I have had 2 very different experiences at this restaurant. Â The first was when I took just my girlfriend for her birthday dinner and thought everything was excellent and the second was when the two of us took my parents. Â I'm having a hard time believing it was solely due to this, but the only difference between the 2 times was that the second time I ordered one of their few non-fish entrees.
See, I'm not a huge fan of fish. Â I don't necessarily dislike fish, I would just generally rather eat any other type of meat. Â Roy's menu makes it particularly clear that fish is their expertise and the coconut crusted Mahi Mahi I ordered on my first visit was amazing, far surpassing my expectations and overcoming my innate dislike. Â My girlfriend's Tuna and all the fish entrees we ordered on the second trip were of equal good, but I personally decided to try the short rib on that second trip and that was a huge mistake. Â I order short rib pretty much any time I see it on a menu (seriously, it's a habit I'm trying to kick) and this was easily the worst I'd ever had. Â Still the desserts were good and as always they have a good selection of interesting cocktails. Â Just make sure you order fish.
This restaurant chain happens to be one of the few my husband and I dine at. The food just doesn't seem like your typical chain food. Why? Because it isn't!
Lobster pot stickers, a Kobe beef roll, edamame with a kick, tender ribs, melt in your mouth butterfish, and molten chocolate cake with raspberry sauce... Is that enough to interest you?
Roy's is the epitome of the definition of a 5 star experience. We have eaten at Roy's restaurants in a number of cities and have never been disappointed.  Roy's offers a menu for the more budget conscious or for those enjoying a nice evening to dine.  Food is always fresh and the wine selection is ample.  For our anniversary dinner, my wife had fish and I had spare ribs.  Excellent.  Chocolate soufflé is also highly recommended.
Being that it was our anniversary, the restaurant had put a special welcome on our table and covered the table cloth with 'Happy Anniversary" glitter. Â Well done!
Roy's is one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. It rocks on all levels: Â service, decor, atmosphere and cuisine. I take advantage of pre fixe specials at least three times a year and the Aloha Hour is not only a good deal but a good time for a group of friends.The Aloha menu includes drinks and appetizers for $6 each until 6pm - and they are all delicious!
Read my complete review at:
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I went here for a friend's 21st birthday in a party of 6. Great accommodations and food. My main complaint lies in the service.
Food:
I ordered the lobster dimsum for apps, the roasted macadamia nut crushed mahimahi, and hummingbird cocktail. I thoroughly enjoyed all my dishes. The cocktail was really light and left something to be desired in taste...I think I had higher expectations for it. My friends ordered a variety of entrees, including the butterfish, blackened ahi, and vegetarian dishes. Overall we were very satisfied with the dishes, Everything looked appealing and tastes flavorful.
We shared a upside down pineapple cake, which was also phenomenal.
Service:
They provided coat check, and decorated our table for the birthday girl, which was very nice. The service was lacking in the fact that our server seemed to be more concerned with her other tables than us. We asked for the vegetarian and gluten free menu 3 times before she finally brought it to us - this took a span of about 20 minutes. After ordering, our apps came quickly, but then the entrees took 45min-1hour after the apps!!!!!!!!!!!! It was unbelievable. Tables next to us who sat down after we did received and finished their entrees before ours even arrived!!! We were sorely disappointed and hungry. Our dinner took so long to arrive that we gobbled down the food within 15 minutes. Worth the wait? I don't know. By that time, we were just happy to get anything in our stomachs.
Overall:
Great food and options. Work on that service though. People should wait over an hour for food and still be eating after the restaurant closes at 10. I might come back...if i'm in the area and it is not a busy night.
My company hosted an event at Roy's for about 50 people, featuring a full awards ceremony and a multi-course meal. We couldn't be more pleased. Everything not only flowed smoothly, but they accommodated any last minute change we had. The wait staff was quiet and let our guests enjoy the presentation while still offering great service. And the food was fantastic. I've been getting so many compliments for picking this wonderful venue.
Review Source:I came here last year for my 25th birthday, I had a great time so I decided to come back for my 26th.
Once i sat down our server came, Nick? Rick? Something like that came to our table. Now I'm big on customer service and mind you my last birthday I had GREAT customer service. I felt like me and my friend were judged based on looks, and nationality.
