Good service, chill atmosphere, and VEGAN options on the menu. I got a veggie burger with a side of sweet potato fries. It was great! Always good to have an option for everyone read more

The first time I drove by, my friends and I made fun of it, since it looked like a seedy dive bar. One day we decided to go in, and fell in love right away. The only bar near us used to be Cryan's Ale House, which is expensive, loud, and full of people you didn't want to see after high school. This place was the opposite. Great people, good service, and a nice size. It has pool tables, games, darts, etc. A good beer selection with beers on tap and good specials (Car-Bomb Mondays (3.00) and $1 beer nights) After coming in a bunch of times and not acting like an ass, the owner or servers will comp a beer or two for you, and if you want a pizza or ribs, you can get some here. I recommend the ribs, much better than the pizza. All in all, this place is like drinking at your buddies house. It is generally the same crowd, all great people. There is no drama, like the typical blown-out haircut testosterone fights that go on at most bars. It is important to go on the right nights. Mon, Wed, Thurs is the 22-40 crowd. It gets busy, but not usually packed. Lots of fun. Sometimes on the weekend it will get crazy, but is usually dead on Sun and early Friday night. Go after 9 and you're guaranteed a good, inexpensive bar night with no b/s. My favorite bar. read more

I had driven by plenty of times, but didn't really know what to think about this place and it was a little out of my way. Then I heard a couple people talk about The Royal and said it was a good time. Also checked out Yelp and saw all of the great reviews so I knew it was time to stop in. So last night I went over with my fiancee and one of my buddys. As soon as I walked in I knew I was gonna love this place. Right when you walk through the door there is a bar to the right which holds about 10 people. They only have about 5 beers on tap (I went with PBR), but don't let that mislead you because they have a ton of beers in bottles and many of they are hard to find at other bars. When you walk past the bar you can go straight or to the right. If you go straight you go to a back room with pool, darts, and a television. It's a little bit more of a private game room. If you go to your right there is another game room, but much bigger and it also has high top tables and diner booths. Pretty fitting considering this used to be the Branchburg Diner back in the day. This room also had big buck hunter which I can't resist and a bowling arcade game. Great environment and everything you need to have a good night of drinking. I was pretty hungry so we decided to order two appetizers to split. We went with the wings and got the sweet and spicy thai sauce on them and the royal hot sticks which are pepper jack cheese sticks, deep fried and served with guac and salsa. The wings are honestly the reason I'm dropping the rating to a 4 from a 5. The sauce was very good, but the wings themselves were incredibly small. The royal hot sticks made up for it though. They were basically mozzarella sticks with pepper jack replacing the mozzarella and the quac went great with it. Next time I go back I want to try one of the sandwiches which all looked good. Just a few other things about The Royal. They do have a very large beer selection to go in the cooler when you walk in on the left. Only one bathroom which can cause some problems especially when drinking is involved. Mostly a younger crowd here and for the most part people seemed very cool. Also the prices were very good especially for the drinks. I wish Hillsborough had a place like this. read more

The Royal - Dive Bars Near Me - Branchburg, New Jersey

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This bar is very close to my boyfriend's parents house, so when we are trying to escape the family, this is where we stop in. Good people, lots of laughs are to be had for sure.. The jukebox and darts are great, the bartenders are some of the best around who get just as rowdy as you and your friends. No blow-outs here, just a good mix of down to earth people, plenty of regulars who will shake your hand and buy you a shot. We went here on Christmas Eve - that's right, don't judge - and there must have been at least 20 other people here. Car bomb races. It's a dive. It's a must if you are in the area, just don't wander onto the highway when you stumble out. read more

I guess my definition of a dive bar is different than others-If this wasn't on a highway, I'd call it a neighborhood bar. Good tap beers, friendly staff, good prices and tasty burgers if you are hungry. Much cleaner and safer than what I would call a dive bar. read more

One of my favorite places to go for a cold beer. We like best it best when it's not so busy -sometime we make up an excuse to go late on saturday or sunday afternoons. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE their chili chz dogs! the buns are potato and the hot dog meat is A+ the chili is great, a little spice Their fries are an angle sent from heaven read more

Stopped in with few friends for beers and a game of pool Crowd was decent for a small place The manager was rude ad seemed to have seen her better days I have beem coming here for last few years and A Frank you need to clean up this place Its not what it use to be read more

Really awesome local dive bar with great food, colorful characters, well mixed drinks at great prices. What more could you want in a dive. It's a dive. They are wonderful! Give them some attention and let your hair down. read more

Awesome gem of a dive bar! Cheap drinks and great burgers while you play some pool! You really can't go wrong

Its much of Dive!! Very loud and even though we were siting at the table and a server came over to us we couldn't hear a thing! Apparently no one at the bar knew what the drink I ordered was even though it was a basic one and I've never had a problem ordering it. The drinks were also average but you can't beat the price. The food was great and the people friendly though. read more

