Royal Tavern

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937 E Passyunk Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19147

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(215) 389-6694
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Royal Tavern - Philadelphia, PA
Royal Tavern - Philadelphia, PA
Royal Tavern - Philadelphia, PA
Reviews
( 18 )
( 12 )
( 1 )
( 0 )
( 4 )

Best

The front is very unassuming and you can easy walk right pass it. As you read the menu you realize that you walked into a new world. My friend and I happened upon it at brunch tim...

Worst

This place USED to be great. All the new staff are horrible. Give me Royal Tavern 2007/2006. Bring back the corndogs. Pros: Price. Cons: Staff.

It changed my whole perseption of what a burger is. 7/29/2011

The front is very unassuming and you can easy walk right pass it. As you read the menu you realize that you walked into a new world. My friend and I happened upon it at brunch time. We shared a dogfish head theobroma, BACON bloody mary, an augus burger and french toast with dulce de leche. The burger had bacon, caramelized onions, smoked gouda, pickled longhots, chile mayonnaise. Every bite you tasted something a bit different. It wasn more
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Absolutely delicious!!! 8/7/2010

At first glance, this place just looks like another hole-in-the-wall bar. But looks really can be deceiving...I tasted other friends' dishes and was very impressed by all of them. The caesar salad was great (loved the red peppers and polenta croutons!). My gnocchi was definitely the best gnocchi I've ever had - the mushroom/pine nut sauce was fabulous! Frankie's chicken sandwich was also very good - slow roasted curry chicken in a warm, soft wrap. Service is also great - despite the crowds, we were seated quickly and our waiter was super friendly/positive/informative. Five stars - we will be back! more
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Really good burger. 11/10/2009

Royal Tavern serves the best ""dive-bar"" food around. Great burgers, interesting soups, good nachos. It can get loud on weekends and later at night. The service is always friendly and warm. more
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Good sandwich! 5/26/2009

The chicken sandwich was the best ever! Can't wait to have it again. Great service too! We had walked around the city for hours and were so thirsty, the server did not mind pouring us pint after pint of water(free). We weren't in the mood for booze as we had a few mile walk back home. Pros: Best chicken sandwich! Cons: None as of yet more
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Great Brunch Spot 5/5/2009

they have the BEST mimosas. they change the flavor all the time. melon and strawberry were both amazing. also the website's menus are out of date but it gives you a good idea of what type of food they have (my favorite things aren't on there: the eggs benedict, tater tot scramble) the hummus trio? perfection. i should become president of this place's fan club. love it. Pros: vegetarian friendly, great food & mimosas Cons: service can be slow more
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Great Burgers and Beer 12/2/2008

The best burgers in philly! Great selection of beers. Awesome jukebox music. Perfect Philly atmosphere. Tremendous service Great place to meet friends and family. Great place to go on a first date. Great place to go every Friday night. more
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Royal Tavern Rocks Out the Food Service & Girls 7/6/2008

After a blast at the shore I headed over to Royal last night for some coldies. The food was perfect and the ladies were smoked too. Chal --man where were you last night. The beer was nice and COLD. more
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BEST Burger EVER 5/30/2008

I refer to their burger as the ""S*x Burger"" Why? Because it's better than s*x. This is absolutely the best and most addictive burger I have ever had. more
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Great food, friendly staff, best prices in town! 5/27/2008

My husband and I had brunch at the Tavern on Memorial Day. The place was packed with customers but the food was excellent and the staff were very attentive. We have eaten there frequently and have always had enjoyable meals. The menu is varied and inexpensive and the quality of the food is top notch. Even more important the staff are friendly and take great care in serving all their customers. I had some leftovers which I asked to take with me. The bartender informed me that my leftovers had been thrown out and asked that we wait around until a new order was prepared. This was a really nice gesture and is only one of the reasons why we will be returning to the Tavern. Pros: Nice atmosphere, great food Cons: None! more
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WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!? 4/9/2008

