Pearl
6876 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, IL, 61114
Pearl Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Rockford for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Rockford for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Rockford for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
6876 Spring Creek Rd
Rockford, IL, 61114 - Phone (815) 654-3400
- Website https://www.pearl-bistro.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Brian C.
The short review: ehhhhhhhhhhhh. Ehhhhhhhhh. Long-ish review: The lighting and decor is great. Bartenders were cool. Music was just ok. TV's break the mood it seems like they are trying to create. I had heard a lot about Pearl... Just my opinion but I probably won't go back. Not my style.
(3)Gardiner R.
Had dinner but overall it seemed more geared toward the bar. The food and the presentation was good, especially at the price point similar to a chain. Several interesting flavor twists on the menu items. We both thought the decor reminded us of the Apple store. Would like to try it for lunch.
(4)Margie L.
What is the deal with this place??? Very disappointed by so many aspects, I'm lost as to where to begin. Went there at 4:00 pm on a Saturday. Place was fairly empty, except for a few patrons at the bar and one table who partook of a pizza. Let's start with the cocktails; very good flavors and varieties of martinis. We enjoyed all of the libations. We ordered two appetizers; the olive bowl and the chef's choice sushi. Mind you, neither one of these starters had to be cooked, and yet it was a good 45 minutes before we received them. That wait is completely unacceptable even if they needed to be cooked!!!!! Olives were good as was the sushi. However, I was hard-pressed to see or taste any kind of raw seafood in the sushi. Vegetables and nori and rice was all I could detect. But then again, the name was "chef's choice," so maybe the chef decided not to include seafood in the option. Whatever . . . So, on to the entrees, which we waited another 45 minutes for!!!! Keep in mind that we ordered our entrees at the same time as our uncooked apps. What gives? The place was empty, there were plenty of servers just standing around making idle chatter with bar patrons and our server was only waiting on us. How can this restaurant rationalize making customers wait so long for service?? Unless it's purposeful to get a hefty bar tab, perhaps???? The entree order consisted of four dishes: Two of the special of the night, "crispy" red snapper, a filet and a NY strip. I feel compelled to place crispy in quotation marks because it was far from crispy. I realize that getting skin on a piece of fish crisp can be an arduous task, but isn't the chef obliged to cook things properly? Wasn't he/she trained to do it correctly? If they can't cook it properly, why even call it "crispy"? Just call it red snapper and take the skin off and be done with it. Absolutely deplorable mushy skin that was inedible. The fish was also bland, underseasoned and terribly overcooked! A better name for the entree would be "crappy" red snapper. There were a handful of fingerling potatoes and a smattering of artichoke leaves strewn around underneath the fish, and these were just bleh! Potatoes were soggy outside and undercooked in the middle, and yet again, flavorless. On a side note, neither of us who ordered the snapper were offered a soup or salad option, but the others in our party were. Can I just say that I can't stand this type of inconsistancy-drives me crazy!!!! My two other dining companions who ordered steaks were equally displeased. The filet was unevenly cooked and had a charcoal flavor that was off-putting. And the aforementioned soup (french onion) she was offered came out two minutes before the entrees and was overly reduced. The other steak that was ordered was a NY strip medium rare. Once again, overcooked to the point of more like mediium well. Oh, and to add insult to injury for my starving dining companion who ordered the strip, she specifically asked for it without the red wine reduction sauce, but there it was on the plate. Our server tried to pass it off as "juice" from the steak. Nice try, fella. I'm fairly certain the reason for the improper temperature was the fact it was sitting out after being cooked for 30 minutes!!! Both patrons' accompanying mashed potatoes were cold. It was at this point we decided we could no longer hold our tongues, and flagged our server over to complain. I hate complaining, hate making a fuss and a possible uncomfortable atmosphere, but I felt compelled. Our server was apologetic to the point of taking all the blame. Frankly, we should have had all the meals comped, but he offered the strip and we accepted-just too exhausted after two long hours in this place. He acknowledged his lack of experience was the reason for all the problems, and he hoped this experience would not influence us in the future. HA HA HA HA. I doubt it was he who overcooked the steaks and fish and served uncrisp fish skin, however. Hey, owner of Pearl, get a clue and train your servers/chefs. And unfortunately, the experience will indeed influence us in the future, because this is not my first visit to this establishment, but it will certainly be the last!! Frankly, the only memory of all of my visits here has been uninspired food and horrible service. To be completely honest, the only reason we ended up at P-Uearl Bistro is because for some inexplicable reason, Perryrock was closed. Okay, I'm done.
(1)Amy P.
