Welcome to Perla's
Perla's, located in Austin, Texas, is a trendy seafood bar offering a wide range of delicious dishes and a vibrant dining experience. Their cold bar features a variety of oysters and seafood platters that are perfect for sharing. Their appetizers, soups, and sides showcase a blend of flavors and creativity that will leave your taste buds satisfied. The lobster roll, lobster bucatini, and grilled Texas Gulf Drum are standout dishes loved by customers. The cozy ambiance, excellent service, and a great selection of drinks make Perla's a must-visit spot for seafood lovers looking for a memorable dining experience in Austin.
- 1400 S Congress Ave Ste B100 Austin, TX 78704 Hotline: (512) 291-7300
Perla's is a trendy and upscale seafood bar located at 1400 S Congress Ave in Austin, TX. This restaurant offers a wide range of amenities and services, including outdoor seating, full bar, and live music on Wednesdays and Fridays. The cold bar features a variety of fresh oysters and seafood platters, while the menu includes delicious appetizers, soups, sides, sandwiches, and more.
Customer reviews rave about the quality and presentation of the food at Perla's. Dishes like the lobster bucatini, grilled Texas gulf drum, and lobster roll have received high praise for their flavor and generous portions. The house-made tartar and salt and jalapeno pepper fried calamari are also popular choices among diners.
What sets Perla's apart is its attention to detail and commitment to providing a memorable dining experience. The complimentary hush puppies, unlimited with a hint of jalapeƱo, are a favorite starter for many guests. The lobster roll, served with crispy fries, stands out as a must-try dish, along with the decadent French toast for dessert.
Overall, Perla's is a standout restaurant on South Congress, offering a sophisticated atmosphere, excellent service, and top-notch seafood dishes. Whether you're looking for a special occasion spot or a casual weekend brunch destination, Perla's has something for everyone to enjoy.

All around nice. Good service, quality well presented and prepared food . Knowledgeable waiter, not over bearing. Good wine selection. Great view of Austin city and Congress ave., if you eat outside.

Perla's is officially my favorite restaurant in Austin! Every entree we ordered was divine. I loved everything and the flavor of the dishes was out of this world. We ordered oysters, grilled squash, redfish, crab cakes, and the lobster bucatini. My favorite dish was the lobster bucatini. The portion of the lobster in the pasta was plentiful. It was such a savory dish! I liked that the crab cakes were served alongside apple slices. The flavors complimented each other nicely. The oysters were very fresh! The grilled squash made a great side, and the redfish was cooked well! It had a nice crisp to it. I would definitely come back here!

I had the lobster roll, an espresso martini, & oyster shot! Perfect spot for a weekend brunch! Right next to south Congress shops!

I've passed by Perla's a million times within the 10 years I've lived here and had never dined with them until this week. The pricing of their menu and lack of available reservations served as a deterrent. Well, I'm happy to say I had the best first visit I could've imagined. I opted to go during their "Afternoon Snack" hours (window between their lunch and dinner menus) and grabbed a bar seat right away. I didn't get to order from their full menu but, it wasn't an issue since I went there for the oysters. I loved the variety of oyster options (FOURTEEN) and enjoyed the cocktails I ordered (margarita, paloma and Mexican martini). Their bartender, Cass, was amazing and very accommodating. He hooked us up with some complimentary hush puppies and chatted with our group in his downtime. I have no doubt I'll return to try their full menu!

Visited Perla's as I've always seen it on South Congress but it's pretty hard to get a reservation here. (Parking is fairly easy however - if you park in the garage in the back they validate!) Once you walk inside you can definitely feel the upscale / more classy vibe (and the music wasn't too loud neither) We started off with the complimentary hush puppies and ordered the Calamari as an appetizer. Both were DELICIOUS - the hush puppies were full of flavor and just the right amount of crispy. The Calamari was seasoned well, and the sauces on the side were a nice touch to bring all the flavors together. For drinks, I ordered the Espresso Martini, and would say it wasn't too strong but just the right amount. Our waiter gave us ample amount of time to figure out what we'd like to eat for entrees and consistently checked in to make sure he answered any questions we'd have! I landed on the fish and chips and could barely finish it all - but it was still very good! I think next time I would try something else (just to explore the menu more), but I would definitely come here if you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or just a night out with friends!

I went with some coworkers who were in town. We ordered a big spread of appetizer to split and everything was so good. My standouts were the tostadas and oysters. For my entree I ordered the lobster roll. The fries were cooked to perfection and were so thin and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. While I asked for my lobster roll as is, one of coworkers asked if they could serve it hot instead of cold and they accommodated her request which I loved. All of the drinks here as well were spectacular as well as the service. We sat outside so I didn't get much of a look at the inside of the restaurant.

What a wonderful experience we had on both visits to Perla's. Had brunch on the front deck and enjoyed the eggs Benedict. Went for an amazing dinner again on the front deck (had drinks first inside at the bar - ate the best Cadillac oysters and had fun conversation with the bartender) and everything we ordered for dinner was divine! Service was impeccable on both visits.

My absolute fav spot on congress who dosent love Perla's. Great vibes. Great indoor outdoor. Great service. And most importantly great food! We can into town for ACL and we're celebrating our anniversary. They celebrated with us! And gave a card with champagne... so special. We always get the seafood tower and it never disappoints. This time we also had the butterscotch dessert and oh my! I need that every day !! Service is always too notch!

If you're looking for a catch of the day type of restaurant, this is it. They change their menu daily based on what fresh seafood they have picked for the day. They do have staples that they keep on the menu also. We started with fresh raw oysters from the East Coast. Hubby and I split 1/2 dozen Sandspit, MA oysters and 1/2 dozen Big Gulp, FL oysters. They were a pretty good size and tasted great. I liked the Sandspit ones were a tad bigger and thicker in size. For my entree I had the butter poached halibut and ordered a side of the blue crab grits. I really enjoyed the crust on the fish and it was light. The sauce paired really well with it. The crab grits made a really good side and it tasted good together. I would have wanted to see more crab in the grits but they were creamy and flavorful. Our server was excellent. He was the one that suggested we try the halibut since it was one of those daily catch of the day options. FYI, they do have a parking garage behind the restaurant and they validate for two hours. We did not know this and had already paid for street parking. We say the sign for the validation when we walked in to get a table. It is an expensive restaurant and sides are not included with your dish. The food is great, but in pricey side.

We almost passed this restaurant by based on the 3.5 star rating. Thank the god of the cornucopia that we stayed! Forget the standard bread basket. Perla's features unlimited hush puppies in a basket. A hint of jalapeño, infused with actual corn and buttery soft on the inside. Chef's kiss. Perhaps the highlight is the homemade tartar! Just the right amount of lemon zing. While our waitress was perhaps A *wee bit* distracted, that didn't take away from our experience. The little gems salad was perfect. (Added shrimp) The dressing was the highlight! Speaking of highlights, the blue ribbon goes to the ever loving French Toast. My my my. Get you one for the table.