He did not smile, his tone of voice was dry, and it seemed he was annoyed by us being there. Why is that you were smiling at other tables and looking friendly, but in our table your looking disinterested in serving us.
My friend ordered a lemonade, I had to remind him, and he brought it an hour later.
I was to the point to ask for another server. And I will next time I go to a restaurant.
I feel I was judged by being a Hispanic Puerto Rican, and dressed like a "thug" in their eyes. I wasn't happy and i was celebrating my 26th birthday there because I love that place.
Next act like your happy to serve people, remember based on your "service" does impact how much YOU deserve a tip. I would rather tip the chefs who've cooked an amazing platter, then shove an extra $15 for horrible customer serve.
Sincerely,
Slick Javy
Hawaiian fusion was intriguing enough that I wanted to come to Roy's. I got there and while I was waiting for my friend, ordered the Roy's Island Mai Tai. I really liked it when the bartender greeted me by saying Aloha. It sort of briefly took me to Hawaii where it was warmer and sunny than wintry Chicago. Â Roy's could do a little bit more with the Hawaiian concept I feel like. The cocktail was delicious with a slight kick and reminded me of how much I had missed black rum.
As soon as my friend arrived, we were seated.
I remember our server asking me how my evening had been so far. I smiled and said, "well, it's just starting. Hopefully, it'll go well with my dining at Roy's". Always remember to tell your servers or the managers at restaurants that you go for dinners that your evenings are just beginning and that you are looking forward. That puts the responsibility on them to deliver great service and food. If it's a reputable establishment like Roy's, they should be able to handle your expectations, right?
My friend and I split the Citrus Salad which was good except for the fact that it felt a little salty on the tongue. I wasn't too concerned because the slices of grapefruit and oranges did cancel out the salty flavor.
Both my friend and I ordered the Roy's Trio. It consists of a smaller serving of three fish: Hibachi Salmon, Macadamia NutCrusted Mahi Mahi & MisoyakiButterfish
Baby Bok Choy & Steamed Rice
We were not completely satisfied with it. Our server told us that the butter fish was one of the tastiest fish dishes at Roy's. She was very much correct about that and I enjoyed eating the butterfish.
The Mahi Mahi and the Salmon tasted the same. They just did. I was asking another friend of mine after dinner who told me that the two types of fish were supposed to taste different. So I felt like I had not had the Roy's "Trio" that I was promised upon ordering.
As for dessert, I ordered the chocolate souffle and...my mouth is watering even as I merely recall the amazing dessert I had.
The service was impeccable with multiple different people (the server, the manager, somebody else) coming by to check if everything was going well with our night. Maybe they should limit the number of people to two people, however (just a manager and the server).
So apart from the slightly less delicious Roy Trio, the dinner at Roy's was great. Since, the main article of the restaurant, the entree, was a little disappointing, I would have given a slightly lesser rating, but I just couldn't because of the great service, cocktail, and dessert I had.
oh and one small thing: The tap water in the bathrooms is chilly like the weather outside. I wouldn't mind warm water to wash my hands with (small things)
Had NYE dinner here with the bf at 5:30pm. Â Traffic was heavy coming from the suburbs so we got there 5 minutes past our reservation time. Â I literally jumped out of the car at State and Huron, crossed the street, and rushed in to tell the hostess we were there so we wouldn't lose our reservation while the bf was giving the car to valet, haha. Â Valet was $12 but there's also pay-to-park metered street parking available right in front of the restaurant. Â There were plenty of spots open at 5:30pm, but we were running short on time. Â Not sure how much it is per hour, so it may or may not be cheaper than valet. Â But if we had more time I would've definately checked it out, so I recommend doing the same.
We were sat right away and I noticed the restaurant was a little empty but I knew how early it was. Â Within an hour every table within sight was occupied. Â
They had a special prix fixe menu for the night. Â This was the first time dining here for both of us and it was way beyond either of our expectations. Â I had a couple gift cards to this place, and they were also redeemable at Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's, and Fleming's. Â I've eaten at Outback and Bonefish before (not really a fan of either restaurant) so I didn't know what to expect from Roy's. Â At best, a decent meal; at worst, chain-quality, gimmicky Hawaiian food.
