Red Pearl Kitchen

06/11/2008 Posted by dreamchaser

I had my birthday party here about two weeks ago...it was WONDERFUL! I found myself desperately looking for a birthday spot that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I really wanted it at the Edison, but shot that idea down when the event planner told me it would be $1000 just for them to rope off an AREA...not even an entire room...but just an area. And that $1000 didn't even include food or drinks. For that, he told me I had to put down a minimum of $500 for drinks and a minimum of $500 for a food package. Luckily, a friend of mine recommended Red Pearl. Boy am I glad I took his advice. I called and without any problems the manager reserved the lounge area for my guests and I...FOR FREE!!!!! It turned out to be BEAUTIFUL! The lounge is plush and dark and just the right size for a group of 20 to 40 people to comfortably hang out and eat and drink. There is a flat screen in there and plush chairs and beds to hang on. They assigned a waitress to us and she was awesome! She kept everyone's bills straight and there was no problem with money or anything at the end of the night. The staff was amazing. The moment I walked in with the cake, they met me at the door and took it straight to the kitchen. They were supposed to charge us $3 per slice but they ended up not charging anything for cutting the cake. Whenever my guests needed more tables to eat or chairs to sit, the staff was right there providing whatever we asked for. The food was delicious and the drinks were fantastic! I recommended the Red Pearl martini to everyone...and there wasn't one person that tried it and didn't love it. I love choosing locations that not everyone has already been. Most of my guests said they had passed there many times and never noticed it. But they all left raving about it and vowing to come back many more times for dinner and happy hour. I was very pleased.

Pros: Nice, plush, romantic decor and ambience. Great service. Great food. Great drinks. Female valet leaves cookies in car for you.

Cons: I had absolutely no complaints

03/16/2008 Posted by therlp

This is a chain restaurant. Nothing more. Nothing less. Don't be confused by the reviews here that suggests it is something that it is not. If you do, you will ultimately be disappointed. The food is decent, but it is clearly the work of short-order cooks, not a chef. Think a Chinese version of the Cheesecake Factory. Nothing too imaginative, fresh or healthy. Just very formulaic food that they can make in any of their restaurants. The service is earnest, but incompetent. Our waitress tried really hard, but she had no knowledge of wine, forgot about stuff we ordered, never followed up on drinks. She had a really cheerful disposition, but clearly had not been trained to serve well. I ordered a sake sampler that came out with a laminated guide that was beyond dirty. The atmosphere is really cool - red, bold, open - but, in the end, it is just a well-decorated Chinese Olive Garden. And, to be fair, the crowd reflected that lack of sophistication. So, if you want to impress an uncultured date, or perhaps you have family coming into town from Milwaukee who want the "true Hollywood experience," even though they really couldn't handle it if you gave it to them and might want to wear a Brett Farve jersey or a cheesehead to dinner, or maybe your 16 year old daughter and her friends want a big night out, then this is their place. And it is good for what it is. If you expect anything more, prepare to be very disappointed.

Pros: Ambiance, design, the bar

Cons: service, menu, price for what it is