Intimate venue with live music, good seats and good food! Friendly staff made sure we all had a fun time! I had the fish tacos with rice and beans and they were all quite tasty. I didn't come in expecting much except the concert and was pleasantly surprised at how great the evening turned out to be! read more

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Haven't been to Columbia City in a long time, and I'm really pleased to see how it has gentrified. Many great places to dine and spend time, and The Royal Room is one of those places. THE ROSES: Remarkably good food for the price point. My chicken enchiladas were definitely not your typical 'Tex-Mex Combo Platter' fare. The sauce had great heat and flavor, and the enchiladas were served on a bed of rice with braised kale (!). Many other dishes were unexpectedly spicy. If you like strong flavor profiles and aggressive seasoning, TRR is for you! THE THORNS: The restaurant was a bit understaffed, leaving a usually pleasant (but occasionally harried) bartender left with working both the bar and the dining room. THE VERDICT: The Royal Room is definitely a 'keeper'. Eclectic menu, tasty food, and reasonable prices more than compensate for occasional service issues. By all means check this place out! read more

Top notch music venue! Got to see a fantastic Portland band here on our visit. Farnell Newton Band accompanied local Seattle band, Industrial Revelation, at the show tonight. People were packed in enjoying the funky music, dinner, drinks and good company. We ordered drinks. Prices were reasonable and selection was good. $6 beer and wine. Food looked tasty but I can't vouch for it since we had a huge dinner before going to the Royal Room. The stage was easy to see from most seats. Unfortunately, if you were by the bar it was hard to see the stage due to the wall between the rooms. Fortunately, you can hear just as well anywhere in the Royal Room. Sound guy was spot on. Balance between the musicians in the space was excellent. I will definitely visit again when I'm in Seattle! read more

This place could stand and definitely CAN afford to update some things... Tables are sticky and the chairs tacky, and chair legs loose. Bathroom was an absolute nightmare and the toilet would not even flush the last users deuce. I went with the $20 chicken enchiladas. Please never do this. They were brought out to me COLD, they were very bland, and again, COLD! Horrifying! Could not get half of the way through it. If I am ever forced to eat here again, I will go with a salad, because you can not mess up lettuce. Right?? Wait staff were rude and walked past me despite me having made eye contact and continually waving. Acoustics alright. Only positive. read more

The management here should be ashamed of their abysmal performance. After repeated attempts to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the Royal Room, I finally give up! If you can't staff your place even minimally, why are you even in business?! It should not take over an hour JUST TO ORDER FOOD, especially with a reservation. And forget about getting drinks, all night long. "Understaffed" is a maybe understatement. The only reason I'm giving it two starts instead if one is because of the atmosphere and great sound, but it's kind of hard to enjoy yourself when you can't get a damn drink or bite to eat... Seriously people, HIRE SOME FREAKING WAIT STAFF. I have never EVER had a good experience here, which is a total shame because the food is good and the music is great. You suck. I'm done. read more

Great ambience - reminds me of my favorite bluesy eclectic old-style neighborhood bars in New Orleans. read more

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Beautiful ambience, generous sized drinks, excellent bartender and great acoustics... what more can you ask for from a music venue? I love the Steinway piano that they have on stage for the performers, the generous sized drinks that are fairly priced, and the seating arrangements at this place. We saw "En Canto" here with a bunch of friends and there was plenty of room to dance. The service is excellent... our waitress was always available and checking in on us. Columbia City is an awesome neighborhood with plenty of restaurants to go to before a show. The Royal Room also has some food choices. (I've also only had the charcuterie plate, which was pretty generous for $15). The Royal Room has some great live music acts and I would highly recommend this place for its sound quality and vibe! read more

Went for a Jazz gig with friends and this place is impressive! It is an intimate venue where the performers are right at your front. The sound and lighting are excellent, I truly enjoyed the show. The food is also pretty decent and the price is reasonable. Got blackened fish tacos and they were delicious. Good drink menu, with quite some choices from the mocktail section which I appreciate a lot. This venue is a little tricky to get a table when there is a performance. You have to get a performance ticket, but that only allows you to enter the door, but not guarantee a table. Be sure to "email" (sorry no call) the venue ahead of the time to reserve a table. Better to do it 24 hours before the show to secure a good spot. The line is long before door opens. Service could be slow because it is a little understaffed but not a deal-breaker. Street parking are not too difficult in the neighborhood. A very interesting place and definitely would visit again. read more