Drinks were good, but slightly on the strong side. Â Both of us could only have one each since we had to drive home.
All the food was exceptionally delicious, from beginning to end.
Service was outstanding; waters were always full. Â Our server (it was a little noisy so I couldn't hear her name when she greeted us, but on our check it said Alicia F.), was great! Â She was very patient and explained all of our questions about the menu, and even offered her suggestions. Â She was pleasant without being overly, insincerely friendly. Â Even her smile was very kind and genuine. Â We both took her entree recommendations and I ordered the Scallops with Pig Belly and it was the best thing of the night! Â SOOooo DELICIOUS!! Â The bf ordered the Lamb Shank and I wasn't fond of it, but only because I'm not fond of lamb in general. Â We shared everything we ordered and he said he liked my scallops better, but the lamb was the best lamb he ever had. Â
For a special night out, Roy's definately delivered. Â We each had one alcholic beverage, and one prix fixe option which included an appetizer, salad/soup, entree, and dessert. Â For two, our bill was $174 after tax, before tip. Â Pricey? Â Yes. Â Worth it? Â Yes. Â Would I recommend this place? Â Absolutely. Â I already told my mom about it and am thinking about my next visit. Â :)
We hadn't been to Roy's in a while and when my husband made the reservation, he mentioned my birthday and our upcoming anniversary trip to Hawaii. Â The server mentioned both and congratulated us, The menu had an insert with happy birthday Peggy on it, and the deserts came out on a plate with Happy birthday and Happy Anniversary written in chocolate. Â THAT would have made it special enough but the food (and drinks) were fantastic. Â I had the trio and all three fishes were amazing. Â My hubby had the Ahi and he says (as he has said in the past), it is the best in the city. Â We had the lobster appetizer and the hawaiian martini (you MUST have at least one). Â They never made us feel rushed and it was a great evening of food and fun. Thanks Roy's. Â I won't wait so long to visit again.
Review Source:I checked out the menu on their website before making a reservation. Â However, the menu displayed on the website and the actual restaurant menu were not the same. Â We asked for certain dishes and the waitress informed us they no longer offer this and that. Â Â After studying the menu for a while we decided to just order a few appetizers and drinks since we did not find any main course appealing to us. Â
We ordered ahi poke, tempura calamari, and grilled Szechuan spiced pork ribs. Â The ahi poke was very fresh and had a good flavor. Â The calamari was covered with doughy tempura. Â It should be light and crunch. Â The ribs were tender and tasty. Â The server was very attentive. Â However, we left the restaurant feeling disappointed.
Delicious food.
The Maine lobster Dim Sum is a must, when it comes out you are at first lost in a sea of foam, but underneath there are four perfectly cooked delicious bites of lobster heaven. If there were more I would have loved it as an entree.
The Shrimp and Miso Soup: This actually is more of a main dish, my brother ordered it thinking it would be a per dinner soup, we barely finished it between 5 of us. It was tasty, but a bit heavy on the noodles.
Roy's Trio: A combination of three of their top selling fish dishes. Why doesn't every restaurant have this option? Hibachi Salmon, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi & Misoyaki Butterfish all served with a small portion of their respective sides. My favorite was the Butterfish, but if I had to choose one as a main dish I would opt for the Mahi Mahi (also divine) as the butterfish seemed a bit rich for a full meal.
I did steal a bit of my bro's shellfish sampler and the crab cake had the right ratio of crab to cake, the lobster was perfectly cooked, but the stealer of the show was the macadamia nut pesto risotto.
You have to get the chocolate lava cake dessert. "No room" is not an excuse.... It's that good.
A fantastic restaurant for an intimate date or for a small group. Â I went with my family for my brothers 30th birthday and the restaurant spruced up our table with a few little "Happy Birthday" confetti pieces strewn on the table, it was a nice touch without being hokey.
Had an amazing experience here with my boyfriend last week. He got Roy's Trio and I got the seafood sampler (or whatever it's called). I highly recommend the Canoe for Two appetizer, or skip it in favor of just the dumplings or the ribs. And the pineapple upside down cake...I've been dreaming of that thing for days now.
