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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Bella VistaMon-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
3 Courses, 2 People, $20. Juicy Burgers & Tender Ribs. You Choose!
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Sometimes I wonder why I haven't reviewed this place yet considering I'm there at least 2 or 3 times a month, but then I realize that this place has over 100 god damn reviews and, let's face it, no one will probably read this.
ANYWAY. I really love Royal Tavern. Sometimes I get kind of apathetic towards it because every now and then the staff rubs me the wrong way (too much "I'm a Hipster and I don't care about anything" attitude), but it's never BAD service. In fact, they are usually really attentive, and this one day bartender with short blondish hair is just so nice and pleasant that I want to be his best friend always.
The food here is also really freakin' delicious. Hands-down the best grilled cheese sandwich in the city. It has goat cheese, gouda, and something else that I can't remember, inside 2 slices of buttery, crispy, bread. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I've ever eaten anything else from this place. Maybe a soup, which you can add on to the grilled cheese sandwich for 3 dollars more. It's heavenly, and now I'm craving one of them at 8:40am because of writing this review.
The space itself is kind of weird and not really good for larger parties (long and narrow), but it's kind of cozy. I also really dig the bathrooms, especially now that they added the chalk board walls, because who doesn't like drunkenly writing messages while breaking the seal?
OH the only kind of lame thing about this place is that they don't take reservations, which makes going there on a weekend night sometimes not an option since it gets REALLY busy REALLY quickly.
So yes. Go to the Royal Tavern. It's swell.
There's just something I really like about this bar. Actually, there are a lot of somethings: a well-thought out beer list, tons of good vegetarian food options, including that awesome tempeh club, great brunch that never feels like an afterthought, the cozy interior, friendly staff, a fantastic jukebox and the fact that there always seems to be at least one other Morrissey fan there to play his songs too.
The only problem I can find here is that Royal Tavern is not close enough to my apartment. Of course, no restaurant can deliver a flawless dining experience 100% of the time, but every time I come to Royal Tavern, I leave happy.
Holy crap. The sweet potato banh mi sandwich (that's a Vietnamese hoagie for those not in the know) is wonderful. Filled with all the fixings that make it so great - cilantro, jalepenos, pickled carrots, daikon radish, jicama - with some Royal additions - sweet potato, bibb lettuce, and cilantro aioli. SO GOOD.
Based on the dishes I've had here - you'd think I'm vegetarian. If I had the money to eat at the Royal every night - I could probably pull it off.
How did I miss giving the Royal Tavern mad props?
This is why I love this place. I went this past…
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I have been coming here for about 4 years and I have yet to have a bad experience at Royal Tavern.
Try:
Burgers
Specials (some very unusual and tasty choices are on the board)
Soups
Grilled Cheese
Salads
Enjoy
the atmosphere
the partrons
taking people here for the first time.
the music
Waiters/Waitresses are polite efficient and helpful.
Also the bathrooms are clean. Also they are consistent!
One of my favorite places. They consistently deliver quality food and quality service. I have yet… Read more »
The Royal is awesome.
I'd only been here a few times before recently, but I've had the privilege of living literally around the corner for the past few months and have consequently been there at least weekly if not more.
Their food is generally over the top good. The cubano spring rolls are excellent, and the burger is very deserving of the "best of" title.
The only reason they don't get 5 stars is because last time I was there, my dad and I opted for a cup of soup each and to split a grilled cheese.
The black bean soup really left something to be desired, it was pretty bland and we had to ask the bartender like 5 times to get some jalapenos on the side. Black bean soup is usually served with sides to drop in such as cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, raw onion. This was not accompanied by anything, thus the blandness. It also had to be sent back to be warmed because it came out cold.
I got the pork, white bean, and broccoli rabe soup which was a special of the day. It was very tasty but my bowl was less than half full, which was made even more apparent by the fact that we both ordered soup and his bowl was filled to an appropriate level.
Overall that one experience was not a deal breaker (obviously, cause it's still gettin 4 stars) just a small stain on my otherwise glistening review of the Royal.
Oh- the meatloaf sandwich!! TASTY!
I only wish they had non-vegan sloppy joes as well. YUM.
I've been here twice. The food is always well prepared and tasty. The popcorn is so good I get cravings for it. It's just a yum yum place to eat. There is a good beer selection too.
