CK Pearl

My husband and I had an unforgettable dining experience at CK Pearl in Essex, Ma! From start to finish, everything was perfect. We started with the freshest oysters so delicious, followed with the best fish and chips we’ve ever had flavorful and cooked perfectly crispy, flaky, and flavorful with the best fries We sipped on a dirty martinis that were perfectly chilled and balanced, and we ended the night with a slice of Spanish almond raspberry cake that was absolutely divine! Moist, nutty, and just the right touch of sweetness. The food, ambiance and the waterfront views made for a truly special night. Can’t wait to go back!

Tied for best wings in MA. Smoked and delicate flavor, great service, and a very pleasant view of the Ipswich River while you dine. This place is a gem and everyone should try it. Would recommend all day.

See picture. Can't beat this on the north shore. At least not without getting trampled by a crowd at the larger waterfront places. We come here 3-5 times a summer, for the past 5 years. Legendary mussels.

Cloth-napkin seafood place in the middle of fried clam country. Pricey but WELL worth it. Arguably the best clam chowder in Massachusetts!

The restaurant is very noisy and we were there tonight (Tuesday) so it was not very crowded. I had to sit close by my mother so we could hear each other. Service was very fast. We received our salads right after we ordered our drinks. My mother ordered the fried clams which are the large bellied clams. I ordered the brisket which was awful and needed a steak knife to cut. Having lived in the Midwest for 40 years, I should know not to order brisket in a seafood restaurant. It was inedible. The waitress was very pleasant and did not rush us to finish our drinks even though our food came out too quickly. The prices were reasonable but we will not go back.

Stopped in after a long walk to refuel. The food is delicious and can be noisy. View of the Essex River is always gorgeous especially on sunny days. The eggs Benedict were done just right and the fries crunchy out and soft inside. The omelette was cooked just right. Will definitely visit again.

I went here for lunch with a colleague and it was a great choice! It is located right along the Essex River, and we had gorgeous views. We both started with tasty mocktails, and I got the blackened chicken salad, which came in a large portion with plenty of chicken. My only complaint is that there were too many tortilla strips. Also, I would recommend getting it undressed. My colleague got the steak tips, and they were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious! Great spot on a sunny day 😎

The views from this restaurant are truly spectacular. You feel as if you’re on a boat, and atmosphere is chill. Can get very busy during peak hours on weekends, though. Their food was alright. The taste of the scallops was overpowering in my opinion. The restaurant should consider serving this dish with toasted bread. We did, however, ask for bread and they brought some over to our table without an issue. Staff is very friendly and welcoming. The lobster carbonara i did not like unfortunately. It has cherry tomatoes and peas, and I didn’t like the taste this added. The pancetta was super good though, and the egg yolk added to the texture of the dish. The overall taste just didn’t do it for me. Did include lots of lobster though. In summary, food is decent, service and atmosphere are great.

Enjoyed everything I ordered. Waitress was knowledgeable about oyster selection and their flavor profiles. Lobster roll tasted amazing though on the smaller side. Wedge salad was unique and phenomenal. Great spot to enjoy a sit down meal by the water.

This is my third time here, and after the first two times, I kept saying to myself, must be an off night...kitchen not on their game, etc. But after the third time, enough is enough, I had to write my opinion. The haddock was dry, over cooked, and smelled smokey. The roasted potatoes were over cooked. The saffron cream sauce was not seasoned properly. The pureed celeriac was not seasoned properly. When specials are read off, you should state the price. So when I received the bill to find out what everything cost....blown away at $40 entree special price and $40 market price for scallops. OK, I get it. The price is the price. But if you have the audacity to charge these prices for food, it should be properly seasoned. Could not believe the prices on the small desserts. $13 ?! The carrot cake was a 3"x3" and 1" tall square of a part of a sheet cake. For this price, the carrot cake should have been a thick slice of a two layer creation, not something your grandmother made in her kitchen. The frosting on the cake was a dis colored congealed glob of a mess. Total fail on dessert. Shameful actually. Entrees were served in a bowl. Whose idea was this? Bottom line....this restaurant needs a culinary consultant for advice on seasoning, portion sizes, and cost/perception of value. Do not waste your time. Listen to all of the other 1 star reviews, because those, in my opinion, are the most accurate.

Top view setting and good food. It was higher than i am accustomed, but worth for one of my three meals in Essex this Summer.

We discovered this gem on a rainy Sunday. Great place with amazing service and yummy food options.

