The scallops with cheese grits were delicious and very filling. The blackberry lagoon cocktail tasted great. The bartender provided excellent service. Looks nice inside and they have a really good outdoor seating area,
Bac Nghiem
Our original server never helped us. We ended up getting the floor manager or something and she was fantastic. Our seating was awkward. We are not the couple who like to ride the bus, but the table required us to do that and have direct eye contact with people right across from us at times. We sat a bit higher too, so it made it even more awkward. Just actually look at your dinner mate and you'll be fine. The food was fine. Broken bday scallops dish was great, but the burger was mediocre. The hangar steak wasn't on the menu. The drinks were good. The server warned us a drink (blackberry lagoon?) was spicy. Do not take that warning lightly. Overall, it was a good experience. Try it out.
Meghan O.
Came back after our stellar experience last time and left disappointed and will not return. Was sad to see that our favorite bartenders weren't there anymore. Sat at the bar and hoped to find new favorites but were totally underwhelmed by everything. Bartenders were messy and the drinks were boring and uninspired. Honey syrup and candied lemons..very five years ago. The bartenders working weren't friendly and seemed annoyed by us trying to engage with them. No one looked happy to be there and the manager was overheard speaking to employees in a manner where we understood why everyone seemed so sad. Oysters we're poorly shucked but other food items were just fine. It seems like the spirit of the restaurant is gone, and there's no amount of plants or cute decor that can make up for that.
Kelli M.
Amazing food and great service! The oysters are the star! It's a lovely intimate place and we enjoyed everything we tried on the menu!
Mark Edsall
Dinner on a Wednesday. Beautiful restaurant. We had a selection of oyster which were all fresh and delicious. The house hot sauce and mignonette were great. Followed that with the Brussels sprouts, the char and the current hamachi Crudo, which changes regularly.Everything was tasty. The spice on the Crudo was a little intense, but was quite good. The star of the day was the piccata sauce with the char. It was delicious and rich.
Bella N.
We (three) were there last night, each having a different selection for dinner and sharing two side dishes of Caesar Salad and broccoli. Everything was delicious, with the steak being perfectly prepared, the shrimp with pasta just spicy enough and the trout with grits lovely. We will most certainly return and tell our family and friends. As an addition, the broccoli was the best I have ever tasted.
Angela L.
Overall an incredibly underwhelming experience in an otherwise great dining city. Whoever is doing the oyster buying is doing a great job. We went for the potential of getting some Row 34 or Island Creek oysters (we visited their farm in MA this summer) and while we didn't find them on the menu, the list was still impressive, oysters fresh, and we loved what we got. Our "dressed oysters" didn't come with tepache vinegar, just a disgustingly overwhelming amount of pink peppercorn and some parsley. I'll pass and you should too. Caesar salad had tasteless dressing, completely mushy, soiled, wet lettuce pieces (literally looked like mini black wet rags), and the more crisp lettuce turned discolored red because it had clearly been cut many days prior. The skirt steak was basically the moist, pull apart texture of pot roast which was also unsettling. The seared scallop tostada was just fine. I wish I would've seen the laundry list of health code violations from Sept 15, 2022 before choosing this place to eat. Not worth it as the food and quality control basically sucks
Shelley Kamlowsky
We just had literally one of the best dinners ever!!! The food was AMAZING but we have to give our server, Sophie a HUGE shout out. Please request her because she was the most knowledgeable, helpful, friendliest, sweetest servers we have EVER had!! Through her recommendations we had one of our best nights ever. We can’t wait to go back!
Erin H.
Always fresh seafood and oysters. Once of the best shrimp cocktails - not necessarily traditional but amazing nonetheless. Perfect for a GNO or date night!
Meghan P.
Amazing experience here tonight. The server, Camden, found out it was our anniversary and gave us an amazing dessert and treated us like VIPs. One of my favorite things was that they had an NA sparkling wine. As a non-drinker this blew my mind and made the dinner perfect. Thank you for a great night! Can't wait to come back! Thanks Camden!
I love the ambiance, it's so swanky. Great place to meet friends or take out of town guests. Made me feel like I was visiting a different city. We just had drinks, which were impressive, and apps. The baked oysters were different from what I'm used to, almost like a horseradish without the horseradish, I don't know but it was thick. I'm not sold on them. The crispy shoestring fries with tarter were salty and good. The service was good and we were seated outside without a reservation on a Saturday evening. Overall, the drinks will bring me back, I might be open to trying more food.
J H
Such a great spot! Had a great time, walked in to the bar area was waited on instantly and had some of the best oysters no doubt! Highly recommend if you want some good raw oysters and a drink!
Peg R.
