Great service and amazing food!!! The general manager was very friendly. The sever Danny was very excellent.

My friends and I stopped here for an early dinner during the Day of the Dead Festival. Plus it was raining a bit so we needed a place to stay dry. Perla was pretty crowded already but was able to accommodate us on their outdoor patio with heat lamps. With only 2 servers covering the patio, they were still very attentive and sweet to all patrons. Our food came out fast too. We started with just chips and guacamole. Then our entrees arrived quickly after. All of our orders were pretty tasty. The portions were a bit on the medium/small side and the sides were served a la carte so it cost extra. Other than that, there's nothing to complain about besides the prices being super high. I took one star off for that. read more

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We came for dinner and loved everything! The cocktails, enchiladas, steak tacos, and short rib tacos were all so yummy! We will definitely return! read more

Was recommended to try Perla and went for lunch. the craft drinks were really good and the food was excellent. They also have a very impre tequila selectio. Definitely will be going back. read more

Came here for dinner on a Saturday night on a whim since the initial restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. Perla had a nice outside patio so we decided to eat outside. It was pretty dark so the ambience could have been better if there were maybe candles or something. It was also a tad chilly outside, so it would be nice if they had the heat lamps turned on. I got the trio de enchiladas ($30), which included a mole enchilada, shrimp enchilada, and enchilada suiza). The tortillas tasted pretty homemade, but the chicken was on the drier side. The sauces were pretty tasty, and I enjoyed the cheese. I wasn't sure which one was the shrimp enchilada since they all seemed to just have chicken inside. Two of the enchiladas were quite good, but one was just ok (maybe it was the mole enchilada that was my least favorite). For the price, I don't think these enchiladas were up to par. They were pretty tasty, but weren't outstanding, and the meat needed to be juicier. Presentation of the dish wasn't even that pretty either. We also got the halibut ceviche ($22), which came on a pretty large platter and came with some chips (definitely needed more chips for all the ceviche). It was pretty flavorful, but needed more of the halibut. My boyfriend got the Prime Arrachera Plate, which he loved. For service, our waiter initially was helpful and quick to take our order, but towards the end of the dinner, I had to go inside the restaurant twice to try to find our waiter. I even asked another waiter (or maybe he was a bartender) for assistance with getting our check. Still, we could not get our check. I waited a bit longer, and finally our waiter came with our check. We also didn't get any refills of our water. The guy who cleaned up our dishes asked if we wanted water. I told him that would be great if we could have more water, but he must have misunderstood because he cleared our water glasses away. It is our waiter who should be refilling our waters anyway. Overall, I would say the food was pretty good (4/5 stars), but the price is not worth what you get in terms of quality, food presentation, service, or ambience. For the higher prices, you would expect something else about the restaurant to wow you, but it just didn't. read more

Perla - Trio de Enchiladas ($30), Halibut ceviche ($22), Prime Arrachera Plate ($38) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Came to try this place out. Came in a Sunday small but nice place. They have Marachi on Sunday. A great plus to the restaurant. Food was amazing. Service was ok could have been better. If you want greet Mexican food in Santa Anna this is the place read more

Perla - Ceviche de Camaron - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Man. 3:40 on a Thursday afternoon, literally a handful of people here, and a 20 minute wait for our Cadillac's? Disappointing. I came back to eat, to give their food another ch - f@#k. Just got my filet mignon tacos, which I had asked if were spicy before I ordered and was assured they weren't, and they're spicy!! I don't like leaving bad reviews unless warranted. Look at my other reviews. Im not about that. But I also believe that an establishment should know what their customers think about their food, drinks and service. And today was not a good day. Would've been better had Brody been behind the bar because my drinks would've also been much more enjoyable and made me forget about the meal. read more

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Here for the first time to enjoy brunch. Nyah was our bartender and she was amazing. She made us feel welcomed and listened to our wants. Thank you Nyah for your amazing customer service. read more

Have been to Perla a few times and overall I have enjoyed it! My absolute favorite thing to order from here is their chile relleno with shrimp. It's actually one of the best chile rellenos I have had. I have also had the trio de enchiladas (shrimp, mole, and suiza) as well as their ceviche. The enchiladas are really good but unfortunately the ceviche was not the best. The ceviche had mostly cucumbers and just a few pieces of shrimp. If they could add more shrimp, that would be great. I have also come for their mariachi brunch and that was fun and the breakfast items were good. For drinks, La Niña has been one of my favorites. The place is cute with inside and outdoor seating. The service has been great as well. read more

