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Roy's Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
575 Mission St(between Shaw Aly & Anthony St)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Neighbourhood: SOMA
(415) 777-0277
$36.95 for Spring Prix Fixed Menu
Spring Prix Fixe Menu. Three Amazing Courses, inspired by the Season just $36.95.
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Mon-Fri 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1319 reviews for Roy's Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Whatever you do, don't miss the chocolate souffle." In 361 reviews -
"The pineapple upside down cake is also to die for." In 47 reviews -
"Prix fixe menu with the chocolate souffle." In 90 reviews
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1318 reviews in English
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Review from Jin P.
Berkeley, CA
5/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Delicious food with vibrant and playfully unique/unusual flavor combinations, along with the most attentive, knowledgeable, and personal service I've ever experienced (they truly try to anticipate every need you might have before you even know you need it!). Truly worth going to, if you can scrape together the money...
Standout items: (1) Ahi Poke: delicious fish and the creaminess of the avocado balances the punch of the yuzu sour cream (2) Szechuan pork ribs: sticky sweet, spicy, and tender (3) Misoyaki Butterfish: being marinated for 40+ hours in sake and soy somehow transforms the texture of cod, which can be stringy and tough, into a delicate and buttery mind-blowing experience. Each bite dissolves the minute it hits your tongue, while the tangy-saltiness of the sauce cuts through the fish's richness (4) Blackened Ahi: the best cut of sashimi grade ahi I've had, no stringiness, no toughness. The fish comes out on a creamy butter sauce, which glazes the sweetness of the tuna. Then the spicy mustard sauce cuts through the rich butter and balances the fish's natural sweetness. Order the spicy mustard sauce on the side, because then you can control how much you want on your fish. (5) Chocolate Souffle: TO DIE FOR. Melt-in-your-mouth creamy, chocolate heaven (crunchy on the outside but pillow soft and liquid on the inside) that matches perfectly with the raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. Worth making a trip to Roy's just for this alone.
Caveat: Lobster potstickers were underwhelming. The butter sauce way overpowered the delicate lobster inside the potstickers, making the dish sluggish and heavy.
Too bad I'm a poor college student, otherwise I'd come here daily! -
Review from M. L.
San Jose, CA
I was really looking forward to checking this place out and I'm sad to say that the food was just "meh."
Came here celebrating a friend's birthday. We were a large group of 18, but were broken into 2 separate, side by side tables. We were given a rather "late" reservation of 8:30, but that was the only time we could be accommodated.
The restaurant, itself is rather nice with a good ambiance.
Just expect to either pay for valet parking of $15 or keep circling around the block or get lucky looking for parking. We visited the day before Bay to Breakers, so a lot of the metered spots had "No parking" signs.
I had a hard time deciding what to order, but went with the pre-fix menu. (Maybe that's where the problem was!)
My meal consisted of:
Mango Mojito. Really sweet, tastey and most importantly, strong!!
Seared Smoked Salmon
It was cooked just perfectly and the sauce complimented the fish nicely. (The salmon was actually better than my entrée!)
Hanger Steak "Frites"
I ordered my steak "medium" and the steak was unevenly cooked throughout. While I had a steak knife, it was pretty tough to cut. The rest of the items on my plate were nothing to write about. While the restaurant is dark, the presentation of my food wasn't what I would have expected for this type of restaurant. (and for this price tag!)
Chocolate Molten Cake
Sadly, THE best part of my meal! You have to try it! It was delicious!
I was able to taste some of the hubby's entrée, which was the Shellfish Sampler, but it left him wanting more. It had a small lobster tail, maybe only 1 scallop and 2 pieces of shrimp on the plate.
Our large party was very well taken care of by the wait staff, so there are no complaints about the service.
I'm not sure if I would come back, but if I did, I'd definitely get something else for my entrée and of course get the chocolate molten cake again. -
Review from Kris M.
Novato, CA
5/12/2012
Dinner was $175 before tip. With that price tag, I would expect orgasmic food and tip top service.
We came here on a Friday evening, 8:45pm reservation. We were seated at our table and sat.....and sat......and sat. No water, no "hi I am your waiter for the evening" no "someone will be right with you"
In fact, multiple servers walked past our table and looked at our empty glasses and sad, lonely, thirsty faces and did nothing.
Honestly, I have never been abandoned like that before. SO irritating.
Eventually, a server took pitty on us and got us drinks and took our order.
Bottom line - service SUCKED.
The food, was good. I got the tiger prawns. It was a little bit [a lot] drenched in sauce, and very salty.
So, yeah, I was disappointed. I give it two stars because the ambiance was nice and my dates dinner (surf and turf) was excellent. -
Review from Morgan S.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2012
I came here several times already and the food is always very good and well executed.
A must have: the Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé, the best chocolate soufflé I have had in the city! -
Review from Tiffany K.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Came here to celebrate a birthday, two in fact.
First off, make reservations through their website. I was a little annoyed when I did it, because they kept asking all these questions, like what are you celebrating? any kids the party? etc etc. But it all made sense when we arrived.
