In transition many things may fall by the wayside, but I just had a sample of one of the best hamburgers since my childhood at The Royal Bar in 1978. There's been a rash of terrible decisions by business owners lately, Arrogant bigots and "tough guys" Skinny. read more

Never been to Park Rapids and was excited to come to surprise my friend. Were were meeting at the Royal Bar. My first time. I arrived first and sat at the bar. It was relatively busy when I arrived but found a spot at the bar. A lady behind the bar saw me and immediately looked away. I overheard a waitress come up to her behind the bar(right in front of me)and ask how to split a check and she told her she didn't have time for that shit today. I waited for about 5 minutes for her to take my drink order. I ordered and moved to a table to wait for my friends to arrive. We ordered 4 shots and they come right away but the waitress disappeared for awhile. We ordered drinks and food finally....while ordering the waitress didn't think we were ordering fast enough and said "if you guys aren't ready I'll just come back"....while we were ordering.....overall...food was excellent but everything else was a joke! Another waitress was stomping around and throwing chairs down like it was an event....it was a lot. I came to spend money and have a good time and we left. Spent our money elsewhere. Kudos to the cook! You a real one! Our server never greeted our table, never told us any specials, never introduced herself the entire time we were there. So upon leaving I had to ask what her name was....Rochelle. read more

Never got my food, server did not check in until 30 minutes later. first time her and last time.

Have to go for the California burger (add jalapeños) and fries. This place is a delicious dive and everyone who serves here is Minnesota nice. Love it! read more

Terrible, will not be back. never got my order...very disappointed. Server never checked in because "we are not locals"

We love this place! Dive bar atmosphere with the best burgers around. Make sure you get them with onions. read more

Royal Bar - a man sitting at the bar - Burgers Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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Mike on the grill is all you need to know. The best burger around. Hot fries. The man is a maestro with the perfectly timed hot food. As much as I want to try things on the menu the cheeseburger with mayonnaise raw and cooked onions 1/2 basket of fries is all I can ever get there. It's that good. read more

There's a reason dive bars are good. Royal bar has a small menu, but what they do, they do well. Staff were friendly and prompt. Beer was cold. Burgers had obviously never been frozen. Good quality. Gotta love a place that automatically offers raw or fried onions on your burger. I had the mushroom and swiss. It was great! The tots were crisp and not too salty. Onion rings were good too. Everything is served on wax paper or in paper boats, but don't let that keep you away, there's a roll of paper towels on your table. Oh, and make sure you look up to see the beautiful tin ceiling. read more

Ok, we came here a few years ago (pre-pandemic) and had a crummy experience with a not-kind server, who rolled her eyes and scoffed at my wife when we asked for a beer list (they actually have a pretty solid selection, so I still don't understand the hostility to that question, other than the fact we were clearly not locals). However, we came back on this year's trip and had a completely different experience. Our server was super kind, very attentive and warm, and extremely welcoming. What's more, my family DEVOURED their burgers (2 cheeseburgers, 2 California burgers and 1 Royal burger), which came out fast and hot. The drinks were cold and a perfect way to end a day spent biking around Itasca state park. We will definitely be back! read more

We eat here every single time we come to visit my parents in Osage. In the land of juicy Lucy's, the royal bar will serve you up the most delicious burger. And they're humble about it too. read more

Royal Bar - Burgers Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

I loved this dive. Some friends who have a cabin in Park Rapids met my fella and I here while we were passing through last week. They said it's kind of a Park Rapids classic and they did not lie. Since we'd been on the road, we first hit the bathrooms-that-might-as-well-be-closets-they-are-so-small (legitimately, I wasn't sure if I could fit in one of the stalls). Then we settled down at a big table near the Buck Hunter and giant neon sign in the back since our friends brought their baby (baby in a bar!). An exceptionally friendly lady came and took our drink orders while we set up a game of pool. We all got California burgers (bacon, cheese, other things...), fries and couldn't help but order the Balls of Fire too, which the server described as "great, but not too spicy," as if we'd be deterred if they were spicy. It was kind of cute. The burgers were tasty-tasty and cheap. Nothing fancy, just good small town bar food. And while we waited for these morsels, I pool-sharked like never before. It was a good day. read more

Royal Bar - a neon sign for a bar - Burgers Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

Okay, the Royal bar has been around Park Rapids for as long as I can remember. In the 70s it was the place for softball players to drink beer well into the very late evening hours. I personally spent many hours after my summer job at Lambert Building Center sitting at a table drinking pitchers before finally having something to eat before heading home. Typically a Royal burger. They're still pretty good, "Possibly the best burgers in Northern Minnesota" but the French fry baskets are not as large as they used to be. If you're lookin for a great burger and a beer in P.R. you need look no further than the Royal Bar. read more

