Roy’s

I typically don’t bother reviewing chain restaurants but we’ve always had fun at Roy’s so I had to share. We usually drop by for happy hour but over the years we’ve gone for birthdays and anniversaries with friends and family. The service is great and we like their martinis. My favorite is 1988! For happy hour we’ve tried pretty much everything but like to order the Wagyu Beef Sliders and Ebi Roll. We’ve had a variety of their dinner dishes, and they’ve all been good. The last time we went we enjoyed their lobster and steak dish. I like how it has a laid back but still sophisticated ambience. I know we’ll be back here again!

I didn’t like the food at all.
Costumer service is good and the place is so clean but I think for the price that you pay you can get better quality food.
I tried it because my friend wanted to eat the lava cake.
That was the only good part about this restaurant.

went here on Xmas eve after a long day at work. I got some sushi rolls, appetizer platter. I tried their lobster soup (don’t recommend it unless you love curry) and after talking to our awesome service I found out sometimes they can make the macadamia nut pie although it’s not on the menu. It had been years since I had been here and I will be coming back for sure.

My first time visiting Roy’s and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Walking in, you can’t help but notice the lighting (lack of). Place is clean, contemporary/​modern, yet a little laid back… I think the Tiki torches around the restaurant gave me that vibe.
The wait staff looked well groomed and sharp in their uniforms. Pretty much look the part for this restaurant. Service was friendly and on point… refills all night on wine and drinks all around our table without ever having to flag anyone down.
I came here for a work related function. Roy’s has a separate room they can use for private events that comfortably fits 60 – 80 people.
Our menu was all planned out with appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert.
The appetizer was served family style and included:
3.5÷5 — Crispy Wagyu Beef Dumplings
⁴⁄₅ — Spicy Tuna Tempura Roll
⁴⁄₅ — Grilled Szechuan Pork Ribs
³⁄₅ — Asian Chilled Shrimp
Consensus at the table was the pork ribs were the favorite. I actually enjoyed the sushi as well, but the ribs were my favorite.
The Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad was okay. It tasted good, but I didn’t feel like there was enough balance. There wasn’t enough avocado and they over did it with the Caper Lime Vinaigrette.
³⁄₅ — Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad
We had five choices available to us for our entrée: Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish, Blackened Island Ahi, Togarashi Spiced Lobster Tail, Grilled Filet Mignon (8 ounces), or Thai Style Chicken Breast.
I chose the Grilled Filet Mignon and my co-​worker chose the Togarashi Spiced Lobster Tail. We made a deal beforehand to share our dishes, so we each ended up with a steak and lobster dinner. Despite my steak being cooked medium well, it actually tasted good. Nice flavor… it would have tasted even better medium rare!
4.5 /​5 — Togarashi Spiced Lobster Tail
⁴⁄₅ — Grilled Filet Mignon
Dessert was pretty good. They served one of each: Chocolate Soufflé Bite, Macadamian Nut Tart, and a Coconut Macaroon. All delicious, but my favorite was the Macadamian Nut Tart.
³⁄₅ — Chocolate Soufflé Bite
⁴⁄₅ — Macadamian Nut Tart
3.5 /​5 — Coconut Macaroon
Overall ⁴⁄₅. It was a nice work function, definitely a great venue, and even better because the company picked up the tab!
⁴⁄₅ — Food
⁵⁄₅ — Service
⁵⁄₅ — Atmosphere
⁵⁄₅ — Cleanliness

I came here for a Medtronics dinner (makes devices for physicians to use), thus the dinner was all paid for by the company and it had a set course.
Check in — the hostesses were dressed very professionally and were prompt in addressing me and showing me to the appropriate location.
Ambiance — very classy, quiet, we had a private room right off the entrance that had plenty of space with a slideshow set up.
Appetizers — we tried the tuna sushi roll which was super good — the tuna was fresh and the roll had something crispy on it, which was delicious. I definitely wanted more! We also had shrimp cocktail, which was pretty standard, nothing unusual or fantastic.
Salad — they gave us the shrimp caesar salad with avocado and tomatoes. This was a very LARGE serving and also very delicious. They also added capers, which was a fantastic touch.
Main dish — The butterfish. This was seriously TO DIE for — it melted in your mouth, was heavenly, and divine all at the same time. Reminded me of black miso cod at other restaurants notched up by 100 times! Highly highly highly recommend this!!!
Dessert — We got a plate of 3 different desserts — a small brownie (would say that Trader Joe’s brownies are better), a peanut caramel tart (nothing special) and a macaroon (just standard). However, I must say that I have had their pineapple upside down cake in the past (takes 20 minutes i think to make so you must tell them ahead of time) and this was PHENOMENAL! Best pineapple upside down I have EVER had. Highly recommend!

