Royal Tavern Reviews

best bar food in philly, no make that the world.

Had dinner delivered from Royal Tavern, first time that I had had their food. The chicken miso sandwich was very good, but the French fries were the highlight of the meal. So flavorful!

The Royal tavern (937 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147, (215) 389-6694) is a great find. It has a terrific menu and wonderful daily dishes. The soups are particularly good. It also has a huge vegetarian selection. This neighborhood tavern is located in the Queen Village/Bella Vista section near Philly's Italian Market. It is a cool, old-time bar; nothing faux about it! It is the real deal, plus, it won't wreak havoc with your budget!

Delicious food & great beer! Amazing, will definitly be back again and again

So I sent my husband a list of burger places that I received from Yelp last week. Today he suggested that we try out the Royal Tavern. I have to say what a great hidden gem. Now it took us forever to find a parking spot in the area. But it was worth the effort of dealing with Philadelphia parking. We came here specifically for the burger and MAN what a burger. So we each got the angus burger how we liked it. I chose to get it exactly how it came—- with the long hot. I have to say the burger was great. I love beer and the beer selection was great. It had one of my favorite beers Weihenstephaner Hefe-Weisse that is hard to find. I will say if you are looking for a great burger, great laid back atmosphere, and some food beer, you have to try this place out.

My wife and I have probably been here 20 or so times over the last few years. I can only really comment on the angus burger, as it’s our go to burger when in Philly. The service is great too, and I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad experience when visiting.

Love the tempeh ruben, choice of sides, and the beer selection's pretty good.

Great authentic food, traditional food with a twist. Great environment.

A group of us tried the mussels, cheese sand whiches and shared a great chocolate desert. Excellent selection of draft biers (some affordable and at least one not so much). Enjoyed recommendations and great service from Amy.

Royal Tavern is one of my favorite bars in Philly. We've been frequenting here for over a year and absolutely love it. My girlfriend is a vegetarian and the menu is very veggie/vegan friendly. They have plenty of delicious meat options as well. The stand out item however is their Bloody Mary. It is easily one of the top 3 in Philly. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is a bit divey but we love it. Cheers!

Had a great time here. They have a great beer list and I loved the ambiance. Highly recommend checking it out if you are in town

Not just your every day bar food....delicious....good service.....pretty loud so we could not hear each other....but hey we are old (er)

This place is great! One of their sister restaurants, Khyber Pub, is already one of our favorites, so when we saw this was associated we had to try. So glad we did! The beer selection is great, bartenders were friendly, and the food was fantastic!!! Even on a packed night the kitchen cranked things out a timely manner, and my fish tacos were a.ma.zing. Husband had the meatloaf sandwich which was also great. We will be back!

Bartender was patient and accommodating to my guests. In fact, they really enjoyed their tequila drinks. Great patina to the bar. Kind of reminds me of cowboy or speakeasy bar. Not a sports bar per SE, but I could see myself spending a couple of hours with the boys downing a few. Fair prices for drinks.

We visited the Royal Tavern twice on a recent visit to Philly. My 8 y.o. loved the place. The menu had some unique options and we tried 2 of the vegan desserts- coconut cake and carrot cake- all the food was very good. The restaurant is rather dark and loud (depending on the night). The servers were friendly and helpful.

Great Menu, and Great Specials. More Importantly - best burger. Brioche bun, spicy mayo, bacon, smoked gouda

Royal Tavern is more bar than restaurant, but the food is a real surprise. Went with seven friends on a Saturday night, and we were fortunate to get a table right away. Fine selection of draft beer and excellent wings started things off, but the food was all great. From burgers to pork chops, mussels to meat loaf sandwiches (with an egg on top) everything was just right - pub group with a culinary flair. We will definitely return to the Royal Tavern next time we are in Philly.

I have eaten some fabulous burgers in my day, but the burger here beats all others I've had to date. The pickled long hot, the smoked gouda, and the spicy sauce really make it special (and of course bacon makes everything better). It's served with some delicious fries. Fries aren't always worth it but I usually eat all of my fries here. When I ask for my burger to be cooked medium, I expect that it be cooked medium, and the Royal Tavern is very good about cooking burgers the way they are ordered. I've heard good things about other dishes but since the burger is so good I have never ordered anything else! I appreciate their beer selection and have always had decent service. I really love the Royal Tavern.

delicious in every way

Great selection of beers on tap! Imagine the ultimate loaded potato skins.....the usual suspects, bacon, cheese but add shredded duck confit! OMG! We also had the pork belly sammie. What more can I say!