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A very good hamburger with a very friendly wait staff. My kind of place for a burger and a beer. I got out of here for less than $ 20 having a burger, 2 beers and a generous tip. read more

Royal Bar - Burgers Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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The burger was great, fries basket was enough for two people. Service was alright. Gave me everything I needed in a weekend burger joint. I'd come again read more

Burgers are excellent, and try the chili! Definitely a good place to stop when you are in the Park Rapids area. read more

If you're ever in Park Rapids, this is a great place to eat. Possibly the best burgers in the state, especially with the fried onions, and gigantic order of fries. Very friendly staff, too. read more

They now take credit cards!!! Yep a bit divey as others have said. Cold beer - bottles of larger. None in tap. Sam Adams is great that way - in ice cold bottles Had the royal burger. It's a very tasty bacon cheeseburger. Large basket of fries. Very tasty Couple of beers, burger and fries for under 20. Not a bad deal. Not a high class place but a great burger and beer place! It's very busy which was not much of a surprise read more

Okay, so yes, they only have box wine (and not good box wine, mind you), domestic beers (though they do have Summit EPA in a bottle) and a lot of deep fried food, BUT you have to go to the Royal knowing it is a small town bar. You get exactly what you expect. A dive bar. If you are from out of town and go during the winter, people will stare. But since Park Rapids is a huge vacation town during the summer with enough lakes to write a book about, you shouldn't hesitate to step into this dive bar to enjoy a strong drink and some fried food during the warmer months if you so desire. We go every year on Black Friday for a bloody mary or two and a burger. Usually there are 10-15 of us and we take over the back area. Yeah, it is not a mind-blowing experience, but we leave pleasantly buzzed, full tummies and memories of another evening of laughter and conversation. That being said...I would never come here on say a date (whether it is a blind date or a date with your spouse). I wouldn't take your folks here if they have a low tolerance for town drunks. Also, um, the bathrooms are incredibly tiny...like they were an afterthought: "Oh crap, we have to put bathrooms in the place if we want to pass state inspection...ahhhh, let's shove a stall or two into that small corner over there..." So, um, people of a larger size might find navigating the restrooms to be more of an obstacle course. The burgers remind me of McDonald's. They are small. They claim that for an extra chunk of change you can get Bison meat instead of hamburger, but when I asked for Bison, I couldn't really tell if it truly was Bison. Oh well. It still tasted great at the time. The decorations, jukebox, darts, people watching and stiff drinks all make for a fun place for a group. However, you should know, I only go once a year as part of our Black Friday tradition. When I am up there other times, I walk right by the Royal without taking a second glance. cheers. read more

This was my first time at this place. When you walk in they claim to have the best burger in the north. Personally, I thought it was pretty damn good. They have a good selection of bottled beer but lack on the amount of draft. I just personally prefer draft. I would definitely go back again when I'm in town. Great Dive Bar! read more

Good food. Terrible service. Grill is smaller then my stove at home. Over hour wait

Very much still open! This bar is considered by many to have the best burgers in the area & I think so as well. I always order The Royal, a bacon cheese burger. So good! read more

This is just another place where locals get preferential service. And it's not even tourist season. Very disappointing. At least three tables that came in after us were served before us. The waitress ignored us. The food was decent for bar food. But, not worth the hassle. read more

This little hole is one of my favorites - I've been here for burgers at least a dozen times over the years and have never been disappointed! The service is always friendly and fast (which is hard to find "up north") and burgers always AMAZING! read more

We stop here before we went to Itasca and the burgers were great and the fries were good too. I had the royal ton and it was juicy and the bacon was crisp they have outside or inside dining read more

Came from Cali, looked at the reviews. Thought it was the perfect small dive. Nope. They say they're open until 1am, but instead we will close early because the bartender wanted to go to a party. After talking to a couple other people leaving the bar, we were informed this is typical with the bartenders. I guess if you want a dive bar that closes randomly even when they have posted hours, and you have a full house drinking, then this is the place to go. read more

What lured me in was their sign that said the had possibly the best burgers in northern Minnesota. Boy was I disappointed. They tasted like frozen patties. If you're going to brag about your burgers at least use fresh burger! I've had way better burgers at other places in northern Minnesota. Service was also a little slow. I will not eat there again. read more