The table was already set for 3 adults and 1 child. Inside the menus were a special message the the guest of honors, and when it came time for dessert, they gave u2 complementary geen tea cakes with beautiful lettering.
The food was also amazing. We started with the lobster potstickers... i die. There was tons of lump crab meat in it, served with a tangy mayonaise thing. We also had a lobster roll, which was good, but since this is not a sushi restaurant, it wasn't that memorable.
I ordered the shellfish sampler, ALL GREAT. Probably won't come here just because, but they definitely make you feel special on special occasions. -
Review from Adam P.
5/7/2012
Lots of conflicting reviews about Roy's on Yelp. I think it's got a lot to do with WHEN you go. Friday night at 8 PM? Probably a madhouse. Random weekday at 7PM? Probably ok.
Some people say the service is lacking. Not true. It was excellent. Very courteous, and attentive. The bartender/bar service was companionable as well.
The sangria was unusual (and kinda odd tasting). The "old fashioned" I had was not prepared the way I'm accustomed to having - GOD it was certainly strong enough though!
Some people say the food isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sadly this is partially true! Our party ordered 2 appetizers and 3 entrees, and there were problems with all of them.
That's not to say they were bad. To give you an idea...
Food breakdown!
Lobster pot stickers just tasted like fried meh. The fleshiness of lobster didn't come through.
Ahi Poke: Not the best/freshest tuna, but tasty. Could have used more Roe.
We all noticed the sauces on the fish/seafood were overpowering - and we ALL ordered seafood. Personally, I had the shellfish medley ($36). Peanut sauce. Tasty. Way too much of it. The scallop was perfectly done. The crab-cake light and flaky.
Roy's Trio ($32): Misoyaki Butterfish (1 of the 3) ...WAY WAY too much soy. Too bad - I heard this is usually amazing.
They let us taste a few of the wines by the glass before we made a selection. Like I said, good service.
Dessert was excellent. Roy's pineapple upside down cake. Wonderful finish.
Price? Well, if you are cost sensitive, there is the Prix fixe for $35. Nothing on there looked that great (except dessert), so...YMMV
I don't know what "Check Please" Bay area was thinking when they said you can eat there for $35. We ended up at almost $100 per person. I think for that price I expected wanted the food to be more fine-tuned.
Still, a very decent experience. -
Review from Dora T.
4/28/2012 5 photos
Service is amazing.
Food is improperly cooked, especially for the price.
Never had hawaiian fusion before, so I don't know what's "real" hawaiian food or whatever.
The staff is well organized and will do whatever in their power to make your dining experience awesome. Bf threw me a surprise dinner here with 9 other friends.
Apparently if you let the staff know in advance it's a birthday, they customize your menu for you (:
Ordered the prix fixed menu, and chose the seared smoke salmon, the asian pesto grilled chicken breast, and roy's famous melting pot chocolate soufflé.
Salmon was delicious! It had a good salmon flavor, it was cooked just enough where it's still very soft on the inside. I actually chose the chicken breast cause I wanted to try to lo-mein noodles, but this was the downfall to the dinner. The noodles were so salty, like they were soaked overnight in soy sauce. Inedible. Told the waitress and she easily sent it back for hanger steak "frites". I like how there was no fuss, no questions, just politely apologized and changed my order.
The steak came with overcooked (burnt) bok choy, and the steak was slightly burned on the outside was well. Not ideal for a famous restaurant located downtown SF.
Date ordered the jumbo prawn stir-fried udon dish. That was pretty yummy, but nothing super special.
No one seemed very pleased with their food except for person who ordered the butterfish.
Since it was my birthday, they gave me a green tea dessert roll on the house and even waived the cake cutting charges. Great service!!! Will consider coming again with less people; however, I'm not a huge fan of Hawaiian food. -
Review from Jamie L.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hawaiian food has always been a weakness for me.
On this particular night - the third Roy's I've been to in California - I wasn't going for the Hawaiian savory, but the Hawaiian sweets, instead.
This was one of the few restaurants in the area that was open until 10 pm on a weekday, so the later hours were our primary draw. Add to the fact that my cousin and I have previously had memorable experiences dining at Roy's, and there you have it. Two customers eyeing the Roy's menu on a Monday night.
My cousin settled with the prix fixe menu - starting with the salmon, feasting on the roast duck, and topping it off with an upside down pineapple cake. For myself, I opted out of the main, and went straight to the dessert - the molten chocolate cake. Mmm.
The food? Flavorful as we last remembered it.
The service? Not as great as we last remembered it.
Granted, the dessert (molten chocolate cake) was going to take longer, as our waiter had mentioned that as we put in our order. But to wait 30 minutes for an appetizer? And to wait an additional 20 minutes for the dessert?
If Roy's was designed as a two and a half hour dining experience - or if that's the experience you're going for - then this would have gotten this Roy's 4, or even 5 stars. But the wait for the food - and even for the check (without a fully packed restaurant) - wasn't worth succumbing to my Hawaiian grub weakness.
At least not this time. -
Review from Jennifer C P.
