Perla Mexican Cuisine - Santa Ana

I made a reservation online but had trouble finding parking. I got there seven minutes past my reservation time which coincidentally was also their time for opening. However, when i got there, the place seemed to be closed. No open doors or sign to let us know to come in. As I was about to walk away to a different place, an employee came out singing and dancing, apparently unaware of the fact they were opening up a tad late. Sure enough, the music inside was loud af. Kind of hard to carry a conversation with so much noise around you. While i understand and celebrate that the employees feel comfortable enough to get along very well with themselves, the noise of their chit chatting and music is overwhelming. Feels like a mismatch between the restaurant's projected image and achieved ambience. The food could've been great, but the meat for the torta ahogada was very salty. But really, what made me write this review was cleanliness. Expect none. The floor on the outside area looked decidedly unswept. Makes me wonder if they even wipe down those tables. Then i looked at the floor around me and, sure enough, i found many stains that would normally happen on any given day. But i had just gotten there, at the time they opened. If by the time a restaurant opens to the public their floors and tables aren't clean, I can only assume their cleaning patterns to be poor. All in all, this is an ok place that can do so much better. The attention and service is good, food could be less salty and ambiance could be redesigned. But the formality of opening up on time and having pristine clean spaces is vital. Personally, I'd choose a different place next time.

Decided to grab some dinner late Saturday nightWe arrived around 8:30 pm, no reservation, however they had 1 open table and sat us within minutes.Drink orders were promptly taken.2 ice teas and 2 Cadillac Margaritas, both drinks were delicious!!!The ambiance’s was great, we sat outside where we could hear some Spanish music being played in the background, weather was perfect as weSat outside.Dinner came promptly as well for how busy they were.All 4 plates we ordered was delicious, serving size was perfect, not too much not too little.We could have used some chips and salsa but guess they don’t serve for free.Overall we had a fantastic time and really e your dinner at Perla.The area in DTSA has improved a lot over the last few years, many new places to eat as well as drink and deserts.I’ll definitely return to Perla for more delicious Mexican food.Parking: $10 flat rate on a Saturday night

This is a must to experience. Way exceeded my expectations and cannot wait to go back! Perla is family owned, operated and can taste the love they pour into everything they do. Wonderful ambiance and the staff is extremely friendly.

Absolutely amazing! Always the best customer service ?. Always the best food!

They have a $25 refrigerated cake fee which I do not understand. I've taken cakes to high end restaurants where there's no fee to refrigerate our birthday cakes. I just didn't understand the point in charging for that. When I asked the girl in the front how much it was going to be she just took the cake without giving me an answer. I didn't know how much the fee was until the bill came