I'm going five star, because I like bars that serve ribs that taste this great on a Saturday when I'm zipping out Youngstown on Oak st. and just remembered I really want a rack of ribs. It was 3pm when I walked in, and 30 minutes later after two beers walked out with a full rack, extra sauce. Best thing about the ribs? They have that light char taste that goes right through the meat down to the bone. The girl tending bar was great, took good care of my order, and that order was ready just as the beer went empty, so great service. The Oaks has been right here for many many years, pretty eclectic crowd, but mainly just a joint to enjoy the food, have a drink or a beer, and talk to folks. The inside is a nice mish mash of old photos, art that is more thoughtful than you'd expect, and a long wall length bar, that hits the far wall and becomes a row of booths coming back up the other wall. Plenty of good parking, and through the warm months they got outdoor bands, so, something for everyone. Oh, and it's a good place to just be. If you're alone, or killing time, perfect spot. Seriously. The pic is what I do once I get the ribs all the way back to New Castle, toss in a casserole put in the oven wrapped in foil at @240 degrees for 30-40 minutes, gets them right at perfect. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Most of a rack of ribs, heavy sauce, few minutes at 240 covered in foil and freaking great! - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Hole in the wall bar with history! They aren't open late but you definitely don't want to miss out on their food. Always great food and service by the bartenders. If you haven't had the chance, make sure to come in on Tuesdays to try their ribs with a great deal! read more

always great food. my to go place, Always fast service and friendly staff. The wings and fries are the best

The wings are great. I love the raspberry barbecue sauce, but I don't like the hot I get the regular. I'm not a ribs person so I can't say I don't care for ribs if it's pork yuck read more

I was in Youngstown and wanted something with some history, and this seemed like the easy choice. The ribs were good. I didn't think they were life changing, but you aren't going to regret ordering them. The fries were excellent, don't miss out on them. Service was loud, brash, and friendly. Exactly what you'd want in a dive bar. read more

Y'Town institution! Every time I come back home I have my list of things I gotta eat. Royal Oaks hot raspberry bbq is always on it. Nothing like them anywhere else that I've been at least read more

Excellent wings, fresh cut fries, cool atmosphere sort of a mix of 1930's architecture meets 1980's punk rock. Fun place to party or just get some good wings & split. read more

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The food was delicious. The atmosphere was right as far as bar scene goes. I'm not sure what hours they're open though.

Just a great place to relax and be with friends. Listen to good music especially once a month with live DJ spinning vinyl. Best part is the food and the owners. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

I really want to like this place, because I've been coming here through the years when I come home to visit Youngstown. But I can't in old conscience give it more than two stars. 1. Inconsistent serving hours. I've actually never eaten here, even though I've wanted to in numerous occasions. I drive by during times when their posted hours indicate they should be open, and they're closed. I've heard the ribs are pretty good. The chef brought in to consult during "Bar Rescue" said they were good despite the kitchen issues they uncovered. I wouldn't know. A recent Friday night I was there for a show at 8 PM. They were open, the kitchen was not. I'm not sure if they don't serve during shows, but consistent posted hours would help. 2. Lack of draft beer options. When I drink beer, I prefer to drink draft. It doesn't have to be fancy or a craft beer, but it shouldn't be hard to keep 8 beers on tap, since they have 8 handles. Hell, put a few local options like Penguin City or Noble Creature on like other places around town do. This day they had a mere two, Blue Moon and Bell's Two Hearted Ale. The rest of the taps were covered by Crown Royal bags, as if they were ashamed to be there. Not a good look, especially when the draft system was revamped when the Oaks appeared on an episode of the TV show "Bar Rescue." 3. Inconsistent service and inventory. I already mentioned the lack of drafts, so you think they'd have enough bottles and cans stocked up. Especially on a Friday night with practically a full house to see Cleveland's own The Whiskey Daredevils. You'd be wrong. I started out drinking Labatt Blue bottles. I was told they were out, so I switched to Rolling Rock. Not that big a deal. However, when I went to buy my friends their next drink, the following happened. I took my empty Rolling Rock bottle, along with a Bud Platinum and Labatt. One bartender informed me they were out of Platinum. I paid for my Rock and went back to my friend to get his backup choice. When I got back to the bar, there were three bottles with caps on sitting on the bar. A Labatt, Rolling Rock, and Bud Platinum, placed by the other bartender. After explaining the situation, I paid for the Bud and said I just brought the Labatt bottle back for disposal since I switched to Rock and had been misinformed that the Labatt was gone. 4. Benign neglect. Previous time I was there, when I did manage to get something I liked on draft, it was served in a pint glass made of actual glass. This trip I noticed all drafts and mixed drinks were served in plastic cups. I don't know if it's not wanting to clean glassware, but even the diviest of dive bars I've been to use glassware. My plastic cup drinking days have been relegated to tailgates and events where it's prohibitive to use glassware. There is no heat in the men's room. Granted, I'm in there for a brief few minutes, and see a radiator, but that seems to have been the case for a while. Sucks in the wintertime. Lastly is the former iconic neon sign that shined as a beacon beckoning people to visit. It was refurbished by "Bar Rescue". Apparently it was knocked down some time ago by a windstorm and never fixed or replaced. I'm a sucker for neon signs, especially one as well known as theirs, and it pains me to see it absent. Will I continue to go there when I visit Youngstown? Maybe. Probably. Maybe I'll actually get to eat there sometime. But there are plenty of eating and drinking options around town that don't have these issues. I only have one stomach and one liver, so I'm limited in how much I can consume. If Jon Taffer were to visit or this place appear on "Bar Rescue" for an update, I imagine they would fail the test. But stop in and you be the judge. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - The sad draft list, the empty handles covered in shame. - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