Perla - Trio de Enchiladas. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Miguel and the staff at Perla provided me with a fantastic dining experience and I'm very grateful to them for it. Returning back to the office gave me mixed emotions because of thelo g commute and the fact that I had thought I'd been everywhere to eat in downtown Santa Ana, however I am glad that I was proven wrong and came across this hidden gem on the fly. When I arrived I noticed an extensive shaded patio, however I opted to sit at the bar and I'm glad I did. From yelp, I saw the Enchiladas Suizas was their moat popular dish and gave it a try and I wasn't disappointed. Aside from being a esthetically pleasing the dish contained moist and tender chicken and was surrounded by enough sauce to dip the 3 enchiladas in the sauce before every bite without running out of ant. Additionally, the bartender was always prompt with water refills and you could tell the staff enjoyed engaging with customers and meaningfully getting to know them better and what brought them through their doors. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a fantastic Mexican dining experience for lunch at a fair price. read more

Perla - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

85$ for lobster enchiladas. Yeah ......I didn't know the market price so you better ask before ordering lol. (Sorry to my fiancé if you're reading this haha...) Short rib tacos were good-- fiancé said his salsa on the side was tasty and to be noted hehe. My friend and I both got the Nina drink-- tequila that had a Chile rim. I love a good spicy tequila drink and this one marked all the boxes. We got the esquite (corn) as an appetizer and love it. The vibe was great and I would be interested in going again if I was in the area. Our waitress was great and very enthusiastic. I heard they have mariachi during weekend brunches and I want to check it out It was a Friday night and we all sat in their outdoor patio. They had a live jazz player which I loved. There is a parking structure around the corner Tip: you can make reservations online through their website (not opentable)-- I suggest eating outside. They had a live jazz guy outside and I really loved ambiance. Great for any occasion. read more

Perla - Lobster Enchiladas de Langosta - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Why do this to customers? Third time I ordered DD - your red pepper soup. Not only did I not get what I paid for, you assume I will be ok with a totally different soup- I'm not. PLEASE take the Red Pepper Soup off your menu options/contact paying customers.I paid a lot for delivery + tip. Frustrating! read more

We were here last night and restaurant was understaffed. Who we thought was the host ended up being our server, who had 6 different tables all to himself as there didn't seem to be anyone else on hand to assist him. He was kind and friendly, and we totally understood the lack of staffing, but he did take quite some time to take our order, bring us our food, and we had to flag him down twice for water refills. He never did come back for water, so we ended up asking the busser for water. Our server also took forever to bring us our check after we had already declined dessert. We had to flag him down for that too. We ordered a shot of mezcal and the el viejo old fashioned aka Oaxacan old fashioned made with mezcal. They didn't have tepextate or tobalá as my boyfriend initially wanted, so he went with a cupreata, a mezcal from the Michoacán and Guerrero states of Mexico, and it was surprisingly good! Earthy, complex, smoky. My old fashioned, however, sounded promising as the description mentioned mezcal, tequila, agave, and grapefruit in a wood smoked glass, but it fell flat. Instead, it was weak and diluted with no essence of smokiness whatsoever that one would expect from either the mezcal or the "wood smoked glass." Disappointing as I loooove my old fashioneds when made well, and one certainly doesn't see often Oaxacan old fashioneds on drink menus. We had the tuteanos a la perla and tempura battered fish tacos. My boyfriend seemed to enjoy his steak bites slathered with melted cheese in bone marrow, while my fish tacos were OK. I would rate them 7/10. Had the tempura battered fish been crispier (think Rubio's fish tacos -- yum!) and the soft tortillas been less soft & gooey, I would have rated it 8.5/10. The other odd element to the tacos was the quesillo aka Oaxacan string cheese. Since when does ANYONE put cheese in fish tacos?? The cheese did not enhance the dish. We did enjoy both salsa verdes and chile de árbol, the latter of which is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper known as bird's beak chile and rat's tail chile. These chilis have a heat index between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units, which is HOT and spicy to say the least. We like spicy and though our tongues were burning, we didn't hesitate to have some more. Overall, not a bad place. Food & drink is subjective but my biggest criticism comes down to execution. Service could be more efficient. read more

