This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to Pearlz Oyster and Raw Bar located in the StoneCrest at Piper Glen Shopping Center in Ballantyne, NC.

What a gigantic shopping center! Took a little while to find this gem.

Dora here. What a massive, eclectic shopping center! Restaurants, boutiques, salon, spa…even a Target and Harris Teeter. I could happily lose myself in here for days. 

This restaurant offers fresh seafood in a casual dining environment with an outside patio. Now, if you follow our blog much, you know it is not too often that I can talk my wife into experiencing a seafood restaurant, but it was Father’s Day, so what could she say.

Dora here. Anything for you, honey. ❤

Clean and modern interior, but it was such a beautiful day, most everyone ate outside.

We ordered a side of Corn Fritters as an appetizer. Served with a dose of powdered sugar, these fritters were crusty (Dora here. I told him he couldn’t use the word “crispy” again today, and this is what he comes up with, lol) on the outside and soft on the inside with nuggets of fresh corn and red pepper. The fritters were great but I missed a dipping sauce to be enjoyed while eating them.

Dora here. YUM! These babies were fluffy and light, with occasional glimmers of corn and red pepper flecks. The touch of sweet from the powdered sugar made us debate whether they tasted more savory than sweet. Great start to our meal! Don’t they look delicious?

Corn fritters, sweet or savory? Not sure which won, but they were a great start to our meal!

I chose the New England Lobster Roll with a side of homemade chips and a cup of seafood gumbo. Now I know you will say that is a lot of seafood, but when you do not get it too often, you have to load up on it when you get a chance. (Dora here. Haha.) The lobster roll was creamy, tender and tasty, and served on a grilled roll capable of handling this full-bodied sandwich. Outstanding!

New England Lobster Roll – Creamy, tender and tasty. Outstanding!

The gumbo was packed with rice, sausage, beans, shrimp, and some other ingredients that I could not identify because I devoured it too fast. Hardy flavor and just the right amount of heat. Another thumbs up!

Seafood Gumbo – thumbs up!

Dora here. Take a gander at the Crab Sandwich. Yowza! What’s not to love about a buttery soft bun barely containing all that crabilicious flavor? The broccoli slaw wasn’t mayo based, so I used it as another condiment for my sandwich, which added another texture and layer of flavors. Delicious! And I’m not a fan of tomatoes, but those super tiny maters on this sandwich were so fresh and sweet, I ate every one of them! Just don’t tell my mother. lol

Crab sandwich…what’s not to love? Yum!

Has a restaurant prepared a particular item in such a way that you found yourself enjoying a food that you normally don’t like?

We rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food.