The room is a tad too dark. I like the Christmas lights but sometimes I want to see the person sitting across from me.
I really love the brunch here - we take out-of-town guests. Honestly, I never got the fascination with some of the other brunch places around, because this place has much better atmosphere and the food is awesome. Duck sandwich was really good, great beers + burgers, and the owner is a stickler for spelling! Waitstaff are friendly and helpful. The place just gives off a really good vibe.
This was my and my husband's first visit to the Royal. We are big fans of Chef Mark McKinney (thinking of making a fridge magnet that says WWMMD), and will happily eat anything that he has a hand in creating. We practically live at Cantina Dos Segundos.
For a week prior to our visit, I'd been reading on various local food blogs that the Royal was doing an all vegetarian specials menu to celebrate their anniversary (we may also have gotten the word from the Chef himself, but I'm not saying...). Since the spouse and I eat not of the flesh, we decided to give it a shot.
My first impression upon entering the Royal: this is a bar. It smells like a bar. This is not necessarily a bad thing, if you like that stale beer and old cigarettes smell. It's not really our cup of tea, though. I drink, the spouse doesn't, and we don't really hang out in bars. It's also crowded. Being in South Philly, real estate is scarce, and tables are tightly packed. We arrived early enough that we didn't have to fight a crowd to sit in the back area, where the tables are more evenly separated, but upon leaving, I was wishing for a Moses like power to part the mass of people crowded around the bar.
Upon receiving the menu, I was overwhelmed with all of the vegetarian options available to me! Even the regular menu is chock full. We went with an order of the vegetarian chicken wings off of the specials menu. I also got the vegetarian sloppy joe. The spouse got the grilled seitan sandwich off of the specials menu.
The food was awesome. My only food related complaint: the order of wings was sparse. I wanted a big pile, we got 4 to share. I also needed a bigger serving of the bleu cheese dressing for dipping because I'm a dipaholic. My sloppy joe sandwich was incredible. It was served on a toasted brioche bun, and had a cole slaw which included jalapeno peppers. It came with fries. Oh, the fries! Crispy, skin on, perfection. There was mysterious vinegar flavored white condiment provided along with the fries...some sort of vinegar mayo? I finished both my and my husband's dip (because he hates condiments) using the fries. I may have been making little grunty noises, too, it was that good. My husband said his seitan sandwich was good, but he didn't share, so I have no idea what it tasted like.
We finished with a slice of tasty pumpkin cake.
The service was eh. When we entered, no one really noticed us, and we didn't know the routine (seat yourself? wait to be seated?), so I approached the bar and was directed to sit anywhere. Ok. We ordered drinks, and they came out quickly. I drink sparsely during a meal, but my husband has some need to guzzle iced teas at every restaurant. He really is a server's nightmare in this regard. Sadly, he judges the quality of service based on how often he has to wait or ask for a refill. I could tell from his face that the service at the Royal was failing. On top of that, the iced tea was actually gross...it had that flavor like the container hasn't been cleaned out in a while, like moldy washcloths. He had to switch to diet soda. When asking for a refill of his soda, he was actually told "it would be a little while" because our server was so busy. Ok. Again, this is not really my issue, but when my husband gets cranky at a restaurant because he's thirsty, it kind of ruins my ability to enjoy my meal properly.
Will we go back? Maybe. The food was certainly worth it. The ambiance, though, eh. It would probably be a good place to hit with a group of people and hang out late at night. We tend to eat during "old people hours," though, so I doubt we'll be back on our own anytime soon.
Dear Royal,
Sure, your food is unrivaled (the burger is as good as they say, as are about a half a dozen items on the menu), your servers and bartenders are fantastic, your atmosphere welcoming and without pretension, your beer selection utterly solid (with a nice kicker of whiskeys), your lighting dark as a bar should be, your jukebox balanced with awesomenss, your brunch kickass... Sure, you're a block from my house. Sure, sometimes when out-of-town guests are in-town for a weekend, we find ourselves coming to you twice at nights and once for brunch. Sure, all that. But you know, Royal, sometimes you're a little loud: so you only get five stars.
I love this bar. They have a decent beer selection, but the food is what keeps me going back.