I would give 5 starts for the ambience and atmosphere. I wish several restaurants would take tips from the cool light features and just right amount of soft lightening and music at an acceptable level. i had the curried corn chowder and then a pizza with goat cheese, an olive tapenade, and rocket. The corn came through well in the chowder and I enjoyed the texture, but I would not call it 'curried' - as I could not detect any. The pizza had good flavor and I like brick-oven style thin pizzas. I had the Sangria to drink and if I were not driving, I would have preferred to get one of the many different types of martinis.
(3)Madhavi B.
You know when they say "Don't judge a book by it's cover?" This definitely applies here. The cover may be flashy, sparkly, and elegant, but the story is simply dozing. Yawn. The set-up of the place is kind of weird; it's like a clash of contemporary-elegant with a fun sports bar. There are dining areas with candles, ambiance music, basically everything you'd want for a date night/fancy family meal, but in the middle of the restaurant is a full bar with TV's on which sports games are going on. It's like BDubs got mixed with the Cheesecake Factory--a wild factory. Foodwise, they have a brick-fire oven for pizza, which got me super excited; there ain't nothing better than a pizza coming off a hot slab surrounded by flames YOU CAN SEE. I ordered the Sophia pizza, which consisted of pizza sauce, goat cheese, mozzarella, olive tampenade, and arugula, as well as some fries. The fries were okay, but the pizza = BLAND. I was hoping for some flavor with the combination, but you could barely taste anything other than tomato sauce and salt. There was a slight twinge with the olive tampenade, but the taste of mozzarella just overpowered it. The crust did not taste fresh either; it tasted like a pre-made crust heated up. If you combine the price, quality, and taste of food, I'd say there are other places in Rockford well worth your buck.
(2)Johanna L.
Came here on a Saturday night, with a reservation, for a very quiet bachelorette party dinner (there were three of us). We asked if we could sit back in their private corner booth, and despite our small size they let us. The food was pretty good - certainly some unexpected things like the peppered honey with the cheese plate. The drinks were great (I had a Bellini - hard to mess that up) and our server was prompt, frequent, and super funny and perky. Wish I remembered her name! She did a great job. The salads were particularly good - just the right mix of lettuce. Our entrees were tasty and sizeably portioned, but we were so full from cheese, bread and salad we could hardly touch them. I had ordered another drink earlier, at the server's prompting, and it never came by the time we were done. She apologized profusely and brought us out a free cheesecake slice (with a firework on top) to make up for it. Obviously the prices are high, but the atmosphere was very cool and the food was good (kinda weird with the two-way mirror in the ladies' room, though). I'd go back, especially for just drinks!
(4)Brandon N.
First visit, never again. Messed up drinks, slow service (probably because short staffed, waitress was great), the strip steak came out with a cut in it to check for temp. Who does that to a steak?!? The pearl. By that point I just gave up.
(1)Daniella D.
This place has been hit or miss for me. I've had good food and so so food. They have woodfire pizzas which is great. The first one I had was a special for the night with butternut squash & sage which was good. On a different visit I had the margarita which was not great & tasted like canned tomato paste for the sauce. I just had a third kind last weekend which was the Sophia with goat cheese and arugula and the sauce was much better. I've had a polenta and veggie dish that I thought was good also. Their cheese plate appetizer is nice but the artichoke dip is not stellar. I've had good service and so so service. Typically friendly waiters that are just attentive enough. However, one time the manager seemed put out when asked to accommodate our large group. I like the atmosphere which is modern but there are a couple too many TVs in my opinion since it's not a sports bar. I'm not sure about how the crowd is. I've been there typically when it is slow. One time, a good while back, we were there late on a weekend and asked to close out our tab since they were closing b/c it was slow. I think it's somewhere I wouldn't avoid but is not a must visit frequently place for me. I think I will continue to check it out occasionally.
(3)Allie S.
Well that was impressively terrible. Vegetables had visible dirt, house salad was solely lettuce and dressing. The burger which was ordered medium came out well done and the burger bun and toppings were something that you would find at a McDonalds. Severely over priced and underwhelmed will not be returning.
(1)Dv V.
Pearl has its ups and downs. As I started writing this review I had 4 stars, then they bring me the wrong drink, which has happened before I do like this place, I come quite often and would really like service to improve.
(3)K B.
Owner was Rick Lewis, hope no one ever gives him a loan or does business with him. Does NOT know how to run a business and very unprofessional! Didn't honor purchased gift cards and provide reimbursement. Hope he just puts his tail between his legs and crawls under a rock somewhere!
(1)Jude W.