Perla - Mezcal made from the cupreata agave, grown only in Michoacán and Guerrero states of Mexico -- good! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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I've been here a few times and love their food. Great homemade salsas and really well made margaritas. The menu is upscale Mexican food. The octopus dish was very large and a good value. Service is fast and friendly. The atmosphere is modern and inviting. It feels like a high end restaurant in Mexico City. Great spot for lunch and there is a cute sidewalk with a view of city hall. You could get dressed up or be casual here. read more

highly recommend the shrimp tacos. Originally asked for no pico and they mistakenly added it, but the staff were still very accommodation and gave me a whole new plate free of pico. i appreciate how well they took care of us. 10/10 would come again read more

I came here for Taco Tuesday, when tacos are $2.50 each (asada, chicken, pastor, chorizo, and Papa dorados-best ones). For lunch on TT it was pretty slow and our server was great. There was music playing and only 2 other tables at the time. I ordered one of each taco minus the chorizo. They were "street tacos" so they're cheap because they're really small. The meats were good but the tortillas were pretty oily, IDK why. The potato taco was bigger and very full, and busting with flavor. I would go back just for those tbh. I had an agua de piña and it was sugar water basically, not real agua, so I wouldn't get that again. This is my third time here and I'll go back because of the distance, the service, and the overall good food. Oh last time I had an horchata martini, and it looked better than it tasted, it was much more martini than horchata. Also I ran into T. I. & Tiny there, if y'all know hip hop lol. read more

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I needed an after work pick me up, and this was the perfect place!!! My friends and I ordered the guacamole to share and then I got the shrimp tacos for my meal. The 3 shrimp tacos were served in a flour tortilla with purple cabbage, pico de Gallo, and a fresh salsa verde. The shrimp was seasoned perfectly and these tacos were very filling. The seasonal cocktail was refreshing and the perfect little pick me up after a long day of work. Definitely recommend this place for drinks and the food. You won't be disappointed! read more

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I came here last minute due to a terrible experience at X lounge for the R&B brunch. I was part of a party of 6 and Perla was able to sit us in 20-30 min. I'm so glad we came here. Our waitress Carina was incredible .. she was so sweet and attentive. Angel was also incredible. The food was delicious, with perfect portions. The music was amazing. My friend loved her birthday brunch- thanks to Perla staff ! Thanks so much ! read more

Perla - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

A beyond splendid eatery. This has to be some of the most authentic Mexican spots in the area but they add a modern twist to everything that perfectly compliments each dish. The staff is so friendly and fun that you can tell everyone loves their job. It's a cute spot that can sometimes have an upbeat atmosphere while also remaining quaint and warm. Highly recommend their brunch & themed nights!! read more

$6 for chips and salsa. Not even enough chips to fill a basket. I've never been to a high end Mexican restaurant where chips and salsa weren't complimentary. We ordered the salmon entree and salmon tacos. Salmon entree had to be sent back due to a very off putting strong fishy smell. Salmon tacos were ok but pretty pricey and both entrees came with no sides. Portion sizes were so small so I do not recommend coming here hungry. You could really feel the stinginess of the restaurant. I understand inflation and costs are high, but this place made me feel a little ripped off. Spent $110 including tip for 2 people. Drinks were well executed and service was good thus the two stars. The restaurant seemed to be pretty empty a day before July 4th. I won't be back here. read more

The service is great! Food and drinks are delicious. We got to enjoy the mariachi the ladies are so much fun! It's a great touch. You can request songs! read more

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Beautiful atmosphere, great food and drinks. Service is always amazing. The only thing is we got there in time for their Happy Hour specials, but when we were seated someone told us there was no food specials. Then after 6PM once HH was over our server told us yes they do, just not advertised. I had no idea and I had to ask. read more

The new Perla's everyday lunch special are Fire .. Great food for your money specially here in Santa Ana. I ordered the chilaquiles verdez and the chimichanga burrito for 10 dollars each. ( The egg on the chilaquiles is extra I will recommend them to included next time but still a great price for the location). Great service and peaceful ambiance. read more

