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    Perky's

    4.7 (254 reviews)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Services - Perky's

    Catering

    Perky's Photos

    PERKY'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Perky's

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    Reviews With Photos

    Steak and Mushrooms Hot Meat Pie
    Dianne A.

    I've been eyeing this place for quite some time, and finally said f**k it and went here on a whim. Perky's is in a business/industrial complex right off the 163, sandwiched between other notable landmarks and other food places to boot. You might not see it at first, but they do have a sign outside. Once inside, you'll find that the store itself is quaint and small, displaying different decors to highlight Perky's South African roots (love!). They also have a (South African) grocery inside! Perky's is somewhat of a "hole in the wall," but what a hidden gem this place is. An elderly (couple?) was in front of me during my (first) visit. Shortly after, the store was filled with more people! The pies on display were also limited, so an ambulance was going off in my head. I CAME HERE FOR MEAT PASTRIES AND THERE WASN'T A LOT LEFT :( AND PEOPLE ARE BEHIND ME. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE "THAT" CUSTOMER THAT TOOK THE LAST XYZ PIE :'((( WELL, PLOT TWIST: I WAS STILL THAT CUSTOMER ANYWAY, lol. I may have taken one of the lasts: + Chicken & Mushroom Pie + Steak & Mushroom Pie ...So, yeah, I was "that" customer. I'm honestly not sure if they can make more, or if it's a "what you see here is what you get" kind of deal. If that's the case, then you need to come here once they open for the day... I am not kidding when I say that they did NOT have many pies left on display. OKAY, ON TO THE FOOD. I love mushrooms. I'm a mushroom fiend. Mushroom mama. The pies are as big/bigger than a palm (bigger than mine, at least). I heated them up in my air fryer and I, unfortunately, JUST EVERY SO SLIGHTLY burnt them :( It ended up being OK! The meat and mushrooms were neatly tucked away under that layer of buttery and flay goodness. They were seasoned perfectly and each bite was truly just so darn good. Though they were slightly smaller in size, the 2 pies made me full! If you have a larger appetite, I would definitely get a 3rd one (for an afternoon snack... or eat all 3 in one sitting... you do you... and they're that good). CONCLUSION. I am looking forward to many other meaty trips here and will be back to check out their grocery store! GET YA PERK ON AT PERKY'S!!!

    Matthew B.

    Wow! What a great little spot to get a variety of South African foods. Both handmade pastries and sausages, as well as canned and packaged items. I ordered the Chicken Curry pie, and it was flavorful and delicious. The chicken was nice and tender. I enjoyed the fact the pie wasn't messy, yet each bite had a burst of flavors. PLEASE BE AWARE: The curry had some heat to it. I highly recommend this if you love spice! If you don't, please skip this and try another item. I will definitely come back to try other items!

    The freezer of delicious pies!
    Rika C.

    Now you mean to tell me I've lived in SD my whole life and never went to Perky's?! A crime! This hole in the wall spot sells South African style pies, desserts, and condiments of all sorts! You can buy the meat/veggie pies piping hot or frozen for later -- I grabbed a few of each! My absolute favorite was the steak & mushroom pie ($9), which had a perfectly flaky pastry crust and the most delicious, umami-full steak and mushroom filling. The steak was tender, not chewy! I was able to prepare it at home by simply throwing it into the toaster over for 10 minutes. I still have a beef curry pie at home for later! I also got a milk tart to share ($18 large, $6 small) by recommendation of the owner, and just as he said, it was not too sweet, and almost like a flan! It's a fluffy sponge cake base with custard and cinnamon on top. You'll have to scoop it out with a spoon unless you're really talented with pie cutters, since it's so soft. But oh my was it delicious. Cant wait to come back to try more!

    Beef and mushroom pie
    Miranda G.

    Just had my first meat pie at Perky's! Can I just say that this is about as close to the ones at home as possible. I'm an Aussie and was very impressed with the African meat pies made here. The gentleman who served us (I'm assuming) was the owner and very chatty! He kept telling me that his pies were better than Aussie pies! And so we're his Lamingtons and baked beans.... I had a good laugh with him, he was funny. The sausage roll was pork, I liked it, but did not love it. Either way, I ended up buying some already frozen pies and beef sausage rolls to go as we make our drive back to Vegas! If I'm back in San Diego again, I will be sure to come back and get my fix of meat pies! Tip: if you can - call ahead of time and place your order. When we got there around 12 - all that was left were two beef and mushroom pies and a few sausage rolls.