I do think it was a touch overpriced, even for what you get. For a $30+ entree, I'd want it to completely knock my socks off, but it only peeled them off and dropped them off the side of the table. For this, I was going to give it 4 stars...until the pineapple upside down cake.
If you skip the booze, coffee and dessert, it's actually a somewhat reasonably night out. If you do drink, my advice would be the 1988 and forgo the mai thai that they inexplicably push on you. For the entree, my partner got the trio, and the butterfish was by far the best thing on the plate; so just get that :) And for dessert, I think I may have mentioned something about the pineapple upside down cake, but in case I forgot to, this is a must-do.
I personally love the food but probably I went to a bad timing at that time. The server does not serve us well and the food have to come 45 minutes after the appetizer was finished. The food was great but personally I always feel a bit turn off after having a bad service. Wine was awesome but again, service was a no-no.
Review Source:I'm definitely a fan of this spot. Â Don't be afraid of the Hawaiian fusion thing. Â It's quite good. Â I went on my birthday and they had a special "happy birthday" menu for me, and I got a free dessert. Â I ordered a pork tenderloin dish, which was some of the best I'd ever had. Â I'd go back just for that. Â Everyone at my table was happy with our orders.
Review Source:I have only been here once and it seems that I may be back a lot for my usual married-life chronic, periodic, date night of a fancy restaurant, comedy show then a gastro pub or something if the wife is up for it. (I am always up for it) Here is a very accessible (via CTA or taxi) restaurant that is not pretentious but my lord they have some wonderful and inventive drinks / desserts / meals. I enjoy their bathrooms immensely, well stocked with custom Roy's towels and Lifesavers mints. Hiyo! You can sit at the sushi bar, but we sat at a nice half booth, half chair table. The bus boy / water guy was on point, the waiters were on point, when I would drunkenly stand up to go wee, I would return with my napkin neatly folded and placed right next to me. I saw them do this for my married homey who was with us. They have deals on the menu, got me some, they have a pre fixe menu, for next time. This time I got:
Drinks -
The Original Hawaiian Martini - Pineapple was fresh and tasty, very refreshing.
Acai Piso Sour - A bit sweet for me but it was a great apertif.
Manhattan - Best one in recent memory.
Hummingbird - This was so good we wanted to make it at home, and I think I shall. Very refreshing, we ordered this toward the end and it went very well with the desserts.
1988 - The lychee was a nice touch. Strong which is good for me, but my wife ordered it. We switched out the pico sour for this one and all was right with the world.
Eats -
Edamame - covered in sea salt and maybe a nice cinnamon? Or Paprika? I don't know but it was a nice touch.
Coconut tiger shrimp - Only 4 for $12 so yeah, kind of pricey but dude, were in the gold coast.
Maine Lobster Dim Sum - This was just OK, but I would get it again.
Sushi -
Lanikanae - This had wagyu beef in it, which may confuse and irritate serious sushi people but for me, it was a home run hitter shooting up steroids in the bathroom.
Another roll was eaten by everyone in my party cuz it was so good, I didnt get any.
- Butterfish & Beef special for $30 man this was awesome and a killer deal. Worth it.
Dessert - Pineapple upside down cake AND lava cake- I am so fat. I got both. I love food and desserts. Also, they need 20 minutes to make it so you know its fresh. Finished with a cappuccino and a cig, best meal I have had in awhile.
Went here for a friend's birthday.
I read on Yelp that they were super good about celebrations and such and it's true. They took our picture and gave us a copy and also a copy of the menu. Very sweet.
Now the food....
To start, the edamame was way too salty. Seriously... watch out... it's a silent killer
Also very salty was the Shrimp and Miso Soup. Cute presentation but couldn't finish it between the five of us.
I understand that we have a high tolerance for sweet and salty tastes in our society but I am always a little disappointed when establishment cover up their foods with those flavors to the extreme because it just seems to me that they don't want us to really taste what the food is like.
We then ordered some ribeye (great!)