Meh. I had a business lunch at Pearl. I ordered the buffalo chicken strips which were a decent cut of white meat chicken. Kind of a runny bland buffalo sauce with it. The two captain and cokes I had were fairly mixed. There was nothing wrong with the meal, I just felt for the price I was uninspired to say the least. Pearl does have a nice atmosphere and friendly staff. I'm not opposed to going back but I won't be in a rush.
(2)Mark W.
Have you heard of house broke? This place is restaurant broke. They spent good money on decor but the service and food is terribly lacking. I got the blackened chicken which tasted like nothing. I had to ask for the key lime mayo that is supposed to come with it which was all acid and no depth or flavor. My fries tasted like fish. Generally UNDERwhelmed for an $11 sandwich with an hour wait. First impressions: poor. Second visit: not likely.
(2)Tom C.
Very hip and glossy. When french fries are served in a spiral votive you know they are expensive. I am mostly dissapointed by the feng shui. All of the TV's are very distracting (Rockford has plenty of sports bars, what are you thinking JB?). The feng shui is very fast and electric. All of the surfaces are hard and glossy and every glass and fork sound pierces the ear. The southern exposure guarantees sun will be bouncing in your eyes from any angle as long as its up and the huge windows make you feel like you are one with the parking lot.
(2)Cindy K.
Heading out to the Lyric Opera in Chicago at 4:30 on a Saturday. Needing to eat something before hitting the big city, and never having been to Pearl Bistro, but loving Josef's, we decided to stop for a drink and some appetizers. The hostess was friendly, and at that hour we were quickly seated. It is a more casual dining experience, one small private room that I saw, full bar, a 'bistro' type menu. The waitress, while being competent, could not answer our menu questions. NOTE: they did have a limited children's menu. We started with the "baby bella mushroom caps with triple creme brie & oven roasted cherry tomato confit". They were entirely brown, and since brie is white and tomatoes are red, that was a bit perplexing. Edible, not memorable and rather blah, no flavor contrasts and lacking any seasoning. Next we had the "steak salad : dry rub 8 oz NY strip on arugula with feta, kalamata olives, roasted tomato, crispy fried onions & orange vinaigrette". This was better, perhaps a 3 out of five. The steak was cooked to our order (yeah!), the salad greens were fresh, nicely balanced with the salty olives and feta. The crispy onions, a Rockford staple, were a good crunchy alternative to a crouton. The orange vinaigrette was too subtle to taste, could have used some orange zest and a bit more vinegar for punch. My husband loves spicy chili anything, so we ordered the "warm apple pie with New Mexican & ancho chili pepper : vanilla ice cream ". Oh My God this was gross! It was warm because it had been microwaved. It was apples, technically. There was NO chili whatsoever. And the crust, having been refrigerated and then nuked was the most disgusting raw slab of dough! Dusted with powdered sugar (why? why not chili?), accented with caramel sauce, and the ice cream was in a side ramekin, clearly commercially produced. We pealed off the crust, ate the apples with the caramel sauce and left the ice cream to melt. No spices at all, no cinnamon, nutmeg, and no chili. Nasty. The salad was good, but not good enough to redeem the meal. Pass on this place, try Josef's instead.
(2)Heather Y.
Between my visits and my friend's visits to Pearl I have to give it four stars. Their wood-fire pizzas are a great price and are delicious. Their sweet potato fries are amazing and everything else we have tried on the menu is great. Their desserts are definitely all the small side but that is really my only real complaint. Having read the other reviews of Pearl I will say this; It is a little louder than your average restaurant. But it isn't supposed to be like every other restaurant in Rockford. If you want quiet, peaceful fine dining get our your credit card and go to Joseph's across the street. Joseph's is owned by the same couple and is a nice French restaurant. What I like about Pearl is that it is trying to be different. For those of you who don't know most of the art on the walls is created by local artists. I would definitely say Pearl is geared to a younger and/or hipper crowd.
(4)Chris W.
Trendy and it sometimes makes no sense... I like the food, I like the drinks, the prices are fair and the place is designed it an interesting flavor. For me it just doesn't stand out. If you're not willing to drive to Social then this would be the closest thing to an upscale bar with much better than bar food-food. If only I wasn't spoiled with places better I would have been more inclined to fall in love with pearl as the service has always been good and the food is above average for sure. This may be the place for you so check it out and try the food and good drinks.
(3)TJ R.
Very nice place. This was our first time here. My wife had the blackened chicken sandwich and I had their beer battered fish. Food was good, the service was great even though they were busy. Great place to bring friends. We will be back!
(4)Derick F.