    Graham the owner of Perky's
    sean d.

    I met the owner Graham and he invited me to come check out his store. The biltong was so tender and well spiced, better than what I had in South Africa years back. I bought a pound of biltong and a mushroom and beef pie, I can see why he has many devoted customers. There is a great little shop in back and Graham says he does catering for parties as well. Thanks for a fun morning on my birthday!

    Sparletta Creme Soda
    Brent P.

    Today my mom and I decided to go here to try out traditional South African cuisine for the first time ever. It can be a harder spot to find and honestly looks closed from the outside but once you open up the door inside there is a counter with warm Gourmet Meat Pies and a hallway to a small authentic grocery market filled with foods, snacks, frozen treats, and more imported straight from South Africa. Today we were greeted by a very nice lady who helped us peruse throughout the store and give us detailed descriptions of pretty much every item in the store. Definitely a great experience especially since my knowledge of South African culture and food was basic. In the end we ordered 1 warm Gourmet Meat Pie with Beef Curry, 1

    Pie selection
    Darryl G.

    If Chicken and Mushroom, Chicken Curry, Pepper Steak and Steak and Mushroom pies do not sound good to, read no further. We just stopped in at Perky's and got these four pies. We went back for seconds, but by then they had already run out of the chicken and mushroom pies. The crust is just soft and flaky, and each of the fillings were really delicious. We will be back for the sausage rolls and cottage pie next.

    MILK TART
    Jasmine R.

    HOME AWAY FROM HOME!!! baie lekker Friendly, loving people that are passionate about their home. Everything is fresh & absolutely delicious!!

    Chicken curry

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    6 months ago

    So happy to find this place. Amazing! Authentic !! Loved a taste of home Try everything and then some more .

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    Pretty good steak mushroom pie. Nothing crazy. Personally I found it expensive for what it is.

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    4 years ago

    Sooooooooo good. Stop by and grab a pie then go to the brewery next door to wash it down. You are welcome.

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    14 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Food is excellent, service great. Friendly staff and very helpful. The flavor on all the serve is delicious

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Perky's

    Is their pie dough made with butter or shortening?

    So does this place serve hot food as well or just frozen?

    They have some warm pies and sausage rolls at the front.

    What is there menu and prices?

    You can view their prices and menu here, but as with all restaurants, in person is the only way to make sure they're up to date. http://www.perkysfoods.com/menu.html

    View All 5 Questions

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    My husband and I have gone by here on our way to eat elsewhere so many times over the years, each…read moretime saying that we've got to stop in sometime. Saturday night after a show at the theater down the street, we were walking along Park and decided that was the night! It was almost 9 o'clock when we came into the charming house-turned-restaurant and asked if it was too late to get a table. We were assured it was the perfect time and seated right away. Our lovely server, Melissa, offered us expert guidance on the menu. We went with her suggestion of the roasted mushroom appetizer and were floored by them. I wouldn't expect to be so stunned by mushrooms of all things (I can only think of one other time and beer batter was involved then) but they're wonderfully seasoned and have unexpected crunchy bits. We completely cleaned the plate, scooping up all the spaghetti squash accompaniment. Our mains were also delicious, a fava bean and a lamb entree with cabbage and lentils as the sides. Melissa delivered extra injera without us even asking, and gave us the excellent tip as we headed out to add our leftovers to a pan of scrambled eggs. We did so the next morning, and ate them with our crisped up leftover injera, a very tasty cap to our experience with Muzita!

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    Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Interior dining area.

    Interior dining area.

    Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Inside of one of the sambusas. So much flavor!

    Inside of one of the sambusas. So much flavor!

    Muzita Abyssinian Bistro - Exterior of the restaurant.

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    Mozambique - Ivan'z house live music club at Mozambique, live music venue

    Ivan'z house live music club at Mozambique, live music venue

    Mozambique - Halal peri-peri chicken pops, halal menu available

    Halal peri-peri chicken pops, halal menu available

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    the Eldo - Getting ready.

    Getting ready.

    the Eldo - Side of Rice with Prawn curry.

    Side of Rice with Prawn curry.

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    Perky's - bakeries - Updated June 2026

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