Roy's trio which was 3 fishes that were bit overcooked but had good sauces
The riette was legit (it's like pate without all the fat, not as in it's diet food but just made with less fatty cuts of meat- don't quote me on that though I had had a bit of wine already)
There were a couple other things we had and it was all okay but nothing I'd come for again unless it was a special occasion.
The wine selection was also pretty good.
The dessert was good as well, we had the pineapple upside down (which is made to order) and a cheesecake I believe which was also good.
Before I start the important stuff I have a silly anecdote. My good buddy Jake and I came here while visiting Chicago last week, but there's something really odd about that. See I grew up in the Palm Springs area where I lived for 14 years, Jake in Pasadena for 20 years, then we moved to Vegas where we've lived for several months. One thing these places have in common other than an abundance of incredibly old people? They all have a Roy's. And there's one thing all those Roy's have in common, neither of us have ever been to any of them. It took us wandering around downtown Chicago while on vacation at 9:30pm to finally give this place a shot.
We were pretty gosh darn pleased.
After trying to find the front door for 5-10 minutes(revolving doors are hard and we're not bright), we made our way in and were welcomed by a friendly staff and seated immediately. Started off with the Lobster pot stickers, which are very likely to be one of the greatest things that will ever enter my mouth. I have only one complaint, and that's that they came as 5, an odd number. We had 2 people, I'm no math major but 5 doesn't divide by 2 into a whole number, which is a problem. If we were civilized individuals, maybe we'd cut it in half. But we aren't. We're men, we grow chest hair and lift weights(and like wrestling and monster trucks, or something). Luckily I won the coin flip to determine who got the final pot sticker, however, be warned Roy's, if I lost that flip this would be a significantly more negative review.
Okay, you get it, I liked the pot stickers, moving on. I got the Roy's Trio, which if I recall correctly was macadamia crusted Mahi Mahi, Salmon soy and Butterfish. It's hard for me to remember because I ate them all within a few seconds of the plate hitting the table, because it was all delicious. I wasn't even sure I was eating fish at one point, I thought maybe they accidentally brought me out a plate of dreams and magic. Jake went with something that came with Lobster, shrimp, etc. I can't remember what it was called and neither can he, but he also enjoyed it thoroughly.
That was a lot of words. The overlying theme is eat at this restaurant, because I now regret the past 14 years of my life for passing up on it every night. Learn from my mistakes, don't regret your life, eat at Roy's.
I've been to other Roy's locations in the US and this one seems to be a little tired.
We ended up sitting at the Chef's bar and watching the kitchen do their thing. Highly entertaining. Â Our waiter was very personable, made great recommendations, and was happy to accomodate our request for a quick meal since we had other plans we were running late for.
I was out of character with my drink order and I went with a glass of Chardonay that was a special label made for the restaurant. I figured if it was made for the restaurant, it must suite the food. It was perfect and refreshing. My dining partner went with the 14 hands Merlot, which we both have had before and enjoy.
We went with the canoe of appetizers for two, plus the waiter's recommendation of Maine Lobster Dim Sum. We were treated to a complimentary chef's dish of a coconut shrimp, but since the coconut shrimp was included in the canoe of appetizers, that doesn't really seem like a special dish, just an extra shrimp. The coconut shrimp ARE delicious, so another shrimp was warmly welcomed, but lacked a wow factor that comes from an amuse bouche at fine dining establishments.
We typically get the ribs, and they were okay. They are very sweet and tender, but again, nothing spectacular. All the appetizers were heavy on the sauces, but were tasty nevertheless.
The Maine Lobster Dim Sum came in a white creamy broth and some foam. I'm not usually crazy about foam, but this wasn't a deal breaker. The dumplings were okay. Not mind-blowing. I was expecting something a little more "wow" after the description from the waiter.
I really wouldn't make a point to go back, but I wouldn't knock it. There is a pineapple upside down cake I saw coming out of the kitchen several times that looked insane.
Roy's is excellent! It was my first visit and I was very pleased with the service and food! My boyfriend and I went here for our year anniversary! Roy's was recommended to him from a co-worker! SO glad we tried it!
Hawaiian Martini- Strong and Delicious, Highly Recommend!
Edamame when you sit down, instead of bread! Great Idea!