I finally tried this place recently after having neglected to try it for such a long time and looking for other local businesses to support. Prices were a bit on the high end so decided I would order an appetizer and decide from there if I wanted to spend more money. I ordered the Spinach Artichoke Fondue. The Fondue was great, however it was served with flavorless tortilla chips which is a pet peeve of mine with spinach artichoke. I want a decent toasted bread with such a dish. I suppose I could have asked about that but neglected to nonetheless. The water also tasted like soap which resulted in me being thirsty throughout the meal. Would consider giving this place another shot but reading the other reviews I find that unlikely.
(2)Melissa R.
I realize there is new management or ownership, but my over all experience wasn't great. The good was..."ok" the service was really rough... I didn't get my cocktail till after the good arrived. I order my drink shortly after arriving... I would have ordered 2 cocktails if I had been offered another, and frankly I didn't have time since the 1st came so late. The server seem anxious to get us out. Is was a cold snowy Tuesday evening. She wasn't they busy. She didn't need the table. She should have kept me eating & drinking! $$$$
(2)Anne O.
Sweet pot fries perfect! Reuben was great too, no soggy bread which seems to happen elsewhere. Shrimp cocktail was delicious too. Not your average cocktail sauce. Can wait to come back and try everything on the menu!
(4)Somchai S.
Decided to have my rehearsal dinner for 25 people here due to the fact that they had a private party room. I worked with Amber and she was great helping me set up a limited menu for our guests. The lost of two stars comes for the service. Granted we had 25 people, but getting drinks and orders out on time was very slow. We sat in the room for 30 minutes before i had to tell one of the three waitresses we had that we had pre-selected appetizers that were suppose to be out. The entrees were a good portion and plated very pleasing to the eye. However, one of my guest did not get her entree for 15 mins after everyone else did. Then it was a great lull for everyone to get their deserts. The requirement is that you spend at least $15 per person. We went well over that. The food was good but the service was not up to par.
(3)Mallory B.
I just threw my sisters bridal shower here and it was flawless. From planning the event in advance with the coordinator until the very end of the party it was perfect. The food was excellent and the staff was so friendly and accommodating. I recommend an event here because of the service and overall atmosphere. 5 stars!
(5)Jake S.
Looking to try a place that my girlfriend and I have never been to, we chose to checkout Pearl. She ordered the fish fry with sweet potato fries and a side salad, I chose the 6oz fillet with mashed potatoes and broccoli cheddar soup. The service was good, we were accommodated quickly and our drinks didn't stay empty for very long. Her salad was great, very fresh tasting but was very small and was finished quickly, my broccoli cheddar soup was very good despite lacking a thick heartiness and chunks of broccoli that a soup of that nature demands. I tried some of the beer battered fish, we both agreed it was one of the best fish frys in the Rockford area. They were a little skimpy on the tarter sauce but nothing a simple request couldn't rectify. We have had them all and consider ourselves to be fish fry connoisseurs at this point. My steak was good, cooked perfectly medium rare as requested, the mashed potatoes were creamy and the mushrooms that accompanied the fillet were awesome. Bottom line, our first visit was great, I walked out of there spending around $80 for two nice dinners, wine, beer, and a satisfied feeling. It's worth noting that the owner (I'm assuming) payed a visit to our table and seemed generally interested in our experience. Pearl is a perfectly classy elegant place to take a date as long as neither of you have any outstanding appetites.
(4)Sheri F.
This was my first time experiencing Pearl. I have to say the ambiance was nice. Very chill. I really liked the decor as well. Black, white, and silver. I also really liked the running water decorations. Our server was nice and attentive. The "meh" part comes in with the food. I had the nachos. The meat wasn't good and the cheese was very bland. I also tried the fries and they were ok. You may just want to come in for a drink with someone and enjoy the ambiance.
(2)Savannah G.
You would think that with the number of poor reviews Pearl gets for their service it would be enough for them to make changes? I've given this place a second/third/fourth chance and it was only because I enjoy the food and it is one of the nicer restaurants in the Rockford area. I've gone with a small and larger group and it's the same thing: slow and so-so attentive service with a side of eye-rolling from the host. If my group is paying $20+ for a plate and aren't being annoying, at least do a better job at treating us nicely and not blatantly acting like it's the hardest chore.
(2)Todd S.
Horrible. Couldn't get a reservation at Josef's (sister restaurant next door) however the woman recommended Pearl. Ordered the ribeye I'm quite sure it was not ribeye. I'm not even sure it was beef. I ate maybe 1/4 of it and my wife ate two bites of hers. The waiter who was absent the entire TWO hour period did not ask if there was a problem. I would have been better off throwing a one hundred dollar bill out of the window of my car as I drove by. Avoid this place at any cost.
