Perlitas Mexican Food - El Centro (CA)

2 /5 Ashley Ferrer: The food was edible, but unfortunately, it didn’t meet our expectations. We tried the Birria tacos, which were dry and lacked flavor. Additionally, there weren’t enough vegetables provided for the two orders of tacos we placed. We also ordered a beverage, which was overly sweet and had an off taste. For dessert, we selected the cheesecake, but its texture was somewhat liquidy and not what we would typically expect from a cheesecake. Additionally, the service fell short of expectations. The overall atmosphere felt a bit lackluster, which made the experience less enjoyable.

5 /5 renee m: Birria is 10/10 in this spot. Ramen birria is super delicious and the Torta de Birria was phenomenal. Definitely a new favorite. Customer service is super friendly and very dedicated to their customers.

1 /5 joel stein: The food was good, the place is clean BUT the service was atrocious!!! I just read some reviews before posting this one and apparently I’m not the only one that got bad service. I won’t go back just because of how bad the service was. I feel bad because the food was good and I know how hard it is to run a business but the owner needs to fire every single waitress there and hire and train some new ones.

1 /5 Jocelyn F: Our server Brenda was terrible. Called the server over multiple times and she pretended she never heard us but yet came back with what we were asking for. Never checked in on us after we received our food and was never brought our check or to go plates until after we called her 5 times.

1 /5 Eddie Lopez: Well, this place really sucked. My girlfriend and I decided to give it a shot regardless of the mixed reviews. I went in today around 11:40 a.m. thinking I could avoid the so-called “rush hour,” since I had heard the customer service here was slow and inattentive. But nope. I walked in and it was crickets. No one at the counter, just a group of doñitas wrapping up their meal before their Grocery Outlet run, and another group already done eating. Easy, right? Should’ve been. I waited about four minutes at the counter, rang the little bell, and finally just seated myself with a menu I grabbed. Eventually, a lady came out, looked like the server, but instead of helping me she went straight to chat with the doñitas and the other table. Meanwhile, I’m sitting there like Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction, confused and waiting for someone to notice me. Finally, she comes over, sees I already have a menu, and asks what I want. I order a small pozole and flautas. That’s when she tells me, “uuuy qué pena, pero no tengo pozole ahorita.” So I say I’ll check with my girlfriend since she’s been craving it. The server disappears and comes back a few minutes later saying, “bueno sí tenemos pozole, pero va a tardar unos 15 minutos.” It’s barely 12:01, so I figure that’s fine. My girlfriend shows up and I explain the situation. I also tell her I ordered two horchatas that still haven’t arrived. She smiles and says okay. The server returns, asks me “oye tú, qué me pediste,” and I remind her about the flautas and the missing drinks. She says, “aaa sí, eran dos cocas mexicanas?” I correct her: one horchata and one Mexican soda. Fast forward to 12:20. She finally brings the flautas, still no pozole. I wait a bit but my girlfriend tells me to start eating before they get soggy. Common courtesy would’ve been to bring our food at the same time, but whatever. By 12:40, I’ve finished my food and still no pozole. I go up to ask and she says, “aaaay se va a tardar más.” That’s when I just ask for the bill. What gets me is that my girlfriend sat there the whole time, waiting and hungry, while I ate in front of her because of the false promises. That’s the worst part. Be better, Perlita. Or don’t open if you’re not ready to serve. I’m all about buying local and supporting local, but this is yet another example of poor customer service in Imperial County, just like my review a couple months ago for Caliber Collision Center. P.S. To whoever is replying to these reviews: you need to chill. Some of your responses come off defensive, demanding, or even blaming the customer. That’s not a good look. You can’t fault people for saying they waited when you’re the one telling them their dish will be ready in 15 minutes. If caldos (menudo, pozole, de res) take two hours to make, then be upfront about it. Don’t overpromise and underdeliver, that’s on you, not the customer.