Went to Pearl's for the first time for their dinner service and it was great! The restaurant is very cute inside they have nice lighting and the bar is very nice. We tried their Old no. 1 and the Totebag boyfriend pizza after our breadstick appetizer. It was all great but the old no. 1 was my favorite! The service was great as well! I definitely want to go back to try out their bagels read more

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Place and owner is disgusting. They also rip off customers and staff by charging a 20% service charge (not tip, so the owner can keep all of it) on all orders including takeout. so they're scammers too read more

Pearl's - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The bagels we ordered were very "meh", nothing very special but still expensive. Most of my family agreed that we wouldn't order from them again for the price. Also, we were charged 20% service fee for a takeout order?? I understand for dine-in, but a service tax on take out is crazy. Shouldn't the owners be responsible for paying their staff? Now it's the responsibility of the customers? Well regardless, there are better bagels in the area for better prices. read more

Our bagels were so good and the fruit was extremely fresh. I highly recommend the bacon egg and cheese read more

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Came in from out of town and saw this place. The food was alright but the 20% service fee was ridiculous.

Definitely a 4 star. The pizza while very good was not great, and so if you're known for pizza then it'd better be great to get a 5 star. That being said it's a nice little restaurant and my family had a wonderful time there. Pearl's is a small, narrow restaurant but it was warm and cozy and surprisingly didn't feel cramped. There's a short bar at the back of the restaurant and there's a few tables on the side walk out front, perfect seating on this cool fall night. I took note of the poor reviews about their service when looking up Pearls on Yelp, though I found them pleasant enough. Except for the dour looking fellow at the entrance, the staff was friendly and service came at a nice pace. We started off with some cocktails and Peroni, my wife found her glass of natural wine (air quotes and sarcasm) to taste "weird" and switched to purl pink marg. We got the half dozen oysters, Thai mussels and wood fired sardines. The oysters were small (west coast or Japanese, they didn't say) and fresh and delicious. It was served with the kim chee mignonette rather than classic, we're Asian so they guessed kim chee, I assume. I'd prefer the classic. The mussels were good too and the coconut lemongrass broth was savory and great for dipping the accompanying bread. Tinned sardines are a common in the land of small plates (Spain) and a comfort food in Portugal, but this isn't Spain so I was surprised it was on the menu and a bit intrigued. One bite and my hopes that this would be transformative were dashed. The green/pickled onions added a bit of novel flavor but the tinned sardines are much like sardines you get from Kroger. The four of us shared the No 1(margherita), the hellbabe, and the scream queen. These wood fired "artisan" pizzas are small to medium in size. Other than the margherita, these were not your classics but unlike a lot of "artisan" pizzas the flavors worked well and these were each very good in their own way. They weren't great because the crust was a little too chewy or rubbery. Their inflated prices also bring it down a notch, I'm embarrassed to say how much I paid for 3 pizzas, some drinks and a tin of sardines. Oh, wood fired tin of sardines. Plus they tack on that 20% gratuity that yelpers have criticized. I'm fine with it, but seriously for takeout. Rubbish. I really appreciated the owners response to customers questioning this practice, "gratuity is distributed among our employees on top of the livable wage..." Hahaha, right?! That's the whole reason for this uniquely American custom of tipping, because we are led to believe that you don't pay staff a livable wage and we have to augment their paltry salary. Anyway, nice cozy little pizza joint with pretty good pizza and cocktails. read more

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I got a salt bagel with the cinnamon honey cream cheese. I liked the cream cheese, but the bagel wasn't very salty or chewy which I normally expect. You can order online, but they added a 20% service charge. I don't know if they would have added that if I ordered in person, but it's pretty absurd when I'm taking it to go. read more

Pearl's is a hidden gem. Great value, great flavors, consistent service. Whether bagel sandwiches in morning or pizza and salad at night, Pearl's is consistently top notch. Service and ambiance is laid back but classy. read more

Their bagels are excellent. I really enjoyed the Trout Bagel and next time I really want to try the brisket bagel -I hear that it is amazing as well! read more

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Food fire. Service fire. Ambience fire. Really lit experience for some fire bagels and fire time read more

