Toledo’s Black Pearl Restaurant Has All The Right Elements But Needs An Upgrade

Black Pearl is an upscale casual eatery located on Heatherdowns Blvd, directly across the street from The Stranahan Theater. So, as far as locations go, this restaurant hit the jackpot. What’s better than wanting to go to a show and there’s a nice restaurant conveniently within walking distance?

Let’s get the main question out of the way. Was this restaurant, in fact, named after the popular pirate movie with Johnny Depp? No. It wasn’t (but that would have been a little more fun, I think.) The restaurant is named after the owner’s grandma, and the exterior has black awnings.

Back when Black Pearl first opened, I can see how it cultivated an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication. They’re best known for their specialty prime rib, fresh seafood, and generous drink pours. However, their menu also has a selection of Italian entrée’s, salads, and sandwiches.

I happened to get introduced to Black Pearl because my boss took myself, my co-workers, and our significant others to dinner there for our annual holiday party. (I seriously have the best boss).

Walking in, I thought, nice but dated. Various shades of brown painted the dining area from the chairs, to the tables, floors, and walls. The lighting was not too bright and was dimmed even more when it hit a certain time. The browns and the lightning just made the whole place look a little uninspired.

All 13 of us were seated at a long table towards the back of the restaurant. We were addressed right away and had our drink orders taken. Our service throughout the entire meal was excellent. Our waitress was attentive, quick, and efficient. That is no small feat for a party as large as ours. I ordered a glass of house Chardonnay ($7.99) which was pretty decent but after looking at a couple of cocktails that some others ordered, I was kind of jealous I didn’t get one of those.

We were brought a basket of seasoned rolls, and they were fresh out of the oven and delightfully warm. I broke one open and that satisfying sight of small tendrils of steam rose in the air. You could see the flecks of the different herbs scattered throughout the dough. It was delicious.

For an appetizer, David and I ordered Stuffed Mushrooms Lagostinos ($13.99) which were mushroom caps stuffed with bacon and cheddar cheese, and topped with baby lobster. I thought it was a conservative portion for the price. The mushrooms themselves were tiny and completely smothered in cheese. The mushrooms were hard to find under the blanket of gooeyness and the other naughty toppings. All I tasted was cheese and salt. However, my food drowning in cheese is definitely not a complaint on my end.

Prior to our entrée’s David and I received a spinach salad which just consisted of a bed of spinach topped with bacon and hard-boiled egg crumbles. We were given French dressing on the side. It was pretty straight forward and nothing special.

For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Shrimp Supreme ($17.99) It was a blackened chicken breast topped with shrimp, mushrooms, and muenster cheese.

I had upgraded my standard side of fries to a premium side of sweet potato ones ($3.99) and those were served with a butter rum sauce to dip them in.

The fries by themselves were very good and slightly crispy. The sauce, however, though tasty, was overly sweet and threw the balance of the flavors off with the chicken.

The chicken was straightforward, but with it being blackened, it added another element of flavor where it would otherwise be lacking. It was good, but not memorable. The cheese was melty enough and the shrimp was cooked well. I think it just lacked seasoning. I stole one of David’s lemons from his plate and squeezed it over the chicken, and it elevated the dish a little more.

David ordered the Orange Roughy ($21.99). He could have got it broiled or blackened, and he chose to have it blackened. He said it was good and, unlike mine, was seasoned well. It wasn’t over done, which is easy to do when it comes to a light and flaky fish. He got shoestring fries, which were crispy and lightly salted. He said his dish wasn’t the best he had ever had, but it was decent.

Overall, Black Pearl is a middle of the road restaurant. I think you have to be one of a certain age *cough* “old” *cough* to really appreciate it for what it is. It’s a decent and extremely convenient option to go to when you want to catch a show at the Stranahan.

In my opinion, everything is just a little outdated and would definitely benefit from a makeover to give it the much-needed refresh that it needs. The food is good, but could be elevated and taken up a notch.

I loved being able to go there however and spend some social time with my co-workers. We really are friends and act like family, so it was lovely to celebrate the year with them at this overall nice restaurant.