Roy's
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Validated
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
31 Reviews for Roy's
Appetizers Appetizers Appetizers! That's all I usually order when I eat here. Since they have "special" appetizers every night I always get to try something different. The one appetizer that I always order is the "canoe for two", it's perfect assortment of their favorites. After the "canoe" and a few other appetizers I've only got room for the best Chocolate Souffle I've ever tasted. Because of Roy's Chocolate Souffle I always order Souffles at any restaurant that offers them but have yet to find a comparable one. Be sure to order it ahead of time since it takes about 25minutes for them to bake one. Service here is consistently great also. If you don't have reservations the Hawaii Kai location usually has no wait seating downstairs which to me is a lot more cozy than the noisy upstairs dining room.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
The Roy's SF has never disappointed me and now this location has completely blown me away. Superb customer service.
For a fancy restaurant, I think it is great they cater to kids. We arrived around 5:30 on a Thursday evening. No wait and we were able to get a table far in a corner in case my son acted up. I absolutely love that not only were they able to accommodate us but they have a children's menu and automatically bring out the food for my kid.
I always order from the Prix Fixe, with is an every changing set menu that includes appetizers, main course, and a dessert. Went with the dim sum appetizer, mac crusted ono and finished off with the molten souffl. My husband had the same appetizer, the ribs and mac nut tart.
Our server completely encompassed the Hawaiian spirit and totally made us feel like we're all homies. He recommended I try their special martini which is made with pineapple juice and a huge slice of liquor soaked pineapple in it. Make sure to eat the pineapple as it will get you faded.
I always have a wonderful time at Roy's and this nigh was no exception. It was the perfect way to kick off our Hawaiian vacation.
Wow, we ate at more chains in waikiki than we would in a year (Roy's, Yardhouse, Cheesecake factory). part of it is a function of what's within walking distance of the hotels. As chains go, Roy's is classy and delicious. We started with the dragon roll (which unfortunately was deep fried. tasty but bad for you), and other mains we ordered included butterfish (always order it), the curry butter grilled shrimp, the surf and turf (shrimp and pork chop). We ended with the pineapple upside down cake and chocolate souffle, both accompanied by ice cream. Make sure to make a reservation.
The waiter lied to us though. My brother tried to order a catepillar rol, which is unagi and avocado. it was an off menu item. We ordered the dragon roll...which has, you guessed it, avocado. Anyway, the waiter said they couldn't do a catepillar roll, because they had no avocado. Hmmm...or only in limited quantities?
Everything is so tasty and never boring. We went there 2 times in 3 days when we were on vacation in Hawaii. Instead of providing bread as a starter, they have a very tasty soy bean dish. From the dragon roll sushi as appetizer to the whole fixed price menu, each dish is unique, pretty, and scrumptious! We recommend everyone to go there when you are in Hawii.
I've been to all 3 Roy's on Oahu: Hawaii Kai has the best food but is loud and crowded; Ko Olina has a romantic atmosphere but it's practically Kauai; and Wakiki is lots of fun but incredibly touristy.
I'm absolutely in love with the Misoyaki Butterfish (moist, bursting with flavor, perfect) and the Chocolate Souffle (decadent, flour-less, divine) that I need to order them every time. I could fill a book with sweet poetry about them.
Whenever there's something new I want to try, I talk whoever I'm with into getting it. Everything here is worth ordering, but steer clear of the Charbroiled Short Ribs; they're tender but not very tasty.
If you're deciding between the top Hawaiian fusion tables here, I'd choose Alan Wong's (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) over Roy's--but Roy's over the rest.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
Yum! Yum! Yum!
I had a dinner program here for 20 clients... we had a special menu prepared for them... very reasonable. Everyone was happy.
Later that night... I had dinner with some friends and we ordered off the menu. Different experience. It WAS AMAZING!
Tuna sashimi... delicious. Oho... it was good.... but the veggies served underneath were terrific.
Make sure you save room for the chocolate souffl.
I was really disappointed because I had a 5-star experience at their location in Kihei (Maui):
* Ono was dry.
* Butterfish was slightly salty, but not bad.
* Beef short ribs were overcooked. They were fork-tender, but the meat itself was dry.
* "Canoe" appetizer plate was meh.