Went here on a Saturday afternoon. It's not a big place & a little tricky to find but very much worth it. Food was excellent & very creative. Lots of vegan & vegetarian options also. Service was excellent. Craft beer selections were outstanding. And very reasonable. Street parking only. Definitely recommend it.

Excellent beer menu. You walk in and think it's a standard pub, but then you see the menu! Diverse and delicious, with some of the nicest staff in Philadelphia.

Don't let the dark interior fool you or the odd location! Royal Tavern serves up delectable vegan and non-vegan food! The burgers are out of the world and so is the beer selection.

Went here today with my fiancé for lunch and it was ok. I think it was just ok because the place needs to be cleaned a little bit. If I didn't sit at the bar it may be been different for me. Like they say out of sight out of mind. The limes, lemons and olives were sitting in plastic containers stacked on one another and they should be refrigerated and the glasses were kept in a dirty area. So the food came out and the burger was awesome..I feel as if I would have had a better experience if I wasn't grossed out.

I was pleasantly surprised how yummy this food was! Enjoyed mezze platter, seaweed salad & shrimp tacos (a special not on menu) more than we could eat. A little loud but hey its a tavern right?

My wife & I recently had lunch at the Royal when visiting her sister & her husband who live in the Italian Market area. We had burgers & sandwiches on a Saturday afternoon - all very good except for my brother-in-law's very overdone burger. Service was spotty - no follow up after Food was brought to the table (overdone burger) and long wait for the check. My burger (ordered rare) was served at proper temperature however.

Great brunch and beer selection!

Nice pub with a relaxed atmosphere. Readily accommodated our party of six. Nice selection of beers/drinks. Vareity of food selections available, that were nicely done.

My boyfriend and I have lived in South Philly for over a year and have tried out many different brunch spots. Everyone will tell you Sabrina's, but you'll wait for over an hour. We have gone from 11 am to 2 pm and have never had to wait for more than 10 minutes at Royal Tavern. Their mimosas and bloody mary's are terrific, the specials are creative and delicious, and their regular menu has just the right amount of variety.

A local favorite. Best burgers and homemade French fries. All food looked great. Had one of their famous Smoky Bacon blood marys best ever. We did not get a chance to try the Truffle popcorn Only serve this after 5 pm. Popcorn tossed in truffle oil and chives From Florida Was visiting son, said we just had to go !!! Was packed. Hope we get Chance To go again.

Best burger I have ever had.

Even in a crowded and evidently popular with the locals pub the service was very attentive and quick. The Grilled Cheese Sandwich and the Chicken Fried Chicken are highly recommended. Will make this a go-to spot anytime we're in town.

Great desserts

Went last nite nice relaxing spot not too loud to inhibit conversation. Good selection of items though not a big menu of items. Best part is there was a good mix of vegan for those interested, I had the burger w/gouda cheese was very good juicy ..the fries were good but for me don't get the fuss I've seen in others reviews. My guy had the chicken fried chicken.. portion was on small side but tasty, the side mac & cheese was delish, our friend had grilled cheese another winner. The choc chip bread pudding was to die for.. some of the beers were pricy but im not a drinker but $7 a bottle seems steep Great service friendly and came back few times to ask how things were..all in all great place to check out.. yeah the parking is bit tough but that's anywhere..in south philly..

There must be a chef in the kitchen because the menu is creative and interesting. I had cold avocado gazpacho that was sublime, along with a grill cheese sandwich that included goat cheese and was grilled perfectly on sourdough bread. My husband had chicken wings and an order of fries and he loved it so much he tried vainly to eat it all. Great neighborhood spot - we walked from our rental. Good beer selection too! They serve food until quite late which was a relief!