Went last night with my fiancé and cousins. My fiancé gets his drink, large chunks of chipped glass on the rim. Get that fixed. The waitress comes to take our order, my fiancé and cousins order, I got to order and the waitress walks away without my order. Comes back and I have her my order. She rolls her eyes like it's an inconvenience. My cousin orders mozzarella sticks later in the evening. She brings them to us and says "did you order this?" We say yes and she takes the mozzarella sticks and walks away with them, asking others if they ordered it! My fiancé goes and takes it from her. We get our bill and we pay, told her to keep the change. She comes back with the change looking for a tip! We again said keep what's left. She then gets snotty and says "that's less then 10%, thought I did better than that." And storms off. Never again. read more

Sigh band is eh...screechy female singer... I am having a mid life crisis listening... bar is always good as always.

The Royal is one of the best bars in Hunterdon County. It is a place conducive to meeting new friends, as well as getting together with old friends on any night of the week. The Royal doesn't put on any fancy heirs like other places in the area. It is exactly what a bar should be in fact, with affordable beverages, specials every night, satisfying food from the 25 Burgers next door, free popcorn all night, two pool tables, and a nice variety of music chosen by that night's crowd. The Royal is a go-to for local young people, as well as for the middle aged and working crowd. They charge honest prices, and the bartenders (all beautiful girls) can mix up good drinks of any style. The Royal is convenient for conversation and sociability. By the end of the night, customers are bound to have left meeting some kind and interesting characters. If you don't like this bar, you aren't a bar person. read more

The Royal is great because it's just a regular bar. Very down-to-earth, and not trying to look like a (hipster) dive. There are specials on domestic beers every day, and based on the signs I saw when I visited, stuff like karaoke night, "Trivia/" nights, etc. I have only been here once, to enjoy a Yeungling draft on special! - but I could instantly tell that this bar is the kind of place every neighborhood needs. Filled with a variety of people of all ages. And really friendly service. Do not fear, gourmet beer drinkers - there were plenty of more upscale brews on tap like Blue Moon & Victory, too. I'll be back. read more

This place is so great. Yes it's a little close quarters in the bar area, but very cozy and comfortable. It is a very old place that probably started as a local hangout for the men who needed a drink after work and before they went home to their wife. Wait, it's probably still that way. Bartenders were friendly and attentive. Free wifi and reasonable prices. No country music playing here. Classic rock at a pleasant volume level. Food....A MAZING. Best burger I think I've had in my life. I had the El Paso burger. WOW! Can't wait to come back for another one. Saw many older people come in just for the food. Oh...and good selection of beers on tap. As Arnold once said....I will be back. read more

Maybe the best dive bar I have ever been to! Great selection of craft beer plus the beer you expect at a dive (bud, etc). Really good burgers (25 kinds) plus dogs, etc. And excellent Cajun fries. Top it off with friendly service and it is a can't miss. read more

Cute little hole in the wall dive bar. Decent food for a dive. Fun little local hangout feel to the place.

What a great place to have a great time. Angie, a bartender, recommended the burgers to try. It was great as we're the drinks! You rock!

Friendly staff, Good Food, Fair prices, fun atmosphere. Gets loud and crowded on the weekends though.

This is the best bar around. Great place to go with your friends any time of the day. Draft specials all day, killer food, stiff drinks. The Royal is the spot. read more

Just moved here from Ohio and this captures what 'Jersey' is all about. Great food, great service, great prices. Props to Bill the manager doing a great job always. Loyal to the Royal!! read more

Fun time at this bar. It's a cool atmosphere, people are nice and the drinks are cheap. There are all different age groups. They also gave a burger place connected to the bar. Best dive bar in Central Jersey. read more

Reminds me of the small bar/pubs in Harrison, NJ... previous record holder of most bar per square mile. Stop by for a nostalgic drink !!

We recently visited your establishment for drinks and wings before going to a movie. It is a favorite place of our dad. It was great! We had burgers, wings and onion rings, and of course our favorite beverage. The staff, in particular Kerry, was great. We enjoyed our visit so much we went back a second time . As we came through the door I almost expected someone to yell out "Norm". So it feels like a neighborhood joint just like "Cheers". We look forward to more visits before we leave, and of course you'll find our dad there on his regular night our with his friends. Thanks Kerry! read more

We came last night to play trivia and sat at the bar. The food was very good! The bartenders were very friendly and attentive the whole time we were there. I will definitely be back soon!! read more

The food was good but when I asked for the free WiFi password and was told that they didn't offer free WiFi dispite what is stated on their Yelp page. I was looking for a place to be able to finish my work if need be. I will look for another place that actually offers free WiFi. read more