If they had sauteed the butterfish very lightly and allowed the flavor to stand on its own (instead of over-marinating in miso & soy), it would have been a great dish instead of an excessively salty, mediocre dish. But the upside-down pineapple cake was heavenly -- probably the best carmel-soaked pastry bottom I've had since the pecan rolls at Arizmendi Bakery in San Francisco. All in all, this was kind of a disappointment.
I didn't have any reservations though I got here after 9pm on a Wednesday evening. The wait was less than 10 minutes. The service here is really good and the staff are very attentive. I asked a waiter where the restrooms were and he escorted me there rather than just point a hand in the general direction of the restrooms. One waiter would almost neatly fold up our napkins everytime we left the table.
Now for the food. I tried the TNT? rolls which were very good and had the tender beef short ribs which was also really good though slightly on the dry side. The food itself is probably 4 stars though when you throw in the excellent service this place gets a 5.
Lame - overhyped, overpriced, full of tourists and slow service. it's not worth the 45 minute wait without a rez and 15 min wait with a rez. The only decent thing on the menu is their house-made tequila which is really good and smokey.
Oh boy. What a great meal!
Co-worker and I were tired from traveling the night before. Luckily, this place was right across the street from our hotel. The hostess seated us right away, even though it was 7 pm on a Sunday night, a time that I would traditionally consider busy. The service was awesome! Our waitress was really friendly and had really great recommendations.
I had the salt and pepper shrimp, which was outstanding! Co-worker had the filet mignon, and she claimed that it was the best she's ever had before. We also had desert - pineapple upside down cake for me, and the chocolate souffle for Co-worker.
I know that we have a store here in Chicago, but I've never been. I will definitely make time to go there now! Highly recommended if you are in Honolulu!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
While there are a number of Roy's in Hawaii and on the mainland, the one in Waikiki is worth writing about. Overall, Roy's is a good place -- it's clean, good for corporate dinners, and it is always a good place on a friday night. The Roys in Waikiki is a cut above the rest because it has a new dessert chef offers a nice finish to almost any meal. When I was there recently, I had the toadstool - it was awesome and the name was definitely fitting!
I LOVE THIS PLACE.
I seldom order fish but the butterfish was highly recommended so I tried it. OH MY BLEEP BLEEP GOD. it was so good. Everything was delicious and I appreciate them for not looking at us funny when we licked the sauce off our plates. yummy.
i was kidding about the licking part...although I really wanted to do it.
I don't remember the one in the city being this good.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Our experience at Roy's was good overall. The restaurant was really noisy so it was a little hard to hold a conversation, but the food made up for it. I really liked the misoyaki butterfish that came in the Classic Trio and the molten lava cake was really tasty. I would definitely recommend a trip to Roy's if you happen to be in Waikiki but make sure you make reservations early!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I loved my experience at Roy's. My family had reservations for dinner on a Friday. We did have to wait a little while in the lounge, but once seated a well-trained team took care of us beautifully- all without hovering or making a scene. We had our son, so we were in an alcove with other families, a nice touch for everybody- family or grown-up parties. Even though Roy's is popular, we never felt rushed; they make everyone feel welcome.
My husband, my dad and my BIL ordered the butterfish, and each enjoyed it. My mom and I got the shrimp with risotto, and I LOVED it! I think the husband was a bit jealous of my dish. I don't remember what my sis ordered, but she seemed to like her meal, too. The portions are generous, even the salads are huge. For dessert, we shared the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, and coconut sorbet. A delicious end to a wonderful meal.
An odd thing happened as we left the restaurant. Some mischief-maker from an upper floor of the hotel threw ice at us and another party on the sidewalk. We weren't hurt, but a baby got hit and was pretty scared. The restaurant manager and the staff took care of the situation quickly and efficiently. They don't mess around.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
For some reason I didn't get the best impression from Roy's... First of all the dining environment was a bit cramped and noisy, don't get me wrong it was a huge dining area but way too many ppl. For my appetizer I ordered the Sweet Home Waima-Nola Salad. That was delish!!!! For drinks we had to let the waiter know how to make a pineapple mojito! I thought we were in Hawaii, u would have at least expected them to serve pineapple mojitos. The entree i ordered was the Shellfish Combo...was very good except the sauce on my rizotto may have been a little bit too rich. As for our dessert we ordered Chef's Assortment was okay. But all in all the food was good and the service was so so, our waiter seemed scared of something...lol...weird. but if you dont mind the noisy typical chain restuarant feeling than this place hits the spot.
