I have eaten here 4 times since the renovation and have had an incredible experience everytime. Their staff is kind and attentive. Their outdoor seating area is dog friendly and has fans/heaters. Also the drinks and food are great! The cherry guava marg is my favorite! read more

I have been coming to Alexandria for business at least once a year for several years and the Royal was my breakfast go to. Yesterday I came with some colleagues as usual and we noticed that the menu had changed, and was much more limited for breakfast. For example, there was no choice of bread for toast, no option of ham as a breakfast meat, and the grits I requested came with cheese, no option for straight up grits, and the home fried potatoes were disappointing. The service is fine as usual : ) I returned this morning, and learned that there has been a change in ownership to explain the changes I noted above. Changes are fine with me, but please restore at least some of what has made the Royal such a wonderful place for breakfast. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, please! read more

Solid breakfast. Eggs were perfect. Potatoes were very good. Bacon was done nicely. My son got the hash which he enjoyed. Attentive service. Nice old school vibe. Worth going to for breakfast. read more

I try to come by here a couple of times each year, and I've been coming here for at least ten years! This place is one o f the few real authentic old school restaurants that has been in business for over 120 years! The dining room still has that hometown feel, and the servers and employees are mostly mature individuals that take their job seriously. I came here just yesterday and ordered my favorite, the spaghetti with meat sauce platter. It included a nice house salad as well. My second favorite menu item is the gyro platter. I really need to have an empty stomach to handle this meal, and it includes a Greek salad. With the DC area becoming so gentrified, I am so glad that this place has remained old fashioned and authentic! In fact you can tell that a lot of their clientele probably have been customers for years. I will need to come back here one more time before I leave for another six months. read more

Royal Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

First timer to the Royal Restaurant and the good was delish, service was exceptional and the place is spot on. The Aperol Highball caught my eye - aperol, grapefruit, lemon and sparkling water. Very refreshing. My friend had a lemonade, which was freshly made. Both were so good. For main I had the French Onion Gilled Cheese which was yummy. The onions were carmelized, and there was no skimping on the Swiss cheese on toasted marble rye. The bread was crisp, the Swiss was creamy, the onions were savory. Together a great combination. We sat in a booth in the bar area, which was comfy. Definitely will return. Definitely will recommend. read more

This is my favorite brunch in old town. They have made to order omelets and waffles with a wide spread of other delectables! Service is excellent with a cheery smile. read more

Royal Restaurant - a red neon sign in the window - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I was worried when the Royal was changing ownership but the new restaurant group have done a great job! They have managed to keep what was great about the Royal while elevating some the experience. I went with a basic waffle and Bloody this time but I want to go back for the burnt ends. Food looks great! read more

Royal Restaurant - THE ROYAL BREAKFAST - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Absolutely amazing! We went with a large group for brunch and they gave us a private room. Food and drinks were amazing and came out pretty fast. Zack was our server and he did an excellent job. Overall an amazing time! read more

Went for happy hour after work for my birthday. Very nice and cozy bar area. Had always wanted to try it back before it closed but never did. But I will definitely revisit this place again. First off a 7 days a week happy hour from 4-7 is great. I had the fries, wings, sliders & old fashioned. Hats off to the chef and bartender. Those wings were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Sliders were so good. Makes me wanna try a full size burger. Whatever the seasoning on the fries was needs to be sold commercially. Perfectly made old fashioned was the cherry on top (no pun). read more

The food is AMAZING, very aesthetically pleasing to look at me, and the service is amazing! The servers are very attentive and helpful! Highly recommend! read more

Royal Restaurant - THE ROYAL BREAKFAST - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Very good deal for a brunch buffet. For 12.50 you get a full buffet with a waffle and omelet station until 1:00 pm. For meat eaters...get the buffet. If you're a veg or pescatarian...I would not. Most of the buffet options are meat intensive. You'd be better off getting something off of the menu. It's a cute little diner-y vibe so no need to get super dressed up but the food is pretty decent so you won't be disappointed. There was tons of seating options so we didn't have to wait long and since we did the buffet we started eating immediately. Was I in love...no. But if I'm in the area and want some decent breakfast food would I pop back in...absolutely. read more

First time visiting Alexandria and boy did we pick the right place for our first meal! Friendly service and amazing food. We both had the meatloaf, best we've ever had!! Chocolate cake hit the spot, too! read more

We had a lovely mother's day brunch. Food and service were great (Shout-out to Zhak!)

We want the Royal Restaurant to do well, However the Thanksgiving Meal was a disaster, The soup came promptly but without spoons, When we asked for spoons we were told they could not keep up with the volume of dishes to be cleaned so they were out of soup spoons. We said just bring any spoon. Meanwhile our soup cooled off. Then we waited half an hour for the main course which was lukewarm at best. I suspect it had been sitting in the kitchen. By then we were so hungry we did not want to risk waiting another half an hour to request our plates be remade so just ate the food. The desserts were terrible. The staff was very gracious but we had the impression they were overwhelmed. So disappointing. The lesson is do not go to the Royal on a holiday. read more

Food was delicious and service was excellent. Ana, our waitress, was lovely and very efficient.