We got in early on a Friday to seat eleven includes three children. The service was great. The cheeseburger was fantastic and included a pair of hot pickled peppers that just made the sandwich worthy of a brag. The heat was strong but worth the pain and it was as calmed by tots that were my side. The place is dark and warm and welcome. I have been wanting to visit for years and glad I finally got the chance to experience this Tavern.

This burger was rated best burger in the state, so I had to try it. They only have one burger on the menu, and it's the Angus Burger. It is perfect. There's no other way to describe it.

Nachos are great here.

awesome burgers

I love the Royal Tavern for brunch, lunch, and dinner. They have one of the best burgers in the city and always have good beers on tap!

Came here for the mussels and was not disappointed, Great vibe, good neighborhood spot. Kind of hipster, but not overwhelmingly so.

Good selection of beer, excellent jukebox, and the weekend brunch is amazing! Even better now that Philly is smoke-free...

Hands down-best burger in the city. Great selection of beer. Most entrees comes with french fries and mayo mixed with vinegar to dip them in.

Went to dinner here with a couple friends and thoroughly enjoyed the Angus burger on the menu. The beer selection was good and not overwhelmingly large. My only issue was that the service was kind of slow. If you want to hang out and listen to some loud rock music (not too loud to talk) have some good pub food and beer, this place is it.

The lighting is low, the music is loud and good, the beer is cold and the selection is decent. Then comes the food, my wife and I both had the Angus burger mine had Gouda, fried onions , jalapeños and some kind of sauce, it was cooked perfectly. My wife also had the Angus burger but she had it with lettuce, tomato, bacon and American cheese. They came with fries and a kosher pickle, both were excellent. Basically it was a nice night and I can't tell you how great our server Heidi was. If you like burgers and beer you can't go wrong!

Saturday brunch here for the second time last week. As excellent as the first time. Don't be fooled by the exterior! My wife and I agreed this was the best Bloody Mary we had ever had. And she's tried a few!!! I went for the huevos rancheros and my wife had seitan tacos. Both really good. My favourite brunch place in Philly

I have been to the Royal many times for the burger. We went with 4 people on Saturday, November 30, 2013. We walked in and the place was packed. We asked for a table for 4 and were told none were available. We looked up on the upper level and there were 2, 2 tops next to each other and no one in them. We asked if they could be put together after waiting a few minutes. One of the staff had to ask the same waitress we did, and she put them together. Why didn't she just do it for us without asking. When tables are bused, the just DROP the plates in a plastic bin on the steps which just happened to be right where we were siting. This happened MANY times. By the time our food came out most of the guests had left and the plate banging finally slowed. VERY BAD SET UP FOR DIRTY DISHES!. It seem to me the owner, Steven, only cares about the cash. He owns the Cantina on Passyunk, Kyber on 2nd and other places. Cantina is a nuisance bar if you ask me. Food there is just ok and if you like being around a bunch of drinking hipsters, this is the place for you; back to Royal. The food comes out hot and the portions are big. You will not be disappointed. I would do for lunch after 1:30 or go at 5:00 for dinner. Music is loud and it is hard to carry on a conversation with your friends. Do not go with a low talker! THE FOOD IS GREAT HERE, thats it.

I normally come here for brunch on the weekend and rarely want to leave. Our group starts with their excellent bloody marys, which have a decent amount of horse radish, mimosas or beers, and then love diving into a plate of nachos. I think these are the best nachos I have ever had: each chip has a plethora of beans/cheese/salsa as well as some great spices. I am a vegetarian but most of my friends are not, so we'll order a variety of items from the menu. Sometimes only half a grilled cheese with vegan bacon is all I'll need, the rest will be eaten for dinner! Friendly staff as well. At times the wait is long, so I suggest calling ahead.

decent bar fare

Ate here with a mixture of family who are both vegan and meat eaters-there is something on the menu for everyone and everyone enjoyed their meal. The Angus Burger was excellent. Best burger I have had in a long time. The Vegan's in the group enjoyed their meal as well and they had been here before and told us about it. Nice Brunch selection. Great Bloody Mary's and the beer selection is huge. The atmosphere is very relaxed, a little on the louder side but not too bad, nice bar, friendly staff, mixture of local and tourists. Left very satisfied. Definitely some place I would make a point to go back to again.