In between recent rounds of golf (two in the same day!) in the greater Youngstown area, we went to seek out some 'que. In a nondescript area on the Eastern outskirts of town lies a free standing building in operation in the mid-1930's. Although it very much leans on the "dive bar" side of the spectrum, make no mistake that these cats know their way around a smoker. My buddy and I decided to order a mess o' stuff and sample it all. We started off with a dozen wings, then dug into a brisket sandwich and a rib and chicken platter. Honestly, we should have just stopped at the wings and ordered a dozen more. The wings covered in their signature raspberry BBQ sauce were outstanding...tangy and slightly sweet on top of the smoked and grilled meat. I don't know what it was about this sauce, but you simply cannot stop eating these things!!! I did not try the chicken on the platter, but the ribs were tender, meaty and tasted great with the same sauce. The brisket sandwich, on the other hand. was overly salty with their traditional BBQ sauce. Not sure if maybe that was a byproduct of the rub or the sauce itself. The sandwich came with fries and the platter also came with fries but also potato salad (our choice) and a fried garlic roll. There were enough total french fries to feed a small army, which was a bit of a shame as we had no place to store them during our second round of golf and a drive back to Cleveland. Would I return for the barbecue? Probably. Would I come back for the wings? Hells yeah! Hope I get that chance! read more

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Came down to the area to check out a dodge ram that was extremely misrepresented. No need to go home with an empty stomach, right? Royal oaks happened to be right up the street from Angelo's autos so we decided to stop in here. Even at noon on a Wednesday, the place looked sketchy. However the pictures of the food justified the stop. The walk through the parking lot seemed doubtful the closer we got to the door. The inside backed up the presentation that the outside already made. We sat at the bar and to our surprise, they served high noon. The bartender told us that the Wing Wednesday special was 10 wings and fries for $6!!!! Extremely heard of, especially in the tail end of 2022. We ordered one lemon pepper combo, one raspberry bbq combo, and one half slab of ribs since "they're to die for." After our second round, the bartender asked what brought us down and we filled her in on our Dodge Ram Dilemma. She replied that she assumed that it was due to their Bar Rescue episode. This is the part where if this were a raunchy comedy, the needle would scratch on a vinyl record. As a huge John Taffer/ Bar Rescue fan, I'm surprised and baffled at the same time. She tells us that Season 4, episode 31, Blowing Royal Smoke features the establishment. So at this point, I'm invested and began to watch the episode at the bar on my phone. One of the first things I noticed is that the staff of the bar out lasted the mayor of Youngstown. The food came and when I say these wings were some of the juiciest wings I've had in quite a while. The raspberry bbq was definitely a surprise to the taste buds. The ribs were smoked to perfection. The only issue is that the particular cut of meat was fatty. Even though, I enjoyed every bit of this trip and will return. I enjoy a good dive bar and I loved every bit of this deep dive. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - There's so much history in this place. - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