Best burgers in town. Great place to have a beer and burger while in town for lunch. Fries are always hot. The bar is an old movie theater, is dark inside but fun. Folks from Cali are used to big city bars, but for this old town, it is a great place to stop. There used to be a few local late lunchtime establishments, but Since Wimpy's closed this is our favorite burger joint on Main Street. Sure, McD's is next door, but uhggg..... And, you can now use your credit card!! read more

Currently sitting here and we've waited over a hour for our food. Barely at half capacity. Good burger but quite a leap for waiting a hour for our food. read more

I have been coming to the Royal Bar for 30 years. The burgers are good, the service is good as well. The servers are running their tails off. They aren't going to sugar coat anything when they take your order or serve your beer. CASH ONLY, There is an ATM at the entrance. $2.50 foreign ATM charge. They don't use plates or silverware. A roll of paper towels sits on the table. Get ready for a yummy greasy mess! Don't expect 4 star dining, it's a bar and grill. Enjoy the ambiance or get out and go to McDonald's down the street. :) read more

Average bar, locals rave about the royal burger. Tastes like frozen processed patty, to the tune of 6 bucks without fries. Wait staff is decent. read more

Fun dive bar. Asked for a fun martini and Erin whipped one up. Didn't have a food item but had a nice time. read more

Royal Bar - Fun martini - Burgers Near Me - Park Rapids, Minnesota

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I rated the royal bar this because it has a great atmosphere. Everyone is so nice. I really like the royal burger. If your looking for an upscale resturaunt this isn't where you should go, but you should go here it has personality and good food if your in for a good time read more

Came here for lunch. Waited about an hour for our food. One sandwich, a basket of fries and some chicken strips. Bad service for sure. If you're coming at the lunch hour the food will be ready by supper. Would not recommend. read more

awesome dive bar with pool tables and a laid back atmosphere, friendly and well behaved locals takes the uncertainty away from hitting this little joint. I've only ever had the burgers with onion rings and am never disappointed with the speed and quality. The kitchen is just some space alongside the bar so you can see what's cookin'. Don't hesitate in giving this place a try. read more

The Royal Bar is a great place to get a burger basket for lunch anytime of year. I will eat there once or twice a year (whether I'm in the area icefishing with the guys or on vacation in the summer with my family). You can't beat the prices and the pool tables and big screen tv's are an added plus. It's probably not your place if you are looking to taste some wine. But that's another great thing about the place. It is truly for the "salt of the earth" types. read more

I recently moved into town and the few people I know raved about this places burgers. So a friend and I went in on an afternoon for a burger and beer. The burger was greasy as hell and the bun was falling apart. The fries I ordered to go with it were damn near burnt and way to salty (Were they trying to get us to drink more). I ordered a bottle bear to go with it and that was piss warm. As far as the atmosphere, the bartender was friendly enough, but the floor looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a week. We left after eating and by the time we got to the car, my stomach felt like it was turning inside out. When we got home, I barely made it to the bathroom before being sick. I've had burgers and beer plenty of times and never had that reaction before. Probably won't be going back. To bad, I like going to bars from time to time, and there aren't many choices around here. read more

I don't have much more to add, Visited there last weekend with a group of four and usually stop in when I'm in the area with friends. We each had a burger and shared two orders of fries. The food is good and portions are generous. Unless you're really hungry a shared order of fries and a burger will satiate a hearty appetite. As others have mentioned, sides (fries) are extra. I was a little surprised when the $50 something bill arrived. That included a few Grainbelts so I should have anticipated that. One of the most important characteristics of a bar and grill, in my opinion, is the atmosphere. I prefer some dusty taxidermy, a t.v. or two, some older country music on the jukebox, an efficient waitress with a feisty attitude and a paper towel machine in the can so I can grab the doorknob with a paper towel as I exit. The Royal pretty much fits the bill. read more

I Live in Park Rapids and the Royal Bar is part of an eat out tradition. Occasionally we even order out Royal Bar food at work and people jump at the chance to have a Royal Burger. The Fries are excellent. My son loves it when order he can order a Royal burger and asked to eat there when allowed to choose anywhere in Park Rapids to eat. read more

If you are looking for down home, fried on a grill, wrapped in checked paper and HOT freeway burger...this is the place. With or without fried onions, this is possibly the best burger in Minnesota. The fries and the onion rings are equally as fresh and tasty. The beer is cold, and no matter what they advertise the service is great. Absolutely worth the stop, as our family from Norway will attest. read more

I don't understand how this place has such great reviews on their burgers. The meat is just a frozen patty and tastes awful! There is nothing fresh or great about the burgers. You are better off getting a burger from the McDonald's down the street. read more