Quaint little restaurant with yummy seafood. Friendly staff. Blackened Catfish is delish.
Elisha C.
I'm hesitant to write a great review for this, one of my favorite spots in Galveston, for fear that that it will become too big for its britches! But i'll just have to take my chances because they deserve the credit for being so awesome!! Absolutely the best gumbo on this island! I never could eat raw oysters until I had them here. Their crab cakes, are just that, all crab, none of that nasty stuffing stuff. I could go on and on because everything here is great (one exception; the boudin balls-not so much). The portions are the best part, you almost always have leftovers! The prices seem high when you sit down and look at the menu but when they come out with your food.....you'll realize it's a bargain. Atmosphere is great, very casual come as you are. You don't have to get made up to go eat and enjoy a drink and some of the best food on the island.
Billy S.
Service was ok. Ambiance was ok. Food was ok. I personally came to Galveston hoping to get some fresh seafood and the oysters on a half shell were...ok...and the happy hour prices was more expensive than all of the online menus...i assume that's an inflation issue, but just a heads up! I ordered a seafood dish called the "Bounty Mix" and asked if the seafood was fresh and he said yes, but it was not and after a few bites it was clear. I asked again and he said: "Oh actually, it's frozen..sorry about that." Nice guy, but I was disappointed...it came with a butter sauce that helped with the flavor...but even with two portions of the sauce it was bland.
Jason M.
Horrible service, mediocre food. So many better choices in town. Overcooked, greasy, not fresh.
Vincent D.
Mushrooms were fantastic. Red beans and rice were great. The cup was the size of a bowl and the bowl was huge!
Laura B.
We were a party of 4 and not all Cajun style food lovers. No problem, this homey restaurant has something to meet most needs with a versatile menu. We got a table right away and quick service from our server. We ordered oysters, a hamburger, red beans and rice, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, fish sandwich, fries, coleslaw and bloody Mary's. The coleslaw was so fresh and perfectly seasoned, the shrimp cocktail was the best I remember having and the small serving of rice and beans is more like a large! We were pleased with our meal and service was exceptional.
Crystal G.
Dropped by Black Pearl Oyster Bar for lunch during the week and so glad we did! There's metered street parking available surrounding BPOB. It wasn't very crowded and we sat ourselves right away. We started with the calamari, which is plenty of food for two people. It comes with hot marinara that was delicious as well. For my entree I ordered the gumbo. There was a fair amount of seafood in the gumbo and it was very filling. Service was good and staff was very friendly. I can't wait to come back to try more on the menu.
Chris W.
Great place to get a wide variety of seafood! Great portions and very tasty. I had the crab cakes and coleslaw. I also got to taste some of the fried oysters in hot sauces! Glad I didn't get an appetizer because there was a lot of food. I sat at the bar and the bar tender was quick with drinks and service! Can't wait to go back!
Darcy B.
This little gem popped up on my radar when asking about places to have seafood. I was in Galveston for work and I always like to get my fill of fresh seafood when I'm in the area. I was there for a late lunch/early dinner and wanted to try the ceviche. It did not disappoint. It was over 12 oz of the freshest ceviche made with gulf shrimp and tilapia. It also had just the right amount of pico de gallo and lime juice, topped with fresh avocado. It's served with homemade chips seasoned just right. It was so fresh and very filling. I was alone so this is the only thing I ordered or there would have been far too much food! The service was fast and very friendly. The experience was great overall.
Karla P.
We really loved the service, the food wasn't a good experience. We ordered a red snapper an it was super rubbery, spices were good but it wasn't a good consistency. The bounty mix was good (plain good, nothing stood out) except for the oysters (that we didn't enjoy). The butter made all better so, the prepared butter was what made things more flavorful but it was an add on. Drinks were good too. I read many comments and I was expecting a better experience. Again, service was perfect, food wasn't well done.
Food and service were excellent for our party of 7. We will definitely be back again.
Amanda J.
Yay for Yelp letting us know about this spot. It is a small place. It's off the "main strip" but still close enough to other bars if you're wanting to go other places after. I knew I didn't want anything Fried and chose I had THE best plate, The Bounty mix. The serving size is good. And although it says it comes with rice, surprisingly there is much more seafood given than rice. I didn't get a chance to try the oysters. Maybe next time!
Sharon S.
I need to figure out how to reserve my preferred bar seats! We eat here every time we are on The Strand! The appetizer Crab and Shrimp Cakes is a generous serving of two 4" patties and the Remoulade is delicious. Also an appetizer, The Catfish Strips include a single side. It's a hard choice between onion rings and sauteed green beans. The Red Beans and Rice are life changing. Stella Artois on tap and Abita Turbo Dog in bottles. the wine list looks decent and they also have the "hard stuff."
Sarah M.
Stopped in for oysters. They said they didn't have oysters. At an oyster bar. They suggested a couple of other restaurants for good seafood, which I thought was super weird, albeit helpful. I'm giving two stars because the people were friendly, but I still haven't actually eaten here.
Michelle L.
Black Pearl is a great place to grab a drink and some ousters and appetizers. If the main dishes are as good as our appetizers, it would be a treat! We were here at 2:30 in the afternoon on a rainy day and it was quiet and nice atmosphere.