(1)Mike W.
Best Brick oven Pizza in rockford. Severs could be better and price a bit high for the area. Great look to the place.
(4)D. N.
Decent place, not great service. I honestly think there are better places with more reasonable prices with also better food around. If you're looking for an upscale environment/atmosphere and don't care for food, then I would suggest this place. Possibly for drinks only? The completely round table bar is pretty cool.
(2)Tinyee H.
Based on my overall experience, my rating would mostly be due to the level of service and the quality of the food I got. I would give more stars for decor and variety of liquors. Service was slow, even when there were only a few patrons on a Monday night. We waited at least 15-20 min between meals. The Food: I ordered the hummus, curry corn chowder, and Atlantic Salmon. The hummus was flavored with curry and cumin, which was at an acceptable level. There was aged balsamic drizzled over that was not necessary, because it did not provide any extra flavor. The veges were scant and boring (carrot and celery). The curry corn chowder was topped with shredded raw carrots that were unecessary and did not provide good texture overall. There was a nice hint of coconut in the base of the soup though. The Atlantic salmon was grilled with a basil hollandaise sauce served with creamed potataoes and sauteed spinach. Both the sauce and the spinach were overly salty, but the fish was cooked well; tender and moist. I wish that they had watched their salt, otherwise it would have been a good dish. They have a decent variety of tequilas and vodkas, which make for good martinis.
(2)J. M.
We came to Rockford to celebrate our father''s (father in law's) birthday with some other family members. As a gourmet and wine enthusiast, Dad suggested Josef's for a family meal. As Badgers, we were hoping to go somewhere to watch Badger basketball in the tournament. The Pearl seemed like a logical compromise as a place to get decent food/wine and still have the opportunity to watch the badger basketball game on TV. So, we made a reservation and made it very clear that we were a party of 6 and wanted to be seated where we had a good view of a TV. We arrived and told the male host that we are the reservation intending to sit with a good view of the TV. He look bewildered and said they didn't have a table set up for us near the TV. To his credit, he started scrambling to move tables together to accommodate our group. The problem is that he was pulling tables together directly under the TV. Even if we sat at our table as if we were in dental chairs, it would have been a strain to view the TV. I actually thought he may be moving tables for another party. This was the worst arrangement for someone wanting to view the TV in the house. My wife stepped in after about 3 minutes and said that we wanted to see the TV and if that table is for us that it wasn't going to work. So, enough about the TV, right? After some dramatic eye rolling from the host, we were seated in another area that exceeded our expectations. Our server, Veronica, was really nice and attentive. We started to order drinks, champagne and bottles of wine. As we were rapidly spending away, the host (who was standing directly behind my wife's chair) started to debrief another staff member about our seating. According to my wife, he went on and on complaining about us, and how "this bitch (side thumb) over here wasn't happy... " I didn't believe it either because my wife didn't light him up! The food was a little expensive but over all pretty good. The drinks were great. The server was outstanding. The decor was pretty cool with really nice TVs. BUT, the host turned it into a bad experience. I should explain that we are a family of service people. Our mom spent 30 years as a career bartender at TGI Fridays. My wife spent high school and college waiting tables...the same with me. Nobody understands picky customers, even bitchy customers, more than us. We've all had bad days, really bad days. However, we were able to be successful by seeing through the challenging customer, attitudes, and special request to prize - the tip money! This guy called a member of a $616.00 table a "bitch" literally behind her back....
(2)D. C.
Stopped in for drinks on a Saturday night. Very relaxed modern ambience; something I'd expect of a place here in Chicago. Seems like a nice change of pace to the usual Rockford offerings. All I had was the Barbadian Rum Punch and I wasn't really impressed. Could barely tell there was any rum at all they were so watered down from ice and fruit juice and the nutmeg wasn't even noticeable. I was hoping for something like the rum punch I'd had in Antigua, but no dice. That probably wasn't even a "good" one by island standards and it was by far better than these. $6.50 isn't badly priced for a mixed drink, but there wasn't much at all for that price by the time you took into account all of the ice. Would go back if other people wanted to, but wouldn't waste any more money on that particular drink.
(3)Mari R.
Nice upscale place. Menu is not bad but I wish they had a few more options.
(4)Shawna B.
The atmosphere was really nice, our server was really great and very helpful - but the brick oven pizza just didn't live up to my expectations. The flavors were good, but the crust was less than. I would definitely go back and try something else though. Also we tried to make a reservation earlier in the day, but no one answered the phone. It turned out on a Saturday night (homecoming night no less) at 7 p.m. we didn't need a reservation.