I've loved everything I've eaten there, especially the chicken sandwich. But other great things I've eaten there are the burger, the caesar salad, and the meatloaf sandwich. I also love that they offer tater tots. I try to get something I can dip the vinegar mayo in, because yyuuuuuummm I love that stuff.
Brunch has also been great there.
Great beer selection and quality food!
In my last Food Network magazine, the Royal Tavern won the award for the best burger in PA. The menu changes frequently and although there's some vegan and different items, you can always order the burger when in doubt.
It's VERY dark and can get pretty loud in there depending when you go. GREAT beer and drink selection and service is top notch.
Hipster vibe with lots of tattoos, but you won't feel out of place in here...probably because it's so dark :)
Freddie and i totally dig this place. If we go local-it's royal tavern. I highly suggest the grilled cheese sandwich! The bartender was great and had me sample a few beers that were close to the type of beers i like. We'd rather sit at the bar here than be seated at a table. Good stuff!
I almost hate to give you a good review, because it's hard enough to get a table there as it is.
The food has never been a let down. The staff have always been kick ass and on top of their game.
I think it gets a bit drafty in the winter. But it's worth it for one of their bangin' burgers and delicious beers.
I also love the darkness and the year round Xmas lights. It's perfect.
Everything has already been said in the 100+ reviews already, so I'm just using this space to announce my Favorite Chicken Sandwich In Philadelphia: The Royal Tavern's grilled chicken sandwich with proscuitto, sliced pear, arugula, blue cheese and lavender-honey mustard on rustic french bread for $9.00. It will change your life. You will smell sights, feel sounds, see tastes, and hear smells, and this will continue in an infinite spiral until everything you know is false, life is one gigantic moment and time is simply a creation of the human brain to enable it to process the magnitude of our singular existence, and God really is everywhere. And for 9 bucks? I mean, I think you should try it.
Ah, Royal Tavern. The perfect place to nurse a hangover with a bloody mary. Personally, I find them to be the best in the city, so usually, one does not suffice.
I often frequent this place for brunch. If I don't feel like trying someplace new, the Royal is a go-to spot. Some of their classics are the grilled cheese- three cheeses and fries priced right at $7- and mac and cheese. Yesterday I tried for the first time the Jersey tomato salad and it was delectable. I ordered fries because I was afraid the salad world leave me a little hungry. I was wrong. The salad was adorned with two tomato slices bigger than my palms (and I have big hands). The bibb lettuce was perfect in this salad, it was soft as compared to a crunchier lettuce, it was perfect with the savory flavor of the tomato and salt.
Generally speaking, the Royal is usually crowded with good reason. The happy hour is good too, half priced drinks. Yay!
I am going to have to agree with everyone and say this place is definitely a go. Beer selection is great, service is friendly, and the food is AWESOME! They make the best grilled cheese I have ever had, they use a combination of cheeses, one of which is smoked gouda-and they make it on GARLIC BREAD-you need to try one, today.
Im a fan of corn, served in the popped manner.
This, after the nightmare of working in a restraunt , years ago, called The Ground Round, where, in lieu of a bread basket, we were to greet tables with a basket of freshly popped popcorn. It was their gimmick and a novel idea, but cleaning up loads of popcorn on the floor and cleaning out the movie theater corn popper, every damn night, was enough to turn me off of it completely.
But how can I stay mad at dear , savory, crunchy popcorn? Ill admit , that sometimes I decide to see a movie, solely based on the fact that i feel like some movie popcorn. I adore its mis-shapen goodness.
When told by a friend, that Royal Tavern, had really good Popcorn as an appetizer, I was intrigued. This information was relayed to me, while making the short trek from our parking lot, to the Royal, and I swear when I heard it, my pace quickened.
Since joining Yelp, Royal Tavern has been one of my Mt Everests, of places that I really wanted to try. I had heard about their burgers, their wonderful beer, but never about the popcorn. It made the excitement even more palpable.
It was a Wed. night, and not too busy. We took a seat in the dimly lit bar and I marvelled that it was much smaller than its reputation had led me to believe. We were greeted by a couple of suicide girls and shown a menu. There it was, Truffle butter and parmesean popcorn. I wasnt sure about the truffles, but it sounded good.