Pearl's - Bagel n lox - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Not coming back. The automatic gratuity charge is ridiculous for slinging a few bagels in a bag. The owner needs to pay their employees a living wage. How sad and embarrassing for the owner. Sounds like they don't have a sustainable business model. read more

20% auto gratuity for take out is disgraceful. People should avoid this place and other restaurants that charge an auto-gratuity. Raising your food prices is better than sneaking up on customers and charging them a "tip" even for take out. read more

First off I've never had their pizza so I can't talk too much about that buuuuut I'm here to talk about how amazing their bagels. These bagels are incredible! Run and go get some! read more

We were in Lexington visiting our daughter who attends college there. Stopped in with no reservation and were quickly seated by the front window. Delicious pizza, salad and cocktails! Cute and cozy restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

This place is adorable, very quaint. It's small, but so beautiful. The food was fabulous. It is a bit unusual, but the ingredients are fresh, clean, and very tasted! The service was wonderful, and the vibe was just right! We ordered the hellbabe, and then a regular cheese pizza, both had a delightfully crispy crust, stringy creamy cheese, a light layer of spice that wasn't overwhelming or spilling out everywhere. Over all a 10/10 read more

20% tip added to online orders. And then the owner has the audacity to say that complaining about this isn't a "good look" when the actual not good look is not paying your staff a livable wage to begin with read more

Had breakfast here this morning while staying in downtown Lexington. The restaurant is small and very nicely decorated with plants and other fun stuff. There was one lady working this morning- she was friendly and helpful. There is both outdoor and indoor seating - we chose indoor because it was just noisy downtown traffic this morning. I had a sesame bagel with olive/herb cream cheese spread. My dining partner went for the BLT on a sesame bagel - it was huge and messy to eat; but, the bacon was out-of-this-world delicious. I'd definitely have breakfast here next time in town. read more

Our new favorite pizza place in town, with a bonus that the atmosphere and service are both excellent. I also appreciate the unique and thoughtful wine list. read more

We stopped in for a breakfast bagel in the morning during our trip to Lexington. My boyfriend ordered the smoked trout bagel, and I ordered the bacon, egg, and cheese. The bagels were delicious, and they were the perfect start to our day. It gets very busy in the morning, so just be aware. The line is worth the wait! read more

Had a great time! We went for pizza and it was delicious the ambience was great. Beautiful place

My search for a good pizza in Lexington finally led me here, when I saw a special I couldn't resist. I did takeout, and they quoted a long-ish wait time, and when I arrived early they said it would be until exactly the quoted time, which is well enough. The pizza wasn't quite piping hot, though, so I wonder if they were waiting on the other dishes? Anyway, I suspect eating in is better. Their style is the sort of Neapolitan-ish personal pizza with fairly New Age-y ingredients. This is, notably, a very vegan friendly restaurant, and while my saag paneer pizza was definitely not vegan, I did try some non-dairy ranch sauce with my delightfully charred breadstick. As far as weird fusion pizzas go, the saag paneer delivered all I could have expected, with ample spinach, rich cheese, and a dusting of toasted whole spices on top that really took it to another level. The crust was much like the breadstick, soft on the inside with a bit of char outside. A vegan caesar salad (the traditional caesar has Worstershire dressing which has some fish in it), was lively, and I liked the caesar dressing more than the ranch (the latter looked oddly greenish to me and was watery and not especially tasty). It was in total a salty meal. It's a pricey place, which is expected given the locale, and I would note that when I looked to tip on my takeout order, a generous service charge had already been added. This is the sort of thing that was not the standard before the pandemic, but now represents more a sign of the economic times than anything specific about this business. Anyway, it was more interesting than any other pizza I've had in the area. read more

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Cute place, friendly staff, yummy breakfast. Inside or patio seating. Appreciated the vegan cream cheese. read more

Pearl's - Breakfast as of 7/2024 - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We ordered take-out for two pizzas. We must have called at rush hour, because it took over an hour to fulfill the order. One pizza tasted good, the other was ok. Pearl's charges a 20% service fee on take-out orders, which amounted to an extra $8.50 to our bill. I asked why there was a service charge, and they said they add it to all orders, even take-out. Was not happy. Do not recommend for this business practice alone. read more