We were staying in an Air B&B nearby and thought we'd try the Tavern after a long day sightseeing. It's very atmospheric (possibly slightly on the dark side) and there's a great menu of beers and lagers, along with wines, cocktails and spirits. The food menu was great. We had a delicious (vegetarian) mezze plate - really very good; the vegetarian gnocchi which were light and delicious with tasty veggies and sauce and a really excellent and well-cooked burger. Our waitress was really helpful with craft beer choices and very attentive. If we lived nearby, this would definitely be a regular haunt of ours. Great place.

Shared a couple of drinks with a colleague. Nice atmosphere. Good service

Stumbled upon this restaurant while shopping at the Italian Market. It has lots of vegetarian options. The server was friendly and helpful. A little dark inside, but fairly quiet at lunch. Will be back soon.

Bartenders and servers have too much attitude and they cater to the regular indie geeks who tend to act like they own the place while treating other patrons poorly. I wouldn't waste my time here on their overpriced food/drinks. There are far better places to go in Philadelphia. This place is starting to attract the wannabe old city hipster crowd and with that, come the ego trips. I saw a guy get thrown out for questioning some regular for elbowing him 4-5 times at the bar because the regular wanted more space. Not kidding. I thought it was ridiculous and feel the need to spread this word because I'd hate to see this happen to others.

Lots of great options for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. I was told the executive chef is vegan and it shows: the vegan items are just run of the mill, but are inspired. I had empanadas and the cauliflower casserole. The empanadas were perfectly fried and the cauliflower casserole was also good, but a little on the rich side for me. My companion had the Chicken Frankie, which is an Indian inspired wrap, and he really liked it, too. Definitely looking forward to trying out other menu items.

I came here for brunch by myself. The guy at the bar seemed to judge me for being alone, which I didn't appreciate. My waitress was very nice although it took her a while to notice when I was ready to order. She also asked a few too many times if I wanted anything else, which almost made me feel bad for not getting more, but I had a feeling my buckwheat pancakes would fill me up just fine. The pancakes came out quickly. They were super thick and dense and loaded with toppings, along with the maple syrup and lemon butter on the side. A very filling meal for a good price.

Great atmosphere and an amazing menu that features food that satisfies both carnivores and vegetarians alike! Try the tempeh club sandwich. It's my favorite.

Love the food- breakfast lunch and dinner- and what a BLT. A bar area, bar seating and a smaller dining area in the back make it more of a bar where you go to eat than a restaurant destination. Service can be slow but that's because nobody really comes in a rush. It's a sit and talk with friends younger crowd place.

Very good pub grub, beer, and music. Place really fills up after 5 when the dinner menu and specials start. Fun place with good food and beer.

Terrific Angus burgers, lamb burgers, and very good meatloaf sandwiches with old bay fries really made a nice get together. Draft beer was a little pricey at usually $6 a glass.

Royal is a staple in Philadelphia. Great staff. Everyone is so friendly and willing to go out of their way to make you comfortable. The food is always solid. Great specials that change daily.

I'm not sure this restaurant knows exactly what it wants to be. Odd food combinations make for meh food. We went for dinner on a Friday night. The bar wasn't too packed. We ordered drinks and they did take a pretty long time to arrive. I ordered the wing sampler so sauces from all three wing offerings. The wing sauces were good but the dressing that came with them was not and detracted from the overall experience. It was a ranch dressing with Gorgonzola cheese infused in it. There was not celery served with the wings but some zucchini like stick that smelled horrible (I believe it was rotten and one of my companions confirmed it was probably bad). My friends food looked ok. The friend that got the mussels ended up with a bready soupy mess because the chef had placed the bread underneath the mussels and sauce. Bad choice in presentation as it ended up looking like bowl of slop. The other friend got tater tot nachos which looked ok. I'd have to say that this restaurant seems to be run by a chef that likes to tinker too much and just does stuff to do it. I think the food would be much better if the chef wasn't trying to be so cute with his food.

get the burger!! great beers, great music, great food. i just love the place....

Ended up here after a liquor free lunch. Excellent variety of local and exotic draft beers. Bartender was efficient and friendly. Food looked great, but we were full. This is a must stop place for me.