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My wife and I were passing through town and were looking through yelp to find a good place to eat in the Youngstown area and oh my word... we were beyond shocked! We pulled up to the place and thought it may have been closed but then pulled around back to find that their parking lot was packed. My wife signaled that we should leave but I reminded her that we can't judge a book by its cover. We walked in and realized that this was totally a dive bar and were just wondering where we could find these raspberry wings we had heard about... The bartender was so cool! She was asking us about where were from and was genuinely caring about us and also promptly getting drinks and taking care of everyone in the room wanting a drink. We placed our order and stuck around long enough to have some awesome conversations with the locals there who take a lot of pride in that bar. The bar has so much history and I promise it may not look like much, but it was so amazing. Due to COVID-19 we couldn't eat the wings inside so we took them out to our car to try and let me tell you... they were UNBELIEVABLE! Such a unique and tasty flavor. My wife and I polished off 30 wings together and enjoyed every last one. We got raspberry and Louisiana Lickers and they were so so delicious! We will definitely be back whenever we are anywhere near this town! It was so worth it and the price is unbeatable! read more

Great place great food fun staff just an all-around good time. Top it all off. It's the oldest barn Youngstown.

Fun old-time Youngstown bar with delicious burgers and wings! Great place to see a Youngstown tradition!

I've been coming to this place my whole life so it's hard not to recommend it. The food is far superior to any bar in town

Raspberry barbecue Raspberry barbecue Raspberry barbecue Chicken wings Chicken wings Chicken Wings If a teacher says something 3 times, its pretty important. You should write it down. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Ive been coming here for about 5 years from time to time. The ribs are pretty good. Cheap beer and shots. John is hilarious!!

JFK (the owner) took care of us well. A big highlight are the old-school digs and amazing hospitality - not to mention the throwaway prices for tally-boy PBR and coors beers if that's your thing. No fancy stuff here - simple, straightforward and good. The raspberry bbq sauce was incredible. Not the kind of sauce where you mix raspberry vinaigrette with bbq sauce but something made from scratch. The tart of the raspberries complemented the molasses of the bbq sauce. We also got wings with the Santa Fe sauce- kind of a blend of medium wings and parm-garlic. Absolutely delicious- expertly done and finger licking good. I mean we were dipping our fries in the leftover sauce. The ribs were moist, tender and had the right amount of bark on them - we got them with the raspberry bbq sauce and they were phenomenal. Make this a destination in Youngstown, If not a stop on your travels. Also - they grill their wings after frying them for a bit if smokiness (pure magic I tell you) read more

Outstanding wings and BBQ second to none! Special sauce hot or regular that is not only unique but will keep you going back for more! Support local! read more

The best place in Youngstown with the best people. Ribs and wings with raspberry bbq sauce cannot be topped. The beer is cold and plenty of conversation. The clientele ranges from blue collar to local politicians to yuppies. The owners and bartenders always make you feel at home. Also some great bands play here later in the evenings on some nights and the annual Pabstolutely summer concert. Always a great time! read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Some of the best bbq in town. The hot raspberry bbq is a famous town favorite but watch out it's HOT! Portion sizes are big and prices are small. The wings and ribs are smoked and delicious. Rib dinners come with multiple sides. The fries are fair style and really tasty. The atmosphere is cleaner since they were on bar rescue. It's a hole in the wall kind of bar that you'll never regret visiting and can't wait to go back to. Drink prices are super cheap. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Fair fries, raspberry bbq wings and ribs, baked beans and a roll. All so cheap and delicious! - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

One star only because you have to give at least one, but the bartender (girl) was great! Next bartender (guy) not even there! Just left but that's because the food we had ordered for a party was non existent! Yes the owner said sorry but we ran out! What?!?! We called to make sure we would have some for a small Christmas gathering! Last time I will ever go there ( wasn't my choice) now I remember why! read more

Best Ribs I have ever had! Smoked 1st then raspberry Barbequr sause! Fair Fries also were very good. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Nice place; good service. Can see why locals like it. I would just cut down on the vinegar in the BBQ sauce and would try not to over cook the burger (black and blue pictured; well done rather than medium rare as I ordered). read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Had to check this place out as I grew up just across the state line. Was unaware of the history, until I saw bar rescue. First bar in the US to open after prohibition - before was probably a speak easy as Youngstown had a very large mob presence. Just as described - a dive bar but with the original bar back. Was there the night before Thanksgiving and the place was packed with an eclectic a crowd as you can imagine. Lots of good beer on tap and the BBQ is outstanding. Had the wings - brother had the ribs both with the raspberry, no discussion - outstanding. And if you saw the bar rescue episode the shorter owner did appear to be intoxicated, can't think of any other reason he'd be wearing a Crown Royal bag on his head. read more