We came for Fathers Day dinner on Sunday and my husband is still raving about the experience. We sampled Oysters, fish, the tuna burger and the regular burger. All were fantastic, fresh, and the passion of the chef really came through in each dish. There was nothing busy or unnecessary on the dishes, which we greatly appreciated. They were VERY busy and though you could see the employees running around, the service was outstanding. We were seated next to the hostess stand and were grateful for reserving a table, as we overheard the hostess and manager speaking to guests without one and the wait times were lengthy. I would highly recommend making a reservation, though they did seem to be working hard to accommodate everyone. Kaye was personable and was able to quickly answer our menu questions. The manager, Liza, checked in on us multiple times and explained the oysters were hand shucked and might take some time. She also made it back to check on our entrees and was constantly moving about checking on tables around us. She had a great energy and seemed happy to pitch in where she was needed. I overheard her checking on servers frequently and was also seating guests. It's been many years since I worked as a waitress but I wish she would have been a manger back then. Her presence was appreciated by us and I'm sure all other diners. I had wine, my son tried a spicy tequila drink that had a beautiful color and my husband told all his friends to go get a frozen Aperol spritz the next day at his coffee meeting. We were highly impressed with our entire experience. Though we were there for a few hours, nothing felt rushed and we were thankful to be together at Pearlstar. We will be back and will be recommending this quirky spot to all of our friends.
Patrick O.
Over the Rhine has long been it's own sort of escape from the areas right down the road, and a few minutes up the highway. But there's been a sense recently that the commodification and rapid development of OTR as started to indulge itself. What used to feel like a quirky renovated neighborhood with surprises around every corner, is spiraling dangerously close to mimicking the exact experience of driving up to the kenwood mall area. The hope that I still have, though, comes from an oyster restaurant, and I don't even like oysters. The patio at Pearlstar is so well designed, that on a good night it feels like I've travelled several hours to dine in a coastal town on the south Atlantic coast. It's romantic, and unparalleled to the rustic interior of literally every single restaurant in OTR. The service was phenomenal, rarely can I take note of how well a restaurant is organized, but somehow the dinner rush on a Friday felt like we were being personally catered to. And, if you've read any of the other reviews you already know, the food is out of this world good. I actually sat in disbelief when I was met with hearty enough portions that I didn't need to order 3 side dishes to tie me over (again, I'm looking at some of these other OTR spots). I went ahead and tried some oysters, even though they aren't my jam typically, and holy smokes was that one flavorful booger. Let this be the first stone cast towards a new inspired generation of restaurants in the neighborhood.
Madeleine M.
Ummm HOLY MOLY..... PearlStar was beyond delicious!!! The ambiance on the inside is unmatched and the service was fabulous! But, most importantly, the food was so good that it's still discussed amongst my family even 3 months after dining their for the first time. I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of raw oysters, but PearlStar's were fresh, plump, and very flavorful. Definitely a great spot to celebrate a special occasion or even just a date night. We will be back soon and highly recommend if you are looking for tasty raw oysters in Cincinnati!
The scallops with cheese grits were delicious and very filling. The blackberry lagoon cocktail tasted great. The bartender provided excellent service. Looks nice inside and they have a really good outdoor seating area,
Our original server never helped us. We ended up getting the floor manager or something and she was fantastic. Our seating was awkward. We are not the couple who like to ride the bus, but the table required us to do that and have direct eye contact with people right across from us at times. We sat a bit higher too, so it made it even more awkward. Just actually look at your dinner mate and you'll be fine. The food was fine. Broken bday scallops dish was great, but the burger was mediocre. The hangar steak wasn't on the menu. The drinks were good. The server warned us a drink (blackberry lagoon?) was spicy. Do not take that warning lightly. Overall, it was a good experience. Try it out.
Came back after our stellar experience last time and left disappointed and will not return. Was sad to see that our favorite bartenders weren't there anymore. Sat at the bar and hoped to find new favorites but were totally underwhelmed by everything. Bartenders were messy and the drinks were boring and uninspired. Honey syrup and candied lemons..very five years ago. The bartenders working weren't friendly and seemed annoyed by us trying to engage with them. No one looked happy to be there and the manager was overheard speaking to employees in a manner where we understood why everyone seemed so sad. Oysters we're poorly shucked but other food items were just fine. It seems like the spirit of the restaurant is gone, and there's no amount of plants or cute decor that can make up for that.
Amazing food and great service! The oysters are the star! It's a lovely intimate place and we enjoyed everything we tried on the menu!
Dinner on a Wednesday. Beautiful restaurant. We had a selection of oyster which were all fresh and delicious. The house hot sauce and mignonette were great. Followed that with the Brussels sprouts, the char and the current hamachi Crudo, which changes regularly.Everything was tasty. The spice on the Crudo was a little intense, but was quite good. The star of the day was the piccata sauce with the char. It was delicious and rich.
We (three) were there last night, each having a different selection for dinner and sharing two side dishes of Caesar Salad and broccoli. Everything was delicious, with the steak being perfectly prepared, the shrimp with pasta just spicy enough and the trout with grits lovely. We will most certainly return and tell our family and friends. As an addition, the broccoli was the best I have ever tasted.
