Perla Taqueria

I totally forgot about this place since they first opened. I thought they might have closed up shop since no one ever talks about them anymore. But I was driving by it and was pleasantly surprised it was still open. Good for them! My first couple visits were just ok, so, I thought it would be nice to see how their Mexican't slop has been recently and if it has gotten any better.

Let's take a peek... (man, I still kinda miss Mrs. Winner's, it was so ghetto fab when you're piss drunk and needed cheekan.) But anyways...


Lengua, Chorizo, al Pastor tacos. Looked ok, except the single ply corn tortilla. After eating Mexican, no one should ever use a single ply... Unless you like brown fingers. From the greasy chorizo of course, what else could turn your fingers brown? If they stopped being such Cheap Charlies and make it a 2 ply taco (which would cost them an extra 2 pesos), it would be so much easier to eat it without it breaking apart like a wet tissue full of snot. The lengua was tasty, the chorizo a bit too greasy and the al pastor still lacking any real flavor... But all in all, they were passable.


Buttermilk Fried Chicken taco. I had to get it, as if I would pass up anything that has to do with fried chicken. It's not bad, a nice piece of crispy cheekan but the "smoked pepper-buttermilk sauce" was total crap. The caramelized onions and peppers were not, but it was ok.


Tamale- Corn masa stuffed with chicken, dressed in red sauce and wrapped in corn leaf. Sounds interesting enough, I love tamales and this one was a decent version. It's larger than most of the ones you'll find on Buford Hwy but that's fine with me. The dusting of chopped cilantro on top of the husk was retarded. If they're trying for the extra color effect, it ain't working. Who are you... Rick Bayless? You're no Frontera Grill/Topolobampo or Xoco. Just sayin'. Stick to the simple and make that flavorful and you got yourself something to be proud of. Anyways, like I said before, this tamale was decent. I won't stop ya from trying it.


Perla Nacho- Cheese, beans, sour cream, guacamole. Yeah, no. Look at the pic. A few bites and into the garbage it went. I rather eat nachos made by a college student in their dorm room. This needs a fresh new take on a very boring display when nachos are suppose to be fun, exciting and full of flavors. This was like drinking rusty water.

I'm glad to see this place doing alright. It's a decent place to grab a bite if you're looking for something with a little bit more authentic flavor than the other Americanized Mexican't joints spewed all over town. But dishes are hit or miss... Stick to the favorites and you should be alright.

1 Star.

1958 Piedmont Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
404-607-7272http://www.perlaatl.com/