Pearl’s Diner

pearls diner is closed — burger theory now permanently located in city off rundle street

Suburban non-​chain American eatery! Took a while to get a table, but the wait was well worth it, with the food here being absolutely gob-​smacking delicious. Staff are friendly and are more than happy to help out with recommendations if you’re stuck with what to eat. Unlike some other chains, the burger buns are not laden with sugar, which mean they’re more naturally fulfilling.
Beware — the milkshakes are extra thick and can be a bit too much after a large dinner! Pace yourself, Unilocalers!

I don’t do lines, but for good food I am willing to wait!
We waited around 15 minutes for a table at this middle of suburbia haunt but we knew we’d made the right choice when we saw a packed out burger bar with tasty treats coming out of the kitchen.
This place isn’t small either — there’s a substantial dining area compared to many burger bars, it’s just that this one is so damn good!
I’m so glad I finally made it here — the staff were super friendly (even tweeting me after my meal to check it was all good!) and the food was fantastic!
I ordered burger #1 — a fairly traditional bite with beef, cheese, amazing sauce, lettuce and tomato. I was also able to taste #2 with blue cheese sauce and both gave me mouth-​gasams!
The bun is the way I like it — sugary but not too sweet, while being soft enough to soak up all the wonderful flavour, while the filling was just beyond awesome — and I’ve had many many burgers in my time!
We also tried the southern fried wings — oh so tasty in every way possible, and this coming from a gal who really isn’t a fan of eating meat off the bone.
They say it’s the little things that make the difference, the choices of a few sauces on the table to make your chips even tastier and the cute little sugar jars on the table. These things go towards making a five!
The chips were good but nothing amazing — maybe the team need to come up with a little twist for these… but then again, they did allow the main attraction (the burger) to truly shine!
Wishing we had room for the milkshakes because as we saw them go by they looked so thick and delicious but I suppose that it’s just a good reason for us to go back again soon!

From the People that created the Burger Theory phenomenon out of the back of Pearl the truck, comes Pearl’s Diner
They only offer a handful of foods, 3 Burgers n chips (one vegetarian), Southern Fried Chicken Wings & Coleslaw, and a few snack items like fries and pulled pork buns and for the sweet teeth, some Belgian Waffles.
It may not be the fastest place to eat but the food is damn tasty for sure

Came to this place after trying the burger theory van on a cute lunch date with my girlfriend. Quality joint with a hipster feel, highly enjoyed the coffee milkshakes. The burgers are ya basic sort and the chicken wings are an impressive size.
Four sugary bun stars

Had looked forward to this for a while, having constantly missed the Burger Theory van a trip here was on the cards for a few months.
I rarely eat pork but made an exception for the pork bun… Well worth it. Beautifully smoked and falling apart inside the sweet bun. The highlight.
I had a #1 burger and my wife had the #2. Hers was cooked right on the mark, slightly pink at the centre with no red running off as it sat there. Mine was undercooked. Even prior to the first bite I could see blood on the upper side of the patty.
Both burgers were great having said that — I take my red meat on the rarer side so it wasn’t such a problem.
We agreed the #2 was the better of the two. More happening taste wise with the onions, pancetta and blue cheese sauce. The 1 was good, but plain in comparison — cheeseburger types would love it.
Recommended but if you like your beef on the well done side best to say so when ordering.

This faux-​American diner with tongue in cheek Southern style is hipster heaven (the fixie bikes out front are a dead giveaway.) We landed at Pearls on a Sunday afternoon, when it was pumping with cool young parents and loved up couples sharing pork buns. We sat on the bench to wait, thinking it would be eons: not so, 5 minutes later we were seated, and in 10 more I had an American sauce stain on my pants.
The chocolate shake tasted like the Arcade Fire song The Suburbs: nostalgic, epic, beautiful. But we had high expectations from all the good reviews and I think the hype took the edge off our burgers: we bit in expecting orgasms and experienced more of a sexy tickle. The ‘Truck’ sauce was tangy, the bun melted in my mouth, the American cheese delicious. I knew the burger was good but I was confused, and it was only when my date pointed it out did it become clear; my meat was doggone rare! And unnaturally so, as if the cook caught side of an attractive broad across the hot plate and lost concentration. Pretty sure from the press this was a one off: I’ll be returning later this month to check out the pork buns and also attend on a Saturday night, as a friend reported the place is wall to wall beards, and this phenomenon combined with the arrival of Movember will be quite the suburban spectacle.
Side note: we used to call this street ‘The Baby Ghetto’ due to the number of half naked kids standing dazedly out the front of their dilapidated homes at all hours of the day and night. Since Pearl’s arrival the street’s looking a little cleaner. Burgers: is there anything they can’t do?

Oh my. Seriously these pork buns are everything a pork bun should be. Sloppy, hearty, pulled pork goodness. All inside a soft bun. I had one. I could have had 10.
Pearl’s Diner is what you get when you throw Burger Theory and La Waffle into a suburban diner.
The food is tasty comfort food, but without the nasties that you find at fast food joints.
They are still new, so they’re ironing out the wrinkles and are still sorting out their permanent opening hours. I’ll be back next time to try out the chili and to grab some more pork buns.