We tried a scotch, followed by one of their tap beers, which came highly recommended by my guest. I tried their Chocolate Stoudt, and it was as good and fresh as had been promised. The popcorn came in a simple, grease stained, brown, paper bag. It was still hot and smelled divine. I can honestly say that it was the best popcorn Id ever eaten. It turned my idea of what popcrn should be on its head and spanked it like a newborn baby. I may not be able to accept regular butter anymore.
The libations and snacks would have been just good enough, but both my guest and I felt pressured to get one of their highly touted burgers, both by the staff and our taste buds. Like Icarus, we flew a little too close to the sun here and each got a Royal Burger. Sharing one would have been gay! I wish I had saved the burger for another visit. It was definitely good, but after 9pm, after awesome popcorn and after , well... having already ate dinner earlier, it was overkill.
I will return to the Royal. Next time, I will make sure Im hungry enough , to partake of all the gluttonous offerings that im after. However, Royal Tavern better pray that I never figure out the recipe for their truffle, parmesean butter. They better be careful, because I already know what butter, and parmesean is. I will find out what truffle is soon enough.
The Royal Tavern has awesome food. My boyfriend is crazy about the tempeh club, which he orders every time we go there. Their nachos are also really, really good, but to be shared; they're enormous! The hummus platter, meatloaf sandwich, and Caesar salad are excellent as well.
As for beer, the menu isn't as extensive as Monk's or the Devil's Den, so I would go to those places if you're looking for a great beer selection. Also, the jukebox combined with the crowds on the weekend can make it really loud and difficult for conversations. The menu is very friendly for vegetarians and vegans. It's very dark inside.
Overall: food gets 4 stars, beer gets 2 stars and ambiance gets 2 stars.
This place was really great. I have been to the dive a bunch of times, and somehow I had completely missed it.
Good beer selection that's moderately priced, (Franziskaner is 6 here, while you walk 50 feet away and it's 4 dollars at the dive.) and their draught selection is pretty good too, Happy Hour seems like a good place to be since all of the beers on tap are half off.
I didn't try any beers because I had forgotten my ID, but I did have their Tempeh Club sandwich, and it was absolutely fantastic. The veggie bacon and tempeh almost seemed like they made it themselves... I have no idea whether it's store bought or made there, but it was great anyway. They also put this basil aoeli on the club which was a nice touch.
My boyfriend had the bbq seitan sandwich, and although this was good too, the tempeh club was better. It was more spicy than sweet, and I'm partial to the more sweet bbq taste. The seitan had a really good texture though.
Oh! They also have vegan cakes and desserts. I tried the carrot cake and it was super super moist, and the icing was way better quality than most vegan cakes / cupcakes.
I will definitely visit this place again.
This place is CONSISTENTLY one of my favorite restaurants every time I'm asked for a list.
Love it... fantastic VEGAN food (try the tempeh club. it will rock your afternoon), super friendly staff, the best jukebox in philadelphia, good prices, awesome (albeit small) rotating draft list, vegan desserts, nice atmosphere, yadda yadda yadda.
The only complaint i have is the line for brunch if you show up too far after 11. But honestly, i can't blame success on a business that deserves it this much.
I don't live in the area (haven't for about four years), but i still make sure to get my friends cross-town for a night of food and drinks at the Royal Tavern more than just once in a blue moon.
I'm a big fan of the Royal Tavern. It has been within a few blocks of my house for almost half of the 9 years I've lived in this city, and during that time I've seen it go through many changes.
Years ago, it was the best place for some kind of stuffed french toast on a sunday morning. These days, I don't bother with brunch there anymore because it became too popular for it's own good, and the poor servers constantly look overextended and the wait times can be awful. There's a good reason for the popularity, but I'd rather avoid it.
I tend to grab dinner here frequently. Partially this has to do with the fact that unlike some local bars who say their kitchens are open late but close them down early if they aren't busy enough, I can always count on the kitchen here to be open until 1am. I work an odd schedule, and so this has saved me from going hungry or going Wawa many, many evenings.
The menu always has vegetarian / vegan options, once in awhile the specials menu will as well, and the soups are consistently great. This is good to keep in mind, because they pair well with the grilled cheese and a beer.
(an aside about beer: i tend to like darker beers. the fact that the Royal always has bottles of Yuengling porter in the fridge makes me very, very happy. a lot of bars don't carry it, and it's one of my favorites, so kudos to them. now if i could convince them to keep a keg of the Yards Brawler on tap at all times, I'd be content forever.)
