Pearl's Reviews

My wife & I visit the Philadelphia area a few times each year and we always come to Pearl's Oyster Bar in the Reading Terminal Market to eat. Today I had the Smoked Salmon Benedict and my wife had the Crab Cake Benedict. Both were unique and excellent. The Smoked Salmon was sliced very thin and rolled up with herb cream cheese. Best I ever had. We love to come here because they always have something unique - including their weekly specials - and everything is top quality.

Wow. This was the most amazing breakfast. The kids had Red Velvet Waffles, I had oatmeal- which had so many berries and flavors- and husband had a basic egg and potato breakfast. None of it was run of the mill. Everything was cooked perfectly and very flavorful. Lovely waitstaff as well!

Good quality food, seafood a specialty, from this family owned business within the crowded and interesting Reading Market. The servers are friendly and efficient and working at full speed. There are some tables for parties of 3 or more: pairs or singles get to sit at the long counter tops. The prices are reasonable for the location and food quality. Definitely high on the list of places to eat near the convention center.

I tried the slider's even though i was initially aiming for the Po Boy. It was served with homemade chips and a delicious aioli. Its worth a try.

I have been to the Reading Terminal Markets dozens of times for lunch over the years without stopping at Pearl's. Usually too focused on Hershall's for a corned beef sandwich, pizza, pasta or almost anything else. My wife and I were in for lunch and she said how about some fish. I had the Flounder Po'Boy with house made ships. Very tasty with just a hint of heat in the dressing. Fried flounder on a soft hero roll, lettuce, tomato and pickle. My wife had the breakfast burrito with house made Mahi chorizo, eggs, peppers, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. It was huge. She skipped the burrito and had plenty for her meal. Well worth returning to. You should always listen to your wife.

Located in Reading Terminal Mkt. Sweet potato fries were very good. Fried shrimp seemed fresh and had an extra curl. Tasty but not spectacular. But in a city where beef is king, a nice change.

The breakfasts at Pearl's are always very good, but their ultimate breakfast item has got to be the red velvet waffles. They are decadently delicious!

Busy place, had the fish tacos and they were very yummy and fresh. Great service and food came fast.

Food was wonderful and the portions were humongous. We left 1/2 of our meals behind. It is in Reading Terminal and it is right by the entrance. We sat down as soon as the doors opened with a lot of other guests so it took a while to get to us but can't hold that against the servers. I didn't like the counter / diner feel at first but it gave us the opportunity to talk to different families.

Being who I am, I seek the unique, Oysters Scrambled! I wasn't disappointed either..... Breakfast was great yesterday morning. My advice: Go here.

I had a couple oysters, which were fresh and delicious. My husband and I shared a oyster po' boy sandwich, which was enough for each of us. Service is fast and courteous.

If you haven't eaten here you don't realize it is not about oysters. They have a great breakfast and brunch. Can only highly recommend - do not miss the opportunity.Just had poached eggs and grits and that was great. Others had a varity of things and were all good. If you are in a group perhaps order a number of dishes and share - it is all Good!!

on buisness and found this place in the reading terminal market!!! i had oyster stew followed by oyster sliders and they were both amazing.

Wife and I ate there for Brunch. She got a breakfast sandwich and I order the Oyster Po Boy. Loved my Po Boy! They had decent coffee too. The waitress was nice and jovial. I did order 3 raw oysters that I never got but they didn't charge me for it. Would def go back and try some others thing on the menu.

There are so many good choices for great meals at the historic Reading Terminal. After not eating at Pearl's for a long time, I finally met family for a typical sea food lunch, and was pleasantly surprised by the current menu offerings. If you haven't been here for a while, treat yourself and enjoy. The service was excellent.

I had the eggs, sausage, and toast breakfast, was very good. Good service, and a nice place to eat in the morning. The whole place opens at 8am kinda late but worth going.

Had a wonderful breakfast of crab cakes eggs benedict!! Offers a wide range of foods for breakfast and lunch

I had breakfast and lunch here. The belgian waffle was phenomenal and the salmon burger had ginger!!! Very good and great customer service.

The Reading Terminal Market is a great place with a variety of options for eating and shopping for fresh food. We tried Pearl's today for breakfast and it was terrific. Well prepared eggs benedict and a belgian waffle with a liberty bell embossed in the center were both hot, attractive presentations and tasted great. Friendly staff, terrific service and we were in and out in under 30 minutes.

Good place for seafood at Reading Terminal. Busy diner, but that is part of the charm. I had fish tacos and they were very good, there were plenty of good choices all in 10 to 15 dollar range. There are lots of great places to eat there, but I think this is the only seafood place to eat, although there are several fresh seafood stalls.