Beautiful restaurant. So cute inside and service was amazing. Bagels were unlike any I've had before - fresh, salty, airy dough. Went 4 times on my 2 day trip. Wish I had one near me!! read more

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Not charging a fee extra gratuity, leave it up to the customer. Must not have much faith in food if you can't trust the customer to do the right thing. This is why Great American bagel looses customers too! We are paying for employee vacations! read more

I'd seen raves about Pearl's vegan options online and decided to stop by on my way back to Louisville this weekend. It's a small, bright space downtown. Not sure how easy/difficult parking might be during the week or a weekend night, but we found a spot right away this Sunday morning. Pearl's offers a brunch menu on weekend mornings/early afternoons that features their house-made bagels. By 11:45 am, they were out of two kinds including everything but still had the bialys. I ordered two - one with vegan scallion cream cheese and one with plain vegan cream cheese. They're $4.50 each with a gratuity of 20% added to all checks including carry out. The staff was very friendly but seemed stretched a bit thin. The restaurant was fairly full so my wait was about 10 minutes. The bialy were warm and chewy, good crust. The vegan cream cheese may be the best I've ever had, the texture was very smooth. Overall, the reviews were right. Pearl's has some delicious vegan offerings. Next time, I'll try them for dinner and have a gourmet pizza as the price was a bit high for a bagel and cream cheese eaten on the road. read more

Neglected to write a review after my first visit - a trip for pizza and salad. Now I have been back for a bagel sandwich lunch and have to speak up. Sooo good on both fronts! Pizza was thin crust - crispy and light but still substantive. Toppings were in perfect ratio and all extremely fresh. Also ordered the vegan caesar salad and was very impressed. Yummy and held up well for leftovers the next day Bagel sandwiches were some of the best I've had. Highly recommend the salmon on bialy. Tastes more like a wheat bun but still gives bagel vibes. The space is quaint but cool. Perfectly lit for a great date night. Please visit this fab little spot so we don't lose it! read more

This place is so cute! Cocktails were great and pizza was amazing. Service was quick and friendly. read more

Pearl's - Pearls interior. - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I finally made it here for breakfast. When I walked in there was a gentleman sitting waiting for his to go order and that was the only other person sitting. The woman at the counter was super friendly and very welcoming. I ordered a plain bagel with scallion cream cheese. I have to say the cream cheese was nice and soft and the bagel was pretty tasty to. I love the blue wooden chairs &the indoor decor is lovely . You do have the option of sitting outside at picnic tables and had it been warmer I would have . I want to come back for the pizza ! read more

We order from Pearl's a decent bit for takeout, because it can sometimes be a gamble to try to get a seat on weekends. This time our takeout was a miss. The estimated time for my takeout was 2 hours, which, you'd have to ask if it'd take that long if I was sitting in a seat. Indeed, they took all 2 hours to hand me my order (I did show up 20 minutes early!). The pizza was cold, overdone (charred throughout) on the crust and undercooked on the bottom (had to air fry to get crispy). For having an automatic service charge with each takeout order, and then requesting a tip, you'd expect the delivery on the product to be consistently better than their competitors, especially if you take 4x as long. Kale salad is still great. read more

Lexington's best pizza, service & ambience! Don't miss the magic of this city staple! Perfect spot for date nights, lady dinners or take it to go! Great downtown location! BEST RANCH DRESSING ON THE PLANET! read more

Went for breakfast bagels - slow service (took 20 minutes for our 2 bagel sandwiches) but absolutely delicious. Wish I would have gotten the horseradish cream cheese with my egg and bacon breakfast sandwich. Cold brew is hella strong but really good. read more

Pearl's - July special- BLT on everything bagel - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Pearls is a hidden Gem downtown, their pizza is delicious and their bagels are even better! We love ordering to go and walking around down town when the weather is nice, service and staff are great No complaints and will definitely be back. read more