This place USED to be great. All the new staff are horrible. Give me Royal Tavern 2007/2006. Bring back the corndogs. Pros: Price. Cons: Staff. more
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yummy veg options 3/1/2008

went here on a thursday night and it was pretty chill; had a good vibe. we didn't get any drinks, just dinner. the tempeh club i had was a little salty but really tasty. they have a variety of vegetarian/vegan friendly choices which is always a relief. i will say that $8 for a sandwich in a bar is a little much but it was good enough that i'd probably pay it again. Pros: delicious veg options, vibe Cons: pricey, a little too hip more
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wow, what a find!!! 2/13/2008

i stumbled across this place recently and was so surprised that i hadn't taken the chance to stop by sooner. I'm fairly new to the city & am finally discovering the better places in this neighborhood. the service was better than i expected (esp for a tavern/pub atmosphere) and the food was great. the beer selection was amazing and i was bummed out that i hadn't made it in time for their happy hour deal- half price beers!!! whoa! when i asked for help choosing from the menu the bartender was quick to let me know that the burger was ""award winning."" The atmosphere was really chill & i felt at home from the get go. Worth checking out! Pros: friendly staff , great happy hour, good food Cons: a little loud more
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Their burger is amazing 11/19/2007

They have a wide variety of beers on tap and bottled, but the very best thing is their burger. Is just the best I've ever had. Simply perfect. That fried hot pepper on top... addictive! more
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For drinks and a meal it can't be beat 3/26/2007

Royal Tavern combines a high quality menu with a great atmosphere to make you want to come back again and again. The food prices could be a little lower and the service isn't always the best... but if you're in the mood for a massive plate of a nachos with a reasonably priced drink, then Royal Tavern is the place for you. Their sandwiches and soups are excellent as well- suffice to say I've never been disappointed by a meal at Royal. Unfortunately it's only gotten more and more popular over time and it can be near impossible to get a table on a weekend. If you're able to get a seat though, Royal Tavern comes highly recommended. more
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Duane the bartender 3/9/2007

The Royal Tavern is a must when I come to Philly. The food is great, the staff is friendly, and the Bartender Duane is awesome!!! Pros: Duane ! more
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Used To Like This Place 11/19/2006

I used to think this place was cool until last weekend. If you're good friends with the bartenders at the Royal Tavern, you can treat other patrons bad and get away with it. Staff have attitudes. Bar stools are usually reserved for local friends of staff so if you go, might as well just sit in the back. Oh, and the food is going downhill. Used to have a decent menu, but it's changed and become more expensive. If you like attitude with your grub, then the Royal Tavern is for you. Pros: Used to Like It for the environment/jukebox Cons: Bartender attitude, regulars think they own the place more
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A nice surprise 8/15/2006

A friend of mine lives around the corner so we sort of tripped over the place. I was very impressed. They have a vegan/veggie selection on their menu which is very rare, and since one of the members of my party is vegan, we decided to try the food. Unfortunately I dont remember what we ate. It was some sort of vegan burger but it was amazing. The server was very attentive, the bartender was a good looking alternative boy;), it was an overall positive experience though the prices could have been a bit better, especially in Philly. Pros: awesome vegan food, hot bartender Cons: bathrooms were gross more
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User review by placecard 1/14/2006

I am a big fan of the Royal Tavern. The bar menu is quite large and pairs non-typical (for a bar) flavors together. The fries are done just right, crispy and browned, especially the 3 kinds with garlic and parsley. That said, I'm disappointed in the way the Mac and Cheese has changed for the worse since the Royal opened. It used to be a cheesy, homestyle miracle and is now a bland, creamy (not cheesy) mistake. I also miss the small salad that used to come on the plate, because the $7 version is only worth about $4-5, especially when it's missing the accoutrements. Daily specials are imaginative, but the basics aren't remarkable. Soup is not offered in a cup-size and serves as a meal, but rarely interesting enough to finish. Also the tapas for $10 was a total joke. Pros: bar scene, jukebox, service Cons: expensive, mac and cheese, side salad more
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Diamond in the rough 1/1/2006

The food here is unbelievably good, and it is the BEST BANG for your buck. The short ribs are excellent, and the guac burger is the best burger I've ever had, hands down. This place needs more press because I've never heard a thing about it - if I hadn't stumbled in, I would have not discovered this pleasant surprise. Pros: short ribs, burgers, QUALITY Cons: service, plates, wannabes more
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Nice surprise! 11/30/2005

I went to the Royal Tavern for breakfast yes breakfast. What a great find! I have the breakfast taco, which was absolutely wonderful. I have also gone for lunch prior and had the best burger and fries. Highly recommended by me. more
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Menu for Royal Tavern


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Editorial

  • In Short
    The atmosphere is laid-back, with a deep-red walled, evening-only, pub with local brews and an alt-rock jukebox, opened by the owners of the Khyber. They're serious about bar...

  • 7/12/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon. - Fri. 11am - 1:45am;Sat. - Sun. 10am - 1:45am
  • Payments: Diner's Club, Master Card, Discover, American Express, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Bella Vista/ Southwark, South Philadelphia
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