Quaint little restaurant with yummy seafood. Friendly staff. Blackened Catfish is delish.
I'm hesitant to write a great review for this, one of my favorite spots in Galveston, for fear that that it will become too big for its britches! But i'll just have to take my chances because they deserve the credit for being so awesome!! Absolutely the best gumbo on this island! I never could eat raw oysters until I had them here. Their crab cakes, are just that, all crab, none of that nasty stuffing stuff. I could go on and on because everything here is great (one exception; the boudin balls-not so much). The portions are the best part, you almost always have leftovers! The prices seem high when you sit down and look at the menu but when they come out with your food.....you'll realize it's a bargain. Atmosphere is great, very casual come as you are. You don't have to get made up to go eat and enjoy a drink and some of the best food on the island.
Service was ok. Ambiance was ok. Food was ok. I personally came to Galveston hoping to get some fresh seafood and the oysters on a half shell were...ok...and the happy hour prices was more expensive than all of the online menus...i assume that's an inflation issue, but just a heads up! I ordered a seafood dish called the "Bounty Mix" and asked if the seafood was fresh and he said yes, but it was not and after a few bites it was clear. I asked again and he said: "Oh actually, it's frozen..sorry about that." Nice guy, but I was disappointed...it came with a butter sauce that helped with the flavor...but even with two portions of the sauce it was bland.
Horrible service, mediocre food. So many better choices in town. Overcooked, greasy, not fresh.
Mushrooms were fantastic. Red beans and rice were great. The cup was the size of a bowl and the bowl was huge!
We were a party of 4 and not all Cajun style food lovers. No problem, this homey restaurant has something to meet most needs with a versatile menu. We got a table right away and quick service from our server. We ordered oysters, a hamburger, red beans and rice, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, fish sandwich, fries, coleslaw and bloody Mary's. The coleslaw was so fresh and perfectly seasoned, the shrimp cocktail was the best I remember having and the small serving of rice and beans is more like a large! We were pleased with our meal and service was exceptional.
Dropped by Black Pearl Oyster Bar for lunch during the week and so glad we did! There's metered street parking available surrounding BPOB. It wasn't very crowded and we sat ourselves right away. We started with the calamari, which is plenty of food for two people. It comes with hot marinara that was delicious as well. For my entree I ordered the gumbo. There was a fair amount of seafood in the gumbo and it was very filling. Service was good and staff was very friendly. I can't wait to come back to try more on the menu.
Great place to get a wide variety of seafood! Great portions and very tasty. I had the crab cakes and coleslaw. I also got to taste some of the fried oysters in hot sauces! Glad I didn't get an appetizer because there was a lot of food. I sat at the bar and the bar tender was quick with drinks and service! Can't wait to go back!
This little gem popped up on my radar when asking about places to have seafood. I was in Galveston for work and I always like to get my fill of fresh seafood when I'm in the area. I was there for a late lunch/early dinner and wanted to try the ceviche. It did not disappoint. It was over 12 oz of the freshest ceviche made with gulf shrimp and tilapia. It also had just the right amount of pico de gallo and lime juice, topped with fresh avocado. It's served with homemade chips seasoned just right. It was so fresh and very filling. I was alone so this is the only thing I ordered or there would have been far too much food! The service was fast and very friendly. The experience was great overall.
We really loved the service, the food wasn't a good experience. We ordered a red snapper an it was super rubbery, spices were good but it wasn't a good consistency. The bounty mix was good (plain good, nothing stood out) except for the oysters (that we didn't enjoy). The butter made all better so, the prepared butter was what made things more flavorful but it was an add on. Drinks were good too. I read many comments and I was expecting a better experience. Again, service was perfect, food wasn't well done.
Restaurantji Recommends
Food and service were excellent for our party of 7. We will definitely be back again.
Yay for Yelp letting us know about this spot. It is a small place. It's off the "main strip" but still close enough to other bars if you're wanting to go other places after. I knew I didn't want anything Fried and chose I had THE best plate, The Bounty mix. The serving size is good. And although it says it comes with rice, surprisingly there is much more seafood given than rice. I didn't get a chance to try the oysters. Maybe next time!
I need to figure out how to reserve my preferred bar seats! We eat here every time we are on The Strand! The appetizer Crab and Shrimp Cakes is a generous serving of two 4" patties and the Remoulade is delicious. Also an appetizer, The Catfish Strips include a single side. It's a hard choice between onion rings and sauteed green beans. The Red Beans and Rice are life changing. Stella Artois on tap and Abita Turbo Dog in bottles. the wine list looks decent and they also have the "hard stuff."
Stopped in for oysters. They said they didn't have oysters. At an oyster bar. They suggested a couple of other restaurants for good seafood, which I thought was super weird, albeit helpful. I'm giving two stars because the people were friendly, but I still haven't actually eaten here.
Black Pearl is a great place to grab a drink and some ousters and appetizers. If the main dishes are as good as our appetizers, it would be a treat! We were here at 2:30 in the afternoon on a rainy day and it was quiet and nice atmosphere.