Pearl's has been on my list to try for a few years now as I've heard great things about their pizza- & it did not disappoint! Tucked right behind Corto Lima on North Lime, there is no designated parking, just downtown street parking availability. At 5:30 on a Friday, 2 of us were able to be seated right away. The hostess told us that the menus were scannable, and to order and pay at the bar. When you order, 20% gratuity is added to your bill- honestly nice that it takes that extra step out after your dinner, you can just pick up your things and walk out. The service was great throughout our meal, hosts came around to clear dishes we were no longer using, and bring more water as needed. We both ordered a vegan ceasar salad that was delicious and split the marinara pizza that had kalamata olives, capers, and roasted garlic- all of which I love. If you aren't a fan of any of those, I'd say skip it, because the pizza is loaded with all 3. The space is pretty small, and it was full by 6. I noticed lots of people coming in for carry out orders. Pearl's is a great spot for downtown pizza! read more

Pearl's - vegan caesar salad - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Bagels aren't bad but when you pay $40+ for two bagels and 2 orange juice and checking the receipt seeing %20 surcharge is BAD business , won't be going back read more

I came here after looking for a new bagel place to try in Lexington. Based on other reviews and menu posts, we decided to call ahead to make sure they had them. Around 9:30am on a Sunday, they told us they were getting some fresh ones off the line and that they still had all their flavors. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was very calm and I enjoyed the decor. I thought I saw a host stand, but you seat yourself and order at the bar in the back. The workers were helpful and we ordered three bagels and a coffee. They add gratuity to the bill and said it was "just a little bit". They told us the total but kind of strange how they didn't offer a receipt. My boyfriend decided to tip cash in the jar as well as we didn't know how much was added. (?) Overall, I was satisfied with the food here. I really appreciated that the coffee was given to me in a mug and bagel on a plate-- this in itself sets this place apart from other bagel joints in the area. It's much more of a sit-down brunch than a quick bite. Regardless, the food didn't take too long and was served hot. I thought the bagels were a little thin, but liked how they toasted them to be crunchy. I was hesitant about the garlic aioli but it was great! I would like to come back again to try their pizza. My only recommendation to them would be to reconsider their automatic gratuity/no receipt policy. read more

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I am still dreaming of the wedge salad and the ten eighty!! The trip to Lexington was an early birthday gift to my husband. We arrived Friday evening, and well, Friday nights are for pizza. We found Pearl's and had about an hour wait. It was we'll worth it. Our server recommended a wine, and my mister said he would try it, and he LOVED IT!! (He is NOT a wine drinker) We had leftover pizza that we took back to our hotel and had AMAZING "COLD" pizza. It was even better the second day! WOW!! We will be back even if it's just for the pizza. read more

I've been several times and each time it's been amazing. First I went for lunch and got the Hellbabe. Crust is great, toppings were so good! Highly recommend. Today I went for breakfast. I didn't thing it could get better than the pizza but the Smoked Brisket Sandwich was SO good. Lots of toppings. Wish I lived in town so I could eat it more! Love that they use amazing ingredients and support Black Soil KY. Service was quick and friendly! read more

I went here to try their bagels... they were great! Although they were great they were not very filling. I would suggest getting a starter with your bagel. We also waited around 45 minutes for 2 bagels. One was bacon egg and cheese and the other was steak egg and cheese. I understand that there can be problems in the kitchen and lots of places are understaffed, but I would have appreciated a heads up. Being more transparent about wait times makes people more forgiving. Overall it was a good experience, I would come back to try more items. read more

Pearl's - Bacon eggs and cheese on a poppy see bagel, steak egg and cheese on a salt bagel. - Pizza Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The bagels were good, not New York good, but still flavorful. The cream cheese options were great! Loved the horseradish one, just different. The scallion one didn't have much flavor unfortunately. The cost for the sides of cream cheese was...expensive for what you got. Service staff was very friendly. The vibe on the inside of the restaurant was everything you could want. The bacon egg and cheese bagel was pretty dang good. Aside from the small cream cheese sides, my biggest annoyance was the 20% service charge they tack on top and EVERY SINGLE ORDER. They try to play it off, but it was just a really tacky way imo to either pay their employees a mandatory tip and then not pay them minimum wage or a way to force every patron whether carrying in or out to pay service staff. Either way, I was not a fan of that. Just add it to your prices and don't try to justify nickel and diming your customers. read more