I was downtown Royal Oak for dinner at another place with my wife to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and ended up here afterwards on accident. It had been a few years since we were in Royal Oak, so we walked around to see what was new and ran into one of their servers, Axle, who very hospitably invited us in to check out the place. After a quick briefing on both adjacent concepts (Bohemia & Pearl's) we decided to grab a drink at the bar here. This ended up being the best part of our anniversary. As expected with any great bar, their cocktail program was fantastic. My wife had an eclectic Pickle Martini (not something that I'd go for, but she absolutely loved it) and I was incredibly impressed with the Smokey The Bear cocktail. The cocktail was a PERFECT balance of flavors. The subtle honey-herb sweetness of the Drambuie paired wonderfully with their smoke infusion and rye whiskey, enough of a woodsy backbone to set a strong foundation for the Grand Marnier and orange bitters to add some fruity bite without masking the other flavors. This has easily become my new favorite cocktail, so whoever created this deserves some accolades. While the cocktail quality was something to be celebrated, the true star of the show was the staff. Our bartender, Kroop, made the entire experience an elevated level above anything that could ever be tangibly expected of a hospitality experience. It was nearly closing time when we were invited in by Axle and there were only two other couples at the bar, which would normally give any patron a "we're done soon so don't get too comfortable" vibe, but both Axle & Kroop were incredibly welcoming. Both displayed so much pride in showing off the venue and the cocktail menu, sharing the history of its origins, walking us through the beverage choices with recommendations, and really just making us feel like VIPs. The most astounding element of the experience, though, was the atmosphere of comradery established. Kroop was a masterful conduit of conversation between us and the other guests. Rather than three couples sitting in isolation as they enjoy their drinks independently, the whole bar turned into roaring conversation and laughter between absolute strangers. He could have just done the bare minimum, make drinks, check on people, cash out, etc... but Kroop was going far beyond his call of duty to really make this a memorable experience for everybody. My career was in managing high-end restaurants, bars, and luxury hotels, so I can say with confidence that I would've been lucky to have somebody like Kroop or Axle representing my brand. Both were amazing ambassadors for your venue in different ways, I walked in with no expectations and left feeling like a regular. The cocktail was just a peripheral bonus, the true experience originated in their hospitality. Pearl's Deep Dive will definitely become a usual stop for me and my wife now. You've got something very special happening that can't be manufactured on paper, an intangible "it" factor that occurs at the intersection of atmosphere, quality, and hospitality that can only be perpetuated by an engaged and passionate staff. read more

Loved the bar tenders! On the house welcome cocktail & truffle popcorn snack were a great touch! Everything we had was delicious! Truffle croquettes, lobster dumplings, double cheeseburger, crab cake, Mac & cheese. All of our drinks were tasty & the atmosphere was great! read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - Cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Cutest new date night spot in RO! The food and drinks all were fabulous, our server was well informed on the menu, and the restaurant was a total vibe. My fiancé and I tried the blue indigo oysters, brussel sprouts, lobster dumplings and the crab cake, and i'd highly recommend every single dish, 10/10. We cant wait to come back here! read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - The Panty Snatcher - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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I really love this place. The ambience is classy and sophisticated. Its kind of a dark speakeasy vibe. The seating gives lounge and there's a nice sized bar. The server starts you off with their complimentary signature cocktail. Its a nice touch. The menu is designed to share. I think we had everything. The lobster mac n cheese - was just ok, needed pepper., Oysters, - both grilled and Rockefeller. The grilled were my favs. We had the Brussel sprouts- they are delish. The truffle croquettes , also yummy. The double cheeseburger- its a winner! The lobster dumplings- they are great too. We also had the famous carrot cake- OMG !!! read more

Amazing drinks, perfect atmosphere, great service, the most amazing date night! Surprisingly strong drinks, killer corn, andy yummy steak. I must go back ;) read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - Bubbly drink - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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Expect bad service when you come here. As long as you come with the expectation of being neglected, not receiving your food on time and the food menu items tasting different each time you order them, you'll be fine. The drinks are good tho. read more

Cocktails are awesome and different. The food was good. I had lobster roll but it was a little bit dry for me. The brussel sprouts and oysters were amazing. We went for a girl's night and had a blast. read more