We came here with couple friends on Mothers day weekend. It was pretty packed. Our waiter was awesome, he was fun, professional and kept checking on us frequently.
A friend of mine ordered steak but when he got it, it was pretty burned. Manager compensated him for that and offered him a free entrée to correct the situation. This is an excellent customer service that you rarely see these days. So we are definitely going back to this place. I prefer to spend my time and money in a a place that value it’s customers and go that extra mile to ensure everyone is happy and satisfied.

Someone needs to remind me to NEVER eat here again!!! You know what? Scratch that… I, for sure will NEVER forget how bad my experience was.
Last year I ate at a Roy’s establishment in Anaheim… The service was horrible (our order was lost & we ended up waiting over an hour) and the food was alright. So why we decided to take my mother-​in-​law to the La Jolla location for Mother’s Day… Is beside me.
Well, we thought, maybe it was just the Anaheim location & maybe it’ll be better since it’s a holiday.
Nope & nope…
At first it looked like we were off to a good start, since our server was nice. I ordered from the Holiday special menu & got the Roy’s Benedict w/​Filet Mignon (medium) & dumplings for $ 39
After ordering, I looked around and noticed every table was filled BUT nobody had food in front of them. WARNING #1: Slow service
After a good wait… I saw a waiter headed our way with trays of food. You know what feeling when you see the waiter? The excitement & then satisfaction after the plate is front of you… Well I had that, minus the satisfaction. When the waiter placed my food in front of me, I was immediately disappointed. My first reaction… «That’s it?!» & my second reaction… «What the?!» WARNING #2: Unsatisfactory food
Remember… I ordered an Eggs Benedict w/​Filet Mignon (medium). Now, I’ve had my share of eggs Benedict in my day and never once has mine come w/​an over extra hard egg (it’s supposed to be poached) & NO sauce. On top of that my medium Filet Mignon was well done. So imagine that… Hard egg, dry meat & no sauce. Gross, yes… I know & for $ 39, really?!
Also… I wasn’t the only one. 4 out of 5 us were unhappy with our food.
Do yourself a favor, PASS on Roy’s & thank me later…

Even though I’ve lived practically next to this place for the last 6 years, I’d never dined here until last week when my co-​worker took me for a graduation and belated birthday lunch celebration. I don’t know why I waited so long to try this place out but it was amazing! The service here went above and beyond what I was expecting. As soon as my co-​worker told then we were here for a double celebration, they went all out and brought two congratulatory cards and sprinked the tabletop with orchids!
I ordered the kahlua pork sandwich and she ordered the salmon. My sandwich was delicious. The pork was tender & flavorful and paired perfectly with coleslaw and other veggies. The aoli sauce drizzled on the bun was very tasty. The sandwich also came with a ton of fries that we couldn’t finish between the two of us. My co-​worker said her salmon was very good and that she liked the sauce it came with.
At the end of the meal, our lovely server brought out two complimentary desserts! Their molten lava cake and key lime pie. The lava cake was super chocolatey and rich. The key lime pie was refreshing and had the perfect balance of sweet and tart with a buttery crust. Before we left, they also presented us with two physical copies of a photo they took of us to commemorate the meal. This is a great place to come for any sort of celebration because of how amazing the service is and I would definitely recommend it to everyone!

Wow. Crazy busy nights here but oh so worth it. Grab a seat at one of the community tables in the bar and meet some new friends or choose a private high top or dine in the dining room! They have a great Happy Hour menu with lots of specials. Even sushi. We ordered the Canoe which came and took up half the table. It had these amazing ribs but only 2, so we had to order more! The sauce is drinkable and the ribs are perfect! Pork ribs. I could have done without the meatball dumpling thing. The lobster pot stickers were really flavorful. The ahi was good as well as the tempura roll (4pcs). Only a couple pieces though. It also had two skewers of beef yakitori on there. Their Miso Fishes are insane. We met the nicest people and made new friends while enjoying an amazing HH and some incredible cocktails!

FOOD IS AWESOME. VeryFlavorful
And service is very attentive with a sense of humor.
What more can you want?