The market is across the street from the convention center and I look forward to going back every year I come to Philly for our show. We tried pearl's this time. Raw oysters were great. I ordered the snapper soup, thinking it was fish, and when it came I thought they made a mistake because it tasted just like beef.. I inquired, and it was snapper as in turtle soup.. It was really good, like I said, thought it was beef.. Waiter said they bring it in fresh and prepare it there. Everything was very fresh. We went with the waiters recommendations and ordered the scallop dish and it was fantastic. Very yummy and we were very pleased. We all got a seat at the bar because we were there 30 minutes before they closed and the place was finally starting to quiet down. I can recommend highly.

Just what we were looking for! Lots of personality in a diner set up. Great service, too. The usual breakfast options. Excellent coffee. We had a very memorable last breakfast of the trip at Pearl's. The bonus was the people watching. Much hustle and bustle with people coming and going from store to store.

We were here for breakfast, Service was friendly, breakfast was good, gazpacho was better and the grits were surprisingly tasty... never had those before, being from Canada and all... us damn canucks... haha

After touring the market - we decided on Pearl's mainly because of the counter service with a view to the outside. Then we were even more pleased with the quality of food and service. We had fish, scallops and cheese grits - all were absolutely delicious. However - I was surprised in the end to be told it was a cash only restaurant - they really need to be upfront about that. I had enough cash on hand to pay but was caught off guard since the cash was marked for other events in the day.

Decided to try this place in the reading terminal market. Sat at the counter and service was good. Food was very average. I had the clam chowder. It was lacking clams and was just alright. I also had the fish tacos. They were huge for $10 and came with a salad. Good deal. They were spicy but pretty good. Overall, I'd try somewhere else next time.

tres leches french toast with creme chantilly, pork belly eggs benedict.....totally awesome! served all day!

I had lunch here and food was really good and prepared quickly. I would recommend trying them when visiting the Market.

My scallops were tasteless; the outside was fried too brown (almost burned) and the insides were kind of slimy and tasteless; no seasoning whatsoever. My husband's seafood dinner was o.k., but he didn't like the flounder. Liked the atmosphere, though, and the waiter was friendly and the prices were good.

Came here after strolling through Reading terminal for a nice breakfast. It seems a popular place as even the police say here both enjoying the food but not talk to each other. Anyway the main focus here is on food. There was this young lovely oriental girl who served us. She was very knowledgeable about the food and recommended the Phila Scrapple and Pork roll. My breakfast including the poached egg was perfect with the OJ. I had 2 glasses.

Located in the famous Reading Terminal, a food lover's paradise, this restaurant did not disappoint. Plenty of seating which is not always the case at the terminal, the French toast was to die for and the basic bacon, eggs and toast were delicious. A must if you are visiting Philly!

Pearl's is a popular place in Reading Terminal Market because of its location next to one of the major entrances. Its long counter with stools (a couple of tables in the window) draws a crowd. The breakfast menu is a good one with considerable variety from eggs to pancakes to French toast. But the food is above average -- tasty and filling but not great. The $4 cup of coffee in a paper cup did not add much to the meal, and an inexperienced waitress was a distraction. Known for its seafood and oysters, lunch and dinner may be a different story. But there are better places for breakfast in the Terminal.

Located inside the famous Reading Terminal, a must tour for every Philadelphia visit, Pearl's Oyster Bar serves up the freshest oysters and phenomenal seafood platters inside the Terminal. The Terminal is also a gourmet treat for both eating and purchasing food items. Pearl's oysters are seasonal. The day we were there, we had Blue Point (a staple and, to me, an okay oyster), and Cape May oysters which had a delicious complexity similar to a Belon, which are my favorites. Pearl's is cash only. So be prepared.

Try the spinach salad and fresh oysters! Fast and courteous service welcome you to this oyster bar (though, there are many things to order). Well worth a visit.

We sampled the fried oyster sliders, fish tacos, and salmon burger with were all very good with a side of the Old Bay dusted house made potato chips. Pearl's Oyster Bar is a great place to grab lucy in downtown Philly.

