My husband initially wanted to take me out to a nice place for our anniversary and he had the…read moreCrouching Lion in mind. I had Roy's Beach House in mind. He relented and agreed to stop by Crouching Lion after Roy's just to get the bug out of his system, since we've both never been to the original Crouching Lion, now with a new owner after 2020. We have both never been to Roy's Beach House or Lion before, good thing we came here first (read my dismal review for C.L.)!
I warned him that it was going to be expensive here, with some reviewers reporting $160 for lunch (thank you to those who mention the price, which I find is sorely lacking in reviews lately - guess everyone's a millionaire and price doesn't matter).
RESERVATIONS: We didn't make any via Open Table (not my favorite platform). We were able to get a seat at opening time of 1130 AM on a Saturday in Sept. Less than 10 minutes wait. Judging by the outfits of everyone before us, they just stepped off the beach or casually sauntered in.
PARKING: on the grounds of the Turtle Bay Ritz-Carlton. Valet park with validation or find parking in the lot, which is free (beach access) and walk a short distance. Roy's is not inside the hotel itself, but a free-standing business off to the side, right on the beach.
AMBIANCE: Beach vibes with shorts and T shirts. We wore aloha attire because it was our special day. Open air dining with umbrellas or indoor patio dining to open air. Loved the ocean breezes from our beach-front view. Live music which was very good added to the tropical ambiance!
SERVICE: Wells was our server, 5-star all the way!! We mentioned it was our anniversary and at the end she brought out a scoop of sherbet with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate in Hawaiian, too cool!! All of the other servers were very attentive, waters refilled, used dishes removed promptly. Never a wait for anything.
DRINKS: all excellent!!
Habanero Margarita ($18 - 4/5 buzz rating): I don't balk at the prices of cocktails anymore, since it's the standard to pay crazy prices. This one was worth it, super smooth, spicy as heck (your choice of habanero, japapeno or chipotle), great taste, super fresh drink. Yummy! Roy's Beach House so far has the highest buzz rating of any restaurant I've been (except for Cheeky Tiki in Kona and ), and it's not only the empty stomach talking either. Their stuff is quality.
Pineapple Infused Martini ($18 - 4/5 buzz rating): Fresh pineapples sitting in vodka for 10 days, mixed up and chilled w/ other ingredients, amazing! My husband ordered this and I got a sip, which was super delicious. Roy's signature are the infused pineapples, which I have seen at other locations. Nice.
APPETIZERS:
Calamari ($25): our least favorite thing here. Breaded in mochiko and deep fried. Teeny tiny pieces, with a white aioli sauce. Disappointing for the price, will skip this if we ever come back. Go to Haleiwa Beach House for the best calamari, hands down! The white sauce was also blah. Haleiwa Beach House serves their deep fried, meaty calamari with a spicy nuoc cham sauce, which I love.
Fish Tacos - two pieces ($20): our favorite appetizer, as recommended by Wells, and some passing wait staff. Delicious, fresh!! Both were on a flour tortilla with fresh veggies and catch of the day (swordfish). Very light, not very filling but loved it. We are still craving this.
MAINS:
Lobster Roll ($40): My husband's order. I tried a bite, very delicious! Side of thick-cut fries. The roll was not very greasy, which was nice. More lobster than bread, which was a nice touch. Medium sized.
Misoyaki Glazed Salmon ($36): Namul vegetables, wasabi butter and black rice. Very nice dish with a medium-portioned size of Salmon fillet, which was cooked just right and very delicious.
PRICE: Total Cost before tip: $195 (rounded up). If you're trying to add up from what we ordered above, don't...we ordered more drinks!
RETURN FACTOR: Will definitely come back for drinks and the fish tacos, will skip the calamari next time.