San Francisco, CA
As is the case in life - you win some and you lose some. It is most disappointing when you put your trust in others who let you down. Roy's let all of us down. I am still really unhappy.
We arrived on time and sat down. Long wait without menus. When we finally got to order Fiji water, NO MENUS, more waiting. By the time the server came, she only took our drink order and you guessed it - EVEN MORE WAITING!!
We saw our primary server three times. We saw the bussers more than we saw her. When we did, we should have been so grateful she could be bothered to serve us. That was her bad attitude. It was wildly uncomfortable and ridiculously unprofessional.
The Poketini is now deconstructed onto a plate - and is now just called Ahi tartare or something to that effect. It was good. They had limited Hangar One options so I had wine.
I ordered the appetizer boat for the table. Do me a huge favor: NEVER ORDER THIS. It is a complete rip off. The teensy amount of items for over $50 was absurd. Trust me - skip this.
We watched the male server at the table next to us describe the various entrees with enthusiasm and then go into the wine pairings. It was remarkable to see another table receive excellent service.
Sadly my table sat neglected.
No Happy Birthday singing at our table even though we watched several staffers collectively group up to happily do it at another table. My daughter was already irritated so I told the server to forget it. Do the other servers dislike our server as much as we did? Probably! That's why no one wanted to help her.
What was with that teensy little dessert with a candle in it? The server should have asked me and I would have said which of the desserts we ordered to put it in.
When I paid with both cash and credit card, I did not get change. I asked for my change. I did not get it, nor an answer.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How dare! I do not care if it is a dime, you give change and let the customer leave a tip, you do not hold onto the change. I am disgusted at that classless manipulation. I DIDNT GET MY CHANGE!!
Even worse? I didn't even get a receipt for my CASH PAYMENT - she gave a receipt to the person who used their credit card for $40 of the bill.
Re-Training seriously needs to happen with this specific server. I expect better at the level of restaurant this is. I am frowning as I re-live that scenario in my head to write it out.
Sadly, if the service is bad, you won't see me again. I shouldn't be paying so much money to run the risk of a crappy server when there are so many great restaurants in the city that are not a franchise that have well trained staff who do not treat the customers so poorly.
Its unfortunate my daughter chose this place for her 21st birthday. Sad indeed.
The ball wasn't dropped - it was deflated of air before being chucked into the trash.
Disappointing is an understatement. I am shocked Roy's allows someone on the floor who really should be clearing dishes from the table and re-filling water glasses until she learns how to have MANNERS. She needs to be taught there is a difference between being professional and embarrassing not only yourself, but the restaurant you represent.
I work way too hard for my money to have had this bad experience.
I offered my daughter a re-do at another restaurant - this time we went to one that I go to often. It is elegant, as evidenced by their listing in the SF's top 100 Restaurants because her 21st birthday was a big deal to all of us. That restaurant rolled out the red carpet for us and honored my daughter's landmark 21st birthday with enthusiasm. The server at the second restaurant we went to also gave me my change. Get this - WITHOUT ME ASKING.
I should never have let her pick Roy's. Sadly, I trusted them with a birthday before and they did a good job so when my daughter chose this place, I expected the same great experience.
It makes me sick to have to think about it in order to write this review.
NEVER AGAIN.Listed in: Hangar One Vodka Served Here
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/6/2009
I chose Roy's for a special birthday dinner and Roy's did not disappoint!
We arrived and there was a… Read more »
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Review from Brian D.
4/20/2012
Came in on Sunday April 15th at 6 PM - and immediately got a window table for four. The servers were rather attentive - and on point.
I was a non-alcohol drinking group - and no one wanted appetizers or salads so we ordered two surf and turf dinners; one salmon dinner and one scallops dinner. All were cooked perfectly - and quite tasty. I felt that the price point was a tad high for the portion size, however, overall I would recommend this place if in the area. -
Review from Janice L.
Danville, CA
5/4/2012
We first discovered the Roy's restaurants while vacationing in Maui. Loved the food at the Maui and Big Island locations. We have also eaten at their locations in Pebble Beach, Anaheim, and San Francisco.
Loved the San Francisco decor. Tastefully done, semi-formal feeling without feeling stuffy or arrogant. Service was great: attentive but not overbearing. We came to celebrate a birthday, and the staff customized the menu to make a special birthday theme. Nice touch.
The food was not has fresh and as light as the island locations. The sauces for the entrees felt a little overly sweet and heavy. Dessert was good: chocolate souffle, but I remember how the chocolate at the island locations literally oozed out of the souffle. Good restaurant, but food could use a little more work to keep it fresh and light. -
Review from Kaushick N.
San Francisco, CA
4/21/2012
5 stars for food.
3 stars for service. Seating us by the restroom when a table by the window was open was a bad idea.
Having said that we will be back. Amazing just amazing food! -
Review from K S.
Sausalito, CA
4/17/2012
Wonderful food. Definitely go here with a date or person of interest. If you are thinking of taking a group of six or more, do yourselves a favor and go elsewhere. The bill will get high and not everyone will pay for gratuity and tax.