All that being said, my two true loves at the royal tavern are the popcorn and the tempeh club. the popcorn is so good that sometimes when we're sitting around the house getting ready to throw in a movie, i'll run down the street and grab a few orders of popcorn to bring home and eat with the movie. seriously. and it's a perfect inexpensive bar snack. enough other people have gushed about the tempeh club so i'm not going to, but i will say that even if i wasn't a vegetarian, I'd still be ordering the tempeh club. it's a mess to eat, but 100% delicious.
the jukebox can be hit or miss depending on your tastes, but i'm pretty sure there's something in there for everyone. watch out though because sometimes it gets LOUD for no apparent reason when you start picking selections and it's mildly embarrassing because everyone in the bar turns to glare at you as if you turned the volume up to deafening on purpose.
and finally, i have to say that the staff is pretty great. I've watched the servers sit and take written tests on the menu and the beer selection, so they definitely know their stuff. they are always very friendly, and i've spent many nights sitting at the bar drinking and being entertained by the bartenders goofing around. good vibes abound. my favorite bar in the city.
My favorite gastro-pub in Philadelphia. I think that at one point last year I was in serious danger of being charged rent at this place. The burger is one of the tastiest things I've ever had the pleasure of eating. The chipotle bbq wings are a sleeper which I highly recommend. The whole feel of this place has got me smiling as I write the review. Don't judge a book by it's cover though. You may not feel like you fit in with the crowd that flocks here. I'm the furthest thing from being considered hipster or alternative. I have no tattoos, no facial hair, and my ear lobes are not stretched to unusual proportions. You'll be comfortable here regardless of what you're into. If you like good food, good drink, good music, and good times, grab a table and get hooked like the rest of us.
My husband and I just moved to Philly from Brooklyn and we were on the look-out for a new local brunch spot. Consider the position filled!
Delicious brunch (I am partial to the eggs with tater tots and chipotle crema), not too pricey and we don't have to wait an hour to eat.
For dinner the meatloaf sandwich is so so yummy. I haven't tried anything else yet but don't worry; I just moved here!
The Royal Tavern is a great dive bar for a quick lunch or happy hour spot. Items on the menu are vegetarian/vegan friendly and reasonably priced. I wasn't really crazy about their beer selection - mostly standard, American lagers and ales. it could have been a bit more diverse however to complement the above average eclectic cuisine. I didn't really find it to be the type of bar to watch a game at either (they have one TV and it's pretty small). Nevertheless.. it will definitely suffice for the hungry vegetarian/vegan masses. I recommend the tempeh club, it's enormous and quite delicious!
Royal's my standard-bearer of bars. It's my basis of comparison for most other bars, and the neighborhood place I drank at the most over the past few years.
Royal's food is great. All of their specials (though sometimes pricey) are always delicious. The nachos with vegan beef were my long-time favorite until they switched-up their tempeh club recipe - it's by far the best in town. Their vegan sloppy joe is the best greasy vegetarian sandwich around, and the grilled octopus salad is great when you're in the mood for something healthy. (By healthy I mean green and smothered in olive oil).
Royal always has a great rotating list of beers at prices that have unfortunately become the standard in town ($5-$6.50 a pint). Overall it's easily one of the best gastropubs in the city.
I like the Royal. I've been here a handful of times for brunch and it's always been dang tasty. The bacon is always cooked just how I like it without even having to ask. The servers I've had have always been pretty attentive yet laid back. (Liz, an old favorite from Good Dog works here. Always good to see the familiar faces of competent and fun servers!) The place is dark enough to make you happy if you're nursing a hangover. The prices are reasonable. The beer choices are ace. Plus, it's part of the Cantina(s)/Khyber family--reason enough in my book for hanging out.
I've yet to try their burger (rumored to be one of the best in the city, right?) so I guess I'm going to have to get myself down to the dirty south more often, huh?
This place made me smile :)
First off, the vibe and decor of this place is really chill. Diggin' the christmas lights ;) Jukebox is a + too. It was a small place, nice bar (good beer selection). Service was speedy and very friendly!
