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Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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Very very good veggie burgers.
Great milk shakes.
Local hangout.
Good fun.
Note to self: NEVER order a grilled cheese sandwich from a burger joint; stick to burgers. I literally got cheese in between two BURGER buns. Buns were soft a chewy, not crispy like how a grilled cheese sandwich should be.
Although, I have tried many of Pearls burgers previously & loved them. Always too big for my appetite..but it better be for the price you pay (~$8).
I gave it two less stars because of this: I always call in my order ahead of time, as I just want to walk across the street & quickly pick it up & eat it before my 1/2 hour lunch break is over. Even though they tell you 10 minutes, when you get there 20 minutes later, you still have to wait another 10 minutes!? Don't know if that's how they're promoting their "freshness," "Don't make it til you order it" motto, but I'd prefer them telling me it will take 30 minutes, rather than lying & saying it'll only take 10. I strive for good customer service which this place lacks a little of. So much for their quote on the take-out menu: "Call Ahead For Quick Pick-Up." Yeah right!
More like Eh-OK. Prized Pearl was my choice with the Niman beef. Why is Pearl prized? Is it the mayo? Nah. It must be the bleu cheese. The cheese was great, the sauteed onions were good, the beef was lean, the bun was bread. Mayo? Something was missing.
I can't help it. I know I'm not supposed to compare one great love to another, but let me say Taylor's is more expensive & worth every penny. Unfortunately, there isn't a Taylor's in Marin, so I went to make Pearl's my Taylor's, but it didn't happen.
My date got the mini burger & it looked tasty. Not all of it was eaten, but that was probably due to the fact she is healthier & more polite than I. I downed a yummy shake & got a side of the crinkle cut sweet potato fries. The fries were definitely fried. Could they be less greasy? Don't get me wrong, they were good. BUT...
Not as good as Taylor's sweet potato fries. There I go again!! Comparing. Awful. I know. I will try Pearl's again, but get BBQ sauce on Prized Pearl. She needed a little kick. I was warned there would be a mess when I finished & there were only a couple drops of oil from the onions. I want a mess. Next time I will have one!
Wow! I'm impressed! Bf and I came here for dinner tonight and I must say, they are better than In-N-Out! I got the 1/4 lb baby burger with cheese and bacon, WELL DONE please and my bf got the 1/2 phat burger with bacon and cheese and strawberry banana milkshake. Left there satisfied. Finally, a burger joint we like!
A wide selection of burger meats (skeptical about their relatively inexpensive "kobe"), and some hot dogs, fries and milkshakes. Do not come here on a diet, especially if you plan to hit the cupcake shop across the street.
That said, the food is extremely tasty. I had their mushroom burger done up with a veggie patty and it was my favorite kind of patty-- aka not the heavy-on-beans kind --and it was fantastic. My boyfriend got a more standard burger, done up as a teriyaki burger, also very tasty.
We split an order of garlic fries, having fallen in love with them at the SF Giants game a week prior, and they were very tasty, but also really SPICY. Not "oh my god my mouth is on fire" spicy, but spicy where you eat it, and then realize how heavily it's affecting your ability to taste other stuff.
All in all, very tasty, and pretty inexpensive.
i enjoyed this place. my bf said he didn't like it at all. reasons- no flavor and not grilled. and if it were grilled, wheres the mark?? i needed a burger that day. i found this place. it was juicy! needed a sprinkle of salt but i thought it was good. swiss on mine, cheddar for him. we shoveled down some delicious, gooey chili cheese fries. no where as amazing as giant burger, but a quick grab and good to go.
slightly crowded with all the tables and chairs. lots of fun combinations for the burgers. friendly service.
I've been here 10+ times.
Burgers are AWESOME. Best in da Bay(so far). The mini burger is HUGE. The garlic fries are STRONG and plenty. Sweet potatoe fries are well done.
My fav is the buffalo burger it's less grease and yummy.
The Chili burger is swimming in chili beware you will most def need a spoon.
Pearls phat burger is probably the best burger joint to come to Mill valley in as long asbi can remember it has big juicy burgers that are topped with lettuce vine ripe tomatoes and a little mayo! If you go I would recomend a pesto burger,bacon burger a choclate or oreo shake with a side of frings are fries and onion rings mixed. PeArls si place to get great fries and burgers although it is a little pricy overall for what you get you get a lot of bang for your buck and plus it tastes great!