Me and my wife were in Alexandria for a conference and this place was near our hotel, we were tired but we decided to walk a couple steps for this place and we do not regret it, food and service were amazing! read more

Royal Restaurant - Vampire VAMPIRO BREAKFAST BURRITO - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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When new ownership bought the Royal, they also acquired decades of community affection and glowing reviews (...my own five-star is still on here from 10 years ago). But that Royal is gone. The one-of-kind Virginia diner, with members of the owner's family seeing you come in the front door, and ringing up your bill when you leave. Their window has been bricked up and painted dark-gray. I chose to re-visit after the re-do, on a Monday evening in late August. Serves me right? The service was attentive and friendly. We finished a beet salad, to start--but left off most of anything else we tried: A "Rhubarb Daiquiri" ($14) was barely off room temperature, with scant flavor or color to lift above its sugary syrup. And one of those ubiquitous dry lemon slices was tossed on the top. (Remind me to throw out the ones we have languishing at home.) Everything else was overcooked and dry....the taste of "corporate" and "dead." Cornbread was a sweet, fine-grained, spongey cake--with a whisper of corn. Barbecued ribs - themselves, stiff and dry - carried a thick piquant sauce, baked to an enamel. Inedible. Several of my neighbors seem to like this place - and welcome the "update." So perhaps, I'll try again with a simple lunchtime burger. Perhaps. read more

Just had a yummy brunch for my lunch break! Omelette with veggies and beef brisket with fruit and an ice tea. Too bad I forgot to take a pic. I eat here a few times a month and it never disappoints. The bartender is awesome. Such a nice lady who provides great service. Ambiance is very nice and chill in here since the restaurant was remodeled last year. read more

Didn't feel like the DC hassle and found a great brunch solution. No DC parking nightmares, high crime or traffic. Even more the Old Town atmosphere is a true gem. The host is a great guy had me laughing form hello. No worries about the bunch bar being picked over they serve you. read more

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I just went for dinner and had to write about the place. It was nowhere near as busy as somewhere with this great of atmosphere, food, and service should be! Our server let us know that's likely because they recently completely renovated and never used to be open for dinner. Score for me and my friend, because we were able to have a lovely meal in a wonderful spot! I can't keep it to myself, though, because I want them to do well. Great spot, awesome new dining room and lovely deep covered patio with heat lamps. I've got to come back! read more

Though we didn't go here for breakfast we went here at night in dinner time. The place was great and the food was delicious. It's like an old fashion diner and you just have that relaxing atmosphere. The crab cakes were great. It was 2 crab cakes, coleslaw, appetizer was a giant pretzel with some great nacho cheese. Services was great. 5/5 video Royal Restaurant American Traditional breakfast in Washington, DC https://youtu.be/OG6uycXQVdA read more

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Went there for Valentines Day and was thrilled with their Lobster Bisque(chunks of lobster), Oysters Rockefeller, and Baby Lamb Chops. Our server, Alma, was very efficient and friendly and recommended a lovely Spanish Red, Halceones. The place has been there since the early 60's and run by the Euripides family for generations. read more

Royal Restaurant - Peach Cobbler - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Drinks, Mimosas especially the pomegranate and guava is absolutely amazing! The Royal Breakfast was good and the Steak Hash is great!

Good - location in north Old Town, newly renovated interior, outdoor seating, staff are all very nice. Bad - Food prep really needs improvement (chili was inedible, breakfast potatoes burned, toast cold). If they improve the food, it would be great! read more

The recent improvements were helpful. There's still a lot of comfort food. Service is still great. It's new ownership but still has the hometown feel. read more

I really want to like this restaurant. I have visited about four times over the summer but quite honestly our experiences here are hit and miss, mostly misses. This is a good restaurant group that has fallen short when it comes to the Royal. Food isn't that great, at least not on par with the quality and creativity of their other restaurants and the service can be "off". The interior is all spiffed up, the china is cool, and they have a wonderful patio. There is a small parking lot with fairly easy street parking. The handicap entrance is a bit dicey from the back. The floor gets slippery from humidity and I nearly slipped when my cane slipped out. I prefer entering from the front door. read more

I was extremely disappointed with the food and disgusted with the service. I ordered a Belgian Waffle and received a cold Eggo waffle. The waitress copped an attitude when I mentioned the cold Eggo waffle to her and asked that my daughter's food not be cold. While I was asked did I want something else, I kindly declined for fear of it being tampered with. Finally, the air conditioner was on full blast making it even more unpleasant. Oh, I must mention the flies on the inside of restaurant! I do not recommend this place at all. read more

This place has not improved at all. The best thing they did was stop the buffet which was not good and inconvenient spot for it. I attempted to give it another go today but ended up walking out after 30 minutes of no food. Waitress asked us three times what we wanted they never returned. When we asked the manager he disappeared as well. We walked I do jot recommend this place!! read more