Best chain restaurant. :-) You can't beat the selection of fish--macadamia crusted mahi is pretty standard but still my favorite. The combos of 2 different type of fish are good as well.
I always get the rib appetizer--they have a tangy asian flavor.
They also make my favorite chocolate lava cake--served just the right temperature to be soft and let the gooey chocolate right out. YUM
We have one of these in SF and Pebble Beach, but for some reason it's always better in Hawaii. :-)
Roy's is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Hawaii. The original is in Hawaii Kai, and this is the one I love to go to. The servers are so friendly, as well as the bartenders. My most favorite thing to order is the Chinese Chicken Spring Rolls. Delicious. Also, the scallops are a big favorite of mine. Sometimes when I would eat at Roy's, I'd end up ordering a couple pupu's as my entree. Save room for the chocolate souffle, you will not be disappointed. Also, the Roy's label wines are pretty good!
Here is another restaurant I love to go to...it is conveniently close to Ruth's, so if either one of them is more busy than the other, I know I can still get a good meal by walking a few steps to the other.
I usually go to the bar area. Sure, you don't have all the nice atmosphere that you will find inside, but I really don't care too much about that, unless i am with a date.
The food is a little cheaper here, you will get a full meal instead of having to pay for different portions...but, one recommendation I have is save room for dessert. They have this Chocolate Souffle that is to die for!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
We usually try to avoid chains, but there are the rare exceptions -- Capital Grille, for example -- and Roy's is one of them. Everything was excellent. For starters, we had the fennel w/ shrimp bisque and the goat cheese and portobello salad. Both were great.
For entrees, we had the butterfish and the ono. The butterfish was *amazing*. The ono kinda sucked. I mean, it wasn't horrible, but it was a bit overcooked and not that flavorful, which was a bummer since it was one of two recommendations from the waiter. (The other was the butterfish, which to reiterate was incredible.)
Dessert: chocolate souffle on one side and pineapple upside-down cake on the other. Both were great, which is saying a lot as this is one of ~100 dark chocolate souffles we get per year. The top was just crispy enough and the center was molten, not just gooey. Niiiice.
Aside from the bland overcooked ono, all in all a great experience
When you enter Roy's, you are greeted by the courteous hostess and wait staff. You pass through a "lounge" area that looks very comfortable. If I ever want to wind down and grab a drink, but not sit at a "table, I'll try Roy's for sure.
After we were seated, the servers were in no rush. They took our drink orders and let us enjoy good company. After perusing the menu, I decided to order the shutomi (special that was described as a medium flake fish) as that came with a lobster cream sauce ... a local recommended that I make sure to order something with sauce as that's one of Roy's specialties. The waiter pointed out that the Prix Fixe menu did serve the shutomi, so I opted to order that as it included an appetizer plate and decadent dessert.
The kitchen did a great job spacing out our courses first presenting a delicious app plate w/ seared tuna sashimi, a spare rib, and an egg roll ... then came out the shutomi. I typically find swordfish a bit tough, but the shutomi was prepared just right. Perfectly cooked and complemented by the lobster sauce. Last, I enjoyed the chocolate souffle which was decadent and rich and knocked me out for the 10 count.
The service, food, and ambience at Roy's Waikiki comes together to present a fantastic dining experience. Don't miss it!
BTW - This blog I found presents some great pix of Roy's many items and also some of the dishes I ordered ... so check it: http://dailygluttony.b...
Let me just start off by saying this Roy's on Waikiki is by far my favorite location.And,I have been to many different Roys located on the different islands,here in SoCal,NorCal and last visited Roy's in Vegas.
Believed me they are not all the same when it comes to magnificient views,service,dining experiences and food expectations.I will go into further details at a later time when I rate Roy's in Pebble Beach which was a big disappointment.
This Roy location provided us wiith the overall suberb fine dining experience that came along with the expected excellent service.
The view was spectacular,the appetizers,entrees and special preorder desserts were all mouth watering.I'm a pretty harsh critic and you'll probably won't see me rate many establishments with a 5 Star.Roy's left me with an overall pleasurable and rewarding impression and how could I give them anything less than a 5 Star rating.
