Wow! One of the few places we've been to recently that we've felt so happy with every part of our experience.
Let me start with the decor and location - Royal River Grill House is nestled in a woodsy part of Yarmouth next to a boat yard and right on the bank of - you guessed it - the Royal River. It is delightfully hidden, one of those spots that people don't just wander into, but that you must *seek out*. Parking lot is a little small for how busy it is, but there's overflow parking around the other side of the building. Finding the place and walking past the big metal fish bone sculptures feels a little bit exclusive but inviting. Once you step inside, it's even better. High vaulted ceilings, chandeliers with warm lighting, big cozy chairs, a couple of animal heads on the walls. Very lodge-like and so cozy. Pull up a chair and stay awhile!
The tables are very close to each other, which seems excessive but made sense once we sat for a bit - this place filllls up! We got lucky because we arrived early for Sunday brunch; however, I recommend making a reservation on Resy to ensure you get a table. Our server Melinda was outstanding, one of the best servers we've had in recent memory! She was incredibly kind, communicative, helpful with recommendations and specials, and wonderful with our 8-year-old daughter. It's hard to tell how the staff will react to a kiddo at a nicer restaurant, but everyone was so kind to her and made us all feel welcome!
On to the food... our meal took just a little longer than we are used to, but it's a giant place and they make everything fresh, so we didn't mind the wait. It gave us time to sip on our super tasty cocktails - the Storm Warning (a mezcal and chile cocktail that was not spicy but super good) and the Gooseberry Bellini, which I highly recommend! It's served in a Grey Goose bottle whose top has been sabered off. See the pic - it's a big beautiful drink with vodka, peach, and champagne, and it definitely packs a punch - a one-and-done type situation!
Once our food came, we were super happy with the portion sizes and how fresh everything was! My daughter was obsessed with her butter pasta off the kid's menu. The fries that came with it were thin, crispy, and SO well seasoned. My Winter Solstice salad was beautifully balanced - the candied pecans with the fog cheese and crispy prosciutto was just a perfect bite, and they really nailed that charred beet dressing as well. The figs were cut a little big but I didn't mind. The star of the table though was the waffle breakfast sandwich - it's a SAVORY (!!) waffle, cheddar and chive to be exact, with eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese, and spicy aioli stuffed in between. This thing is a beast (and a steal at $16). I was so blown away by the flavor of everything. The waffle was so delicious and held up beautifully to the wealth of fillings. The sausage was nice and herbacious but not distracting. The spicy aioli brought it allll together and created that addicting quality that made us come back for more. The home fries were a mix of potatoes and I thoroughly enjoyed picking out all those little sweet potato nuggets.
Overall, we had a totally lovely time, from the atmosphere to the service to the food and everything in between. It's a treat to be pleasantly surprised and impressed with a restaurant experience, especially when the prices are fair and make sense for the quality. They have a killer dessert menu... and happy hour menu... and dinner menu... and shoot, we will just have to keep coming back! read more