Our landlady advised us if this pub on our arrival in Philly. Staff really friendly and helpful. Had burger which was one of the best I have tasted.

the bar man told me to always try the taco's if they're on the daily specials menu. They are always delicious!

to die for... the wings are awesome too. everything on the menu is sooo good. great beer selections and cheap prices. vegan options

Kevin, our server, beyond nice and John the bartender can make a great margarita. First time here and the place has a nice, welcoming atmosphere. My margarita was was perfect, not too sour. I had the gnocchi and my husband had the burger. Both were an excellent choice. The burger has lots of flavor and the gnocchi was made with spinach and a basil pesto sauce and it was delicious. The atmosphere is warm and the staff is friendly which makes for a great place to have a drink and get a bite to eat.

I have no words. I've never been so upset that a meal was over. I ordered the burger as advertised, medium, minus the pickled long hot pepper. Parking situation is less than ideal. Will return and recommend.

The shark tacos were amazing!

Went to the Royal Tavern after the Broad Street Run. They were still serving brunch. The blueberry pancakes were the best pancakes ever. Burger was very good. Also had wings, which were very good. Coffee was just ok. Bloody Mary was great and only $5. Service not horrible but not great.

The food was way over priced ( paid an outrageous price for a burger that was smaller than a McDonald’s burger ) The drinks were ok. The service was very good (the waitress was very attentive and friendly) My guess is, they are over pricing and under their serving (foodwise) to help pay for the renovations or to stay afloat after the pandemic. With a limited budget for dining out and the plethora of choices in the city, I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this place anytime soon. I really do hope they turn it around. They were great before the pandemic.

I ate there Friday early evening with my parents and a few of their friends who are all in their 60s. I don't know if it was because the waitress Christine was just having a bad day or because we weren't hipsters and she just decided we weren't worth her time. She was very rude and visibly annoyed by us complete with eye rolls. It was very uncomfortable and disrespectful.

Looks like a hole in the wall but don't be fooled. The food is awesome. And if you are a hipster you'll fit right in! Get the fries.

Came here after the Made in America festival. Food was good and had great vegan options. I actually had the chicken fried chicken which was very filling. I would go back.

A friend of mine recommended the place to me for the burger. A nice and juicy piece of meat with well seasoned fries. They also have a nice beer list.

I have been to the Royal Tavern several times and have always had an awesome experience. The food is fabulous and the wait staff is super friendly. I highly recommend this place for brunch, lunch or just drinks.

A great gastropub in Queen Village that can accommodate larger groups & is open for lunch as well as dinner. The nice thing about Royal Tavern is their amiability & the fact that they understand their clientele so well. There are gluten free options in the menu as well as a wide selection for both vegetarians and vegans. Our group sampled 2 soups of the day, one an avocado gazpacho, the other a tomato basil. Both got solid thumbs up. The mezze platter was also well received along with a grilled veggie burger and an order of soba noodles with hearts of palm. And our toddlers favorite? The side order of Mac n cheese. With only a few glasses of wine our party of 9 had a relaxing meal of good food for a little more than $20 a person.

Caeser salad with polenta croutons and mussles in saffron... Drool worthy.

After hearing that this little bar was having burgers inspired by the show "Bob's Burgers", we took a trip specially for one! The place is just a small hole in the wall, with nowhere to park, but everything in the area is like that, so no complaints really. The place was dimly lit and there was a candle on our table, but could of used something else for lighting. Felt like we were sitting in the dark and couldn't even see our food. We started with an order if nachos, which was $11! WAY too much but it was good and we were hungry. (However if you want meat on it - they charge extra.) We had the first "Bob's Burger" they did - the Jack-O Lentil burger. For what it was, it was pretty good, however I wasn't expecting it to be purely made of lentils, which wasn't advertised anywhere. We were so stuffed from the nachos that we didn't even finish our burgers and ended up throwing them away after a few days in the fridge. When it came time to pay, our card was accepted, but was told they're having issues with their machine and that we would have to pay cash. We hardly ever have cash and were lucky that we did this time. Especially $50 to pay for this average meal... Service wasn't great either - I think we saw our waitress twice.