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of restaurants with lots of hype. From all the hype, I tend to have extremely high expectations which are very hard to meet. Finally having the opportunity to check out Roy's, I came to the discovery that all the hype is actually true.
First of all, we were sincerely greeted with an aloha by literally everyone: the hostess on the ground floor, then the bartender, then all the line cooks, then a waitress walking past us, then another waiter.... the aloha's & the howzit's were endless. Wish they would have that in SF.
We ordered the 3 course prix fixe menu with the wine pairings. The first course came with baby back ribs, blackened ahi & a chicken chinese roll. Each taste was superb. It's amazing how they made the ribs so soft, tender & juicy? Roy, please share this secret with me? I ordered the macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi. What made this dish memorable was the lobster cognac butter sauce. Of course, the meal ended with a bang with The ultimate dessert ever: The infamous Roy's melting hot chocolate souffle. Apparently, this takes half an hour to to heat. One bite into this moist flourless cake, hot chocolate oozes out as if lava is flowing out of a volcano. I also tried the pineapple cake dessert. That was so-so.
Overall, I had an amazing experience at Roy's. I was seated on the second floor & had the entire view of the gorgeous beach in front of me. Service people are so genuinely friendly. Before mentioning anything, our waitress asked if I wanted to take home the left overs versus me making the first move. From this experience, that's how I'm going to determine whether to give a 15% or 20% tip.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
My manager recommended this place and I'm happy he did because this was the best meal we had in Waikiki! We both had fish - I had the sashimi platter which was amazing, the hamachi was the best I've ever had, period. And I eat sushi every week. Great quality!
The service was excellent, the chocolate souffle was everything we'd hoped it would be, and they had a nice wine selection. Also, I always give extra points to restaurants that carry a good 20 yr tawny, which they did.
Bonus points: edemame instead of bread - and it was tossed in a sesame soy light sauce, much better than sea salt- very tasteful and tasty, and healthy!
We will dine here again when we come through on our way home, I look forward to it!
I had close to the most delicious meal of my life here! I was at dinner with five other people and literally everyone at the table LOVED their meals. Bear in mind I was in the company of some rather discerning pallets, so this is really quite impressive. We ordered 6 appetizers, 6 entrees and three desserts--All delicious. Not too mention the Hawaiian Martini (perfection in a glass). If you go here you HAVE to try it. Not only was the food fabulous, but the service was really what sealed the deal. Very attentive (like refill your glass if you take one sip attentive) and very helpful with the menu. Highly recommended!!!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
This place was absolutely awesome. The manager, Diva (sp?), had come out at the beginning, during and after the meal. I was there with a large group of friends enjoying dinner.
The food was spectacular. I did not expect to get full (trust me, I can put down a few plates of food) but I did.
I would recommend the dinner with the paired wines for each course. All the desserts on the menu were fantastic.
The atmosphere is perfect for a wonderful time. The wait staff is very attentive and will spend time with you to explain everything and to answer any question you may have.
Recommend this place for sure....
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
I'm still digesting the elegant atmosphere, amazing service and incredible food.
Will be back later.
LATER:
Our group of 15 friends vacationed in Hawaii this past week and on our final evening together, we thought Roy's would be a fitting end to our getaway. And what a finale it was.
Diva the restaurant manager paid us a wonderful compliment by thinking we were local which probably had more to do with my husband's Samoan-like physique than anything else. She was appropriately attentive without being over-solicitous and hovering. My 6-year old niece was maneuvering chopsticks for the first time and Diva seeing her struggle Macgyver'ed a pair of chopsticks and a rubber band for easier use. My 5-year old nephew was tired and fussy so she brought over Matchbox cars to entertain him. She wasn't always there but she was there when she needed to be.
Water glasses were constantly refilled, they were never less than 3/4 full. In fact, I drank so much water never thinking I put a dent in it that I visited the bathroom three times, and each time I returned found my napkin neatly folded. Brian our server was friendly and accommodating and marveled at the fact that most of us were from Vallejo like he was.
