Matt B.
Yelp
I was downtown Royal Oak for dinner at another place with my wife to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and ended up here afterwards on accident. It had been a few years since we were in Royal Oak, so we walked around to see what was new and ran into one of their servers, Axle, who very hospitably invited us in to check out the place. After a quick briefing on both adjacent concepts (Bohemia & Pearl's) we decided to grab a drink at the bar here. This ended up being the best part of our anniversary.
As expected with any great bar, their cocktail program was fantastic. My wife had an eclectic Pickle Martini (not something that I'd go for, but she absolutely loved it) and I was incredibly impressed with the Smokey The Bear cocktail. The cocktail was a PERFECT balance of flavors. The subtle honey-herb sweetness of the Drambuie paired wonderfully with their smoke infusion and rye whiskey, enough of a woodsy backbone to set a strong foundation for the Grand Marnier and orange bitters to add some fruity bite without masking the other flavors. This has easily become my new favorite cocktail, so whoever created this deserves some accolades.
While the cocktail quality was something to be celebrated, the true star of the show was the staff. Our bartender, Kroop, made the entire experience an elevated level above anything that could ever be tangibly expected of a hospitality experience. It was nearly closing time when we were invited in by Axle and there were only two other couples at the bar, which would normally give any patron a "we're done soon so don't get too comfortable" vibe, but both Axle & Kroop were incredibly welcoming. Both displayed so much pride in showing off the venue and the cocktail menu, sharing the history of its origins, walking us through the beverage choices with recommendations, and really just making us feel like VIPs.
The most astounding element of the experience, though, was the atmosphere of comradery established. Kroop was a masterful conduit of conversation between us and the other guests. Rather than three couples sitting in isolation as they enjoy their drinks independently, the whole bar turned into roaring conversation and laughter between absolute strangers.
He could have just done the bare minimum, make drinks, check on people, cash out, etc... but Kroop was going far beyond his call of duty to really make this a memorable experience for everybody.
My career was in managing high-end restaurants, bars, and luxury hotels, so I can say with confidence that I would've been lucky to have somebody like Kroop or Axle representing my brand. Both were amazing ambassadors for your venue in different ways, I walked in with no expectations and left feeling like a regular. The cocktail was just a peripheral bonus, the true experience originated in their hospitality.
Pearl's Deep Dive will definitely become a usual stop for me and my wife now. You've got something very special happening that can't be manufactured on paper, an intangible "it" factor that occurs at the intersection of atmosphere, quality, and hospitality that can only be perpetuated by an engaged and passionate staff.