(3)Luan N.
This has to be the trendiest restaurant/bar in Rockford. Very modern decor + buxom servers + electronica. I think this shifts the equilibrium towards more of a bar than restaurant. I tried the salmon trio, which was grilled salmon prepared 3 different ways. I guess entrees are reasonably priced, but didn't blow my mind either.
(3)Tim S.
I heard of the grand reopening on Wednesday. I made reservations 2 weeks in advanced to discuss business with a client and have a good meal. When I showed up at the door, the host said they didn't have a table for us. He suggested the bar, when I asked the host if had our reservations he said yes, but they didn't have a table. So we sat at the bar. Kind of hard to talk business at the bar, but I figured it was better then nothing. Sat down at the bar and got our drink order taken right away and given both the grand reopening menu and the new menu. After looking it over for a couple of minutes we were both ready to order. We stopped two different bartenders who where just talking to patrons and each said I am sure your server will be with you shortly. The last one walked away with our finished drinks in front of her. After looking at my watch I realized that we have been there for 35 minutes and still no food order. It was not a good night. Right then someone rushed over to us and said, "Are you ready to order?" We just asked for our bill and we paid for our 2 drinks and left.
(1)James R.
I went here with my wife and some friends last weekend for dinner before heading out to see a play. I had been here previously, but it was for a wine and beer tasting being hosted by Artale Wine Co next door. We hadn't actually eaten here. The atmosphere is really nice, trendy, artsy. They have waterfalls and a large bar that is an island in the middle of the main dining area. I have to agree with other reviewers that the TVs really took away from the atmosphere. I'm not sure if they are trying to be a trendy restaurant AND a sports bar. We even noticed they had a TV mounted so that it faced out the window onto their patio area. The table they sat us at was next to one of the windows. I understand that there is not going to be a great view based on the location. You have a bank and Perryville, but it was their gazebo that was boarded up that was kind of distracting. I'm not sure if they are winterizing it or what, but it almost looked like an ice fishing shanty. The food was pretty good. I had the Lamb Shank with mashed potatoes. The shank was tender and fell off the bones. It was absolutely delicious. My wife ordered the grilled Atlantic salmon with basil lime hollandaise, creamed potatoes & spinach. She really enjoyed it. She felt the salmon was a bit on the overcooked side, but not enough to detract from the meal. What she didn't like was that her meal came with soup. When the soup was served it was tepid. She hates barely warm soup so she didn't finish it. Overall we thought the food was pretty good. They had a decent beer selection. There was a healthy mix of major breweries, craft beers and imports. I was able to enjoy a couple of good Belgium beers while we dined. The ladies at the table had fun sampling some of their designer martinis. One they really liked, the other they thought was okay. For the life of me I can't remember what the ordered and which one they liked or didn't. What really damaged Pearl in our eyes was the service. When we were seated the waitress took our drink order and delivered them promptly, but she would disappear for extended periods of time and we wouldn't see here. Then at the end of the night we needed to leave to make the play and my friend had to go to the bar to request our bills. Even the bartender had to hunt down our waitress because the staff didn't know where she was. It wasn't even all that busy while we were there. They had empty tables all around. Would we go back? Yes, we probably would. The food was good, the atmosphere was nice. The service wasn't that great. It may have just been a bad night for our server or unique to her. I just don't know if I'd go out of my way to dine here.
(3)Keith B.
There for lunch with wife. Service was disorganized and slooow. food was OK but not notable. Ordered two apps, two cups of soup and two iced teas. Check was $31 before tip. Totally not recommended.
(1)Anonymous A.
Decent service, although not great. Sub-par food (the pizza was extremely greasy and the soup only lukewarm). My overall impression: While neat at first glance, it quickly becomes clear that, behind decorations purchased at Ikea and waitress who wear far too much makeup, this "gem" set in a strip mall is nothing more than polished cubic zirconia.
(2)Meredith K.