Tremendous kitchen. Relaxed setting with great food. A lot of thought and precision is exercised by the chefs here. The views of the salt marsh make for a pleasant atmosphere. I would recommend.

Great water views, attentive staff and yummy food. Highly recommend the chowder. Indoor seating, outdoor screened are and outdoor with umbrellas and nice bar seating over the water.

This is one of my friend's from the area favorite place. We had to stop in for lunch while my and a group of my friend's were in from out of town. We were sat right away and had an awesome server. I honestly cannot remember her name but she worked last Friday at lunch time serving a table of 8 in the middle of the restaurant. We ordered delicious cocktails and started with some chowder, oysters and fondue with some amazing pork belly. The food all came out quick and delicious. Everyone enjoyed all of their entrees. No complaints at all. I absolutely LOVED my baked haddock. I don't think I have ever had haddock that wasn't fried and it has a great texture and flaked nicely. Great flavor! I would highly suggest this place for a delicious seafood lunch.

Hmm. I made a reservation for an outdoor seat hoping to snag one of the open-air spots overlooking the marsh but we got a screened-in seat instead. Think the best seats of the house may have been first-come, first-serve. I recommend coming as early as possible so you can get a better table and also avoid the traffic snaking up the two-lane road right outside, since Woodman's is right there as well. The apps were the star of the show (other than my kale salad). We went with the oysters, chowder, and fried clams. Oysters were on the much smaller side but well shucked and came with freshly grated horseradish. The chowder and fried clams were easily my favorites. Chowder came with fried clams and these crispy bits of potatoes, amazing. I figured I couldn't leave the area without trying some fried clams and these were excellent. My kale salad with shrimp fell a little flat. I'm never one to say this but the salad actually could have used some more dressing. There was plenty of cheese but overall, it was just really dry, not helped by the shrimp also being overcooked (and 4 medium shrimps for $13). The surf and turf burger also wasn't quite as good as it sounded. I couldn't taste any of the BBQ rub on the patty, probably since it was drowned out by the much stronger brie. The lobster also really didn't add much - it was just a markup. We should have taken the waiter's very lukewarm endorsement of the S&T burger to just get the regular cheeseburger. Overall, I recommend just sticking with the apps. Parking is really easy, just keep an eye out for the restaurant's own lot on the other side of the street.

My boyfriend and I sat down at the bar on a quiet Saturday afternoon hoping to share some oysters and drinks. Unfortunately, the entire staff was too busy talking amongst themselves to be bothered with saying hello or taking our order. The most insulting part of this experience was that they were standing no more than 3-4 feet away from where we were sitting. There was no question that they saw us and when I looked over at them, no one would make eye contact with me. After over five minutes of this treatment we walked out. We've had enjoyable meals at CK Pearl in the past and were looking forward to trying it again. This was a real disappointment.

Out of town and visiting and my sister took me here. The clam chowder is the best I have ever had. The place is cute and casual and it's right on the water. The waiter was very nice and the food came in five minutes. My sister got the seared tuna tacos and her only wish was that it had a little more sauce or something to give it a pop to taste. Really enjoyed lunch here and hope to come back before I leave.

Pearl is a gem! Don't be fooled by the casual atmosphere. The food and cocktails are elevated. Ordering chowder with the pork belly topping is a must. I tucked into the lobster roll and could taste the ocean. The almond cake seems understated but its a WOW. It was a lively Saturday night but with our fabulous server, Will, we didn't notice any lag. When asked where I want to go to eat, my answer is almost always CK Pearl.

Had dinner here and both my wife and I were disappointed with our meals. Chowder was bland coconut shrimp was terrible. Service was good; however, it was expensive and we don't plan on returning.

We'll, they missed the mark on almost everything. How can you mess up a vodka and soda? Kept insisting it was soda when tasted like tonic. Clam chowder was made with GROUND up clams and a few potatoes chucks as a garnish. It was Cream of Clam Chowder. Hamburger requested medium rare was well done. Fries were good. Brisket sandwich has so much onion jam that you could not taste the measly 2 small strips of Brisket. Even scraping it off didn't help. Brisket itself was dry and tasteless but when the Brisket is no more than an inch thick, of course smoking something that thin would be dry and shriveled. Tuna tacos also had such a small pieces of tuna they shouldn't have bothered putting it on. We may go back again because we love the location but I will send back anything that is prepared wrong.

Summer Saturday Satisfaction! Great riverview seating, perfectly shucked oysters, sublime wine and friendly, efficient waitstaff. Smiles everywhere! We keep coming back...