We did the summer price fixe menu! My boyfriend and I love splitting food so what better way then splitting what was on the fixe menu for $36 each.
App- Rock shrimp and Peaches, great portion for an appetizer considering all the food to come and the crispy mozzarella salad was small yet delightful.
Entree- We love fish so we decided to try the mahi mahi and trout. The trout was amazing! It tasted a lot like salmon and I love salmon so i was for sure a go on the trout. The mahi mahi was good too! It's a little tough but that is usually what you get for that type of fish!
The best part of the whole experience was the dessert!! The Melting Hot chocolate souffle' was amazing! Once you put your fork into it, it explodes like melting chocolate out of a volcano! So yummy!! I would for sure get the dessert soo yum!!!
Our server was great and took a picture of us with the Roy's camera. Then brought it out to us in a fun paper picture frame! So cute!!
For sure will be back!! AMAZING!
I love to try "new to me" places, where I can explore the menus and hopefully find great dishes. Well Roy's was a home-run from first base! I met a couple of friends there for an early evening dinner, and made it just in time to try their lobster pot stickers. Those little babies are really tasty. I also ordered a Hawaiian martini which embodied all the most popular fruit flavors of the warm state. Afterward, I ordered the 1988 which features the lychee fruit. Both cocktails were amazing.
On to dinner, I had the beef short ribs, which were perfectly cooked and kept very moist and tender, along with Yukon mashed potatoes. Â One of my friend had the salmon, while the other had a fish trio. All agreed that everything we were served was well worth the trip here. For my final dish, I ordered the white peach cheesecake.
I must say that when I have an actual dessert worth the calories it really puts eating packaged sweets in perspective. The cake was light and very flavorful. My friends even commented saying it looked as if I were savoring every bite. Hey so what if I was? Ha! There was no ingredient nor detail lacking the entire time we were here.
Also, if you arrive around 5 or 6, it's very easy to find parking on a Friday night at the pay boxes.
We had our rehearsal dinner here the other week. Â When we went in for our tasting a couple months ago and decided on Roy's, we were extremely happy with the quality of the food and the service we received from the event coordinator, Erica, and the rest of the crew. Â Since then, Erica has left but we were still looking forward to our event.
The food the night of the rehearsal dinner was delicious, as usual, and our guests were very happy with the quality of the food. Â However, we were extremely disappointed by the service. Â I constantly noticed empty glasses throughout the night and noted that it took over 10 minutes to get most of the drinks we ordered. Â The food also seemed to take a really long time. Â When we informed the new coordinator, we did not notice an improvement in the service and found it a bit frustrating. Â We also mentioned the slow service to the GM at the end of the night and they really did not do or say anything to make up for it. Â Given the amount of money we spent on this event, we expected a lot more from the staff.
They did try and show a nice gesture by providing Sean and I with a congratulatory dessert for our wedding, but spelled Sean's name wrong on the dessert when it came out - given both of our names were on the menus and the contract, we thought this was a bit silly.
I really can't say much more than that the food was great, as expected, but the service was sub-par at best.
The food here is fabulous---if you go for a special occasion they WILL make it feel like a special occasion. Â (customized menu, polaroid photo, special dessert, confetti on the table......who else does all that!?!?!?)
Lobster Dim Sum, Butterfish (one of the best fish dishes in the city!) and the soufflé are the best things on the menu.  Hubby and I honeymooned in Hawaii and every time we miss it we come here!
So for the first night of my 3 day weekend trip to Chicago, I made a reservation for two at this restaurant as an early birthday celebration for my friend whom I was visiting. Â When we got there, we were promptly seated, and were pleasantly surprised to find that on the inside cover of the menu was a customized page saying Happy Birthday to my friend!
The service was not the fastest, but once we got the attention of the waitress, everything was fine.
We ordered two appetizers: the lakanilau sushi and the lobster dimsum (this one was ordered because of all of the raving yelp reviews about it)
For the main, we decided to get one from the sea and one from the land and split it. Â So I got the roy's trio so we could sample a bit of everything, and he got the filet mignon.
First, for the appetizers. Â They were amazing. Â As my fellow companion said, "these appetizers are so good that they get me hungrier and more excited for the main meal!!!"