The place is filthy and the bar is dirty. The worst part is they are proud of it. I would not attempt to eat anything there not even the free popcorn. The only positive thing is the bartender was friendly. She gave me a few free beers, and only paid for 1 so i gave them 1 star and would go back for the free beers again. Good place to get free drinks . read more

Not the best bar, Dj was very confrontational with some guest who were there probably cause he was drunk, Bartenders had an attitude

sounds like randal g down there is butt hurt over the one bartender, perhaps she rejected him after he professed his love for her.. who knows but i think the bar tenders are the sweetest and a great bartenders, also fast and efficient. this is a small place to get some yummy food and a few drinks at a great price, tons of fun for a small joint and i wouldn't change one thing about it. me and the girls at work enjoy going here afterwards ! read more

A dive bar attached to a 25 Burgers? A formula for success I'd say. The Royal is a pretty small place that you might just speed past the first time around, so having the 25 B's as a marker is a great way to help find the place. The set up is a little strange in that the bar area is quite small with just 2 or 3 tables squeezed in against the wall, but then there are two pretty large rooms in the back for pool tables, games and more dining tables. We went on a Friday night and got great service from our bartender Ashley. The tap selection is ok, 5 or 6 to choose from, I had an Alagash White and I saw Goose Island, Guinness, Flying Fish. But they do have 2 large coolers with lots of bottled beer to choose from and I noticed some good stuff in there. Which also means you can purchase beer to go if you want. We ordered a couple of burgers and our server Annie was so friendly and fun and made us feel like regulars right away. She checked back with us often to make sure the food was okay, and then it seemed like she was just checking to make sure we were having a good time! Awesome server. The noise level in the bar got pretty high, which was fine it was a Friday night, but we decided to check out the pool tables and it was much quieter and a lot cooler in the back. I feel a little funny adding another glowing review to a place which is basically a large box with beer in it. But the point is if you like dive bars this is your new favorite place. Great staff, good prices, good crowd - no jackasses, and 25 Burgers. Done. read more

this is my favorite bar in the area, it's divey and i love it. when i first turned 21 and still lived at home, this is the only bar i would go to, now i'm 26 and live in NYC and i still come here whenever i can. the bartenders are super friendly and the drinks are good and cheap. they have pool tables, darts, and a couple of arcade games. if you're from the area, chances are you'll see people you grew up with or went to school with. 25 burgers has good bar food, too. you can also buy 6 packs of beer here FYI. love the royal! read more

Pool tables, cold beer and great burgers all served by a friendly staff. The local patrons are entertaining and the atmosphere is casual and comfortable. read more

A good neighborhood bar, not a dive bar at all. Pool tables and darts with cheap drinks plus connected to 25 Burgers. The crowd is a mix of blue collar folks and local office workers. A few hipsters creeping in recently, please NO Lumber-Sexuals! read more

This bar is so hard to rate since every six-12 months they have a new staff but this is my current rating. One member of the staff in particular is rude and dismissive and considering I've been a customer for over 5 years I don't appreciate her arritude as I smile and hand her money. Reasonable prices and their hard alcohol isn't watered down like other popular green places around the knoll. Crowd differs from time of day and day of the week so it at least never gets boring. read more

It's a bit small and sometimes it gets a tad too crowded for my tastes, but the crowd is usually fun and the prices are more than acceptable. Two pool tables, a handful of televisions, a jukebox and alcohol...what else could a guy possibly need? read more

I was a bartender for Ted Conklin the former owner of the Royal in 1993-95. It was sold and the new owner let me go... I loved working there and miss all the regulars etc.. The diner was open at that time and the food was great. The bar itself, was pretty much a mess and needed alot of work.. I use to have an ancient register that Ted did not update.. Probably worth a fortune these days.. I still have the bar "menu/prices" which Ted gave me to keep when I left. There was no game room and I see it's been a bit updated since my days there.. I haven't been there since those days.. One day soon, I must stop in and check out my old stamping grounds.. Have many pics of me and the "Royal Family" from then.. Hope the bartenders are having the fun I did and the patrons luv them as much as I was luved back then.. It was a great bar for guys and some gals who were hard working people and needed to take a nice break after work.. It was kind of a dive, but I luved working there and the people! Cheers to the ole Royal !! read more

This place looks good from the outside until you go in! haven't been up this was in months and wanted to try somewhere new. It def wasn't what i expected. Its quite tiny and not clean. However, its a beer and shot joint at best. Its not a place to eat that's for sure! There's a cheeseburger place attached to it, and that is kinda strange I thought. My friend and i ordered drinks and they were extremely strong! The bartendar was not attentive at all! However, she was taking shots with 19 year old and never paid much attention to us thereafter. Couldn't help notice how inappropriate the bartendar was ! I will never walk back in here again and NO ONE ELSE SHOULD! read more

looks like a complete dive from the outside. inside it's a blue collar bar with a seperate room with pool table, darts and electronic darts. free pizza. read more