Other than that, enjoy for what it's worth. Go to Roy's in Hawaii - the original. -
Review from Tommy B.
San Jose, CA
4/16/2012
Took a visitor from Korea here the other weekend. It was either the House which we know is a winner or try something new. We chose something new and paid for it for sure.
We had the Ahi Poke and Calamari appetizers. Both were overly salted, though the poke was less so. The Poke was pretty good overall, but the raw diced onions really overpowered everything else.
For dinner we shared the Misoyaki Butterfish, Blackened Island Ahi, and the Mahi Mahi. Out of the three, the Misoyaki Butterfish was the best, but the flavor was quite powerful. Tasted kind of like Chair Siu Sea Bass from the Red Crane in Cupertino. The blackened island ahi is simply a seared tuna dish with different types of mustard sauces. The dark yellow mustard packs quite a punch. The Mahi Mahi was just ok, nothing to write home about.
Overall a disappointing experience for the enormous bill, $140+ and tip for 3 main and 2 appetizers and no drinks!. -
Review from Johnny G.
3/25/2012 Seated via OpenTable
My girlfriend brought me here for dinner for my birthday and after reading reviews, I thought very highly of this place. When I first arrived, we got seated quickly since we had reservations. The waitress was kind enough to explain everything and even give suggestions on what we should try, which was nice considering I had NO IDEA what I wanted to eat. After hearing the suggestions and looking over the menu once more, my girlfriend and I decided what we wanted.
We started off with appetizers, the Kalua Pork Lumpias. To sum it up, it honestly wasn't all that great. Just your typical Kalua Pork wrapped in lumpia skin. Didn't taste flavored or anything, just typical.
For our entrees, I ordered the Misoyaki Butterfish and my girlfriend got the Hibachi Style Grilled Salmon (suggestions from waitress). The food took a while to come (approximately 30 minutes I would say?) but nonetheless it was good. The butterfish had a distinct but delicious taste to it. Definitely out of the ordinary and worth trying. The salmon on the other end, wasn't as impressive. It tasted just like there was lemon juice sprinkled over it and then baked. Definitely disappointed with that order especially since the waitress suggested. To each their own I guess?
Anyways, for dessert, we decided to go with the chocolate souffle. The waitress said it would take approximately 10 minutes, but it ended up taking like 20. I usually don't complain about the wait much but I had to pick up my parents that day and was in a bit of a rush. It was good however but a bit on the expensive side.
Overall, this place is pretty good but a bit pricey especially for the portions that you get. However, it is higher end so if you're cheap (like me), this probably isn't the spot you should be eating at regularly.
***Parking***: Street metered parking. Relatively hard to find.
Cash or Credit accepted.
***QUICK TIP***: Go on your birthday and you receive a complimentary piece of cheesecake :) -
Review from Stephanie C.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
love love love roy's!
DINNER: the baked ono is HEAVEN. the great thing about the dishes here is that the servings are quite large - they don't skimp on the fish and the extra throw-ins like rice and veggies. my baked ono was basically like a sandwich with the bread being the breaded, baked fish and in between the two fish layers was crab meat. the fish was then drizzled with a passion fruit sauce. are you drooling yet? my dish also came on a bed of lightly sauteed swiss chard [i think?] and came with sushi rice wrapped up in seaweed that i could dip in the sauce or eat with the fish! ugh. i wanted to hug the server for recommending it to me.
ALOHA HOUR:
$5 appetizers, $5 per cocktail, $3 per beer
i think the drinks might be kind of inconsistent because my friend had the mango mojito but it tasted like pure soda. i also overheard the woman at the table next to us complaining about her watered-down drink. maybe her alcohol and my friend's alcohol got mixed into my pomegranate mojito though, because it was SUPER strong. i mean i know i'm lightweight, but when i start glowing after less than half a drink, it's kind of embarrassing! especially when it's still light outside!
also, the crowd is kind of older...as in 40-50-year-olds coming in after work before going home to their kids. so...if you're looking to socialize and flirt, this probably isn't the place.
p.s. if you check in on four square for the first time, you get a free tempura spicy tuna roll! it's pretty yummy and i'd definitely recommend ordering it. and i mean...free is free. -
Review from MandS R.
San Francisco, CA
4/22/2012
Went on a Friday night around 8.45pm and sat at the counter with a group of three.
Service was friendly except a tad slow. Waitress recommended fish as their specialty and recommended a few choices. We all went with fish choices.
Food was so-so, especially given the prices $30+. I did the fish trio, which had mahi mahi, butterfish, and salmon. While the mahi mahi and butterfish had the "fusion" touch, the salmon was more standard - but it is also useful as a comparison to other places. Using this yardstick, I have had much better salmon many other places, and even a lower cost.
Two of the desert choices had a 20 min wait. I picked the pineapple-based one and it was nice to look at. In terms of taste, again below par. -
Review from Novalina N.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2012 2 photos
Wow, what a hefty price tag for the food quality you get.
I ordered the spring prix fixe with:
- Pea salad and crispy pork. Good.