And the main dishes did not disappoint. Â Of the trio, I would say we were both equally blown away mainly by the butterfish. Â The filet mignon was also very tender.
And finally for dessert, we got the pineapple upsidedown cake, which was so amazing that we immediately regretted not ordering the chocolate souffle as well....
All in all, a great birthday dinner for my friend, and we left very satisfied.
Roy's has been a favorite of ours since we first experienced the original restaurant in Hawaii. Â We typically eat at the Chicago location each year for our anniversary since a trip back to Hawaii each year is just a pipe dream currently (maybe some day...). Â Anyhow - the restaurant itself is trendy/classy on the inside with abundant room between tables (which is nice since I do not need to listen to adjoining table conversations the entire night).
The drinks are good - we usually have at least 1 lava flow (pina colada with strawberry preserves) and some wine throughout our meal. Â The drink menu is creative and pricey!
The food is solid - especially the fish dishes along with the Roy's mainstays that are indicated on the menu. Â Some of their sampler dishes give you an opportunity to try several of their meals for a decent price. Â This past trip I had the main lobster, petite filet with crab meat (crab oscar). Â The dish was great - especially the lobster! Â My wife also had lobster but hers was under cooked - the waitress quickly brought out another which was cooked properly (Thank You!). Â The desserts here are generally good - but not worth foregoing the appetizer or main dishes to save room for.
The experience here has been consistent for us over the years and we can count on a good meal and tasty drinks. Â The decor and service make it a great place for a nice dinner downtown.
This place is solid but you can tell its a chain. Â I love the cocktails. Â I could just sit at the bar and drink! Â The seafood is fresh and tasty. Â They have creative presentations. Â There's just something about it that says chain to me. Â Maybe is the service? Â
I would definitely come back here but probably for one of their deals like Prix Fixe or Restaurant Week.
I bought my parents a gift card to Roy's for their 30th anniversary and accepted their invitation when they invited me to come along for dinner one early evening after work.
And wow, I am glad that I accepted their invitation!
The food was FANTASTIC. Â Everything about it was perfect and delicious. Â They have a Spring Prix Fixe Menu for $36.95. Â I had the lobster dim sum, pan seared trout and chocolate souffle. Â The dim sum was delicious and the shiso herb puree underneath was very tasty. Â I loved the trout as well - it was cooked perfectly and I really enjoyed the black cous cous that was served along with the meal. Â And, the souffle - well, there really aren't any other words for it. Â It just melted in my mouth. Â It comes with vanilla ice cream and a raspberry sauce. Â Definitely worth a try!
My parents also had the three course meal. Â My dad got the salad (the dressing was different in a good way and very tasty), steak frites (steak was good well and seasoned nicely), and the PB&J Â (banana pound cake, peanut butter mousse and strawberry gel). Â My mom got the seared salmon, Asian pesto grilled chicken breast (came with delicious lo mein noodles) and souffle as well.
The service was great and our waitress was extremely attentive and friendly. Â Also, I love the decor of the restaurant and the open kitchen set up.
I definitely plan on coming back!
I have a burning issue that I must discuss- why is there no rubber spatula served with the lobster dim-sum? I want every last bit of the lobster bisque sauce. Tears welled in my eyes as they took the pink smeared bowl away...okay on with!
So here's the dillio- sign up for their membership deal thingy. If they still offer one of their cooking "classes" (they include dinner) sign up. Why yes I have the recipes for the lobster dim-sum AND short ribs...you also get "coupons" for $ off your meal...generally $20. It is expensive here so if you are tight on $$$ pony up to the bar for happy hour (4:30-6:30, not on Fridays) there's discounted drinks and food.
The menu changes seasonally. I LOVE this, because like the old Girl Scout song- Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold-- they keep the old but truly loved items on the menu.
Order a cocktail-- Don't argue with me. As my sister said- "this tastes like Hawaii".
Order ANYTHING-- I could go on about sushi rolls, dim-sum, seafood trios, short ribs, pineapple upside down cakes, but I won't. It doesn't matter what you order- it will be spectacular. I swears it. EVERYTHING. Surf or turf.