The menu was really, really cool. Very creative. A LOT of vegan and vegetarian options. But also some really tasty sounding meat-eater options too :D When you first walk into the place, a sign says "Best burger in Philly!" So naturally my boyfriend and I had to try their burger out. It was GOOOOD. The peppers on top were too spicey for me, so I took them off. But other than that... the burger was perfect. The fixings, patty, and bun all rocked. It was a party in my mouth :) Very savory and flavorful. It comes with fries and pickle... can't go wrong there. But what really won my heart... I was able to substitute the fries for tater tots!
We shared the mac & cheese. I take my mac & cheese very seriously, my favorite comfort food... I was so upset! It was pretty cold and extremely bland. It didn't taste horrible, the texture was nice. But it was nothing to really brag about... So that made me sad...
For dessert, we split the "Death by Chocolate". As a chocoholic, I approve. It was so rich we couldn't even finish it! That was a first ;)
I'll definitely go back. Especially to bring my vegetation friends. Those vegetarian/vegan options looked good...
I've got a new favorite. I'm far from a Vegan, I like my meat. However, the Vegan Sloppy joe is to die for, and for only 9 dollars I don't think it gets better. I'm also always impressed with the Crispy Ginger Calamari, the sauces it comes with are amazing!
The other great thing is that the kitchen is open until 1, and man do I love some good eats late after a night out. Besides it beats wasting time going to *gag* Geno's for some food.
Love this place and get the Hummus platter! Oh so the plating for the Hummus looks strange...it… Read more »
my guest and I shared the tempeh club and seared seitan sandwich. both were amazing! as was our cute server. and they had dogfish head punkin ale on draft! all is well.
MEATLOAF SANDWICH and a Rogue Chocolate Stout for $15? Im in heaven. Go check this place out.
Likes- Creative, well thought out new wave bar food. Lots of vegan and vegetarian options. Quality beers on tap and bottles. Classic and well maintained interior. I love tin roofs! PRICE PRICE PRICE!!!!
Dislikes- Music a bit loud for 1 pm on a Sunday (not nice with a hangover). Its not in Ithaca NY!
I just saw that Royal Tavern was featured in Food Network Magazine's of 50 Best Burgers in 50 States in the June/July 2009 issue. Awesome burgers, great job!
this is a small bar, so don't come here with more than 3 people unless you want to wait forever. the staff weren't completely helpful when we walked in, but once seated we had a nice server.
as a vegan i was happy to see there were several selections, clearly marked. Vegan sloppy joes, Tempeh Club, an interesting sounding salad option and a couple of the soups (a delicious sounding Plaintain Coconut and Avocado Gazpacho) and vegan desserts too!
I chose the Tempeh Club. It came with fries, but i got tots instead, and a pickle spear. the club was large and came with grilled tempeh slabs AND tempeh bacon with lettuce, tomato and vegan mayo. it was really good. i could've done without the middle slice a bread and one less of the 2 slabs of tempeh (i took one off). the cost was $8, which was a good deal for all that food.
someone with me ordered the octopus salad and said it was delicious. my other friend ordered a burger and said they were "good." she loves the fries.
I have tried to find a place in Philly that I love more than the Royal, and I just can't. It's perfection, and I don't care how dorky that sounds. I have come here about once a week (sometimes 4 times in a week!), give or take, for the past 4 years, and I keep waiting for the novelty to wear off. But it doesn't, because it is so great. Five stars don't do it justice.
Everyone who works here is so friendly, and they are fast movers. The food is freaking amazing and so cheap for how delicious it is. They have my favorite fries in the city, and always a great rotating selection of draft beers.
In other words, if the Royal was a human being, I would marry it. It's THAT good.
Royal Tavern is like a drug: sometimes you want to quit, but can't; other times, it's so good, you… Read more »
The person who gave this place 2 stars is seriously nutty! Royal Tavern is a super cool place to get some good grub (especially the burger!) and some cold drinks.
Its really everything you could ask for in a bar. The staff was very good each time I have been there and their cocktails are actually really good for a bar. They have these cherries that are the best thing in the whole world. They are maraschino cherries that are soaked in bourbon (or something like that).
The Best!
Everything's pretty much already been said about the Royal Tavern... 60 reviews! and still 4.5 stars.. the odds are with you that you'll like this bar if you haven't been.
I extra highly recommend the grilled chicken sandwich that has not only prosciutto, pears, and "elitist" arugula.. but blue cheese and LAVENDER honey mustard, too. You'd think all those flavors conflict, but somehow it works.