My friend took me to CK pearl for lunch today- it was terrible. I ordered the brisket Ruben, there were 3 small pieces of brisket smothered in a gooey cheese,just awful. I didn't express my disappointment because I did not want to hurt my friend's feelings. No wonder there were only 3 people in the restaurant.

I've always seen this place and have been wanting to try, we were in the area this past weekend, and so glad we did! The location is great, set on the water and we had a very nice table with a view. I can see that once the weather warms there will be more options for outdoor seating. We had a great and friendly waitress, and service from the kitchen and the bar was on point. The menu is quite varied and several specials as well. As this was lunch, we ordered one appetizer and one entree to share and it was more than enough food, and leftovers to go. I recommend trying the fondue appetizer, a bit eclectic with a delicious cheese to dip some finally sliced apples, pretzel. potatoes and a delicious pretzel. Once I saw the pretzel I was sold! Delicious start to finish. We then moved on to a pulled pork sandwich, which was very good. Honestly we were a bit filled on the fondue. and took most of this to go. My only criticism here was that the fries were a tad soggy and didn't taste just fried. I'm super fussy on fries and if they are not fresh and crisp, I don't think they are worth eating. Next time we are in Essex, we will certainly stop back here to explore the menu more deeply.

Ambiance was good, service was good, food was not great. I'd probably only come back for drinks.

Dinner for 3, at 1830. King Ralph was out waiter, it was Halloween. Ordered the lobster carbona and the fried calms. Dessert was a pumpkin cranberry cheesecake and a figgy pudding. Dinner was great and dessert was tasty. Great ambience, not loud at all. Clean restaurant.

A visually stunning location and space ... however the quality, cost and presentation of lunch items was a big disappointment. Fried clams were pale and devoid of any sweetness. Served on one piece of lettuce. $24 "brisket bomb" sandwich was similar to a fast food restaurant item. It was more bread than fillings. One-and-done for CK Pearl.

I dream of this fondue all year until summer time. SO delicious. We also had the lobster roll and the burger- fresh, hot & delicious. It's pricey but you get what you pay for!

Lovely restaurant right on Essex river. Railing seating outside is first come first serve and my friend and I managed to snag the perfect spot overlooking the river for dinner. I ordered the haddock tacos and was pretty displeased. The piece of fish in each taco was exceptionally minimal. I easily ate the three tacos and still felt somewhat hungry after. For $4 you could add on fries as a side. My friend got the pulled pork tacos which were MUCH bigger and quite delicious. Confusing that a seafood restaurant had better bbq tacos than fish tacos!!!

Meh. Food not that good and it is extremely over priced. Had the chowder which was just ok and fish sandwich that was bland. I was craving fried clams and they don't have them on the menu (which was a surprise). In Essex, you can literally get fried clams at every restaurant, I was bummed they didn't have them.

My wife and I have been visting the great beaches in Gloucester for many years. And, it was always our tradition to end a beach day with a great meal on the deck at Periwinkles in Essex. Unfortunately, that place closed a few years back. So, we have been thrilled to discover another PHENOMENAL restaurant in Essex, with an equally phenomenal outdoor dining option - CK Pearl. In our last few experiences there - every facet of our meal has been exceptional. The restaurant itself is beautiful - a great dining room, a really terrific screened in porch, and a beautiful outdoor deck. It's not "downtown-Boston fancy", but it's a REALLY nice place that perfectly matches the feel of Essex. VERY nice, but not pretentious. You'd feel completely comfortable dressed up a little, or casual. The food is EXCEPTIONAL - very elevated beyond what you'd expect while eating outdoors - and everything we've had so far has exceeded our expectations. And the staff, especially the terrific hostess, are just great - they really make you feel welcome and appreciated. Absolutely 5-star in every respect. We can't wait to return. Highly recommended.

We weren't expecting much so it is jaw dropping how much we loved it. we agreed that the fried clams were the best we have ever had ... and we have had them everywhere. And the deserts were amazing the staff was terrific and ambience was tough to beat. we will definitely be going back again!