The impeccable service was surpassed only by the excellent food and presentation. The prix fixe menu with wine pairing at each course was priced at $54 which I thought was excellent for both the quality and the quantity. I started with a guavatini cocktail not caring that I had 3 more glasses of wine coming to me. The trio of appetizers paired with a sparkling Prosecco was a forgettable eggroll (the one tiny disappointment of the meal), one Szechuan spiced pork rib and sashimi. My main course was a braised short rib served on a bed of mashed potatoes. Desert was the melting hot chocolate souffle which was served with vanilla bean ice cream, presumably to cut the richness. I stopped remembering the wine pairings after the appetizer course because perfection isn't always what you remember, it's how you remember it to be.
Watching my friends with proudly protruded bellies smiling, happy and most importantly full, I sat back and enjoyed our last night in Hawaii content with the perfect happy ending Roy's provided.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (2)
Cool (4)
This is a cool spot to kick it on a nice evening. I like to sit outside at the bar and have drinks. The drinks are made really well, probably some of the best I've ever had. And when that breeze just blows through - that's the best.
The food is good, but I am biased towards their drinks.
Sitting at the bar, the bartenders are really nice and friendly. They will come up and talk with you a bit, find out what you really are in the mood for and will come up with something to suit you for the evening. In one trip, I had to go twice, just because it was too good to pass up again before the end of the trip.
What a great place to hang out at.
People thought this was:
Cool (2)
This was my first time dining at a Roy's chain, I knew they had one in SF but many had mentioned it wasn't the same as the one in Oahu. So we made a reservation for 6 and they seated us immediately. We ordered drinks and we received them right away, and they quickly took our orders after. For appetizers, each couple had the appetizers for two which had ahi tuna poke, lobster pot stickers, kalua pork lumpia and shrimp sticks, and also added the crab cakes. When we received the them, the portions were very tiny, I felt like I was eating in a French restaurant. Although very delicious, just really small portion. For meals we had the braised short ribs which was fabulous!! The meat was soft, tender and full of flavor. For dessert, we all had the chocolate souffle with the ice cream. This was my favorite part of the meal!! I enjoyed the dinner due to the great service, delicious food and the overall atmosphere. The drinks cost us $60 alone for each couple, but altogether we spent about $150 per couple. I don't know if I'll be back, for only the fact that I felt like grabbing something else to eat after wards???
Oh my god. This is probably the very first place that I have ever spent close to $100 on dinner for just myself. I was in Hawaii for a convention and decided that I was going to treat myself to dinner at Roys. I'd been to the one in Hawaii Kai(?) many years ago and it was fantastic. Well it's still fantastic. The service was excellent, the salad, main course, and of course the chocolate dessert was TDF. It's great when a restaurant can continue to maintain excellence. Definitely worth a visit. You will be back!!!!
why why why me? i guess everybody seems to like this place, (even oahu natives recommended it to me) except poor me.
before i went on vacation i checked yelp and put roy's on my list as a must- go- to restaurant. i arrived there for a late lunch around 4pm but they only served appetizers. fine with me. i ordered a salad and spring rolls, both were fantastic. i thought it would be worth spending the big bucks on dinner so i made a reservation, the first available time was 9pm. i was super happy because it's sign of a good restaurant. right?
anyways...
i ordered escargot appetizers. it took quite some time to get it, but the friendly server brought me a complimentary ravioli-type appetizer because they burnt the first escargot. (ravioli-yummmo!)
35 minutes later my food arrived. although i love escargot, the flavor of that dish was absolutely disgusting! i don't even know how i was able to swallow it. it still upsets my tummy when i think of it.
stupid me didn't say a word (insert: a very very very angry smiley)
i couldn't wait for my main course , which was filet mignon (well done) with blue cheese gnocchi. the filet mignon was burnt 100% and the 5 pieces of gnocchi didn't taste like blue cheese, i think the kind from the store is a 100 times better.
for this gastronomical disaster i paid over 80$.
what a loser!
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Post Vacation Blues...
when your biggest problem was deciding between a… -
Aloha!
I had an opportunity to get out of cold, gray,… -
Food is love
The way to my heart is through my…
Hot and New
- Hakone Restaurant
22 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Mediterraneo Italian…
15 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Tenkaippin Ramen
9 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Yogurtland
10 reviews
Honolulu, HI
- Waiola Shave Ice
152 reviews
Honolulu, HI