Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

This was my first time at Pearl Dive but it's been on my list for ages. Decided to try it for brunch on President's Day but really came for the oysters so I decided to try them all!It was surprisingly slow for a holiday weekend but that worked for me because the food came out quickly. I started with the raw oysters which were lovely. Then I went down the line on the hot oysters and then ended with the mussles. Everything was amazing and came out quick and hot. I learned during my visit that they have a huge upstairs space with 2 bars known as Blackjack that has great happy hour specials but shares the same kitchen. Definitely plan to come back for weeknight and weekend happy hour!

Just an FYI, Pearl Dive Oyster Place has an abbreviated menu from 3 to 5 pm. First, I will say that our waitress, a Black woman with green-blue highlights in her hair, was absolutely wonderful because was very friendly and attentive. During our late lunch/early dinner, we never had to wait for her to check us. Before we could think about summoning her to the table, she was already there. For our "light flare" lunch, we shared orders of mussels, ceviche mixto, clam chowder, an oyster po'boy, and a bottle of wine. Overall, I thought all of our items were pretty good, and the portion sizes were decent. While everything was great, I have to say that I was expecting a bit more seafood in the ceviche mixto. The mussels were pretty good and fresh, but the broth/wine sauce was a bit too salty for my tastes. The oysters for the po'boy were perfectly friend and well-seasoned. Overall, I cannot complain too much about food, and we definitely enjoyed our lunch/early dinner. Also, I thought the menu prices were pretty fair compared to other similar restaurants in the area.Perhaps, I'm reading too much into my next point, but I'll mention it anyway. When we arrived to the restaurant, it took a few minutes for a host/hostess to great us. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I had to ask the bartender to find the host/hostess. Normally, this would not have been too big of a deal, but there were only about five to eight people eating in the restaurant. Basically, what I'm saying is that the restaurant (outside of the bar area) was not super busy. Perhaps, the kitchen was having a staff meeting or something that occupied the attention of restaurant staff besides the two bartenders. When we asked for a table of two, the hostess seemed to hesitate for a bit, which at first made me think that we needed a reservation or that the restaurant was shutting down for table dining until dinner. However, she told us that the restaurant was serving its light fare menu from 3 to 5 pm. Then, she highly recommended that we check out the bar upstairs for happy hour. It was weird because she showed us the menu for the bar upstairs before the showing us the menu for Pearl Dive Oyster Place. Perhaps, this hostess was being helpful...maybe too helpful. She was not being mean or aloof about it; I just thought it was a bit weird that she would promote (or highlight) another place. I get that the Pearl Dive and the upstairs bar probably are owned by the same folks. However, I guess it did not really bother me until my partner and I started chatting at the table. I guess it was one of those situations when two people are thinking the same thing, but perhaps they don't say anything to each other about the situation because both people feel like they are over thinking the situation.

I went to Pearl Dive Oyster Palace last Sunday for Brunch and was surprisingly IMPRESSED with this place (because I am not the biggest fan of Oysters). I ordered the Beignets for the table and everyone LOVED them. For my main plate, I ordered the Pontchartrain which might have been the best eggs benedict I have ever had. The rest of the table liked their dishes too (see pictures attached).When we were debating on what to order, we were conflicted on whether we should order the french toast since we already had the beignets. The waitress later gave us the french toast FOR FREE since she saw that we were bummed we couldn't try it. Needless to say, the service was above and beyond. The general atmosphere of the place was great as well.

First off Anna at the host stand is amazing. So nice and just makes you feel welcome. Our server was also great! The food was amazing - my favorite were the wood grilled oysters and the key lime pie. It's a chill spot with a cozy vibe- perfect for a wet and cold Saturday evening.

Went here for bottomless brunch and it truly was bottomless! I loved that you could choose how much OJ went into your champagne also, the food was AMAZING! I loved the omelette with goat cheese and mushrooms.

Pearl Dive has been on my happy hour list and it did not disappoint! Happy hour is only available at the bar and the main bar downstairs was full so my friend and I sat on the second floor level (which I think is a different bar possibly?) I am more of an eater than a drinker so the mussels off the happy hour menu caught my eye more than anything else. It made for an excellent early dinner! The baguette was lightly toasted and the sauce was garlicky and light. We also ordered the grilled oysters but those were just ok. They lacked flavor to me and was just greasy and not anything special, I wouldn't order again. The real miss of the night though was the HH burger that my friend ordered. I would say come for the HH drinks and mussels (and fresh oysters if that's your thing!).

I'm upset because everytime I come to Pearl I never remember to take photos! The minute the oysters and the food hit the table it's like a vacuum turns on because everything gets inhaled. Every charboiled oyster is a 10/10 the staff makes great recommendations on the raw oysters based on what you're in the mood for and the main entrees... ugh If I didn't have manners I would probably lick the plates. It's a great place for happy hour but it's also a great place for a meal. I celebrated my birthday this year and it was a good time. I will definitely be back this is my summer happy hour location.

Met a friend here for dinner while I was in town. Had a spicy mezcal margarita at the bar while I was waiting. Had another one with dinner - really good.When I walked in around 5:50 the bar was half full. By 6:30 it was busy. The restaurant itself became busy closer to 7:30. Both bar and table were very friendly. We split a few small plates. If you're wondering if you should get the lobster rangoons when you can get them at any standard Thai place, I say go for it. They're definitely an elevated take on the probably imitation version. Heads up, you only get three.The wood fired grill oysters were good as were the mussels. You can probably skip the burrata. Sleeper hit, one of the breads they give you in the complementary basket is exceptional.Didn't take any photos, sorry!

Wow! Good find! The bar and outdoor 'patio' were PACKED on a Thursday evening (6:30ish), hostess gave me options of seating- happy hour is at the downstairs or upstairs bar. I liked what i saw on the HH menu so went upstairs to see the vibe but it was a bit too 'bar-like' (dark, loud music) and i just wanted a quaint after-work dinner. So forfeited HH and opted to sit in outdoor dining. Nice atmosphere, friendly waitress, polite food runners. I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller (3 for $12), the Angels on Horseback (bacon-wrapped cooked oysters with balsamic glaze over a smear of aioli -4 for $12) which were both delicious - i would order both again, just wish there were more of them. Best Oysters Rockefeller I've had, definitely. I read good things about the burger so ordered that and was NOT disappointed. It was huge so i cut it in half.. and ended up eating the other half PLUS the fries ... just GREAT eats. Fleur 75 cocktail was refreshing. I'll certainly be back for other offerings, they have a good menu.

Woowww what a hidden gem. We were. Raving oysters and opted to check out this place on U street. I would recommend making a reservation since the restaurant is quite small. We ordered oysters (obviously) we ordered 1 of each of their raw oyster options. We also got 2 of their hot options: the tchopitoulous oysters and the Rockefeller oysters. All the oysters were delicious! In addition, we also got the burger to share. It was MUCH MUCH better than expected. Meat was cooked perfectly, loaded with toppings and huge. Will be back for sure