Wow ... What a joke, I will never go back to The Royal Room. Food was expensive and rabbit food. The band playing Savoy Night Owls ... Was worth two stars until the old lady female lead singer started fighting with some customers, Lol. I couldn't hear what the whole things was about but the lead singer (older woman) seemed drunk!! Highly unprofessional and not cool. She can not hold her liquor! Embarrassing for me I took a date there and I will never make that mistake again. Disappointed!!! read more

Based on their food and the FACT THEY CHARGE for soda water this place gets a 3. Their servers and service and venue are great...but let's talk about the Mac and Cheese w/Chicken. Take a look at the photo and tell me how it is they charge $4.00 for that little amount of chicken. I counted 25 tid-bit pieces thrown on top. And then when I bit into it there was no flavor. read more

The Royal Room - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love live music and this place is jamming staff is chill food is great things and stuff again I dont like that yelp wants me to use so many words I and saying it a great place that should be enough read more

I don't need much convincing to travel to Columbia City, a neighborhood with an intimate community feel that's older, more human-scale, and more deeply rooted than the sophomoric and often sterile cookie-cutter neighborhoods of Seattle. Royal Room is no exception -- To sit at a table is to bask in the character of a lived-in, comfortable and well loved space... and travel backwards in time to one's childhood (or perhaps just to a different place), where the buildings and markets are older, lower to the ground, and, are simply repurposed with each passing decade (as opposed to being demolished). Lately, we came for the lovely Chef Tarik Abdullah's unspeakably great Morning Star, a Mediterranean inspired pop-up brunch, which was simply divine! The meal was a sensory experience, from the live music provided by Kaffein to the friendly atmosphere and service to the wonderful tastes. It goes without saying, the sumac spiced granola (with coconut yogurt and mint leaves) and the vanilla bean pancakes with apricot compote were winners. I love love loved the pancakes!! FYI, chef's doing more of these... so google his name if you want in!! read more

Here for an hour, the wait staff still hasn't taken an order. So glad I bothered making reservations. The stage for live music is good but the single bar tender means no drinks are flowing. Sad! read more

The Royal Room - Moxie at the Royal Room - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Possibly the best mac & cheese I've ever had. Gemelli shaped pasta in a Béchamel sauce with cheddar and provolone, and an asiago crust to finish it off. Was initially skeptical about the gemelli being able to hold enough of the cheese (as opposed to traditional elbow pasta), but it ended up being perfect. I might have to move to Columbia City just for this... I'm not even going to bother reviewing anything else there. 5 stars for the mac and cheese!!!! read more

The food here is better than it need be. The service here is better than it need be. The music variety is unmatched in the area. This is what Seattle should be. But isn't. Thank you. read more

Do you like beer? Do you like music? Do you like dark cozy spots? Do you like awesome? Then you'll most likely like The Royal Room. Visited this place for the first time to see a visiting band Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys last week, it's a great establishment overall. Really this isn't a bad spot to see a show. I've been to much worse when it comes to live music venues. I would definitely go to The Royal Room again, if it was the right concert. I didn't try any food but there was good selection of beer on taps. Definitely a great place to go and share cocktails and listen to some music. Wish I stayed closer to this venue. read more

Royal Room's yam chips are my dreams come true. These are made fresh, hot from the fryer. Perfectly sliced and perfectly fried so that when they're crunchy, they don't shatter everywhere, they just deposit sweet fried yammy goodness in my mouth. There are just the right amount of not so crunchy pieces to remind me that these are made from fresh yams. The yam chips come with a garlicky aioli. Also, the menu listing says "yam chips", and it's really yam. Other places say "sweet potato" while they really mean yam. It's one of my biggest pet peeves. So hurrah for truth in advertising! We came to see a band last night called Chicago Afrobeat Project, they were spectacular. The crowd was a good mix of demographics, so no one will feel out of place unless you're really into hanging out with only hipsters. The venue holds about 100 people seated at tables, with a good amount of sunlight so you don't feel like you're in a dark dank hole like many other music venues. We also had the cheeseburger and jambalaya. Both were good but I don't think the jambalaya (with succulent shrimp and tender catfish) was a little overpriced. The drinks are very good. Service was attentive but not cloying. We really enjoyed our evening at The Royal Room and plan to go back for lots more shows. read more

