The Red Pearl: Boulder Creek's Chinese Restaurant
If you want Chinese food anywhere in the San Lorenzo Valley, the Red Pearl is where you go. It's at 13151 Highway 9 in downtown Boulder Creek, It does dine-in and takeout, and it does not deliver, so plan on driving.
The dragon on the wall
The restaurant introduces its owners, Jenny and Ren, through Zhujiang the Pearl Dragon:
"In the Northern reaches of the San Lorenzo Valley, Located in the mystical mountains of Santa Cruz, is the Long ago town of Boulder Creek. It's there, at The Red Pearl, that the most delicious Chinese Food is Prepared fresh daily. Also there, is Zhujiang the Pearl Dragon, He has now come to these mystical mountains to dwell as protector of The Red Pearl, the owners, Jenny & Ren, and all who partake of its wondrous food."
What kind of Chinese restaurant it is
The Red Pearl serves American-Chinese cooking with a broad menu. The categories include appetizers and soups, beef, chicken, lamb, pork and spareribs, seafood, mu shu, egg foo young, chop suey, noodles and chow fun, rice and fried rice, and vegetable and tofu.
Two parts of the menu are especially useful for locals. There's a vegan section including mock chicken, which isn't a given in a mountain town where the vegetarian option is often a side salad. There are also family dinner specials, built for a familiar situation: a household on a weeknight when nobody wants to cook.
The kitchen advertises food prepared fresh daily. The room is small and plain, with dine-in and takeout service.
Ordering, and the drive
The restaurant's site has an online ordering link, and you can order by phone at 831-338-9800. Either way, the order is for pickup. The Red Pearl sits on Highway 9 in the middle of downtown. It's a short walk from most of the shops if you're already in town, and it's directly on the main road if you're coming up the valley.
The restaurant runs Wednesday through Sunday, 11 in the morning to 9 at night, and stays closed Monday and Tuesday, so a Monday craving needs a different plan. Its site carries the current schedule.
Hours and menu items change. Check the Red Pearl's own page or call 831-338-9800 before relying on anything time-sensitive.
The menu
The menu runs past four hundred items across seventeen categories. The August 2026 snapshot is above, and the current version lives on the ordering site.
- Lunch specials, daily 11 to 3: dozens of plates with steamed rice and soup or a fried wonton included, Kung Pao and Mongolian classics and General chicken among them, most under $10.
- The classics, deep: appetizers, soups, beef, poultry, lamb, seafood, pork and spareribs, chop suey, mu shu, egg foo young, noodles and chow fun, and rice plates.
- The vegetarian side is unusually serious: a full vegetables-and-tofu section plus an entire soy mock chicken category running to more than two dozen dishes, which is why the vegan section got its own mention above.
- Family dinner specials bundle multi-course meals for the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Red Pearl deliver?
No. Red Pearl doesn't deliver. Order for pickup, or eat in.
Can I order online?
Yes. There's an online ordering link on the restaurant's site. You can also order by phone at 831-338-9800.
Is the Red Pearl open every day?
No. It's closed Monday and Tuesday and open Wednesday through Sunday, so check the current schedule before driving up.
Are there vegetarian or vegan options?
Yes. The menu has a vegetable and tofu section and vegan dishes including mock chicken, which is unusual for the valley.
Where exactly is it?
13151 Highway 9, in downtown Boulder Creek, on the main block. Phone 831-338-9800.
Hours and menus change; check before you order.
For the rest of the town's kitchens, see where to eat in Boulder Creek and the food and drink listings. Browse the business directory or the rest of our Around Town guides. Something out of date? Tell us.