We came to Roy’s for a dinner meeting. We were in a private room which was spacious and easily fit 30 people seated.
My experience was average comparing it to other restaurants in San Diego.
The major pro of the night was our servers were attentive throughout the night. Our waters and drinks were constantly refilled and they fulfilled all our special requests.
The major con of the night was the super slow service of the food. They took our entrée orders around 645 but we didn’t receive our food until 820. The manager apologized stating they had a full house with multiple events going on. If you knew you would have a busy night, maybe you should have hired more cooks?
The food quality was average at best, tasted okay but nothing special. The appetizers shrimp, chicken skewers and beef dumplings were tasty but it seemed prepackaged and not freshly made. Some food items were overly salty and other things like the salad dressing were super bland. I had the braised short ribs which was fine but nothing memorable.
With the slow food service, high price, and average tasting food, I wouldn’t come out of my way to dine here.
Oh, parking is a nightmare! There’s a large outside and underground parking lot but during peak dinner hours, it’s hard to find a space. Plus the parking spots are so narrow like they’re made for miniature cars! FYI they do offer valet parking for $ 6 in front of the restaurant.

We love going to Roys! It has very consistent tasty food options that definitely have that Hawaiian fusion vibe. I’m a fan of their edamame, coated with some tasty seasoning. Their salads are not large by any means but always fresh and the green taste like they were bought at Chino’s. The lobster gyoza potstickers hit the spot. My wife always orders the crusted mahi.
Their service is fast, efficient, and friendly. Already looking forward to our next visit!

We came here on Valentine’s day, not sure how the review slipped getting posted, but here it is now.
This was a special, the menu was plotted out, and the cost of the meal depended upon the entrée selected.
We started with a Hawaiian Martini for me (maybe $ 10.00), glass of Chardonnay for my wife.
First course was the sushi roll for me, and the filet mignon potstickers for my wife.
The roll was really good it was a bit small, yielded 4 good sized pieces, it was constructed beautifully. Fried to finish it, excellent tasting. Ate that all up, and also had two pieces of the potstickers. Finely minced beef, lemon grass, and spices in a crispy shell. Very good!
Second course was the lobster bisque for me, and salad for my wife. The bisque used a coconut milk base instead of cream and was seasoned with a light curry flavor. Nice big pieces of lobster as an accent… this was tremendously good!
For entrée, my wife had the short rib, and I had the blackened shrimp. Each selection brought the charge to about $ 60.00 pp before drinks and tip, and that is very reasonable to me, especially for a special occasion like VD.
6 shrimp was what our very sincere and capable server said was expected for the plate, but I ate closer to 8 shrimp, and was very happy to do so. These were accompanied by a corn cake and a very light sauce. The dish was beautifully plated and prepared.
We finished by sharing a lava cake and berry crème cake.
This is maybe the third Roy’s VD we have celebrated, and it is always worthwhile. Staff does a great job of making diners feel appreciated. The people watching is right up there with the best, the drinks are delicious and the food is consistently of a higher caliber.
Check out these HH deals available nightly 4:00– 7:00 p.m. in the bar, or late night for Aloha Hour from 9:00 p.m. to close… have spent MANY fun evenings here!!!
Cocktails $ 7
Hawaiian Martini
Maui Pineapple drenched in SKYY Vodka — Stoli Vanil Malibu Coconut Rum

Roy’s Island Mai Tai
1940’s classic that uses special recipe with float of Cruzan Black Strap Rum

1988 | A tribute to opening year in Honolulu
Finlandia Grapefruit — SOHO Lychee — Patron Citronge
Mango Mojito | Island twist on a Cuban Legend
Bar Bites $ 7
Tempura-​Crusted Ahi Roll
Spicy Togarashi Miso Butter Sauce

Wagyu Beef Sliders
Kings Hawaiian Bread — Caramelized Onion Truffle — Mushrooms — Togarashi Aioli
Ebi Roll
Shrimp Tempura — Coconut — Cream Cheese — Mango — Avocado — Habanero Aioli
Szechuan Spiced Pork Ribs
Smoked and Glazed in Roy’s Original Mongolian Sauce
Lobster Potstickers
Spicy Togarashi Miso Butter Sauce
It’s an overall excellent experience.