We walked around the entire terminal market before circling back here. Among the plethora of choices the menu stood out. The retro counter and hip servers were a draw, as well as the nice man who offered not only his opinion on the oyster sliders (try!) but slid over to let us sit together. We could have ordered half the menu - all the offerings had a modern take on simple things. I started with the crab and watermelon gazpacho. It had just the right amount of spice to the mildness of the watermelon. I moved to the oyster slider. Crispy outside, juicy in the inside and topped with a apple slaw and tartar sauce on a brioche. I added the spicy aioli from the po boy because I'm not a big tartar sauce person. My husband had a Caesar topped with salmon that was very good. I checked out the waffles the ladies next to us had - large Belgians with toppings. Elsewhere in the market one of the shop girls told us she gets the crab Benedict every morning. I can see why. Fresh food with a fresh take keeps people coming back. Seth (one of the family who owns this)?was a great resource for his place as well as others to try on our next visit.

The "benedict" choices are cute. We had the crab cakes benedict. It was very good. Granted, not the healthiest choice but u can pick your dietary preferences there including the standard breakfast eggs, yogurt parfait, etc. The oysters are fresh and reasonably priced. Their specials French toast was also pretty good. All in all a respectable eatery with a very friendly service. Highly recommended at least for breakfast.

Good pleasant waitstaff & awesome food! Had the crab cake sandwich and it was very delicious! Also loved the old bay home made chips. Inside the awesome reading terminal market. Would definitely go back!

I loved the market with all of the food selections. I walked around the whole place several times, and each time I came across this place I stopped a little longer than I had at other places. I decided that this was the place for lunch and was not disappointed. The place is crammed and they do a ton of things with little room. The service was good, but they had little time to chit chat with people as they were churning out orders like crazy.

Thus was my second visit here and the food did not disappoint. I had the special, Maui French Toast and it was spectacular. All my associates were satisfied as well. The only complaint I have is that I could tell the waitress didn't want to be there so I cannot rave about the service.

I have had lunch at Pearls before and it was always good and reliable. Recently, the owner hired a new chef and changed the menu. I had lunch there last week. What a great surprise. A new creative menu, and if you like oysters, Dave has them all. Fresh and Saltwater. From Prince Edward Island, Washington State, Virginia. You name it. Always the best. And the Reading Terminal has something for everyone. Have your lunch at Pearls and then go shopping. I will be going there weekly.

We stopped here for breakfast and were amazed at how delicious their breakfast was. I had the eggs with crab and shrimp grits. This was so tasty. My hubby had an omelet, which was huge, and also very tasty. We were presently surprised that a seafood restaurant could provide such a delicious breakfast. Also, the service was excellent!

After perusing the many food temptations in the market, it was impossible not to give in and give our taste buds a treat. My lunch partner and I decided on Pearl's. She had oyster stew and I had the mussels. We both agreed the broth on both selections was excellent. Living in the suburbs, we're planning a return visit very soon.

Ate breakfast at Pearl's. Server was super friendly and excited about the menu. Amazing food and reasonable prices.

The food was good, eggs tasted a bit odd but the potatoes were really good. The service was excellent, they were on top of everything. The prices were a little high.

There are a number of choices on a Sunday morning for breakfast at the Reading Terminal Market. Pearl's was quick and delicious. Reasonable prices. Everything was tasty and hot.

I'm used to Pearl's being a mayo/celery shrimp salad kind of place; in fact, that's what I stopped there for today--it's been a while since I've been there, as there is such an embarrassment of riches in the Reading Terminal. It turns out they've gotten all fancy like, but it's to the good: amazing seared scallops served on a mix of red quinoa, sweet Jersey corn, and a touch of bacon with an awesome sauce. It was really a wonderful choice, and service is fast and friendly.

My husband and I stopped here for breakfast on a Sunday morning, and I'd highly recommend trying the Breakfast Po'boy. It was DELICIOUS. Their coffee was pretty great, too.

My daughter and I spent the weekend in the City together at numerous restaurants. This was that final stop. What a treat for brunch. I had the Chicken and Waffles Benedict, she had the Shrimp and Grits. Bother were very very good. Great presentation and far too much to eat. This is a fun stop at the Reading Terminal Market and every dish I noticed being served looked great. Excellent Coffee as well. The service was great as well, even though they were quite busy. I will be back someday again hopefully !

Beware they take only cash! We found it out only after we ate $50+ worth of food here. Luckily, we had enough cash. I loved their clam chowder! It’s very creamy. We also had Oyster Stew, but I liked the clam chowder much better. During our stay in Philadelphia, we dined at Vernick and Talula and this clam chowder was the only Wow dish. We also had raw oysters and tom neck clams at Pearl's. The clams were huge. While my companion liked the oysters better, I liked the clams better. We also had a crab cake (without a bun--the waiter was willing to accommodate our request) and it was decent.