Outstanding drink menu. Attentive staff. Limited munching options. And you'll spend a little more than your local dive bar for sure. But if you are in the mood for trying out new things, this is a great place! read more

The carrot cake was literally the best dessert I've ever had in my life, highly recommend. read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - Carrot cake - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

One of the best restaurants in royal oak! Made a last minute reservation and was seated slightly later than expected. We understood they were short staffed but we were being helped as you normally would. The mac and cheese and lobster rolls are to die for. The cocktails were tasty as well! would come back here read more

Excellent addition to the RO area! Manager, Jim was so kind to seek out input from new customers (such as myself). Food was phenomenal! And, cocktails (1st is complementary!!! How cool is that?!). read more

Service was the worse! Food was terrible also. Do not recommend this place for anyone. Ambiance wasn't the best either. All in all terrible read more

This place is only getting 2 stars because of its ambience otherwise I would've given it 0 stars if possible. The food was very disappointing. The lobster mac and cheese was the worst. Bland, very little lobster, undercooked pasta. The wagyu was 1/10. I asked for medium and it came rare. Was supposed to come with a side of oyster mushrooms, but there was maybe a total of 5 dried pieces on the plate. Lobster dumplings were not worth ordering either. The carrot cake was cold and dry. Frosting tasted store bought. The only thing that was decent were the brussel sprouts, but I've had better. I would give it a 7/10. The oysters were decent too, but extremely salty. Bottom line if you wanna come here....come fed. read more

Food overall/ 0/10 Brussel sprouts: 1/10 Lobster Mac: -2/10 flavorless Oysters: 5/10 EXTREMELY salty Wagyu: 0/10 terrible quality Lobster dumplings: 2/10 they had a good amount of filling but the sauce didn't go well with the dish. Carrot cake: 1/10 I'm convinced the frosting was Betty crocker. The cake was also very dry and not warm. Such a shame because the ambiance is great but the food ruins the experience. read more

Love everything about this place. The food, staff and the atmosphere. Love it!!! Lobster Mac read more

It's always pleasure every time we come in. Wonderful drinks and food. And the last few times we've come in Doug has taken care of. He's so personable, energetic, and a joy to have take care of us. read more

From the welcome cocktail to the end of the experience, Pearl's was a dream. The care they take in everything they do is apparent, and we are so happy we were able to experience it during their first few days. Chef Marco does amazing work drafting the menu. The lobster dumplings were exquisite, and the halibut special was a standout. Service was quick and personable, and the cocktails-some of the best we've ever had-were reasonably priced and prompt. This is a true gem in Royal Oak, and we can't wait to see what is to come read more

Definitely not a restaurant for families!!! My wife and I, along with some of her family, recently got a bright idea to check out Pearl's in Royal Oak. It was an idea that proved to not be so bright after all. The decor of Pearl's is interesting, but as time went by it began to remind me of the bar in that movie The Shining - a nightmare! The drinks were very sweet and weren't mixed well at all. We were not impressed with the food. I got a strange feeling that the food had been lying around for awhile before it was served to us. The portions were not very big and it was a little pricey for what you get. As the evening wore on we all couldn't help but notice the constant use of profanity emanating from the kitchen, which is about 5 feet away from the dining room. We heard the F word so many times during our visit we began to think it might just be someone's name. It is not a place for families! One of the employees, a so-called manager, came by and greeted us to see how things were. We didn't even know where to begin so we just decided to be polite and say everything was fine. We had already made our decision to never return. As he walked to another table to check in on the other guests you could still hear the chorus of F words from the kitchen fill the dining room air. Pearl's has an interesting ambience, to say the least. As another reviewer noted, this is a clear example of people in charge having no idea on how to manage a restaurant. They are clearly out of their depth. My simple advice, avoid Pearl's at all costs! Royal Oak simply has far too many other dining options available to visit! read more

In love. From walking into this eclectic oasis to the elegant stemware and the fantastic food... What a joy. Greeted with a bowl of truffle popcorn and a complimentary house drink (only item I did not love). Welcomed by our delightful waiter and feasted on lobster roll, brussel sprouts and crab cake. Just fantastic. Can't wait to return. read more