- Pan seared trout. Ugh, horrible. The trout is dry and overcooked. The goat cheese has a strange taste.
- Chocolate souffle. Really good. The only great dish in this restaurant really.
I also tried my friend's Asian Pesto Grilled Chicken Breast (the other entree option of the prix fixe). It's too salty and tastes mediocre.
Our friends' fried rice is also very bland. Another friend's salad is so salty that she sent the food back. Seriously, WHO ARE THE COOKS??
Service is good, hence another 1 star. So not worth the visit. -
Review from Cherylynn N.
San Francisco, CA
Dayam Roy's, you HELLA boo boo now!!!!
*Ahem*
Now that I got that out of the way, I can put my semi-proper hat on...
Last night marks the 15th time I've been to Roy's. As one of my solid stand-bys (now formerly), Roy's naturally came to mind when we were planning my friend's birthday dinner because the food and service has always been top-notch even though I loathe chain restaurants and have a love-hate relationship with Asian Fusion restaurants. After last night's dinner, I regret and am embarrassed that I even suggested Roy's to my friends.
It's been two years since I last been to Roy's for another birthday dinner I organized BUT boy have they gone downhill. Unless there are drastic changes, I rarely take the time to write updates. However, below are some important notable changes:
(1) DIFFERENT PRIX-FIXE MENU: For years, they have had their signature Misoyaki Butterfish and Braised Short Ribs on the prix-fixe menu. They've since taken it out from the prix-fixe menu but have it available as an entree for almost the SAME price as the prix-fixe menu itself (e.g. Misoyaki Butterfish is $34.95).
(2) SLOPPY PRESENTATION: The ahi poke use to be served in a cute little martini glass. It's now served on a wooden dish with one side avalanched. http://www.yelp.com/bi... The ahi roll was carelessly thrown on a plate atop aioli. http://www.yelp.com/bi... Although it was free when you check-in via Foursquare, as a $$$ restaurant, presentation shouldn't be compromised.
(3) POORLY EXCUTED DISHES:
*KOREAN SOUP w/ Braised Short Rib, Daikon, Potato, Chili & Aromatic Beef Stock ($7.95)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
A failed rendition of the Korean Kalbi Tang (Short Rib Soup), the broth was flat and had no robust stewed beef flavor. Not braised long enough, the short ribs could have been mistaken for brisket. Rice (undercooked) was included in the soup but was not mentioned on the menu (no bueno for those "attempting" to lo-carb it). If you're an Asian restaurant and can't cook rice properly that's a BIG problem.
*SURF & TURF: Petite Filet, Lump Crab Oscar & Butter Poached Lobster w/ Poblano Mash & Asparagus ($39.95)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Roy's interpretation of Surf & Turf was more like a CRASH & BURN! Topped with crab lint drowning in mayo, the filet was cooked to a rare but the texture was mushy and stringy. The "pouched" lobster was actually grilled lobster as it was burnt to a dry death. http://www.yelp.com/bi... This led to ash flavored poblano mash potatoes. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
As far as service goes, it's still professional and excellent (albeit slow food service) but you can't eat service.
I know I can be overcritical but having dined at Roy's for over 5 years, all I want and expect is "consistency" which they failed to deliver. With the higher prices and a drastic decline in food quality they've permanently lost my customer loyalty.
Back then, Roy's use to be the Gary Danko of all "Asian" restaurants in my eyes but back then I also thought Burma was in India (because of similar curry dishes). Today, Roy's is nothing more than a glorified and overpriced L&L Hawaiian BBQ Meets Red Lobster Meets Outback Steakhouse.
WHACKED.Listed in: ASIAN FUSION: My Love-Hate…, Easy Peezy Group Dinners!, Hatin' on Chain Restaurants!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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3/10/2009
Ok, on my 12th visit to Roy's about a week ago, I FINALLY decided to stray away from their short… Read more »
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Review from cat u.
Berkeley, CA
5/1/2012
Well okay, saw it on Check Please my go to for ratings on the best restaurants in the Bay area. The appetizers are great, had to get to the green beans at the bar edge for dinner, only! but once I figured you pop the beans in your mouth, I was hooked. The lobster potstickers are wonderful with the butter, yum. My moms maui maui was dry and not flavorful. The appertizer boat with the collection of fish and ribs was good, really over priced!. The desserts was great the chocolate molten an the like short cake with nuts (forgot the name) was the bomb!!!!!
But there espresso martini was great!
their 4:30 to dinner happy hr was great $5 drinks and appetizers. But I was feeling discriminated when the server forgot to order my appetizers and I noted those around me (white, asian) customers who came after me got their appetizers and she too asked them how they were and never came back to me. I had to ask the Bartender Chris where was my appetizers and he did not even give me a free drink or appetizer for sitting there first but helped last. I never been there for happy hr and since it was my 2nd visit I asked if I could order to go lobster potstickers and Christ (bartender) said no, I would haver to order the dinner ones. Yet, when the asian customer was not finished with her sliders at happy hr. he asked if she wanted a to go box! really??? I really did not like that, kinda racial tension for me. :( oh yeah even though my ice cream that comes with the molten could not go as to go I still paid full price. And I now know I did not ask for maui maui fish for my mom but the suggested per Check please, did not see that till I got home. :( -
Review from Esteban C.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I been to 3 different locations, Hawaii, SF and LA. And let me tell you that Hawaii so far is the best I ever tried. SF and LA service are really poor, and the kitchen don't have a consistence flavor. This past experience at Roy was for Valentines and I order a prix fixe menu and I order seaweed rice soup...it was more like a salty soup... I had to let the waiter know, but afterwards their attitude totally changed, no water for 20 minutes, my friends dish came on time and mine like 30 minutes later...
