02/22/08

yummy, cheap, and predictable

by emome86

My boyfriend and I like going to the Black Pearl because the food is great- we love the sesame chicken and the chow mein with homemade noodles. It surprises us how non-busy the Black Pearl always is...It is never empty, yet we never have to wait for a table. Service is usually pretty good. Not a place to go if you're looking for ambiance, but we like it all the same.

01/20/08

METAL in the sesame chicken!

by olblueeyes

I don't see the hype behind this place. The food is OK. The sesame chicken is good as long as they metal out of it. That's right...you read correctly METAL! When I called to tell them that my wife had bit down on a piece of metal in the chicken, she didn't seemed surprised. She says "oh that is the metal they clean the woks with.". So, that makes it better. NOT! I wasn't looking for a free meal, but some concern from the management. None was given. As I have said before...METAL IN THE FOOD!

• Pros: Edible
• Cons: Not digestible

01/18/08

Don't listen to the others

by markwaldin

We almost didn't go back to this restaurant after a year or more away after reading these reviews. Glad we decided to go anyway. We always loved their homemade chow mein noodles but these reviews were so scathing we thought maybe the restaurant was sold.

I can't comment on anything but the chow mein which IS the main reason to go. My wife got chicken chow mein and I got chow mein with barbecue pork. Both of these were very large and the homemade noodles were wonderful. Between the two of us we could only finish a little over one dish and took home the rest. The service was very good and friendly.

It is the best place for homemade chow mein in the city.

• Pros: great chow mein noodles

09/20/07

The Real Curse of The Black Pearl

by golfy

This restaurant is cursed. We've tried it many times only to suffer from poor food, terrible customer service, and an overall bad experience. Beware.

• Pros: I didn't get physically ill after my meal.
• Cons: Cursed

09/19/07

But Why is the Brocolli Gone?

by mayorh

We used to enjoy meals from here. The last few times we ordered their food, it was nasty, but not as unpleasant as the management. The orange (or was it organ?) beef, although somewhat easier to chew on than my flip flops, contained merely two overcooked flowers of brocolli. We had to call Shoreline to speak to a manager and were blown off, being told the brocolli was a "garnish". They use styrofoam for take outs, not the environmentally friendly paper boxes. Don't be fooled if when taking your order they politely ask you if you'd like chopsticks, sauce or fortune cookies. If your meal isn't satisfactory you'll have to go to World's End to try to get an apology. Best bet: Panda Express at Northgate. Cheaper, Tastier, More Food, Nice People, Kid Friendly.

• Pros: Free Delivery
• Cons: Everything

08/13/07

Black Pearl Restaurant

by erin624

We ordered Chinese Take-out. It was extremely disappointing. The Kung Poa Chicken was dry and seasonless, the sweet and sour prawns were greasy, the prawns practially non-existent, buried in batter, and the sauce terrible. It was pricey. I am willing to pay for quality, but not for this. Please, will someone open a good Chinese delivery resaurant in the Sandpoint, University district?!

• Pros: none, except no one else delivers in the area.
• Cons: everything.

06/03/07

Not great, not terrible either, but bad customer service

by toocool79

I have ordered takeout from Black Pearl a few times. The food is decent, but there is better Chinese food elsewhere. I liked the wontons in peanut sauce. I have never had a very good experience with the customer service at this restaurant. Once I ordered $90 worth of food for a group dinner and when I went to pick up the food I asked if they had chili sauce. The bus boy went to get me the chili sauce which came in those tiny tiny plastic containers. He was about to give me 3 when the front desk girl asks if I paid for those, and told me they cost .30 cents each. I couldn't believe she was making a big deal about .90 cents worth of chili sauce when I had just ordered almost $100 in food! That was the last time I got food from Black Pearl, and I am never planning on returning based mostly on the fact I've received poor customer service.

• Pros: Lots of variety on the menu
• Cons: Poor customer service, parking lot is awkward.

08/04/06

Typical and not impressive

by koomori

After reading some reviews of Black Pearl, I decided to try it once. I was not impressed at all. It tasted like almost any other Chinese place. The hot and sour soup was good, but I think you have to find a REALLY bad place to find bad soup. The beef dish that I got was definitely not worth the money. I decided to give it a second chance later and tried the homemade noodles. Better, but they seemed a little bland to me (though the blandness allowed you to fully taste the noodles, which are good). I guess it's fine if you're satisfied with typical Chinese food, but I'm looking for quality.

• Pros: great staff, hot and sour soup
• Cons: isn't worth the price

11/01/05

Certain things are good, other things suck

by gingerbread611

I think the title says it all. The homemade chow mein noodles are delicious, as are the potstickers. Both are totally worth going back for. However, their chicken dishes definitely leave something to be desired - the sauces are thin and just plain don't taste good.

• Pros: quick delivery, free delivery, homemade noodles

08/21/04

very disappointing

by crd

I've tried delivery and take-out, totalling 2 experiences with this restaurant. Both times, the fried rice was scorched. The pork wontons in the wonton soup were mushy and pretty nasty. The walnut prawns for almost $12 were 10 in number, with a pile of walnuts and half an orange on the side, with about a teaspoon of sauce. Try Asian Place on 160th for this dish: around 20 pcs. displayed beautifully on a bed of broccoli and crispy rice noodles. Black Pearl's homemade noodles are good, as is the Lover's Eggplant, but I probably won't waste my time and money here again.