We decided to go here after hearing about Pearl's success at the failure known as the Great American Food & Music Festival. I didn't get to see her cook in the competition, but I doubt she won with the burgers the bf and I ate at her Mill Valley location.
Our burgers were oily beyond belief. I'm not afraid to eat a fattening burger, but this was just dripping in oil and not flavor. I got the "Prized Pearl" and the bf got the "Bula Burger". The blue cheese was good, the onions were sauteed well (but oily), but none of the ingredients meshed together to make a great burger. The Bula burger had a teriyaki sauce, but we both agreed it didn't really bring out the flavors of a good burger and frankly it didn't really add much either. Again, it was like they just put a bunch of ingredients together and expected it to taste good.
We got the garlic fries and the onion rings. The garlic fries were sad. We got maybe a teaspoon of the garlic and green onion mixture, which again added NO flavor. The onion rings were the star of the show. Everything else was bleh.
After spending a lovely day at Muir Woods with my girl, Michelle B., and our men, we rolled to Pearls to get our grub on.
Now this place falls in to my custom burger category. Options galore and I'm so all about the options. Besides the regular all beef patties, you also have a choice of buffalo, turkey, chicken, and veggie. They also offer mini's if your not feeling too savage. A choice variety of sides as well i.e. garlic fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings and the list goes on...what's a girl to do?
I finally decided on the buffalo burger with avocado, mushrooms, and swiss cheese. They don't offer the buffalo in a mini but they should because it was a little too big for me (wow never thought I would ever utter those words). As for the burger itself, it lacked flavor. That buffalo was in need of some serious seasoning. Fortunately, all my lovely toppings helped save it. It was also extremely juicy, so much so it fell apart on me. As for the sides, we ended up getting three to share among ourselves. The sweet potato fries were good (wish more places offered these) but I've had way better *cough* boiling crab *cough* and the onion rings and garlic fries were quite tasty. Oh and for the love of god and all that is holy, do yourself a favor and order a shake. The pineapple is my new BFF.
As for the location, I like it. Not to crazy about the pesky street parking. The joint itself is pretty small and limited seating. Try and beat the rush or you going to be assed out. Word is the SF sector is better so our burger hunt continues.
My wife came here for lunch after a hike in the John Muir Woods. We were actually driving through the downtown area looking for a place to eat and saw the sign boasting that it won the Bobby Flay "Best of" contest. Parking wasn't great, but it never is in a downtown area like this.
The restaurant is small, but clean and seemed to be operated efficiently. They have a relatively large menu and three choices of meat (beef, Kobe beef, Buffalo). I had a burger with Kobe beef, onion rings, and BBQ sauce. My wife had the "award winning" Bula burger with Buffalo. I had onion rings and she had fries.
Both burgers were made well and were not as greasy as I've seen others describe. The salt content was what I expected and my wife added salt (I like to have the choice of adding my own salt levels). I tried the buffalo but have never been a real fan of the taste.
Overall - a great burger and a modest price. We will definitely visit again and try some different burgers.
This place was YUMMY !!!! Great fries and real sweet sodas. The burgers were fresh and I love the sesame seed buns !!!!!
I think it was just a bit greasy but really really delish. I got the bacon, cheeseburger and loved it.
I really like how the place was CLEAN ! Some burger joints are dirty, small and you wonder why you are eating there.
Thanks YELP and my iPHONE App for helping us find this after a hike in Muir Woods !!!!!
Hands down the best burger I've ever had. I don't crave burgers much and up until this morning I used to go to Hamburger in Sausalito when I had a craving, but Pearl's Phat Burger has won my heart over.
They're fast, a decent price and friendly. Their burger combinations are great and they have a lot of choices. I had the spicy burger and that sauce is amazing. If you like burgers just go already!
Pretty much the best burger I've had this year, and I've eaten my fair share.
I got the Kobe cheeseburger, onion rings, and a vanilla milk shake. The burger was amazing. The rings are fantastic. The shake was so-so. I should have opted for the chocolate malt in retrospect.
If you're in the area I highly recommend trying Pearl's.
If you go, YOU HAVE TO GET THE BUFFALO BURGER!!!!!
It is hands down the best burger I have ever eaten....period.
This place is tiny with maybe 15 or so seats. Total neighborhood hangout. It sits right near the square in Mill Valley and it's so worth the drive from the city.
I typically go, order burger, fries and soda and then hit the Sequoia for a good film -- make a night of it.
I love this place!!!!
