Perla Seafood Bistro — Restaurant in Town of Lancaster

Let me tell you something right off the top: dining at Perla Seafood Bistro is like watching Notre Dame football in the Lou Holtz era—unexpected, dramatic, and full of flavor bombs that hit harder than a Kyle Hamilton tackle. I rolled into Perla ready for a modest meal, but what unfolded was an offensive drive straight to flavor town. My order? Chicken wing dip, oysters, wine, and clams—a lineup as powerful and well-coordinated as Sam Hartman running a two-minute drill. Let’s break it down like we’re watching tape in the film room with Marcus Freeman. First Quarter: Chicken Wing Dip – The Rudy Moment This chicken wing dip? Pure inspiration. Just like Rudy Ruettiger, it’s not the biggest or the fanciest, but it plays with HEART. Creamy, spicy, cheesy, and undeniably scrappy—it comes out hot and dives into your soul like Rudy diving into a pile during practice, trying to make a name for himself. Served with perfectly toasted bread, it’s the kind of appetizer that gets a standing ovation from the entire offensive line (or in this case, my table). Second Quarter: Oysters – Hamilton-Level Elegance If the chicken wing dip was gritty and bold, the oysters were Kyle Hamilton in coverage—smooth, elegant, and impossible to overlook. Fresh, icy cold, and briny with a clean finish, they went down like a textbook interception: swift and satisfying. I could almost hear the Gipper whisper, “Eat one for me,” as I slurped them down. Halftime Show: Wine – Freeman-Approved Play Call Now, the wine. A nice crisp white that balanced the seafood perfectly—probably not picked by Marcus Freeman himself, but if he DID curate a wine list, this would be on it. It had structure, finesse, and didn’t overpower—kind of like Michael Mayer running routes: classy, composed, and always where it needs to be. Definitely not your tailgate box wine. This is wine that’s been through spring practice. Third Quarter: Clams – Brian Kelly Flashbacks (in a good way) Okay, I know we’ve had our moments with Brian Kelly, but the man knew how to rack up wins—and these clams were just that: a W. Steamed to perfection in a garlicky, buttery broth with herbs so fragrant I considered putting in a scholarship offer. Each bite had me yelling "GO IRISH" into the bowl. If this dish were a player, it’d be Quenton Nelson—unrelenting, powerful, and makes a mess in the best possible way. Fourth Quarter: Dessert? Victory Formation. I didn’t even order dessert. You don’t mess with perfection. This meal didn’t need a Hail Mary. We were already in victory formation. The server came by and said, “Anything else?” and I just smiled like Ian Book after a clutch win in South Bend and said, “No thanks, Coach. We’re good.” Final Score: 42-0 Perla Seafood Bistro dominated the line of scrimmage. Great service, fresh food, and a vibe that’s one part classy, one part cozy, and all heart—kind of like Notre Dame Stadium when the band plays the fight song and you realize this is more than just dinner. It’s tradition. It’s family. It’s a bowl game for your taste buds. Highly recommend. Whether you're a seafood fan or just here for the wing dip, Perla executes like a top-10 team on a Saturday night...

Edit: I waited a week or so before making this update. The restaurant had all my information (I spoke with the GM of the hotel and it was passed on). It seems they are just replying to negative reviews to create the appearance that they care... take this into consideration when considering doing business with the Salvatore's brand.

This was the worst service experience in recent memory. We have stayed at Salvatore's properties before flying out around 10 times, and after how we were treated, we're sour on the whole brand. Won't be back.

I ordered a pizza for my wife, I was told to come in 30 minutes to get it, I came 20 minutes later so the food would be fresh and they handed me a pizza that was cold. They then told me "No problem, we're warm it up for you."

Five minutes later, I get handed a slightly less cold Pizza, at this point, I said "I don't want it anymore, just take it, I'll go order a pizza from somewhere else." The hostess said "Oh, do you want us to remake it?", I requested that they remake it and call me when it was ready. Within moments of getting back to my room I get a call informing me the new pizza is made. In a time frame it would literally be impossible to make a fresh pizza. I went down and specifically asked "Is this a new pizza, or did you reheat the other one" and I was told it was a brand new pizza, except it wasn't, it was the same pizza, only lukewarm now.

By this time, as I had travelled up and down to the restaurant 3 or 4 times trying to deal with this issue, my food that I had ordered was also cold.

The bar up the street, did a significantly better meal, for less money. Don't waste your time at the on property restaurants here.

The only bright spot in customer service the entire evening was the gentleman at the front desk, he did everything he could in his power to make it right, he just wasn't able to provide a hot meal, which was outside...

We finally decided to try Perla last Friday. Our table of four ordered cocktails and a few apps to share. The octopus was good but cold. The fig pizza was also good but cold. The oysters and shrimp coctail were okay. They were supposed to be cold. Sebastian, our server, tried his best to be attentive. However, it seemed like he was the only one working on the floor. It was a Friday night! 🤦‍♀️ I'm not sure we'll be back anytime soon. There's too many choices! I'm hoping Perla steps up its game. Honestly, there's too much competition out there just to be okay.

Edited - 8/30/2024 Went back this evening to have cocktails and an app after a busy day with my husband. We didn't even stay ten minutes. We were disgusted by the fact that a young employee behind the counter/ bar area had his cell phone on the cutting board/butcher block in clear view of all patrons! Gross! To make matters worse, after he put his cell phone away, he rested his arms on the same cutting board. 🤮 We alerted one of the bar tenders who alerted "someone" in charge. She was oblivious to everything... not a very good manager, if she was one. On the way out, my husband asked to speak to someone of authority. Some nicely dressed gentleman immediately came running over to hear our concerns. Unfortunately, he was just as oblivious as the manager in Perla. Sorry, we will never be back. We're giving up on the Chandelier Bar and Salvatore's, too. How disappointing! Is that really how you want to appear...