French toast with dulce de leche? Sold!
I once had an omelet on special there that had cilantro sauce. Never even heard of that before, but now every time I go for brunch, I hope to see it on the board. (Though I haven't yet, so, Hint Hint.. if Royal Tavern people ever read these reviews)...
Lastly.. I went once with 5 of my family members, including two 50something year olds, a vegetarian, and my fancy Paris-dwelling sister, and everyone found something on the menu that they truly enjoyed.
So again.. it's all about the odds, and it seems they're stacked for the Royal Tavern.
i come to this place quite often. mainly after roller derby several nights a week. the staff is always awesome and the food rarely disappoints. only a few times did i have fries that were over salted. i am however pretty sad that they took the seitan sandwich off the menu.
the beer selection is diverse, although lately i havent been too impressed. all in all this place is great. from the atmosphere to the staff to the food..... go here.
I like the Royal. It has a nice atmosphere for brunch, lunch, dinner, drinks, etc. Brunch runs until 3pm which was a nice surprise.
Most recently, I had the grilled cheese. I asked if I could have some tomato slices added, which I can't have a cheese sandwich without, but I was a little disappointed because it was obvious that the tomatoes had reached that stage where they are a little soft. This would've been more noticeable in a salad or other dish so I wasn't too bothered by it.
I am not a huge fan of smoked cheeses that have a very smokey flavor either. That is beside the point I guess because overall it was a good sandwich. The bread was deliciously toasted and not too buttery/greasy.
My lunch date had the apple pancakes which were really very good.
Service was pretty good ... took awhile to get our order placed but that was fine since I couldn't make up my mind. After that it was pretty timely.
Not a bad place. The lighting can not be called lighting though.
The burgers are not the best. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, or just send them back to Burger King.
And these folks can't make a bloody mary to save their lives.
This place isn't for hipsters, yuppies, or old timers, but for the rest of us.
I came here this Saturday night at 10. The decor is classy with probably 20 tables, all full, so we sat at the bar. The beers on tap weren't your usual victory / dogfish / y lager, which was a nice change (although I like those beers). The menu was vegetarian friendly, although we just had two sides, the fries and tater tots, both greasy delicious.
Maybe the best way to describe this bar is as the compliment to its next door neighbor, Dive Bar. One is smoky and dingy, the crowds are five years and several pay grades apart, but both are friendly.
I've also been here at closing time, and then the place was deserted. Still, a good place to know and visit.
well, i really wanted to love it. but i didnt. i am always hungry for a burger. i have heard too many times that royal tavern has a great one. it comes with bacon (i do not dine on swine) and onions. (not a fan) so i had those things removed. the bread was stale and broke apart as soon as i touched it. the whole burger fell apart in my hands. it was a mess. the meat was dry and tasteless. i couldnt taste any cheese. but the service was perfect. and the atmosphere great.
i will go back. maybe to cocktail or try something else. the 2 of us both had burgers. 1 beer and 2 glasses of wine. it came to $44 bucks. i guess its not outrageous, but i hate wasting money on bad food.
Yay! Such a fun place! If I lived here I'd come here all the time. Fun hip vibe, great bar and local beers. Good selection of vegan/vegetarian food!
We had to wait about ten minutes for a table on a week night, as it was a little packed. The great thing was there is a jukebox with a wonderful indie music selection that kept us occupied.
I had the vegan sloppy joe and I have to admit I was a little hesitant. I'm a new vegetarian and sloppy joes is a favorite. I was hoping it would hold up. Oooh, it did. It was soo tasty and huge, I ate the entire thing. It also came with a side order of cole slaw which was great. We shared the mac and cheese, which wasn't too bad, a litte chalky but full of flavor. The fries were very yummy too.
We tried their local beers. The local dark beer is very smooth, good but I'm not a big dark beer fan. I ordered the Sweaty Betty beer (honestly just so I could repeat the fun title to the waitress), its a lighter beer with a hint of fruit but with a Miller kick at the end which I could have done without.
Overall an awesome place to go, little pricey but totally worth it.
Half Price Bottled Wine!
Neighborhood: Queen Village
FREE wine on Wed. & Thurs.
Neighborhood: Northern Liberties
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Queen Village
Category: American (New)
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Northern Liberties
Category: Burgers
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