Great burger options, with buffalo as a special meat option. Usually has kobe beef as well. Good fries, especially liked the sweet potato fries. (Krinkle cut was a surprise.) Large helpings. Still on the pricey side. But if you are in Mill Valley, hungry, and ready for quick and casual food, check it out.
Garlic fries of death (in a good way). I mean, I probably could have happily taken down half my weight in garlic fries had I not exerted some self control... mmmmm
Cute small place, friendly service, delicious burgers, and amazing garlic fries. Definitely family-friendly, many cute rugrats running around (again, in a good way). I wish I had tried my burger in bison, so I guess I will have to come back to do that. Also, for the garlic fries, of course...
Had a burger and fries. It was good but not hella good. Not winning the recognition on food network that they claim good. Not over $10 for a burger and fries at a (semi) diner counter good. It was a little greasy and needed salt. I can salt myself but if they'd dry out the patty it's a 4-5 star burger. Get a little taste in the fries and they'll get a star too. Overall not bad, not great. You won't hate going here but you won't be inspired to come back every time you're within 20 miles. Next?
sorry "awful awful"...you have been kicked out of my number one spot for best burger. move over...the "prized pearl" is now my numero uno and i think it will be in that spot for a loooooong time. come on...bobby flay and anne burrell rated this place as having the best burger at the great american food and music festival. i always used to question bobby flay's taste in food...he has now put me in my place. pearl's phat burgers wins the cake and the ice cream also.
today...i had the "prized pearl"...the perfect burger in my eyes: blue cheese, grilled onions, bacon, and a thick burger on a toasted bun. the meat was so incredibly juicy that everytime i bit into it...i had to wipe my face with a new napkin. i must've gone through at least 20 napkins by the end of my burger...oh, the meat was at least an inch thick and cooked to perfection. the grilled onions were deliciously caramelized...the bacon was to die for...thick, soft, and a perfect complement to every bite...the blue cheese melted perfectly throughout the onions and the bacon. just thinking about it makes me salivate.
wifey had the buffalo burger with bacon and cheddar. i took a bite out of hers just to see what the buffalo burger was all about. DELISH!!!
wifey's bro had the phat burger with good ole american cheese. you could definitely call him a burger connoisseur and he's a regular at this place.
the chocolate milkshake...oh, the milkshake. first thing we saw was the boba straw coming out of it...what genious. how many times have we sat there with a shake in our hands with a itty bitty straw sucking so hard that we almost popped a vein in our head? pearl's is pure genius. the shakes were thick, flavorful, and so worth it til the last drop.
3 burgers, 1 fries, 1 garlic fries, 2 shakes...40 bucks. for most places, we'd scream if it came out to be that expensive. pearl's is special. it so damn worth it. oh! and i don't advise you to take the burgers to-go..these are made to eat there...so wait for a seat, sit on the sidewalk...stand if you have to...just don't take that 15 minute drive home or else you will not experience the burger's maximum capacity of deliciousness.
i can't wait to come out here again...we already let the bro know that we will be eating here the next time we visit. i hear there's one in san francisco also...whatever. either way, i will be dreaming about my prized pearl tonight. sorry wifey...=D ok fine...i'll dream about the both of us eating at pearl's. haha.
I went here a few weeks ago after a race in Marin. I really liked the Buffalo Burger. I also learned all these facts about Buffalo meat by reading the information on the wall. I wish other places would do that.
I think this is by far the best restaurant/food that Mill valley or Marin has. The garlic fries I thought were pretty good too though they weren't all that.
Good burger, could use more salt. Had the Hawaiian burger, not much taste to the sauce or pineapple. The one at Carl's Jr is tastier, but it was nice to eat the food in the park in Mill Valley.
I stopped here on a trip to Stinson Beach a few weeks ago, and I was very impressed with the burger I had. I ordered the Prized Pearl which essentially is a bacon and blue cheese burger with grilled onions.
I dunno if it was the all-natural Nieman Ranch beef, or the cooking technique used to cook the burger, but this burger was extremely juicy. So much so, that I'm salivating right now just thinking about it. The burger came with a generous amount of thick-cut bacon and a reasonable glob of blue cheese (although I would have preferred more). The grilled onions were nice, but I could have actually done without them. Overall, though, this burger was fantastic and worth the $7.75. It left such an impression, that I've been ordering blue cheese and bacon burgers at every opportunity, and I haven't been able to find many that come remotely close.