I like Roy's but I don't like the service that's all... -
Review from Catt G.
Oakland, CA
4/10/2012
Roy's is OK.
They have a great prix-fixe menu deal on Mondays (three courses for $36) so definitely stop in for this.
Otherwise, its not worth the inflated price. Roy's is sort of fake "good food" -- it looks nice on the plate but its not a GREAT eating experience. (Little examples: super oversalted scallops, smallish portions, sorta overcooked fish -- just mistakes a real/legitimate "good food" place wouldn't make). -
Review from Sue Y.
3/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Try: Chocolate Souffle
This review is for a series of appetizers, drinks, and the souffle.
Roy's (in Woodland Hills) used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I've had so many amazing memories there and the food was fantastic. So, what happened?
The poke had WAY too much sesame oil. All flavor of the tuna quality was masked. If this was intentional, then I question the quality of the tuna. Good tuna should NEVER be masked to such a degree. The sauce for the Lobster Potstickers tasted like pure clarified butter. Not a traditional sauce, which is fine, but very heavy when paired with the deep fried Potstickers.
I really enjoyed the deep fried sushi. That was delicious. The ribs were also very flavorful and probably my second favorite appetizer.
Happily, the chocolate souffle was still amazing. Like chocolate molten lava cake that flows with goodness, this dish is solid and one of the best reasons to come here. -
Review from Sujan J.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2012 11 photos
Came here for a friend's birthday with 14 others.
Another good friend of mine had said that Roy's had gone down hill in the last year or so so I didn't have high expectations.
Drinks:
Their cocktail menu is extensive and everything sounds yummy. Cocktails are 10.95 each and each cocktail I tasted were yuuuumy! I had the lychee caipirnhia (yum), and pomegranate mojito and they were both yummy
Food:
Most mains are priced at $27-$38. At that price their prix fixe ($36.95) seemed like a great deal so I got the prix fixe.
All up I got to try the following:
Vege roll - pretty good
Pork dumpling dim sum - yummy
Crispy pork split pea salad - excellent
Vegetarian fried rice - REAL bland (had to pour soy sauce into it to get any flavour!)
Trout with black cous cous - pretty good
Steak - pretty good
Caesar salad - what happened? Did the lid of a salt bottle accidentally come off and did they pour salt into Caesar salad? It was not edible!
Chocolate souffle - yummy (definitely very reach and 3-4 people can share one of these just for a taste because really you don't need any more than 3-4 small spoonfuls!
Service:
Was attentive and great.
They didn't charge for the salad which tasted like salt (while this seems like such an obvious thing some restaurants don't have enough of a common sense to do this sometimes so I was happy that Roy's actually cared enough about service to do that)
All up food, atmosphere and service was all very good.
Price = pretty pricey! One cocktail and a prix fixe will get you to $55-60 easy. -
Review from Jennifer W.
San Jose, CA
4/29/2012
This is probably the third Roys I have been to. Each Roys has a different menu and I enjoy it so! I came here with a bunch of friends to celebrate a birthday! Great venue and location. Love it! Even, the service was excellent! We started off with their signature spicy edamame. I need to make me some of these! Our appetizers were the calamari and ahi tuna poke. The calamari came with 2 sauces. One was the regular sauce, and another was like a basil oil sauce. Both were really tasty. The ahi tuna poke was delicious with the barbeque potato chips. What a great idea! I will have to try that next time when I make poke. YUM! My mouth is watering!
For the entree, I had the beef short ribs with the Ya-pow punch drink. It definitely gave me a punch when I took the first sip. Maybe it was the bourbon. ...strong.
My friends had the Misoyaki butterfish. The fish was very tender and it had great taste. The Mahi mahi had a great taste as well. Thank you Roys for making a delightful evening! -
Review from Min T.
San Francisco, CA
4/9/2012
The butterfish is to die for. It was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. I could probably eat it everyday!
My date ordered the 3-fish tasting entree. I had a taste and thought the salmon and halibut(?) came out a little on the dry side.
Overall we had a great experience. -
Review from Sophia L.
3/16/2012
This place is love! x3
For appetizers, definitely get the canoe boat if you have a big group. Every single item in the canoe boat is amazing: the lobster potstickers taste like butter in your mouth, and the ribs are so flavorful!
For a main dish, the butterfish is seriously amazinggg and one of the most 'melt-in-your-mouth' foods ever, especially if you like that misoyaki asian flavor. Definitely order the full portion though, the lunch portion is tiny. The scallops here are also delicious, but you only get ~4-5 scallops.