My wife and I were looking forward to trying Pearl's Deep Dive being fans of Pinky's Rooftop run by the same Adam Merkel team and great lover's of seafood and oysters. We made a reservation just about a full week before for Satuday at 8:00. When we arrived, the place was full and looked great, which is usually a good sign. That's where anything good about this place ended. We were shuttled though a set of swinging doors at the rear and then into the adjacent unfinished Bohemia restaurant next door that the Merkel team is currently working on. There were about 7 or 8 other groups in there - it was totally dead, nothing going on, obnoxiously lit, no life at all. Clearly they had overbooked Pearl's and pulled a bait and switch thinking that moving us into this lame dead space was acceptable. We were certainly disappointed, but figured we would deal with it and enjoy our meal. And we waited, and waited and waited and waited. We watched servers with food coming in and out, wandering around aimlessly going from table to table asking if they had ordered the food were carrying. They had no clue who had ordered what. The group of four next to us kept saying "do you think that's ours?" The whole time, no one stopped by to say hello, tell us it would be a minute, nothing. Same for the couple next to us. Finally, a waiter came by with water and a tiny bowl of popcorn the size of my palm (not sure at all what they are thinking there). Didn't say sorry for the wait or apologize for sticking us in this dead space. He asked if we were drinking, said they had a welcome drink for us. My wife accepted, I said I wasn't drinking that night to which he replied that he was sorry and the drinks were alcoholic. He then just walked away - didn't ask if I wanted anything, could get me something else, nothing. My wife and I were pretty much in amazement. This had become one of the worst dining experiences we ever had and hadn't even had a drink. We got up and walked out. There was no way I wanted to give them my money or any more of my time. The group of four that was sitting next to us said "good move" as we left. I have been dining out all throughout the pandemic. I am fully aware of the staffing issues, how restaurants are shorthanded and how difficult it is for the servers that are working. I am more than accommodating and flexible. This wasn't that at all. This is a case of the people in charge having no idea how to manage a restaurant. This is severely overbooking the restaurant and then shoving people into an overflow space that is NOT what they reserved or wanted or ready. The servers were clearly overburdened and had no clue how to handle this. And the fact that no one greeted us, even to tell us they were behind, shows a total lack planning (or leadership). There are too many other quality restaurants to get great seafood without dealing with this mismanagement. My time is important and this is hours of my life that I will never get back. Do yourself a big favor don't waste your time at Pearl's Deep Dive. read more

We had the brussel sprouts, mac and cheese, stuffed salmon, and the sea bass. All the food tasted phenomenal. The bartender was our server as we went here late in the evening and the restaurant was empty. The bartender was great. He checked on us and made sure that we were enjoying our experience there. Would recommend! read more

Great new spot. Liked that the menu was concise and too the point. Seafood was fresh. Had lobster dumplings (very yummy!), lobster roll (just a bit too many herbs), Brussel sprouts (good flavor). Good and friendly service. Hopefully this restaurant succeeds. read more

Just as good as anticipated! Cocktails were awesome, service was the best I've ever had, and food was quick and good. Axle was the bartender/server for us and he was incredible, great recommendations and very attentive. The welcome cocktail was delicious and they gave us free champagne for our anniversary. Got the oysters, lobster dumplings, seared scallop, and brussel sprouts - all was great! Only tiny note of preference is maybe slightly more cooked brussels next time. The food came out very, very fast. I would have liked to see more seafood options on the menu, but what they have is executed so well I can't fault them. Will definitely be back soon. read more

We have been here 3 times. Each experience was amazing. They have a very cool bar that makes actual craft cocktails and the food menu is as good as anything in metro Detroit. read more

Super crafty cocktails, shareable seafood, small plates. Super aesthetic & cute. Perfect for a date night. Lo especially is amazing and I'll be back to see her as often as i can :) Shes so sweet, welcoming & instantly made it my new favorite spot. She took the time to give me a tour of boho & pinkys & the drinks were AMAZING. The vibe is chill and ambience beats any other restaurant in the area. Thanks Lo!! read more

Wanted to love this place, but couldn't. There is no music piped in, but instead is played off a waiter's iphone which is ok... except there weren't speakers and it played advertisements every few songs. Just absolutely killed the vibe and made the visit lose it's luster. read more