This is my bfirst yelp review. Felt the need to do this. This was my third time here. The food and drinks here have been amazing all three times. Highly recommend the oysters. But I need to give a shout out to our server Ralph this time. Probably the best waiter I've ever had. He was attentive and aware of when to come to the table and to not. Really made our experience great. If I owned C.K. Pearl I'd give him a raise

We like stopping by this place after we've spent the day at the beach. They've got really nice seating right on the water. But the food is not very good. Our $38 lobster rolls we're just OK. Last time we were there we had them oysters, and we did not like them. So set your expectations for the food pretty low and just enjoy the scenery. The service always seem very friendly, except for the hostess

This used to be one of our favorite lunch day trips. Sadly the menu for us is not what it used to be. Bring back the pork belly with green apple and over easy egg!!!

I came here without being a huge seafood fan but thought the location was so perfect I had to try. I got a grilled cheese with soup and it was amazing! I thought the value you get for the costs was perfect. It was so fresh and was prepared very fast. The inside is such a cute area and the staff was very nice. There is parking right across the street. If it's full you could park a little ways down on the street and walk.

I got the friend clams. FULL OF SAND. I had to send it back. The waitress was rude and snobby. I wish that we had chosen a different restaurant.

This place is the worst! Why anyone would eat here is beyond me. The food is over priced and bland. I would've enjoyed a fish fillet and fries at Mc Donald's, rather than eat the fish and chips at this place. Accompanied by the worst cole slaw I've ever tried...soggy, limp and tasteless. Don't waste your money at CK Pearls. Walk across the street to Woodman's for 10 times better food at less than half the price....or go to McDonald's.

Great location on the water in Essex. Used to find it to be a good value for great food. Now? Average food not worthy of the price. Got fried clams tonight...not crispy. Mussel appetizer was solid but for &18 give us more than three small slices of bread for the delicious liquid. Service was friendly and attentive enough at the table. Tried to get a drink at bar before being seated but seemed like I was inconveniencing the bar tender and never got served. All in I think you can find better food at half the price not to far away.

used to be good just bad overpriced bad entrees! quality is no longer a priority here.

If I lived in the North Shore, I'd be here once a week. There is serious cooking going on at this place, with an extensive bar program, that is extremely hard to come by outside of Boston. The mussels were simply the best my wife and I have ever had - bar none. If it were socially acceptable, I would've drank the remainder of the broth with a straw. Hell, if I had even had a straw I would've - thats how good they were. The chowder was top three for me, and I'm hugely picky about my chowder. The smoked bluefish pate was a perfect starter. And they had a ton of options for oysters, including up to Maine and into Canada, so you know I had to jump on those. The views of the waterway are exceptional, even if you cant get an outdoor seat. I also found the service to be excellent; the staff seemed young-ish in age, but they were knowledgeable, friendly, and they were busting their a$$es. If/when I am ever in the area, I will surely be back!

Next time you're in Essex why not skip Woodman's and come here. It's a beautiful place offering three environments, an indoor dining room, a sort of screened in patio, and outdoor dining overlooking the Essex River/marshes. We stopped by for a light bite on a Saturday. Some cherrystones, plump cocktail shrimp, and one of the better fried clams I'll ever had. Perfectly cooked, light batter, tender clam bellies. My draft IPA was on point, La Portena's sangria was delicious, although lacking discernible alcohol. Service outside was very good.

So many times Ive made plans to go here ... So many drive-bys As a group of 6 we had Sunday morning brunch last weekend. I'd made a reservation online which was pretty simple and our table was all set when we arrived. The venue has a jazz band on Sundays for brunch. The only drawback with that we found was that due to the size of the dining area the band was beyond loud .. no chance to talk or hear anything else for that matter. Difficult for us, but also the servers. Ours was thoughtful and wrote the specials on a sheet of paper because where we were seated we weren't able to see the board. We joked because I was seated close to the outlet all their sound was coming from ..all I needed to do was reach over & haha We ordered drinks - I chose a firey bloody Mary with blue cheese stuffed colossal olives which also came with a crispy stick of celery. Others wine or sweeter drinks .. I do like my spicy food & drinks I ordered a basic omelet with spinach and cheddar. Being where this picturesque venue is, most items have some sort of seafood or meat which I do not eat - or am allergic to . They were very accommodating with my request. Most of my dining companions did have seafood and everything looked great. My omelet was excellent and one of the best I've ever had. The home fries and toast included were so-so.. nothing special. Will I return? Probably, but in the warmer months when the deck is open.

Fun location, especially for the summer. We enjoyed the lobster pasta dish, fried clams and broaching. Everything was good, just really expensive. I don't feel the need to go again but we had a good time.

Fantastic red curry sauce for the mussels. The fried haddock sandwich and fries looked good too.