For dessert, GET THE CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE CAKE. It's sooo good if you like chocolate - when you poke the cake the chocolate just explodes and melts everywhere, and you get a scoop of their homemade ice cream on the side :)Listed in: Five Stars
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Review from Derrick P.
Ann Arbor, MI
3/15/2012
Solid mid upscale restaurant. Great asian fusion seafood dishes, professional and personable service, and classy atmosphere. This is a good restaurant for dates, catching up with a group of old friends, or nice dinners with colleagues.
Best fish is the butterfish. Very tender, fresh, and perfectly cooked. The almond crusted mahi mahi is good, but not quite as sweet/flavorful as the butterfish. If you're a first timer, I would highly recommend getting the fish sampler - butterfish, mahi mahi, and the salmon.
Solid upscale place with fresh food and good atmosphere. Priced according to the value that you get. -
Review from La C.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2012
Wonderful happy hour! A variety of items, drinks and food for $5! That's a steal for this place. The standouts for appetizers were the sliders, beef skewers and sweet potato fries, loved the shaved cheese on them. As for the drinks they all rocked, the pineapple ginger mojito and basil strawberry martini are awesome. So light and refreshing. They have an extensive drink menu with the happy hour prices that's it's hard to stop at one. Minus one star for our waitress, she was snippy and funky at times... Bia bia...
One tip, make a reservation for happy hour and you'll get seated at one of the few tables. -
Review from Maria S.
4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I usually think of Roy's as a place to go when I'm out of town. My world changed though when I checked out their Aloha Happy Hour menu. $5 drinks, $5 appetizer selection that includes the Lobster Potstickers? I'm in! The place was super busy with those winding down after a tough week in the Fi-Di so I probably stuck out like a sore thumb, but a nice guy seated at the bar in a suit was nice enough to see my plight and call the bartender over to get my drink order in. Yet another reason I love living in the Bay Area.
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Review from Goose C.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2012
Ok, this is my third time I am here and by far the worst I have experienced. The food is nothing special. Ordered the app for two, fried calamari, cheeseburger, butterfish (full portion) and butterscotch burlee and chocolate cake with ice cream.
The portions are small considering the price. The food tasted bland and salty. Oh, and also, when my wife started eating her butterscotch, guess what she found, a small piece of metal wire. That totally destroy her appetite. Wow, I think this is the last time we are coming back.
PS. They did comp her lunch and didn't charge for the butterscotch.
The service 5 stars
The food 0 stars. -
Review from Michael S.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2012
What a disappointment. I've been to many Roy's, both in the US and Hawaii, including this one in SF, and prior to last night it was always a wonderful experience. There were nine of us and we came here after having a few drinks around the corner.
First, our waitress was changed on us because the first one was in training. Smart move for a table of nine. But then it was all down hill. We had to wait 30 minutes or so before another waiter/waitress even showed. Several drinks failed to arrive. The apps arrived after somewhat of a wait but then the entrees took another 45 minutes. Two of us ordered the three course prix fixed. One got their dessert, the other did not. The waitress was plenty friendly and we realized that it was not her fault. We asked to speak with the manager and emphasized that we didn't think it was the waitresses fault. The manager said that he understood and would let his people know.
The bill came and nothing was addressed. They charged us for all the drinks and the entire prix fixe courses. We then asked to speak to the manager again...but he refused to come back out and talk to us. I explained to the waitress that we recognized it was not her fault but charging us for that entire meal was not acceptable. She then said that she was now the intermediary (is this a negotiation?) and that maybe one of the drinks didn't arrive. I asked her why we were still being charged for it then and told her that we all work next door and again that this is not acceptable. We finally had to track down the manager in the back near the kitchen and he knocked $40 off the bill.
I will say the food was good but the experience was not. While I may go there for a drink and an app or two at the bar, highly unlikely I will go there for dinner again. -
Review from Michael T.
Pacifica, CA
4/30/2012
This place is awesome. I've eating at the location in Hawaii twice and at least 4 times at this location. The food is spectacular each time and was filling. My girlfriend and I typically get the dine-about-town or pre-fix menu's (about $35/person). The sushi is usually good and the appetizers are good to share. Typical tab for both of us is around $110 with drinks and appetizers.
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Review from Ha L.
Las Vegas, NV
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
To start..We came here to celebrate my dos GF 30th b-day. they had special menus for them. they made them special deserts. we were able to order special champagne ahead of time. it was so wonderful and fun! now for the food- it was good, not memorable...maybe i drank too much! ;)
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Review from Leticia D.