Perla - Chimichanga Burrito - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Amazing food and margaritas and event friendlier service! Sitting on the patio on a warm spring day with a margarita in hand is perfect! Location is central to many restaurants and bars on fourth street, so start your night here and work your way down! Love this spot! Check it out! read more

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Food 10/10 I always order the enchiladas suizas and ceviche is fire!!!! Mimosa flight is a must too

Great food, drinks and service. Manager Daniel was very hospitable and provided great recommendations. We had short rib tacos, shrimp tacos in a creamy chipotle sauce and chicken mole poblano - all excellent. We look forward to returning soon. read more

Can't believe I have never been here! This place is like a hidden gem with great happy hour deals and amazing cocktails! Our bartender made drinks that were on point. Creative flavors for the tongue and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Happy hour bites were also good and portion is huge. The shrimp tacos and chicken quesadillas satisfied our hunger so we can enjoy all the cocktails. read more

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From walking to being greeted by Manager Daniel to getting walked through the menus and drinks by Josue to getting attended by Karina. The full experience was top notch. Music, food and atmosphere was top tier. Definitely coming back and definitely recommend. ‍ read more

Daniel is an exceptional manager at La Perla--professional, attentive, and welcoming. The atmosphere is always vibrant and inviting. I highly recommend checking out the establishment. It's definitely a good vibe read more

Daniel was an exceptional manager and host at La Perla. His attention to detail and welcoming attitude made our experience unforgettable. I highly recommend visiting this establishment! read more

My husband and I decided to host our courthouse wedding reception at Perla. This was an easy decision after only one afternoon of dining there with family, and meeting with Daniel, the manager. From the first time we were guests at Perla, the staff treated us very well and did not hesitate to help us when it came to this special event. We loved everything. The food at Perla reminded me of food I used to have at families houses, it had that same kind of specialties to it. Our favorites foods that we had were the guacamole, the short rib tacos, salad, and the rice and beans. Daniel was super helpful and went above and beyond setting an intimate dinner for our families up. When we asked at the last minute if they were going to be able to hold a wedding cake for us, they didn't hesitate to help even in the last hours before our event. When we were frank with them and told them we didn't have any decorations due to budget issues, they surprised us with simple yet elegant decorations for the tables and everything looked wonderful coming together. The music they played in general was fun and not too loud for an intimate dinner. The whole staff on board was incredibly kind as well. My family and I would definitely make a trip to Perla anytime, and I encourage anyone who is thinking of having an event or even a meal down in Santa Ana to choose Perla. read more

Saw a lot of mixed reviews here but decided to give this place a shot. My girlfriend and I saw a lot of appealing photos of the food and made our way here on Friday afternoon. Not busy at all when we got to the restaurant around 6PM. Seating indoors and outdoors. After being seated we browsed their contactless menu on our phones and our drink orders were taken shortly after. I got the El Viego Ol' Fashioned and my lady got the Jamaica Margarita. Both drinks had Perla's own twist to it and they both tasted good. For food, my girlfriend opted for the Enchiladas de Langosta. I was undecisive but eventually landed on the Tacos de Langosta. Most of the negative reviews that I saw had been about other foods, but not many on these two dishes in particular. They both came out plated beautifully. Both dishes tasted amazing and there was plenty of lobster meat in them. The service was good, the man refilling water came by quite a few times to check on us, as well as our server. I highly recommend both of these dishes. As an FYI, the price as of yesterday (8/13/21) for each of the dishes was $60/each. It says MP (market price) on the menu but that's what it came out to :). Enjoy! read more

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Service was great, food and drinks were very tasty. Leo was a great bartender, very knowledgeable on the menu and the history behind the drinks themselves. read more

Perla - El Rey - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Came here for a date night with my husband. I was surprised that it wasn't packed on a Saturday night, but no complaints because we sat down right away. The hosts and servers were very pleasant and all of our food and drinks were excellent. We started off with cocktails and an appetizer. I had the jamaica margarita with a sugar rim and it was so refreshing. My husband had a Moscow mule which he enjoyed. Both drinks had a good flavor that weren't overpowered by alcohol. We both shared the rajas con queso that was the perfect size for two. It comes with a side of chips and it's a nice small bite before your main plate. My husband ordered the Perla burger. It came with curly fries which surprised my husband because it didn't note that on the menu. They had good seasoning and were nice and crispy. I had the Chipotle Chicken Pasta and it was AMAZING. It was so good my husband stole some of my plate and we're going to come back just so he can have his own. Definitely give this spot a try for your next night out. Their breakfast also looks excellent! read more