If you're passing through Mill Valley and you have a hankering for a burger, definitely give Pearl's Phatburgers a try.
Hole-in-the-wall place but oh! what a place. I live right around an In-n-Out which up until now has been the go to place when I've been craving meat. Until I discovered Pearl's that is...They use organic Niman Ranch meats ( a plus in my book).
So far we have tried the mini burgers and the avocado chicken sandwich. Both were incredibly fresh, tasty, and huge! Unless you are an NFL linebacker you'll probably want to go for the mini burgers which I believe are 1/4 lbs of meat but big nonetheless.
The shakes are also good. We had the chocolate one but they have several combinations of flavors as well as single staples such as vanilla and strawberry.
Now the absolute best thing about Pearl's is their sweet potato fries. They are without a doubt the best we've ever had. They were crispy, tender inside, and sweet! A little taste of heaven. I'm looking forward to trying the buffalo burgers next.
Yummmmy! I love burgers and fries...what better place to get it then this random place. Actually, we had just hiked around Muir Woods (check it out, it's lovely. Although there is debate on whether such national parks should charge cover, since it's supposed to be open nature for all) and were mad hungry. Btw, if you're in Muir Woods, also go to Stinson Beach, which is only a few miles away. It's beautiful, so damn beautiful like Akon would sing.
So we checked this place out, which is in a quaint lil' plaza. The tables/seats aren't spotless or anything, but it's a normal burger joint, whatevs. My friends and I scarfed down our burgers and split some fresh sweet potato fries (mm...not enough places sell those). Hands down, it was quite the marvelous experience and now I can't wait to go to the one in SF. That place has 4 stars on yelp too, and when in doubt, check yelp, right??
Afterwards we still had room for dessert (hiking builds up an appetite, even if we only hiked for 30 minutes or so :P) so we went across the street to get some ice cream. That place was standard, nothing too special or extraordinary about it like Pearl's Phatburgers. So make a date of hiking, tanning at the beach, eating here and who knows what (versus the typical dinner and a movie, people!).
Probably the best hamburger Ive ever had. Actually I usually get the buffalo burger which tastes like beef but is leaner and better for you. The fries and shakes are awesome also. If your having a burger cravimg I don't think you can go wrong there.
The grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar is AMAZING, hits the spot for sure!
If you read a review that has less than four stars about this place, ignore it.
These are the best burgers in Marin, and they run neck and neck with Taylor's Automatic Refresher.
If you want a solid burger, don't get too adventurous. Get a miniburger (they are not mini at all). My favorites include the mushroom burger and the bacon-cheese burger. Fries and onion rings are very solid, and the amazing shake will seal the deal.
Food and service is fast, and free pickle slices are available for those who enjoy them.
Congratulations to owner Sylvia Park Yi for winning the Best Burger cook-off over the weekend, at the Great American Food and Music Fest. Celebrity and Chef, Bobby Flay, and the folks at the Food Network were the judges.
I went to Pearl's expecting some out of this world burger but was quite disappointed. The burgers weren't anything worth raving about and I would have easily traded mine for In-N-Out across the freeway. As a sweet potato fries lover I was also disappointed by their fries, maybe because I'm spoiled by Taylor's in the city but these were nothing great.
Even though the little burger hang out has a cute friendly appeal I wouldn't go back.
I just can't get over the greasiness of the beef and fries.
almost an hole in the wall, pearl looks like a community fav as a steady stream of patrons hit up this spot.
i order the phatburger(5.75) medium. a big no as it was kinda dry. it had mayo, lettuce, tomato and onions. on a comfy bun.
they use niman meats so i was surprised to find some gristle in the burger. for me phyllis in san rafael is a better value (4.95 for 1/3 pounder), nevertheless, pearl is also a solid value though you paid for the real estate.
Granted, there are a number of restaurants to choose from in the area, but I love knowing that I can get the same great veggie burger and crinkle cut sweet potato fries as their SF locale for almost $1 cheaper.
we went for a lazy saturday drive up the golden gate bridge, and found ourselves at pearl's.
i had the buffalo burger, and she had a mini burger, accompanied with a side of garlic fries and some onion rings.
the onion rings surprised me, deeeelicious. the burgers were solid, 3 thin slices of tomato are definitely better than one thick slice in my book. the buffalo patty had great taste, and was cooked right to order.
pearls has a cool old diner feel with a new hip and "phat" attitude.