This place is amazing! We were greeted with a gin martini welcome cocktail and yummy truffle popcorn! The food was very good quality and quantity. We went here for my birthday and our reservation kept fluctuating on the number of people. The restaurant management and staff was wonderful to work with. I can't wait to come back!!! read more

Welcome drinks provided were great. We didn't get the welcome popcorn but wished we could try it! The lobster Mac and cheese was delicious and filling, the black truffle croquettes were also good,l. The very berry bubbly was great. Did not enjoy the margarita and wouldn't get again. The carrot cake was warm and frosting delicious. read more

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If I could give this place less than one star,I would. So, I made reservations for my birthday and after showing up for my reservation, found that the place was empty with only one couple sitting in the far corner. The atmosphere was dark, and not well lit. The gentleman that was checking me in couldn't figure out how to even check me in an after a few minutes sat me up at my table. I sat at my table for 10 to 15 minutes before the waiter came to my table and the place was a ghost town. As customers were starting to come in food was going out, but only to have photos taken of the food. Thought that was a little odd when your customers should come first and photos of the food could come later. So, I ordered brown sugar, old fashion, and five minutes later, the waiter told me that they were sold out. So I ordered a regular old fashion and was served what tasted like a whole rocks glass full of whiskey, instead of an old fashion. I ordered the oysters and for the price they were the smallest oysters I have ever seen. At this point, I didn't know if I wanted to wait for my main course or ask for the bill but I waited for the main course. The main course I ordered was a lobster roll. The baguette, that the lobster was on, was hard as a rock and dry. The lobster was good but there was no sauce and just celery. To the service, food, drinks, atmosphere this is definitely not a place I will ever return. read more

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The most delicious food and super cool decor/environment. Highly recommend. The burger and the lobster Mac are out of this world! read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Great cocktails and some interesting dishes! We had the lobster ravioli, some oysters, crispy potatoes and caviar, and the truffle croquettes. It's not a lot of food (almost tapas-sized?) but all very well prepared. It's definitely worth stopping by and I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow over time! read more

I truly had a Great time, the waitress was the best. The food, drinks and atmosphere was very nice. This is one of my new goto spots in Royal Oak. read more

Great vibe - love the music and ambiance for a date or some cocktails. Staff was very personable and fun. Recommend and will be back!

The food was amazing. They gave us welcome drinks that were very tasty. I'm not a gin fan but it was really good. They give every table popcorn with truffle oil. We ordered a few appetizers; homemade potato chips, Brussels sprouts and croquettes. I didn't get photos of everything but it was all exceptional. Lots of flavor!! I ordered the lobster Mac and cheese. It was perfect. I'm just starting to like lobster and it was perfect. The carrot cake was the right texture not too dry, not too soggy. read more

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This has become my best friend and I new spot! The scallops never disappoint and the Rockefeller Oysters and the Cajun oysters are soooo good! It was my first time trying oysters and it was a great experience. read more

Pearl's Deep Dive - Potato crisps and caviar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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Went on Mother's Day. We could tell they were short staffed. We were seated, but after 10 minutes no one took our drink order. Went to the bar thinking we might be served faster. No, the bartender was waiting tables and making all the drinks. There were no apologies for the long wait. Looking around, other customers were waiting a long time as well. We had one drink (I was almost done with mine before my friend got his) and left. read more

Amazing food, great ambiance, and great cocktails. Would recommend to seafood lovers and hope to go back soon.

Excellent food and service. The tables are very close together so not much privacy. I loved the bar and plan to sit there next time I visit.

Food was good and drinks were phenomenal. I hated my waiter. He was drunk and talking to the bar tender the whole time. Other than the shitty service, they added a 20% additional tip. I would not have even tipped my shitty waiter that much. I do not recommend it here. My waiter was literally incoherent and every person who worked here had no idea what was going on. read more

Amazing seafood 1920's speakeasy vibe restaurant and bar. The cocktails and drinks are amazing. The food was also 5/5, a lot of lobster based dishes reasonably priced. Staff is attentive and nice. Only critique is I wish they course out the dishes you order. We ordered 5 items (mix of apps and entrees) and they all came out and the same time. Was a little overwhelmed by that read more