Reviews for Oyster & Pearl Bar Restaurant in La Mesa, CA

For a restaurant located within a small strip mall, I was quite impressed with the ambiance, quality of food, and the quality of... service. It was not cheap however, as a salad, a seafood pasta entree, 6 oysters and a small piece of bread as an appetizer andtwo beverages cost me about $90. But what really turned me off was the fact that the restaurant charged me 4% extra for usingmy credit card to pay for my meal. It doesn't say that anywhere on the menu, nor anywhere on the wall. So it made me feel likeI was eating at a gas station, due to the 4% extra charge for using credit vs cash. Why should I the consumer be forced to paythat fee, when it's industry standard for the establishment to absolve that fee? I'd normally say the establishment could justraise their prices to help offset that fee, but based on looking at images of their recent menu compared to the menu that I wasgiven the other night, I can see that they've already raised their prices as well. So they raise their prices, AND they'recharging a 4% credit card fee. Needless to say, it down graded a potential 4-5 star rating to a 2 star rating. I won't bereturning to this establishment. I don't blame this on our server though, she was pretty good. I blame it on the proprietors,most likely Steve Bahari, Samer Basim Alqas and Mark Alqes Hanna. So because they felt they had to pass that 4% fee onto me theconsumer, I in turn passed it on to the waitress by deducting 4% from her tip. Sure, I feel like a jerk doing that, but perhapsthe establishment will stop charging consumers this bogus fee. And in turn they will probably have more repeat customers, andbe able to retain good staff. Read more

We've had dinner here several times, and it's always been really good. This is a real neighborhood gem. I love the nice vibe... inside. I decided to leave a review because I found myself searching the internet for a knock-off version of their tomatospaghetti sauce. Seriously the best I've ever had! We shared the heirloom tomato burrata and it was exemplary. Even in November,the locally-grown tomatoes were so full of flavor. Next time we come to this restaurant I am having the exact same meal! Plusthey get extra bonus points for offering blue-cheese stuffed olives for their martini's. Read more

This has to be the ultimate dining experience, from the the cozy ambience to the delectable eats. I was so amazed by everything... we ate. From our first plates which were: the kale Caesar salad and the little gem salad, the oysters were nothing less thanexceptional hence the name. For our main we had the seafood pasta as well as the Branzino which is my favorite thing on the menuit’s roasted to perfection with all the herbs and fixings, it had a lemon honey butter to dip into and the fingerling potatoesare chefs kiss! I can only say good things about this place and will be a repeat customer till the end of time! Read more

Went out to dinner with my family last night and we had such an incredible experience at Oyster and Pearl. Attentive and... pleasant service. I ordered the Salmon dish with farro and I’ve got to say it was very flavorful and fresh. We also orderedthe calamari and oysters as appetizers and we were delighted with both platters. Highly recommend this restaurant. Big thanks tothe friendly staff and Chef for high class service and exquisite food. Read more

Happy hour is on point! Service is even better! We had an assortment ot options including cocktails and they did not disappoint.... We will certainly be going back as we saw items coming out to other tables and we're like "we have to try that!" Read more

It's hard to find a better spot for seafood than this one! I like that for each order, they give you a portion that is of a... reasonable size. The service is excellent, and in addition to dining indoors, there is also dining outside. This is a placewhere pets are welcome, which is a major plus! Read more

I've been wanting to check this place out! I enjoyed all of the drinks and food we ordered. The "table with a vieux" was my... favorite cocktail. Oysters are always a go to and I'll be back for happy hour! Though they were a little understaffed, everyonewas working really hard. Read more

All the food we ate were amazing and delicious!! I love the lemon drop cocktail they recommended me and everyone was so happy to... be there! It was a fun environment. Read more