Epic Fail! I strongly agree with the Yelper who said it could have been great. Let me begin by saying that it's a low key spot which is great if you are trying to have a chill Friday night. Music was great!! Probably the only reason why we stayed there longer than I wanted to. Aside from that... the service was absolutely HORRIBLE. They have a sign asking you to wait to be seated, but no one is there to assist you so we ended up getting a table from someone who left without ordering. Ugh, it should've been our first sing. Then again, we were waiting for the person who invited us there. After we found a table, we waited for the waitress for a while and when she finally came around to deliver the drinks to a table nearby she didn't even bother to ask if we needed anything. I walked to the bar to grab a drink and it seriously took 8 minutes for the bartender to acknowledge me. Even had someone at the bar made a comment about it. It was poor customer service!! We tried to order food but they didn't have things on the menu, so that was another epic fail. I could go on and on about how their customer service needs a major makeover, perhaps hire new staff. I do not recommend this place at all!! read more

Did not expect to find this gem in this neighborhood. Awesome live music, great service by the staff, well priced drinks and the food was alright. I ordered the mac n cheese which was exactly what I needed after drinking all day. The only thing that I thought could have been better was just a pinch more salt but super creamy and nicely portioned. Our waitress was awesome at checking up on us and being super responsive. The feel of the Royal Room is very warm and inviting, kind of a place you could imagine smoking a few cigars in......if only you could do that. The live music they had going on that night was amazing. Leaving the bar had a good laugh with a woman in one of those scooters selling warm pot cookies and said "What do you expect you're in Rainier Valley!" Best end to the night ever. read more

Never heard of this place until I went there for dinner and a show recently. Food was great, service real good for a sold out house. Beer selection small but they had some good ones. But my wife had a nice shred of glass floating in her beer, luckily she didn't swallow it. But here's a couple things what you should know about seeing a band here. 1. They advertise "all ages" shows. But once we got there for a 9:00 show they told us minors must leave at 10:00. It'd be nice if we knew that ahead of time. The performer took his time to, didn't come on until 9:30. Gee nice. But luckily they let us stay for the first set which ended at 10:30. 2. They say no reservations unless you reserve a table for dinner. Ok, let's do it. Wow, nice table right near the stage -- should be great seats. Well, not really. Once the show started all the non-reserved table people promptly took their place in front stage - standing in front of the people who just shelled out $50+ for dinner. It'd be nice if they placed the tables closer to the stage so we wouldn't have to cram into this tiny standing space or you can just sit and have their asses in your face all night. Saw one person sitting near the jam packed standing space get elbowed a few times from the dancers. Oh boy. 3. Loud PA. Very loud. Bring ear plugs if you value your hearing. read more

First, I'll say that I am definitely a fan! Then, I'll say that I wish I could give this place 5 stars. The first time I was here on a Friday night, the food was awesome and the service was great. The music was also everything we hoped for on a random Friday night. However, my boyfriend and I came here on Fat Tuesday to celebrate New Orleans. We were expecting an amazing night full of uptempo NOLA jazz and dancing. First, the music started an hour later than advertised, and then the musicians were breaking every 4th song. This would have been fine had the sets been energetic, but the music was overall pretty mellow and in between sets, either nothing was played or nothing uptempo or New Orleans was played. This left us underwhelmed and we left early. For a Tuesday, the performance was fine, but it was not a celebration. Please don't claim to celebrate New Orleans on Fat Tuesday and then disappoint! It is worth mentioning that the food was excellent (BBQ shrimp over grit cakes with spinach) and the cocktails worked. Also, the server and crowd were festive and appreciated. The music fell flat of our expectations. We will be back with slightly lower expectations. We love the concept of this place. Food and service are always on point. Music is great, but we thought we should share. read more

One of Seattle's completely essential music venues. Community, collaboration, experimentation, and transcendence all live here if you look in the right place. The city owes a great debt to its founders. read more

Only the sound of fine musicians could wash down the most pedestrian charcuterie and cheese plate in the city. It was as if a long-neglected refrigerator meat/cheese drawer was raided and combined with a day old crusty loaf and last season's green grape rejects. A cool $15 down the drain. I'm still chewing as I write this. read more