Perla - Jamaica Margarita - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Was really excited to try this place after my mom told me the food and drinks were good, but unfortunately did not even make it inside because of their rude host. When my mom went to put her name and number down the host told her it would be a 30-45 min wait and that they would send her a text message, so we decided to walk around the Noche de Altares celebration going on. We were walking around and kept checking for a text but never received anything so we checked the waitlist and it said we were 2nd in line so that's when we decided to wait outside the restaurant until we were 1st in line on the waitlist so then we would go straight in after receiving a message. Once we got to 1st in line on the waitlist I went up to a lady working and said "it says we're first in line but I never received a text message" by the time she sent the "host", I checked the waitlist again and it looked like we had been taken off. The "host" who was this chubby guy with a combover had such an attitude and no problem solving skills at all. He came at me with an attitude saying he had called us because we didn't show up, but how would we have showed up if we never got a text which is what he said we would receive. He was so adamant saying he called and that was our chance to come in but mind you we were walking around 4th street where there was loud live music and dancers on the street so we didn't even hear that call or were expecting it. I would have been fine with him saying that we could be put on the waitlist again and help us out but not once did he offer a solution he just kept arguing with his passive aggressive tone as if I was in the wrong. I would somewhat understand if it was super busy but when I checked the waitlist the next available was 7:45pm and it was 7:30pm at that point so I don't know why he didn't try to resolve this issue. And not once did he apologize. I don't know how you could work in hospitality and have no skills in that field. read more

A quaint little restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. It's actually quite a romantic/intimate restaurant, ambiance would've definitely be better if there wasn't that much road work going on right outside! There is also a parking right behind the restaurant a short walk away, so no need to look for street parking farther away. I came here to try the OC restaurant week menu with my girls. I had ordered the sopes appetizer, the short rib entree, and the rice pudding dessert. for OC restaurant week, there was also an option to upgrade and include 3 alcoholic drinks for just the price of $20. Super worth! I'm glad OC restaurant week gave us the option to try Perla. I now know there's a cute restaurant with lots of amazing Mexican/American options! read more

Came here on Sunday. Brunch menu only. Food is good but I would say a little on the expensive side. read more

Perla - Enchiladas michoacanas - 3 chickens - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

The restaurant opens at 11:00am so we made reservations to be one of the first groups there. The ambiance was great, they have mariachi playing and ask you for song recommendations. The food is good. read more

Made reservation for birthday, which was mentioned in the reservation. It was not honored nor recognized in any way. Chile relleno: extremely salty A friend ordered dish and specified no sour cream but when she got her food the sauce had sour creme mixed in. When we talked to the server, he said, it's how the sauce is made. It would have been nice if he told when she said "no sour cream." She had to get a different order. read more

This review is for the buffet on Mother's Day. IT WAS AWFUL. False advertising!! The photos advertising Mother's Day on their instagram table showed a much different selection. This was not what was promised. We payed for a buffet . This was not a buffet . It was one long banquet table that consisted of 5 entrees . Potatoes with chorizo, meat in red sauce, chicken in green sauce, rajas, fried bean tacos. Also Tortillas, Rice and beans . That's all they had. For 3 of us including tip was almost 200$. My wife wasn't happy as she doesn't eat spicy food so all she had was potatoes and chorizo which we make at home weekly, rice and beans. My son only ate fried bean tacos. We thought we would be eating at the restaurant but we're directed upstairs. The upstairs was ugly not very decorated big room with ZERO ambiance. Staff was nice and the food I ate was good IMO , but not worth 50$ a person . We could have spent the price for 1 person to eat at a casual Mexican restaurant. I was excited to come here as was my wife since we heard great things , but Mother's Day was a complete ripoff to your customers. I wanted a culinary adventure not a small selection of BASIC dishes I eat on a Daily basis. Never again . read more

Perla - False advertising - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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