Consistently good food. Waiters were terrific; well versed in the menu, quick, and attentive. Only possible negative is that it can get pretty noisy. But all in all, a great place to go back to.

Happy Saturday Adventurers! This was such a great place for the area, considering it was about a 10 minute walk away from where I stayed. I imagine in the summer it would be a lovely walk, being able to smell the sea air from the marina. The place is a little upscale, but I saw causal mixed in as well. I sat at the bar as per my usually solo habit. I ordered a few glasses of Angel Rose to compliment my raw oysters which were really fresh. I was not disappointed either about the steak tips over mixed greens. Everything in this town seemed to taste like heaven, or maybe it was vacay brain. I think during the summer you can sit outside on the deck or veranda and enjoy the sunset on the water. The staff were very accommodating and told me about the history of the small town. I am definitely

The food is addicting and I'm totally in love with the vibe. My mother and I went there a few months ago and I can't stop thinking about the scallops. The service was good and there's really not much to complain about, go for it!

Great view of the Essex river. Awesome bloody Mary . Food is mediocre, and like most restaurants these days, pricy. Went there for the coconut shrimp appetizer. Wes good at one time. Turned out to be batter fried shrimp without a hint of coconut very strange. We got 5 shrimp, for 3 of us. My wife noticed that the table next to us got 6 shrimp for party of 3 won't be going back anytime soon

the brisket and steak tips were very overcooked but the fries and service were great, if you come get seafood.

Great spot on a rainy afternoon with a local vibe and welcoming atmosphere - amazing mussels and burger and fries. Nice wine and beer selection, too.

Always have a fun time. Staff are friendly and the atmosphere is casual in a beautiful setting.

Best clam chowder I've ever tasted. The whitefish Reuben was also super... highly recommend. Great place

First I want to say that our server was great! Ralph was very attentive and friendly! It's an adorable restaurant located right on the water so it has some beautiful views. Once the heat kicked in it was cozy and comfy. My husband and I both wish that the food was better though. We ordered the coconut shrimp as a starter which confused us. There seemed to only be a few shreds of coconut in the dipping sauce and it was more a tempura batter instead of your typical coconut shrimp that we thought we ordered. We both had tacos for lunch. My husband had the crispy fish tacos and I had the seared tuna tacos. Both were very underwhelming. Our tortillas were both very cold and my seared tuna was ice cold with one tiny serving of tuna per taco. While my husband got plenty of fish in his tacos there wasn't anything else inside as promised. Best part about our lunch was the side of fries. We want to love this place because it's adorable and great atmosphere. Maybe we will try it one more time.

Could not have been more disappointed. Upon arriving we were caught in the middle of a large party leaving somewhat upset for being turned away. There were a bunch of hosts surrounding the host stand and there seemed to be a limited number of servers. Maybe the host don't know how to run food or wipe tables to help their team? Unclear. They also weren't sanitizing tables or menus between guests (speaking for outside patio). My party and I were sat and waited for more than 30 minutes before receiving water or menus. Each step of the meal a different server came over with pieces of our meal. Which did not make us feel confident eating out during the pandemic. No ice was added to the warm well water once delivered. Looking around only the large parties were being attended to. No manager in site and clearly no server sections. There was a shift turn over - no explanation just a new face appeared. When ordering the server mentioned the restaurant "was of lobster rolls" and various other menu options. It seems odd that no one took initiative to buy lobster from one of the surrounding fish markets. This was all so bad.

WOW. I am flabbergasted. I was expecting good things. I arrived with my wife on a weekday afternoon. Asked to be seated next to a window but was told the tables there were reserved. ...there was barely anyone in the restaurant all day. The waitress had an attitude as well. When we received our food (which took longer than expected given very few customers), I found several pieces of long hair in it. My wife got fish tacos and she was still famished. There was barely any fish in there. The manager Brien just sits at the side all day with a bad attitude. I was going to complain to him but we ended up leaving. That guy has a stick up his a**.

It's 3:30 on a Sunday. My four person family plus high chair showed up at 1:20 and put our name on the list. We were told 35 minutes at most. I disputed because there were twelve open tables indoor and two outdoor. They claimed reservations. So I asked to speak to the manager. He claimed short staff in kitchen. Which one is it. Or is it sheer laziness? Nonetheless...we never received a call. My family goes home hungry after two hours of anticipation. Who would allow such behavior. Are you so much better than the common folk that you can mistreat and look down upon? I am baffled and starving. What shall I tell my children. All we wanted was a family beach Sunday. Thanks CK for ruining our family moment.