Casa Pearl — Restaurant in Williamsburg

My husband and I visited Casa Pearl on Merrimac Trail for the first time on our vacation! It's amazing what you can do with a renovated gas station if you have the vision! We were greeted graciously and seated immediately in a crowded dining room by the warm and welcoming Manager, Nicolle, only to be greeted quickly again by Nazir, our server.

We started our evening with a Belgian ale and a merlot, special to Casa Pearl's curated beverage menu. The crispy fried plantains were a steaming hot, crunchy, flavorful starter, paired with some sambal crema (its heat and spice were delicate and added some new flavors to this dish). We expected them to be sweet, as we had never had plantains before, and we were pleasantly surprised that they did so well with savory seasonings.

For our main course, I feasted on a bowl brimming over with the freshest shrimp I’ve ever had! Listed as the NC Peel ‘N Eat Shrimp on the menu, don’t overlook these as appetizers, either. These shrimp were cooked perfectly, they had just the right meaty texture, and because they were perfectly prepared, they were easy to peel and eat. The J.O. seasoning blend added a light touch of the Bay to this dish, and the broth was fragrant. I was so distracted by how much I was enjoying the shrimp that I forgot about the sauce that came with it, so I’ll have to try that next time. My husband feasted on some Smoked Pork Tacos, topped with crunchy chicharrones and queso fresco. He became lost in the myriad flavors and textures of this festive taco, just as I had lost myself in my shrimp!

Did we need dessert? Absolutely, yes! Yet another culinary delight was presented to us, and this time it was the Key Lime Trifle, finished with fresh lime zest and luxurious house whipped cream. In a mere moment the scent and presentation alone brought us to the tropics. There is no reason to skip dessert at Casa Pearl, so don’t do it!

The ambience and the staff made this dinner out spectacular! We cannot think of a better way to spend our vacation - regaling ourselves with Casa Pearl’s unique and refreshing menu, toasting our memories with cocktails, and diving into the vibrant Key Lime Trifle. Thank you to everyone at Casa Pearl who made this adventure one we will...

I was excited to visit this spot at a friends recommendation. Unfortunately our visit was disappointing and just felt off. With the amazing ratings and reviews, I just can’t imagine that I got the same experience that most people get.

We came on a Saturday evening so expected a wait. We were given a buzzer with an estimated 30 minute wait which was fine. We waited for an hour before going to check on our status. I saw my name was crossed off the list even though our buzzer hadn’t gone off. The manager that was working the front said she had called and that no one answered. I saw that my number was written down correctly so it wasn’t a wrong number situation. I just have a hard time believing that both forms of contact - the buzzer and my number, didn’t work. I had no missed call and no voicemail was left so it really felt like a lie.

She said they had a table for us and took us outside - We were not asked if we wanted to sit outside. At this point it was 7:30 and low 60’s, we would have really enjoyed sitting warm indoors. I don’t believe there was an apology for the mix up, she just said thanks for checking and sent us an order of hush puppies.

Honestly, I would have written this off as a mishap but I ordered a drink and what I got what absolutely abysmal. It looked like some someone had drank out of it already. This was a $13 l drink and there was only 2 full sips of liquid in this drink. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to seem like I was just complaining over small things but looking at this drink, this is absolutely unacceptable at ANY price point.

The food was decent, a bit overpriced for amount you get but that’s common for tapas. There’s also a random convenience fee added to our bill even though we paid cash. With this experience, it’s not a place I felt welcomed, would...

Had been hearing about Casa Pearl from a number of folks and was looking to try something new. I headed up there from Newport News, it was certainly worth the trip. Great selection of local/regional oysters made in a variety of ways - I’m kind of a purest and prefer mine raw on the halfshell - did a few of each of the four types available as an opportunity to compare em side by side. The shucker knew what he was doing as the oysters came whole with plenty of the brine/liquor still in each shell. Served cold, on ice with house made cocktail sauce, mignonette and house made hot sauce which was da bomb. Followed the oysters with their cucumber, white grape and lump crab gazpacho - if you get here before they change to their fall menu, get the gazpacho… refined, unique, flavorful; have never had anything like it - had it not been rude to do so, I’d have licked the bowl. Followed with three tacos the PoBoy, Swordfish and smoked pork. None disappointed, the PoBoy a nod to the Louisiana fried oyster sandwich, this was the lightest of the three but absolutely delicious. The fish taco - swordfish - was loaded with chunks of fish as well as a fresh, crisp, complimentary fresh veg and a killer sauce (aioli maybe). My fav was the smoked pork - loaded with house smoked, tender, juicy pork BBQ - finger licking yumminess! Service at the bar was fantastic- Jackson and Hunter(?) friendly, knowledgeable a pleasure to deal with. Atmosphere - while coming across as casual is well appointed, comfortable and a fun vibe. The food was a surprise - from the description of an Oyster and Taco joint you’d not expect a menu that is so well thought out, refined, and with quality, complexity and flavor profiles leaning more toward fine dining. It was a treat! Can’t wait to go back and hit the rest...