My first visit to a Roy’s restaurant is probably nearing 20 years ago when I first tried it at this very location. Definitely BY (Before Unilocal). I have since tried the locations in San Francisco and Hawaii and have always loved the theme, style and flavors that it has tied its image to. In fact, one could could arguably say that Roy’s was the place where I learned that food could be more than just sustenance or even guilty pleasures but rather refined, wonderfully beautiful tastes of art.
So when a group of us decided to come back for their Prix Fixe Monday special I was excited to revisit a classic favorite. Evidently there have been some changes, each restaurant has dishes that the local chef will make just for that specific location in addition to Roy’s tried and true recipes. It has expanded the menu but I think it’s a good thing. Oh and if you plan ahead and come here for the Prix Fixe deal, what a deal it is! At the time of writing $ 36.95 for an appetizer, main dish and dessert. There are no exclusions, meaning you can choose any of their dishes (aside from appetizers that are designed for two, instead it is for one). Yes you read that right. some of their main dishes alone are closing in on 50 dollars. Better than Restaurant Week!
I ordered the Lobster Bisque to start, the Butterfish as the main dish along with the Fuji apple crème brûlée to finish. The bisque was good (a little tangy as opposed to traditionally buttery but still good) and the apple crème brûlée was an interesting take on my favorite dessert. But the Butterfish was as good as when I tried it the first time all those years ago. Perfectly seared and flavored it fell apart to tiny triangle shaped morsels. Talk about nostalgia high.
Having experienced many many restaurants since my introduction into fine cuisine, Roy’s still holds up. And that’s saying a lot especially since it is a chain. Great ambiance, wonderful service, and to top it off, still providing delicate and tasteful dishes after all this time to assure a laid back introduction to exceptional fine dining for the foreseeable future. Can’t get better than that!

11.6.15: What a wonderful experience we had at Roy’s. Anthony P was our server.
We started with drinks: Polynesia Passion (Jamaican rum n Coconut Rum) and Drunken Mule (Vodka with muddled pineapples and ginger beer). My Polynesia Passion tasted like juice but it was still good and can sneak up on you. I really enjoyed the Mule, I never had pineapples in a mule before. How fun!
Free Spicy Edamame! Super Plus Plus! Anthony was great I asked for sesame oil and although it was a weird request he didn’t even hesitate. He told me he will check if they have it. Few minutes later I got my sesame oil. Drizzle it on top of the edamame and toss it. Oh it was heaven.
Next Anthony suggest the Lakanilau Wagyu Beef roll. He said it’s a roll that they recently put on the menu and it’s considered a chef special. So, of course we had to order it. At $ 16.95, I was thinking this better be good. The roll looked lovely. I enjoy the real crab meat and the truffle oil. The beef was thinly sliced and on top of the roll. Overall even with the asparagus and tempura the roll felt mushy in texture. I was a bit disappointed. But the flavors were there.
For dinner we ordered the Roy’s Trio in which we get taste three fish. The Hibachi Grill Salmon, the Misoyaki Butterfish, and the roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi. I love fish so I really excited that they had a trio. Hibachi Grill Salmon was okay, I believe it had too much ponzu sauce and the texture was just okay as well. I had better salmon. So moving on to the Misoyaki Butterfish. Super super sweet. Wowzers. I’m glad they provided the furikake rice. Yummy Furikake is so good. Last was the Mahi Mahi, unfortunately that had a lack of flavor. The Lobster Cream Sauce was so subtle. Overall it was nice to taste three different fish but this dish did not blow me away at all. It was just okay. I wouldn’t order it again.
To accompany the trio dish we had the Truffled Bacon Mac & Cheese. I was so excited to get this as I love truffle. When received it was lacking in the truffle department. There was so much truffle in our beef roll and not enough in our mac and cheese. It was still good. The bacon helps salt the Mac & Cheese.
After an ok meal we decided lets try out the dessert. We have already ordered the soufflé during dinner. The soufflé was different from what I had before. I’m used to it being in a cup or a hold or a bowl. I’m not sure what those dish are called. Anyhow this one was free standing with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It didn’t remind me of a soufflé, more like the flour less chococate lava cake which I had plenty of times. The Raspberry Coulis was so good I wish they gave us a side of it to drizzle on top. This was good.
Overall based on my food experience it would have just been a 3 stars or 3.5. I have up it to 4 stars because the service was really great. Nice place for a date. Will cost you though.