This place is awesome!! The owners are so nice and the food is amazing. Honestly, this place deserves 10 stars. It's the coolest place in Youngstown and one of the top old school bars I've been to. The people are just as cool as the food. read more

Like the other reviews said, don't let the outside appearance keep you away, it is not pretty but the BBQ was amazing. The bartender, I think her name was Emily, was friendly and very cordial. Can't wait to go back the next time we're in Youngstown! read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

Favorite. Hands-down, the best barbecue I've ever had. The ribs are smoky, slightly-charred, juicy, and smothered in sauce. The wings are also, quite easily, the best in Youngstown - I usually ask for mine extra crispy. There's a wide variety of sauces to suit your taste. The garlic rolls, mozz sticks, fries, onion rings and burgers are also top notch. They're amazingly consistent - at least 20-30 trips and I've never been let down. Beer is cheap, cold and refreshing. The service is great, and the atmosphere is perfect for a neighborhood bar and grill in Youngstown. This review is basically pointless since no one in Youngstown uses Yelp, and most of Youngstown's population is already on the same page when it comes to the Oaks. read more

Frickin amazing wings. They're smoked. Ridiculous flavor. Fair-style fries. Mmmm. Good beer selection. You can still smoke inside. I think our bill was less than $30 for 4 people, and we were all stuffed and drunk when we left. Youngstown love. read more

Amazing chicken wings terrific ribs will definitely be going back great little place!!!!!!!!!!

If you like wings this is the place to go! An added bonus would be the ribs and some other great food comes out of the kitchen! All this, coupled with cheap drinks made right, makes this a regular stop for our crew when we are out on the bikes! Don't let the neighborhood scare you - great place! read more

I had the full rack of hot raspberry BBQ ribs. OMG. As a rib lover, these were some of the best ones I have had. I try to find good ribs wherever I go, but I will thank my little brother for introducing me to this place. I had wrote hands off on my leftovers and it apparently caught the eye of one of the owners, so we had a nice discussion on BBQ styles. Very friendly and a really good place for ribs. Definitely a place to come back to visit. read more

Royal Oaks Bar & Grill - Bars Near Me - Youngstown, Ohio

As an avid avoider of chain restaurants at all costs, admittedly, I was intimidated by the first drive-by thinking it looked a bit rough. Then I somehow navigated back by a different route, so trusting fate and fellow yelpers, I parked in the abandon lot next door. You go in a side door, not the front, and I was glad right from the first peek inside. There was a whole table of pies and pastries, a fundraiser for dog rescue. I had the Hot BBQ ribs, excellent, homemade coleslaw, and fresh cut fries. The fries get soggy if you don't eat them quick...Octoberfest beer on tap. The wait staff was super great. They also have a comfy chair section, like a coffee shop, totally cool...big screen TVs for sports fans. read more

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The place has great character for being the oldest bar in the YO. Wings were great and so was the service!

I'm giving their wings 5 stars... absolute perfection! Our favorite sauce is the house BBQ, the hot raspberry.

Love this bar has been around forever! True dive bar with locals and cheep drink prices and happy hours

The rave of this place it's the raspberry BBQ sauce. The sauce was definitely good and worth the trip out. I had the Oaks Southern Burger and my friend had the ribs and wings. While the burger was super messy it was good enough to satisfy but nothing I will be pressed to have again. The ribs were fatty and the wings were fried too hard. All around a good experience and the food was okay. read more

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Never been before and only heard rumblins of. Don't be deterred by the exterior appearance. This is a true GEM of Youngstown. An eclectic sitting area for a casual "hang" and drinks welcomed us coming in the door with a small dining area alongside the bar taking me back to the old-school beer garden everyone wants to be in again. The food is Superlative. Ribs, chicken, sauce, apps...and the pricing?? Friggin'deal. But the diversity of patrons and the owners on site who insist everyone feels at home makes this my new go-to. I don't know how the service gets on a busy nite but the lone bartender that evening, Billy, navigated food and drinks with expertise. This is a Youngstown bar....get your ticket. Take the ride. read more

Weird place. Good sauce. Great barbecue. My favorite has to be the wings and how they're either cooked on or finished off on the grill. The raspberry bbq sauce is very memorable. read more