I have eaten at Pearls for years, but things have changed. I am not sure if they are under new management or not but the food is not as good as it has been in the past. Overcooked tasteless fish, definitely not worth the price.

Pearl’s Oyster Bar in the Reading Terminal Market. If you crave yogurt and toasted quinoa for breakfast, skip this place. If you like something that sticks more tightly to your ribs (and your arteries), get over here. Seating is diner like and breakfast features eggs cooked the way you specify with meats like bacon and ham that have the taste and texture of yore. Home fries are deep brown and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The only disappointment was the toast, which is made of average bread from a mass market bakery. Our waiter was informative and friendly with an attentive eye. The cashier was another story. When I proffered my check with my credit card, he looked over my head and said, “Cash only.” When I asked if a debit card was acceptable, he didn’t answer my specific question but simply replied, “Cash only,” but more loudly this time. I had not seen any notice of this policy but of course complied; however, I would have done so with more pleasure if he had been more human and less automaton.

Pearl's (which is called Pearl's Oyster Restaurant or something along those lines) is located on the west side of the Reading Terminal Market. It has a couple of tables but most of the seats are at a long counter. It takes cash only, no credit cards. We stopped in for breakfast. I had pumpkin-filled French toast made from a brioche; it came with a big sprinkling of candied pumpkin seeds. I have to say that it was the best French toast I have ever had. Wow! The rest of the menu also looked excellent. My wife had pancakes and said they were delicious. There is very little "atmosphere" in this restaurant, other than the ambiance in the market. But the food was outstanding. We would definitely eat there again.

Pearl´s is a diner style lunch café in the Reading Terminal market. It serves up fried fish and shellfish in various forms along with bread, chips or salad. I had the traditional oyster fry. This consisted of a plate with three (3) breaded oysters, unevenly deep fried so part of the outside was black, the inside of the oysters green and along with this two large helpings of coleslaw and chicken salad, unfortunately quite tasteless. For USD 15 incl tip this is NOT a bargain and I am sorry to say I had to leave most of it on the plate. There are TONS of better options for lunch in Philadelphia.

If you love fried food and good homemade french fries you'll love Pearl's. They have other choices on the menu that are not fried.

whether for breakfast or lunch, this creative little cafe inside the Reading market is a must have. Both creative and price sensitive, the fare is over the top, priced competitively, and all done with a friendly needy staff. We had breakfast, then went back for lunch and will be there tomorrow for another breakfast. The Po Boy Flounder is a treat and the french toast is to die for. See you there.

Great oyster stew

The service was prompt and the food is fine. Large servings and freshly made. There is a good selection of breakfasts. Not sure why we were served coffee in paper cups. It made the coffee taste less pleasant. We liked the bar style seating. A little bit pricey.

I was distracted by distracting business conversation but this place was awesome – amazing service and amazing food. I got the gourmet-est oatmeal I’ve ever had and shared decadent banana & whipped cream French toast with my breakfast partner. I was also served as much coffee as I wanted.

Normally I give the benefit of doubt with waitstaff but this one is very disorganized and inattentive. After 10 mins of waiting to order, 15 mins later tells me she lost my order and has me reorder to not checking in..I would say go only for the food and not the service. Asked for more coffee and splitter splatter, here you go. Omelet was good.

The food was very good and just love being at the Reading Terminal Market. So much to see, eat and buy here!

The food was fantastic. I had the fish tacos and to say the least, may have been the best I ever had. Absolutely perfect!!!! My wife had the lobster bisque and it was amazing!! I also had the steamers, loved them everything was prepared perfectly!! Listen if your looking for a place that's quiet and you can dine off the floor, this is not your joint. If your familiar with the terminal market you know what I'm talking about. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you walk past this place without stopping in, or should I say grab a stool Good job guys!!

A co-worker and I went to Pearls in the Reading Terminal off yesterday. We walked into the terminal off 12th Street and Pearls is directly off to your left after entering. An oblong diner style counter with just enough room for the servers to venture from end to end is where we sat. The service was quick, asking what we wanted to drink and telling us they were out of Manhattan Clam Chowder. We both ordered chowder. Me, New England Clam Chowder and Co-worker Crab Chowder ($2.95 each) and the fried Oyster Platters. My Chowder was perfect and the 3 fried oysters, were big breaded perfectly, served with french fries and coleslaw.($9.95) Everything was very good. The Reading Terminals hustle and bustle added to the overall good experience. The menu was limited, mostly seafood, I want to return to try something else. After 6 yrs of working 4 blocks away, I finally made the trip. Shame on me. . . .