Chain-Filled South Bay Is Getting an Independent Oyster Bar

The South Bay retail development in Dorchester is getting an oyster bar. The Pearl Seafood Grill and Raw Bar could open as soon as December, co-owner Teda DeRosa-Pinckney told Dorchester Reporter. The restaurant is slated to open in the space at 20B District Ave. adjacent to Express.

DeRosa-Pinckney, who co-owns the business with Reggie Cummings and Malik and Mika Winder, told the Dorchester Reporter that the raw bar will function as the restaurant’s focal point. They’re reportedly calling it the Pearl Seafood Grill and Raw Bar because they hope it will be a “hidden gem” and also because Pearl was DeRosa-Pinckney’s grandmother’s name.

The restaurant will focus on seafood and raw bar items, with products sourced as locally as possible, and will offer craft beer.

The owners of the Pearl Seafood Grill and Raw Bar still must meet with abutters to get the neighborhood’s blessing, and they are in the process of applying to the City of Boston’s Licensing Board for a liquor license, but if all goes to plan, Dorchester could have a new raw bar ready for the holidays. When it opens, it will join a dining scene at South Bay that so far consists solely of chains, including the just-opened 110 Grill and Gyu-Kaku, along with Wahlburgers, Olive Garden, Panera, Chipotle, and more.

• ‘Pearl’ of a Seafood Joint Slated to Open at South Bay [DR]