At first glance, the Royal Room might seem like a typical place you'd stop to get a bite - the decor's pretty bland, almost IHOP-like in a way - nothing speaks *good music* in particular, and the food is just pretty standard. But I've seen some of the most memorable acts here. One huge standout was Bobby Previte with an entourage of accomplished musicians re-doing Miles Davis', "Bitches Brew". The musicians were all right on and excellent in their interpretation, and the show went on and on and onnn almost all night, in a good way. They also seemed to be a friendly bunch, as my friend snuck off during intermission to "hang out" back stage and came back smelling like a huge pothead in a manner of 10 minutes. Two issues prevent me from coming back more often - (1) the place is in Columbia City, far away from me, and, (2) I have problems figuring out which acts are good or even who they are from the info on the website, which gives little information about their acts. For these two reasons, I'm wary of driving all the way out to the Royal Room in case I meet up with a band that's a dud. But if I lived in the 'hood, I'd be there more often. read more

Could have been great! Band was great, but bands can be good anywhere. When you sit at the bar, unless you tell the bartender to do so, the bartender should NOT assume that you are paying for one of your friends that you were sitting with. He had no reason to assume this. My friend had left already thinking her tab was on another persons. So in a way, my friends made the mistake as well. Alas, the bartender is supposed to be on top of this type of thing. When I politely notified him of the situation he just said 'oh, okay' rather than 'Oh, my mistake, I won't force you to pay an extra thirty dollars that you didn't say you were going to pay for'. Of course, other friend who was still there with me, a total hottie, her bill was just two drinks instead of 3 drinks and a plate of food. hmmm....wonder why? was it her BREASTS? What a frickin WALNUT BRAIN knucklehead that bartender turned out to be. Should I have just insisted that I wouldn't cover my friend, thus stiffing the establishment of services rendered? I mean, I could have...It's not my responsibility to pay for other people, but the bartender made me feel like it was no big deal and that he did not give a shit at all. So kiss my toasty booty Mr. Cool Guy and take home a %2 tip. Never GOING BACK. There are so many other bars and clubs that would never do this to you. The actions and attitude of a bartender are not supposed to sober your jolly mood on a Saturday night. Also, the $15 chicken was MEH. read more

Wanted to share with anyone interested. My husband 3 1/2 year old and myself went out for a family date night. We wanted to check out a band playing at the Royal Room and I thought lets do dinner as well. We had such a great time and meal. Loved the kale salad! Shared the mussels, sliders and cheese plate with my husband and my little guy loved his cheeseburger and fries. The service and music were just as awesome! Thanks Royal Room read more

The Royal Room is a little bit out of the way for me, but I'm glad I made the trip. The acoustics and sound quality were great for my friend's jazz group's performance, and even when people were talking and there was a bit of a hum, we could still hear the music well. While the house was packed, the hostess was able to make sure everyone had a seat. The drinks we got were pretty decent, but I think the food is a bit pricey for what you get. Service was a bit on the slow side, but since we were there to enjoy the show and not necessarily for a meal, that wasn't a problem for me. So while I wouldn't necessarily go back for just food, it's definitely a good place to catch a show! read more

As a music venue this place is top notch, one of Seattle's best and it contributes to the musical community by hosting student and professional concerts. As a dining venue, meh. However when we mentioned issues with our meals the server was more than generous with compensation, that we didn't ask for. The risotto isn't so much a risotto as a soup and it's salty and didn't quite have all of the things that the menu said it should have. The stew was spicy and it didn't say in the description that it would be. The apple dessert was obviously microwaved, and wasn't really a cobbler and didn't have a lot of flavor -- so I recommend a pass on that one, folks. Next time I will probably order the charcuterie because it looked pretty good. The table next to us ordered the hummus and seemed to enjoy it so maybe small plates are better than large ones. The rest of our experience was wonderful, great musicians, decent service. Though our server was a bit overwhelmed she was still accessible and really worked her tail off. read more

They seem to have really stepped up theirs service game over the last few months. I have to say, I love this place. The music is great, the food has a lot of vegetarian options. I do wish they would ask people to be more quiet during performances, but otherwise one of my favorite spots in Seattle. read more

What an amazing high class venue with laid back crowd! Went on a Friday night to see a band live, found a comfy table, and began to chat away with the other patrons. This venue is the best kept secret in Seattle for live bands and a low key date night with spice. Parking on the street is super easy and free. The drinks are realistically priced. And the layout is great for twosomes or a group of 4 max. No cover on a live band night is a major plus. read more

Great, low key spot for a night of cultural Shenanigans out on the town. Food is wayy better than your standard concert venue fare- Was splendidly surprised by my chicken goat cheese burger and sweet potato fries. Really Yum!! The music/art here is always different - whether it is classical or folk or spoken word. Really enjoy the local vibe and always have a good time. A great place to come on your own, buy yourself a beer, and sit back for some lovely entertainment. read more

