85Smash
Score
Score
Smash Score✓ Certified Smash
Downtown Fort Wayne's bowling-and-burgers concept from Te Gusto Hospitality. Order the Cryin' Johnny swim style - beer cheese, caramelized onions, and a homemade bun that reviewers call heavenly.
Photos via Ducky's at the Pearl on Facebook and Yelp.
Ducky's at the Pearl opened in April 2025 as the anchor dining concept for The Pearl, downtown Fort Wayne's mixed-use development. Te Gusto Hospitality - the team behind Mercado on the Landing and Papi's Pizza - built Ducky's around a deceptively simple idea: pair eight lanes of duckpin bowling with a scratch kitchen that takes the food seriously. The smash burger is the centerpiece, named after owner Johnny Perez in a nod to the restaurant's personality.
The Cryin' Johnny Double stacks two smash patties with caramelized onion, fried mustard, and American cheese - an elevated pub build that earns its name. The 'swim style' finishing move (drenching the burger in house beer cheese) is the signature recommendation and the modification reviewers consistently call out. Multiple diners have singled out the house-made bun as the detail that separates Ducky's from the standard bar-burger crowd.
The smash patty and the warm homemade bun - heavenly. Paired perfectly with crispy fries.
The burger was cooked perfectly and the toppings were delicious. Make it swim - trust me.
10/10 recommend the food and drinks! The service was fast and friendly.
Such a fun environment and family friendly. Very friendly and attentive staff.
Fresh and crispy fries. Their fries are consistently good.
We want it to be a place where you can bring your kids to play, but still feel it's of a high enough caliber that you want to hang out and eat there yourself.