Two stars is quite generous, considering the service I received. I was recently at Pearl for my first time, as I live out of town but grew up in Rockford. I was there because it was my best friend's 1-year wedding anniversary and they wanted to have a nice dinner out with their families and a few close friends. The place is really nice, but our service was not and neither was our food, really. Most everyone at the table ordered a sandwich or burger, I ordered an appetizer as my meal (just a baked brie) and my friend whose anniversary it was ordered the special which was charred pork loin that came with a side of a twice baked potato. Everyone's food came out lickety-split, it seemed like.. everyone's but mine and my friend's. We waited and waited. Everyone else was 1/2 finished with their meals by the time the inexperienced server came over and told us that she was so sorry it was taking so long and that the pork loins were frozen, and they were thawing and that's what was taking so long.. UM REALLY? I've worked in plenty of restaurants and never would it ever be acceptable to tell guests that their food is currently frozen. She offered no explanation about the brie, which should have taken about 7 minutes to cook. She offered no alternative or suggested any options for us. We waited and waited some more. The server then came back and said that she was so sorry again, and that they were out of the twice baked potatoes and that they had to run next door "real quick" to get her one. I couldn't believe she would say that to a table. On top of her not being very knowlegable about the menu or the beer list, this was kind of the last straw for me. Finally when everyone was finished eating, she brought my and my friend's food out. My brie was fine, but not great. It was also a fairly small portion for the price, but I wasn't very hungry. My friend's pork loins, however, were not that great. In no way were they char broiled, only lightly grilled. They were also very tough. Everyone else's food seemed to be okay, but nobody said it was great. The sweet potato fries are awesome, and the sangria was good. I was rather unimpressed and would likely recommend for Rockfordians to dine somewhere that the staff is better trained and that has a better value for their dining dollars!!
(2)Royce E.
Overpriced wannabe trendy bar. Nothing is fresh made here. Pizza dough comes in frozen, they just throw some other frozen toppings on. Drinks are waaay overpriced and they are just trying too hard with the decorations. The crowd there seem like they actually think they're too cool to be in Rockford...as if they are just slumming it with us little people.
(1)Jennifer Q.
I came here for the first time on a Valentine's Day girls night out. We had reservations and had no problems when we arrived being sat at a table. The interior is very clean, neat, and trendy, while not hitting you over the head with the decorating. On this night there was a special menu you could order off of, though the regular menu was also available. The server was nice and attentive, we never had to wait long for him to be back around to check on us. We did not order any appetizers, only a few glasses of wine, which were brought to us quickly. For an entree, I had the tilapia with whipped potatoes and spinach. The tilapia had a creamy sauce served with it that was very tasty, as were the fish and sides. None of us ordered a dessert though they did sound delicious. I would definitely recommend coming. The rest of the menu looked good, it had sandwiches which sounded yummy, and there was also artisan pizza that was available. It is a tad on the pricey side though, but if you feel like taking some out for a special lunch or dinner, this could work.
(3)Stef F.
Don't yell at me, but I hate Rockford, I really do. If I had to live in it's vicinity again, at least Pearl would refrain me from wanting to become an alcoholic and drug addict all in one. Ah, this place is another saving grace to Rockford. Thank the heavens above for a hip place to have a nice evening out with friends. Rockford so badly needs hip, trendy places to go. I've been to about every inch of that town, and have found only around a handful of consistently pleasurable restaurants to go to... Maria's, Garretts, Five Forks, Josef Barbados, Table 13, JMK, and there's a couple spots downtown that are pretty good (if they haven't closed down yet). So, check this place out. It isn't that expensive, especially by Chicago standards. Wednesday night they have $5 cosmos, and $4 sangria. (They have drink specials every night too) Pretty sweet. We ordered 2 wood-grilled pizzas and it was the perfect amount for 2 hungry chatty girls. One of the pizzas was $7, the other $9. The only reason no love for the 5 stars? I ordered the espresso creme brulee, seriously not expecting my creme brulee to come out in an ESPRESSO CUP. C'mon people. Why should I pay $5.50 for that? It had a tiny biscotti next to it, which could've been skipped. I wanted creme brulee. That was a scam in my book. It was the smallest damn dessert ever. Otherwise, I left happy. And quickly drove back to the Chicago area.
(4)Meggie G.
Btw- Pearl Vodka is a brand of vodka produced in Alberta, Canada. This is not an independent vodka named after the restaurant.
(4)M. M.
This place calls itself a restaurant when what it really is, is a hipster bar. A VERY LOUD hipster bar. I've been in sports bars that were less noisy than this place. It's because it's entirely glass and smooth white modern surfaces and there is no wood or anything to muffle the sound. When we showed up for a weeknight dinner there were three TVs going AND Eurotrashy music playing loud AND a table of six people finishing a long boozy dinner next to us. As the evening went on and more thirtysomething guys in button-down shirts arrived at the bar, the din grew progressively worse until we had to absolutely shout to be heard. It's too bad because the food's really good. Four stars for the steak and the sweet potato fries and the wine selection. (We had heard the fish was greasy so we didn't order it.) Minus two stars for having to read each other's lips for two hours while we ate.
(2)Erin S.