Overall an incredibly underwhelming experience in an otherwise great dining city. Whoever is doing the oyster buying is doing a great job. We went for the potential of getting some Row 34 or Island Creek oysters (we visited their farm in MA this summer) and while we didn't find them on the menu, the list was still impressive, oysters fresh, and we loved what we got. Our "dressed oysters" didn't come with tepache vinegar, just a disgustingly overwhelming amount of pink peppercorn and some parsley. I'll pass and you should too. Caesar salad had tasteless dressing, completely mushy, soiled, wet lettuce pieces (literally looked like mini black wet rags), and the more crisp lettuce turned discolored red because it had clearly been cut many days prior. The skirt steak was basically the moist, pull apart texture of pot roast which was also unsettling. The seared scallop tostada was just fine. I wish I would've seen the laundry list of health code violations from Sept 15, 2022 before choosing this place to eat. Not worth it as the food and quality control basically sucks
We just had literally one of the best dinners ever!!! The food was AMAZING but we have to give our server, Sophie a HUGE shout out. Please request her because she was the most knowledgeable, helpful, friendliest, sweetest servers we have EVER had!! Through her recommendations we had one of our best nights ever. We can’t wait to go back!
Always fresh seafood and oysters. Once of the best shrimp cocktails - not necessarily traditional but amazing nonetheless. Perfect for a GNO or date night!
Amazing experience here tonight. The server, Camden, found out it was our anniversary and gave us an amazing dessert and treated us like VIPs. One of my favorite things was that they had an NA sparkling wine. As a non-drinker this blew my mind and made the dinner perfect. Thank you for a great night! Can't wait to come back! Thanks Camden!
Restaurantji Recommends
I love the ambiance, it's so swanky. Great place to meet friends or take out of town guests. Made me feel like I was visiting a different city. We just had drinks, which were impressive, and apps. The baked oysters were different from what I'm used to, almost like a horseradish without the horseradish, I don't know but it was thick. I'm not sold on them. The crispy shoestring fries with tarter were salty and good. The service was good and we were seated outside without a reservation on a Saturday evening. Overall, the drinks will bring me back, I might be open to trying more food.
Such a great spot! Had a great time, walked in to the bar area was waited on instantly and had some of the best oysters no doubt! Highly recommend if you want some good raw oysters and a drink!
We came for Fathers Day dinner on Sunday and my husband is still raving about the experience. We sampled Oysters, fish, the tuna burger and the regular burger. All were fantastic, fresh, and the passion of the chef really came through in each dish. There was nothing busy or unnecessary on the dishes, which we greatly appreciated. They were VERY busy and though you could see the employees running around, the service was outstanding. We were seated next to the hostess stand and were grateful for reserving a table, as we overheard the hostess and manager speaking to guests without one and the wait times were lengthy. I would highly recommend making a reservation, though they did seem to be working hard to accommodate everyone. Kaye was personable and was able to quickly answer our menu questions. The manager, Liza, checked in on us multiple times and explained the oysters were hand shucked and might take some time. She also made it back to check on our entrees and was constantly moving about checking on tables around us. She had a great energy and seemed happy to pitch in where she was needed. I overheard her checking on servers frequently and was also seating guests. It's been many years since I worked as a waitress but I wish she would have been a manger back then. Her presence was appreciated by us and I'm sure all other diners. I had wine, my son tried a spicy tequila drink that had a beautiful color and my husband told all his friends to go get a frozen Aperol spritz the next day at his coffee meeting. We were highly impressed with our entire experience. Though we were there for a few hours, nothing felt rushed and we were thankful to be together at Pearlstar. We will be back and will be recommending this quirky spot to all of our friends.
Over the Rhine has long been it's own sort of escape from the areas right down the road, and a few minutes up the highway. But there's been a sense recently that the commodification and rapid development of OTR as started to indulge itself. What used to feel like a quirky renovated neighborhood with surprises around every corner, is spiraling dangerously close to mimicking the exact experience of driving up to the kenwood mall area. The hope that I still have, though, comes from an oyster restaurant, and I don't even like oysters. The patio at Pearlstar is so well designed, that on a good night it feels like I've travelled several hours to dine in a coastal town on the south Atlantic coast. It's romantic, and unparalleled to the rustic interior of literally every single restaurant in OTR. The service was phenomenal, rarely can I take note of how well a restaurant is organized, but somehow the dinner rush on a Friday felt like we were being personally catered to. And, if you've read any of the other reviews you already know, the food is out of this world good. I actually sat in disbelief when I was met with hearty enough portions that I didn't need to order 3 side dishes to tie me over (again, I'm looking at some of these other OTR spots). I went ahead and tried some oysters, even though they aren't my jam typically, and holy smokes was that one flavorful booger. Let this be the first stone cast towards a new inspired generation of restaurants in the neighborhood.
Ummm HOLY MOLY..... PearlStar was beyond delicious!!! The ambiance on the inside is unmatched and the service was fabulous! But, most importantly, the food was so good that it's still discussed amongst my family even 3 months after dining their for the first time. I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of raw oysters, but PearlStar's were fresh, plump, and very flavorful. Definitely a great spot to celebrate a special occasion or even just a date night. We will be back soon and highly recommend if you are looking for tasty raw oysters in Cincinnati!