South San Francisco, CA
5/25/2012
Roy's Restaurant in San Francisco made our 3rd Wedding Anniversary a night to remember! Upon being seated at our table by the wait staff, we open our menus to find a "Happy Anniversary" note from the Chef & Staff - Such a pleasant surprise. Our waiter, Nick, was phenomenal! He made sure we knew the today's specials and we never had to hunt him down for anything. My Husband & I started our meal with drinks - (Me) The Original Hawaiian Martini and (Him) Washington Apple - Both made to perfection! We decided to try the Roy's Canoe Appetizer for Two which consisted of Grilled Szechuan Pork Ribs, Seared Shrimp, Lobster Pot Stickers, Crispy Spicy Tuna Rolls & Kalua Pork Lumpia (OMG! Incredible - A Must Get!). For our entrees, we both decided on the Surf & Turf, which consisted of Petite Filet, Lump Crab Oscar & Butter Poached Lobster. Also added to the meal was Poblano Mash & Asparagus (Words cannot describe the "party" in the tummy when eating this!). To complete our meal, we decided on the Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with Homemade Coconut Ice Cream for dessert (Melts in your Mouth! Side Note: Takes 20 min to prepare so order early!) The Chef also gave us a special complimentary dessert (Cheesecake Bites with a Caramel Sauce - Yummy!) to celebrate our 3rd Anniversary... Thank you, Roy's Restaurant, for truly making our 3rd Wedding Anniversary a night to remember!
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Review from Ashley S.
Elk Grove, CA
3/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food! I had Roys Trio--VERY good
Good drinks i had the Mai Tai
I would recommend this restraunt to people and i already have...cant wait to go here with my fiance
I was here with a group of about 20 girls for a bachelorette party and the service was really good -
Review from Jen Z.
2/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This place is delicious!
I had the prix fixe menu which allowed me to get everything I wanted and more! The salmon is excellent and you can not/SHOULD NOT leave without trying the chocolate souffle. It has melted chocolate in the middle... enough said.
The cocktails are tasty and the location is convenient to bart / drive. I'd like to give it another try sometime soon! -
Review from Brandon W.
San Leandro, CA
3/14/2012
For some reason, I never got around to writing a review despite the fact that I have been eating at the San Francisco location for years. I have also tried two other locations, and it has always been great food.
For appetizers, the Ahi Poke is great with the infusion of raw fish and avocado. If you want a very meaty appetizer try the Grilled Szechwan Spiced Pork Ribs. But this time I had the Kalua Pork Lumpia with a tangy dipping sauce. All excellent choices.
As for the entree, I usually get the Blackened Ahi. This Ahi is topped with "Simichi", which is a Japanese Chili spice. It gives it a nice mild burn to the tongue. I like the soy dipping sauce, but for some reason, I have never been a fan of the Chinese Mustard, despite the fact that I put raw undiluted wasabi on my sushi. I also must admit, that when I go to mom and pops Mexican restaurants, I usually get beat up by the salsa as well. Go figure.
I finished off my dessert with the Pear Tart. It came with a Goat Cheese cream, which had a very interesting taste. Thicker than regular cream and lighter than ice cream. As an added bonus, someone could not finish their Chocolate Soufflé, so I had half of that! (Yum)
The wait staff is great, I have asked a lot of questions on the preparation because some guests were unfamiliar with the menu and preparation and they always have answers. I have personally always gone with the default preparation, in my case the Blackened Ahi the way the Chef usually prepares it, rare. -
Review from Jojo L.
San Francisco, CA
Love the environment, food, and service.
What my date and I had that night;
*Butter-fish $35 (Mouth watering dish! MUST TRY!)
*Tender Short ribs (Dine about town menu) Not terrible but the butter-fish is definitely yummier!
*Appetizer sample; pot sticker, bbq rib, eggroll.
-the rib was super tender and delish!
-the eggroll was so goood! i wonder what they put in it!
-the pot sticker was a-okay, i can surely live without.
*Chocolate raspberry souffle (SUPER DELICIOUS!)
Our meal came out to be around $90+ including tips.
My bf wasn't very pleased by the end of the night since the meal wasn't fulfilling for him. He said, it barely made a dent in his stomach (LOL). I'll probably go to Roy's again, however... not with my BF since he's not a fan nor is he fond of this restaurant. -
Review from Christopher L.
Millbrae, CA
The service saves this place from a 2 star rating. Everything was nice, except the food. Came here with a party of 11 to celebrate a birthday. For the prices Roy's charges, I was not impressed with portions, presentation, or taste. I had the Shellfish Sampler. The crab cake was really nothing special at all and reminded me of a heated up crab cake I could just get from Safeway. The lobster tail was well seasoned, but lacked that crunch you want; it was also a very small half a tail... To me, the shrimp was just a dish filler, so I won't bother commenting on it. The scallop was where I'd judge the dish as a whole. If you're going to offer scallops, they MUST be seared and cooked evenly throughout. While the cooking was even, and seasoning was great, THERE WAS NO SEAR!!! Sadly, the star of the dish was the risotto, which I really enjoyed. This dish IS literally a sampler... so don't expect to be full. Finally, I tried the chocolate souffle and was a little disappointed, given the reviews about NEEDING to try it. It's served a little unconventionally and I think that's why I didn't enjoy it as much. While the center wasn't too bad, the edges were over baked, like they had the oven at too high a temperature. I would not return here for the food.
3 stars because the service was really great. We were constantly attended to and drinks were refilled very promptly.
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