Owned by the people that own Josef's of Barbados which is conveniently right next door. Josef's used to be my favorite restaurant in Chicago, until I went to Pearl. Not only is the atmosphere amazing and gorgeous inside - but it is actually updated, hip and full of people needing something new in the Rockford area. (and they have great bathrooms - which I'm usually judgmental about!) The food is also amazing (and they have a great cocktail list.. they make their own Vodka..!) I had the Pork Tenderloin served over polenta with Prosciutto and asparagus and I did not want to stop eating because it was so good. My boyfriend had the lamb and he also thought it was pretty great. We had the homemade gnocchi for an appetizer which was cooked to perfection - and then had the seasonal Pear Cobbler which was a great way to end a meal. Top place to go in Rockford.
(5)Patrick H.
I find it incredibly hard to accurately rate this place. So many aspects are across the board, so I guess I'll start with the overall feel. The interior is tastefully done in a multitude of shades of white, marble topped tables/bar, exposed ductwork, yada yada. The tv's seem out of place. The noise level is great imo; loud enough to not overhear the table next to you, but not so loud you can't hear your own party. Score for the actual facility = 4 Next, the staff and service. First impression; they hired sales staff from Abercrombie to come over right after their shift at the mall. Kinda odd attire for restaurant workers, yet still better than button adorned polos. The service was so so, ended up waiting a bit long for our food and drink refills, but our waiter was more than humble and welcoming. Score for staff/service = 3 Finally, the food. I had heard about the wonderful flatbreads, alas I wanted to see what the chef here could do. I ordered a pork chop with bleu cheese and pinot noir sauce, whipped garlic mashed taters & grilled asparagus tips. My entree also came with soup or salad, I went for the soup, which was a fantastic fish stew. The wife ordered a lemon rosemary chicken dish served with a green pea risotto. She said her food needed better seasoning. As for my dish, it reaffirmed why I don't order pork when I go out. Restaurants overcook pork and this didn't stray from that pattern, dry as a bone, blech. I guess that's partially my own fault for not requesting my chop cooked till just the faintest shade of pink remains (if this isn't how you eat pork you are missing out). The bleu cheese, somehow, barely made a presence on my palate, but the sauce was excellent. For someone who doesn't typically like asparagus, these were great and perfectly seasoned and cooked. The whipped taters, meh, been done before but still good. Score for entrees = 2 Onto dessert, they had a blueberry somethin' er other on special. I talked the wife into the tres leches cake w/ carmel sauce. I'd never had tres leches, so I have nothing to compare it to, but HOLY CRAP ON A STICK! I'm not a big sweets person, but this was the best dessert I have ever had, period. If you go to Pearl, get this cake if nothing else. Score for dessert = 5 Math for figuring out the score; (4+3+2+5)/4 = 3.somethin'
(3)Liv W.
I really like the food here. The pizza is good and inexpensive. The French fries are really good and I've also tried the Cuban sandwich that I like too. The martinis are good depending on the bartender. One time I went and the waiter said they had a new bartender. I ordered a pomegranate martini that I have liked from there before but it was disgusting that time. Overall I really like the place. It's a nice place to go for a cute chic dinner and drinks.
(4)Steve L.
Wow, I have never been so disappointed in an owner. Josef was awful and rude in regards to a corking fee. We were not told of a corking fee nor was it listed in the wine menu or the regular menu. The manager took off the $22 per bottle corking fee then Josef came over and totally lost it for no reason telling us that he will charge a corking fee and he can do what ever he wants! He totally lost his temper. We tried to talk calmly with him and he still got loud and lost it. I've never seen anything like it! I will not be back and will not use the liquor store next door where Josef is a part owner (I found out later)...and that's where the bottles came from. Unbelievable. Think twice before you spend money here.
(1)Brian S.
My wife and I went for our first night out in months while visiting Rockford for Christmas. The atmosphere and menu selection left us confused. We were seated in a room with loud music that we asked to be turned down. The dimmed lighting and faux candles contrasted with the dozen or so televisions and African art mounted on the walls. I would suggest Pearl decide what it wants to be when it grows up: sports bar or elegant dining. The food was delicious and the menu has a lot going for it. I would suggest Pearl embrace the menu and fine dining experience and jettison the televisions and loud music.
(3)Nan M.
I went to Pearl for a birthday dinner. The food was bland and overpriced. No one in my group seemed to especially love their meals either. The restaurant was loud. I don't understand the purpose of all the televisions. It looks very "trendy," but just because the wall in the bathroom is a two-way mirror doesn't mean it's a good restaurant.
(2)