So excited for The Royal update! My boss and I had discussed our love of diner meatloaf, so when the Royal reopened and had meatloaf on the menu I invited her to meet me for dinner. I ordered a mocktail to start (the Metal Petal) and we split the beet salad-the dressing is spicy, so just keep that mind when ordering (it was very good and different than the usual beet salad). The meatloaf dinner was a HUGE serving (I had told our server initially that I would also be ordering a meatloaf dinner to go for my husband-but cancelled because it was enough for both of us). Everything was very flavorful, next time I would ask them to crisp up the meatloaf a little more (I'm assuming they slice and brown off). When I checked in on Yelp, a coupon for a free dessert popped up and we split the banana cream pie-it is a mini-individual pie, so a perfect sweet treat at the end of a meal. Scott, one of the partners in the restaurant group, stopped us on our way out to mention the breakfast menu and that they had heard the locals concerns and kept the 10 most popular items at the same price they were. I look forward to going back with my husband as there were MANY items on the menu that look delicious. read more

Royal Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

If you haven't been to the Royal Restaurant lately, it is time to go back. The new renovations are great, the manager Mohammed was wonderful, and our server, Liz, was awesome!! We had a surprise birthday celebration for my daughter in their private room for 11 people, and it was nice and comfortable. Their food was awesome; we had several appetizers, meals, and desserts, and everything was really good! You will love it! I highly recommend the Royal Restaurant!! read more

Five stars for LIZ! She really knows the menu and provides excellent service. She's one reason to the restaurant!

My wife and I ate breakfast here on July 11th, 2024. We hadn't been to Royal in a long time. We left impressed with our server Ana, our food, the remodel, and the free parking. We'll return often! read more

Great Breakfast. Our party had the Breakfast Burritos, Mushroom Skillet, and Chicken and Waffles. All were great The burritos were huge and tasty. They accommodated deleting onions and peppers from the mushroom skillet which was also fantastic. The chicken was moist and tender and the waffle was tender with a slight crunch and was also delicious. Service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive. It was pretty popular and you can make reservations. Will definitely return. read more

Food was great, service was great and outdoor space is beautiful! We have been twice in the last two days - the first time we had the smash burger and the brisket hash, both tasted great. The shoestrings fries have a garlic seasoning that is unlike any other fries we have ever had! Jose and Ana were our servers and both did a great job - we will be back for sure! read more

My goodness - what a change! The Royal is under new ownership, and they have clearly invested a great deal in renovating the premises. So, starting with the good: much of the longtime staff is still there, and they are wonderful, as always. Moving to the bad: no more onion rings. And the Royal made THE BEST onion rings I've ever had. As for the "Ok - but I wish they didn't" - they have fancied up my old standby Club Sandwich: roasted turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato - but now it's on ciabatta, and has a fancy sauce. It was good, but honestly I prefer the very plain, very old fashioned version - but the accompanying fires were fantastic. I'll be back, but a plea to the management: please bring back some of the old favorites (the homemade pita bread, the BLT, and most of all, the onion rings!!!! read more

I was excited to see the "new" Royal reopen, especially with its beautiful facelift and the new outdoor seating. However, I must admit that I wasn't as thrilled about the menu. It seems to heavily emphasize southwestern flavors such as ancho, chipotle, mole, and green chilis. Personally, I find it overwhelming. It feels like these flavors are in almost everything, including the desserts. If you don't like those flavors, you are screwed with most of the menu. While I appreciate unique dishes, the "new" Royal is nothing like the old. Please don't get me wrong, the "old" Royal had very average food at best. The "new" menu could use a few basics, or the good old standbys. Not very sexy, but you know what you are going to get when you order it. Chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, potpie, a turkey dinner, or a classic cheeseburger with fries would be fantastic. A basic club sandwich with three slices of bread, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo would be awesome. Simple fries would be great, too ... not with that green powdery stuff on them. I hope the menu evolves to include both unique items and beloved items that cater to different tastes. Until then, I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon. read more

Snagged bar seats and was waited on by Chris, who was super friendly and accommodating, even though it was insanely busy when we were there due to the marathon. Sausage beignets were awesome, and the espresso martini was the best I've had in a long time. Will definitely be back! read more

Excellent food! Meatloaf was spectacular. Cannot recommend enough. Wife had a great steak. Nice drinks. Great staff.

I ordered a burrito. It was awesomely prepared and surrounded by fried cheddar cheese. It was amazing! The restaurant was remodeled and it looks great inside. Service was excellent. Be sure to ask for Maggie when you visit. She's fantastic! read more

Royal Restaurant - Burrito - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

What a difference from when we came here years ago. The new management has done a nice job renovating the restaurant and has a solid menu. The crab quesadilla and burnt end empanadas were definitely highlights and highly recommend them. The steak was cooked well and ended up getting a side of their fries which were garlicky and crispy. Ended the meal with a banana cream pie and the roasted apple chimichangas - both were super flavorful (really loved the crust on the pie and the crunch from the chimichanga). Will definitely have to come back for dinner again. read more