Service is super attentive without being like a curiously strong mint. I totally appreciated that we were kept abreast of what was coming to the table next and when. It was also explained what the dish as it was presented- thank you thank you thank you!
Ladies- visit the bathroom. On the wall by the door there are all sorts of ammenities that you might find useful and practical. For free.
Aloha, Mr. Hand.
Oh Roy's, how I love thee! Â Not only do you offer a selection of fresh seafood that you won't find elsewhere, the creative and delicious preparations keep us coming back. Â We're also reminded of the Hawaiian Islands every time we dine here. Â Since we honeymooned there and vacation there often, that scores major points with us.
We were joined by good friends on our last visit and had a great meal. Â Roy's has a solid cocktail list to choose from, any of which would be ideal to sip on a beach watching the sun set. Â We passed on that to pair wine with our meal. Â For our starters we split the lobster dumplings and the seared ahi, which I had to have as it is one of their signature items (and one of the best things on the menu) and I knew I'd be getting something else as my main. Â I liked the dumplings, and of course loved the Ahi, which was seared perfectly on the outside and blood red in the middle. Â
When it comes to entrees I never look beyond the seafood offerings. Â Plenty of options I could have gone for, Ono, Shrimp, Ahi, Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi (had that the last time-fantastic) and the indecisively perfect trio that allows you tasters of three signature items. Â I went for the Butterfish served atop the forbidden rice. Â For my money this is one of the best dishes they have. Â A little bit of sweet, flaky fish and a whole lot of awesome. Â The other mains at our table were the special Shutome, diver scallops and the always excellent Ahi. Â We were all very pleased with what we had. Â
We finished with the chocolate molten lava cake and the pineapple upside down cake and enjoyed them both. Â Our service was spot on, which was great as we had a heavy pouring waiter on our last visit. Â
So nice to get Roy's back in my good graces again. Â I'll just close my eyes and pretend that we're back on the islands. Â Mahalo. Â
Do you have a guy like me every year?
So I had been to Roy's in Hawaii before (where my girl Jenna D has an awesome hookup that involves some seriously free and awesome food), but this was my first time visiting on the mainland. Â
I went with a group of girls for Aloha Hour. Â It is important to note, Chicago has made it illegal for bars to offer drink specials during happy hour, to prevent suburbanites working in the city from taking two hours to get shmammered and crashing their way back home, so the specials applied to apps only. Â
The apps were $5 each, and between four of us we decided to try all eight of them (what?!? gotta get some food in our stomach for how many drinks we were about to consume!). Â The standouts were definitely the edamame that had some brown sugar and yummy spices on them, as well as a peanut dipping sauce as well as the Tuna roll that was on special. Â
There were some less than amazing options. Â I found the Beef Skewers a little tough, and the mini Wagyu Burgers were bland and unexciting, but nothing was actually BAD.
They have a great martini menu. Â Since they don't run the special in Chicago they were $10 a pop, which isn't cheap but isn't unusually high either. Â I started with the Sage Blossom Martini (Hangar One Mandarin Blossom Vodka with fresh oranges and sage). Â It was awesome!! Â I love sage but was worried that it might overpower the drink, but it was a perfect balance. Â SO good. Â Next I got the Basil Strawberry Martini (blend of muddled strawberries, fresh cut basil and Ketel One Vodka). Â I am not a fan of sweet drinks but I was impressed with this one. Â Although I probably wouldn't want more than one per sitting, I would definitely order it again. Â
The waiter was very nice and helpful. Â Sorry I didn't catch your name!
My girlfriend and I have come here every year for 3 years for our anniversary. We don't come here just because the food is great, but because the staff does a lot to recognize you as a great customer.
1) price is a little much but I believe its with it
2) staff and ambiance is great. They will take care of you and make you feel like you are king Kamehameha himself
3) food is great! Lobster dim sum with truffle foam is amazing- who knew foam would be great! Butter fish is also great. Chocolate souffle is the best dessert- I am slightly salivating right now just thinking about it.
As I said we come here every year for our anniversary and they've given us free appetizers, free deserts, taken and printed our pictures, printed anniversary notes for us and decorated our table.
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