I've been wanting to check this joint out since it opened up, and finally did. So, overall, pretty cool spot. Not going to blow your mind, but pretty good. 3 stars for the menu - its pretty small menu and burgers are like $10. I wish they had more items. The burger we had was pretty good. The simple salad was pretty boring and $4.5. Also no food items are on the happy hour menu. 4 stars for decor - its clean and comfortable. Tables aren't cramped and lots of windows along the wall. Mix of booths and tables. 4 stars for stage - you can see stage from almost anywhere in the restaurant, so thats cool. Music quality sounds good. 5 stars for service - our waitress was very nice and kind. Came to our table every 10 minutes or so to check on us. No complaints here. Overall, a good spot and we'll go back. A very welcome addition to our beloved Columbia City!! read more

Came here today for another event. The waitress asked if we wanted anything to drink, but as we had just sat down, we asked her to come back in a couple of minutes. She never came back. Tried to get her attention throughout the presentation, but it seemed as though she didn't want to make eye contact. Very bummed out we didn't get to eat dinner or even get a glass of water. Previously: Came for the Owl presentation- Menus tempted us, so we ordered poutine roja. Tasted like bbq, not sure if I'd rather have gravy (personal preference). Dish was quite lukewarm, but meat was tender. 3/5 Service- A very friendly lady welcomed and seated us. Only thing is our waiter never refilled our waters, and we couldnt quite locate him (albeit we were located in a corner). Location- the place is quite nice and cosy, pretty cool set up. read more

This was my second visit to see the musicians and enjoy the company of friends but I'm still not impressed. Oh where to begin. How about the fact that both times I've gone, it's been unseasonably warm outside but the place has no air conditioning. They claim to, but the performers were sweating and so were the patrons. I asked staff to open the front door and that never happened. Next, the water is served lukewarm. I've never had any bar, nightclub, or restaurant serve me lukewarm drinks. On a warm evening. With sweat dripping down my back. Then, our server was slow. She took too long bringing our lukewarm water and cold to the touch beer. We had to ask her to bring our bill and wait again for her to bring it. Perhaps she was slow because she was hot. Maybe next time they'll open the door. read more

Great Venue for local music! Good times with good people! When I sit down and want to relax to some good vibes, eats, and drinks...this place marks the spot. read more

This place is cute, cozy, and relaxing. I came in on a rainy day and I walked into live piano playing. It is pretty spacious as well. I came for HH, I got the house white which was only 3 bucks. They don't have HH food though, I go the museels and clams dish with dipping bread on the side. I did enjoy it-it was good, but nothing special. Service was great, friendly and attentive. They even have a dance floor for those who love dancing. read more

The Royal Room is a vital part of Columbia City, and the Seattle music scene. They play a vital role in supporting acts that might not otherwise have a place to play - younger acts, etc. Also, they are big supporters of jazz, and some incredible stuff can be seen here. For that, they will have my support. That being said, the rest of the place is, well, not that good. I've been going here for years, and quite frankly, the food is, and always has been pretty mediocre. Service for the most part is good, but can be hit or miss. I really wish they would take the time and effort to revamp the menu/kitchen and make and serve some really good meals here. It's great that there are ways for the audience to "pay" the musicians - through envelopes on the table, or (sometimes -- I've had conflicting experiences with this method -- sometimes told there isn't enough "money in the till" to pay off the band) via your tab. read more

We came on a night with no music - so I can't speak to that experience. We were there on a Monday night and it was really quiet. Our entrees were pretty good - can't say it was mind blowing, but really decent. Mac n' Cheese and the special seafood pasta. The service was good - but slow. We were left to our conversation for long stretches of time - which wasn't a bad thing necessarily. Just something to note. The desserts were AWESOME. Do yourself a favor and get the KEY LIME PIE. or if you are more of a carmel type - get the Pecan Carmel bars a la mode. DEELISH. read more

I've been to a couple of shows here and have really enjoyed myself. I like the way the stage is set up and how the tables are in the back and she kind of reminds me of a dinner theater vibe. I like that they showcase local artists I feel like my musical horizons have expanded because of that. T read more

Went here for a concert even a couple months ago. Really enjoyed the atmosphere. Great food and drinks. The place isn't too big so you feel like you can really enjoy the band, not matter what seat you have in the house. read more