were full of flavor and just the right amount of crispy. The Calamari was seasoned well, and the sauces on the side were a nice touch to bring all the flavors together. For drinks, I ordered the Espresso Martini, and would say it wasn't too strong but just the right amount. Our waiter gave us ample amount of time to figure out what we'd like to eat for entrees and consistently checked in to make sure he answered any questions we'd have! I landed on the fish and chips and could barely finish it all - but it was still very good! I think next time I would try something else (just to explore the menu more), but I would definitely come here if you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or just a night out with friends!

I went with some coworkers who were in town. We ordered a big spread of appetizer to split and everything was so good. My standouts were the tostadas and oysters. For my entree I ordered the lobster roll. The fries were cooked to perfection and were so thin and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. While I asked for my lobster roll as is, one of coworkers asked if they could serve it hot instead of cold and they accommodated her request which I loved. All of the drinks here as well were spectacular as well as the service.We sat outside so I didn't get much of a look at the inside of the restaurant.

My absolute fav spot on congress who dosent love Perla's. Great vibes. Great indoor outdoor. Great service. And most importantly great food! We can into town for ACL and we're celebrating our anniversary. They celebrated with us! And gave a card with champagne... so special. We always get the seafood tower and it never disappoints. This time we also had the butterscotch dessert and oh my! I need that every day !!Service is always too notch!

If you're looking for a catch of the day type of restaurant, this is it. They change their menu daily based on what fresh seafood they have picked for the day. They do have staples that they keep on the menu also. We started with fresh raw oysters from the East Coast. Hubby and I split 1/2 dozen Sandspit, MA oysters and 1/2 dozen Big Gulp, FL oysters. They were a pretty good size and tasted great. I liked the Sandspit ones were a tad bigger and thicker in size. For my entree I had the butter poached halibut and ordered a side of the blue crab grits. I really enjoyed the crust on the fish and it was light. The sauce paired really well with it. The crab grits made a really good side and it tasted good together. I would have wanted to see more crab in the grits but they were creamy and flavorful. Our server was excellent. He was the one that suggested we try the halibut since it was one of those daily catch of the day options. FYI, they do have a parking garage behind the restaurant and they validate for two hours. We did not know this and had already paid for street parking. We say the sign for the validation when we walked in to get a table.It is an expensive restaurant and sides are not included with your dish. The food is great, but in pricey side.

We almost passed this restaurant by based on the 3.5 star rating. Thank the god of the cornucopia that we stayed! Forget the standard bread basket. Perla's features unlimited hush puppies in a basket. A hint of jalapeño, infused with actual corn and buttery soft on the inside. Chef's kiss. Perhaps the highlight is the homemade tartar! Just the right amount of lemon zing. While our waitress was perhaps A *wee bit* distracted, that didn't take away from our experience. The little gems salad was perfect. (Added shrimp) The dressing was the highlight! Speaking of highlights, the blue ribbon goes to the ever loving French Toast. My my my. Get you one for the table.

We had reservations at Perla's last night for my birthday dinner. When we arrived we were taken to our table and I had a birthday card signed by several members of the staff waiting for me. A nice surprise. Our server, Travis, was outstanding. He took time to explain the menu and to make suggestions. He was always close by even though the restaurant was busy.We ordered a dozen oysters and got one of each kind they had. Travis even took the time to write down each type of oyster and its place on the tray. We shared the oysters, and each one I had was splendid. They went down smooth, and even though they were on ice, the oysters were not ice cold. I had the red snapper with beans. I'm not sure the name of the bean, but they resembled lima beans. In any case, the fish was grilled and served over some saucy greens. The beans were not mushy but had a good texture and flavor. There is both indoor and outdoor seating. It was nice and cool inside and outside they were spraying mist to keep it cooler. The atmosphere is casual and still elegant. There is a parking garage behind Perlas, and the restaurant will validate your ticket for 2 hours if you use that garage. It was a wonderful birthday dinner with delicious food and outstanding service.

What a wonderful experience we had on both visits to Perla's. Had brunch on the front deck and enjoyed the eggs Benedict. Went for an amazing dinner again on the front deck (had drinks first inside at the bar - ate the best Cadillac oysters and had fun conversation with the bartender) and everything we ordered for dinner was divine! Service was impeccable on both visits.

Perla's is a very cute restaurant on South Congress with a large shady patio which makes it perfect for people watching. We arrived on a Saturday around lunchtime without reservations and were able to snag some seats at the outdoor bar. It was rather warm outdoors in June but there was some shade.Between the two of us, we split the Vine Ripe Tomato Gazpacho, Little Gem Salad, and the Grilled Mahi sandwich. All of the items were very fresh, the lettuce in the salad was crispy, and the fish was grilled perfectly. I enjoyed the little piece of bread that came with the gazpacho. It was also very nice of our server to notate that we were splitting each plate so everything was cut or portioned in half on our own plate when it came out. We also ordered the Fish & Shrimp ceviche but it never came out. Our server took off a few of the drinks we ordered for this, which I appreciated.Perla's is a cute brunch spot but I would come back in the future for dinner.

Perla's is officially my favorite restaurant in Austin! Every entree we ordered was divine. I loved everything and the flavor of the dishes was out of this world. We ordered oysters, grilled squash, redfish, crab cakes, and the lobster bucatini. My favorite dish was the lobster bucatini. The portion of the lobster in the pasta was plentiful. It was such a savory dish! I liked that the crab cakes were served alongside apple slices. The flavors complimented each other nicely. The oysters were very fresh! The grilled squash made a great side, and the redfish was cooked well! It had a nice crisp to it. I would definitely come back here!