Well I've heard countless times that Pearl's offers the best burgers in Marin and so I made it a priority of mine to check out of one of these days - I did. I won't even factor pricing, service or dining area as those are irrelevant. All that matters is the food.
The sweet potato fries were ok at best - I felt cheated. I've only discovered sweet potato fries recently and I order them everytime I see them on the menu and I wish I wouldn't have this time. They were ok at best but since I am often teased for my perceived finer taste palate, I'm often held to be more critical of my food.
The burger I ordered - Prized Pearl - I figured this was their signature item and I needed to take their best shot. I was disappointed. It was juicy but not flavorful - not even the bacon could do this justice (and believe me, bacon always makes everything better).
If all I knew was Marin, then perhaps I could see this being rated higher, but I get around - I go out way too often and know what a 4 star burger should taste like (not this). I am not an amateur by any means...
HUGE burgers. I should have split one with somebody, though I found a way to plow through the entire thing. Biggest drawback is that Pearl's - like most restaurants in this area - has very limited seating, which meant getting our order to go and eating it a couple of blocks away on a public bench. It was a nice enough day for it, but I would have preferred to eat my food piping hot. Go when it's not crowded, or plan to wait for a table.
From the outside, it looks like your regular diner, causing me to ignore this place for two years. Finally, I went inside one day and discovered that this is a truly gourmet, high-quality burger joint...Niman Ranch meats are used and they have amazing offerings like buffalo burgers, sweet potatoe fries (a bit soggy and ressembling frozen french fries due to the weird way they were sliced, but tasty for sure), and great milkshake flavors. It's more pricy than fast food, let's say $7.50 a burger, but the quality difference is well worth it! It's more of a restaurant burger at diner prices.
One of the greasiest burgers I've ever tried. The onion rings are addictive. The chili they use on the chili fries is delicious and dark. Is there ancho in there? Chocolate? I dunno. I liked it. I guess that is all that matters.
Well well well.., apparently Marin county is not as yuppie as I thought it would be. This place is pretty good and prices are not that outrageous. I mean, it's about the same price as your run-of-the-mill gourmet burgers. Where is that? Right around the run of the mill. Okay I digressed.
I had the spicy burger and this stuff ain't for sissies! I thought that it's going to be "spicy" but it's actually SPICY. So beware. But really good, the onions grilled until it's soft (although the bf said that it's soaked in grease, I'd rather think that it was sweated perfectly). And the bf had the regular phatburger, which he said was quite good. He has this thing that whenever he goes to a new burger place, he'd order just a regular burger to "judge" whether the place deems a second visit or not. And he approves. :)
Sweet potato fries, awesome! Although someone in the kitchen is heavy-handed with the salt shaker. I'd like to try the onion rings next time though. And the buffalo burger maybe. Sounds interesting. And quite primal. :)
Marin is almost like a second home to me and after having spent so much time dining all around the area for the past few years, I never had the chance to try Pearl's Burgers until a few days ago.
For a Mill Valley restaurant, Pearl's Phatburgers isn't as nice as I thought it would be. It feels like a diner, almost cafeteria-like (styrofoam cups included!).
From the 2 "specialty" burgers I tasted (Teriyaki and Bula Burger), Pearl's doesn't do them all that well and I would avoid ordering "specialty burgers" unless I was at Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers. I would highly suggest ordering their signature "Phat Burgers" -- simple is best. The garlic fries ($2.60) and milkshakes ($3.15) are appetizing and taste very "homemade."
Pearl's also offers "mini" burgers (starting at $3.45) and are the perfect size for me.
The staff is friendly and accommodating, considering it is consisted of high school boys.
Really good garden salad for under $5, if you're a dieting vegetarian! The sweet potato fries looked incredible, and the veggie burger was tasty - a really nice bun. Free pickles! And not those crappy soggy little pickle chips either, these are real big dill spears! *snicker*
Veggie burger, sweet potato fries and vanilla shake ran my friend around $14, but it was a pretty huge lunch.
The meat eaters in our bunch were not thrilled with their mushroom burger or bacon burger, but as a vegetarian I can't really comment.
The look of bliss on the faces of my friends as they indulged in their vanilla milkshakes told me they were absolutly to die for. Alas, I wouldn't be able to eat for the rest of the day had I indulged similarly, so I'll have to just guess that they were as good as they looked! Wisely, the include a very wide "tapioca tea" type straw to suck up all the thick milkshaky goodness.
Sausalito, CA
Category: Burgers
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