Roy’s is my favorite restaurant however today’s lunch time dining was less than stellar. First let me cover the high points.
Pros:
Lunch Plate — Macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi consisted of a smaller portion amazingly moist and flavorful fish over pineapple fried rice. The plate was separated in four parts and came with Miso soup, salad and cookies.
Lunch Plate — Karagee Fried Chicken consisted of moist, flavorful lightly breaded fried chicken breast with Miso soup, salad and cookies.
Wagyu Burger — Caramelized onions & truffled mushrooms, Togarashi Aioli and french fries. This burger was superb, it was cooked to perfection and flavors burst in your mouth.
Kaffier Lime Tart — Graham cracker crust, whipped cream and crème anglaise. This was my complimentary birthday dessert and it was indescribable. Words cannot do this dessert justice, I highly recommend.
The waiter was the best part of the whole encounter. He wished me Happy Birthday several times and even checked to see if I could order the chocolate soufflé since I had a birthday coupon.
Cons:
The four part plate seemed more cafeteria like than fine dining
Miso soup was watered down and tasteless — no one ate the soups
The salads were not prepared the same. The Mahi Mahi plate had salad greens, carrots, cucumbers and radishes however the plate with the Karagee Chicken is not even close.
The cookies (although really good tasting) were prepackaged and were still in the plastic wraps when served, at least take the cookies out of the wrappers.
The young lady at the front desk checking in customers could not tell me if she checked me in for my open table dining points.
What really made matters worse, I was celebrating my birthday at my favorite restaurant with my family and the meal was subpar. If this is the standard for lunch you can count me out.
A Loyal Roy’s Fan

I came here this past weekend to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Some of my family members had been here before and raved about it, so my expectations were high. All six of us decided on the prix fixe menu, which included 1) shrimp pad thai or vegetable spring rolls to start, 2) an entrée of beef sirloin or lemongrass chicken (later subbed for other entrees as you’ll see below), and 3) the chocolate soufflé for dessert.
While the food was overall very delicious, what made my experience memorable was the amazing service I received. For one, our server was extremely attentive and stopped by our table multiple times to check on us and make sure we were enjoying our meal (sadly, this type of service isn’t the norm at a lot of restaurants). Secondly, when we were told that they were out of the lemongrass chicken, which all of us had ordered, the restaurant let us all choose ANYTHING we wanted from the menu as a substitute… talk about heaven. I went with the scallops and pork belly, while others in my party ordered entrees like the surf and turf and lobster. This is uncalled for in most restaurants and really made our night! Lastly, I was wowed by their signature chocolate soufflé. It was so rich and decadent, I would’ve been happy just eating this on its own.
Roy’s, you made this a 5-​star kind of experience! I’ll definitely be back!

My second time at a Roy’s — my first was at the Baltimore location.
I visited this restaurant on a Wednesday night and even though we didn’t make reservations we were seated and greeted immediately. The server provided great drink options and allowed us time to make decisions. He made great recommendations. Instead of bread at your table you get to munch on you get this well seasoned edamame — delicious and a great way to save them carbs.
Drinks: We had the Drunken mule and the Mai thai.
Food: We both had our eyes on the Shellfish sampler — so that’s what we both had. At first I wanted to substitute my jasmine rice, good thing I didn’t. It was delicious. it sat under the lobster, was seasoned with lemongrass and drenched in an orange lobster sauce… so dayum good. the crabcake, lobster, and shrimp were all to my delight.
My meal was exceptional. The server was a tall gentleman and he was very nice. So why wasn’t this a 5 star experience??? well there were moments when I felt rushed but other than that 4.5 stars to Roy’s!!!

Before I wrote about their amazing happy hour, well now I’m writing about my dinner experience! They serve amazing food! The three items that you must try are their butterfish (cod), seared scallops and their molten chocolate cake!
The misoyaki butterfish (misoyaki means miso-​seared) delivers great Asian flavors with the baby bok choy, white rice and miso flavors. The perfectly cooked fish will instantly melt in your mouth because it is just that buttery. Although this is a delectable dish popular among diners, I liked their seared sea scallops even more. The fact that they paired the scallops with pork belly is an ingenious idea! With the buttery potato purée (fancy name for mashed potato I guess) and the sweet honey and apple flavors, this is one of the best surf and turf dishes I have had.
Of course we concluded our meal with desserts and the molten chocolate cake /​soufflé cannot be missed! It’s very generous of them to give our friend a full size molten chocolate cake as a way to say happy birthday. She’s nice enough to share with all of us, and on top of that we order another one to share, so among the 4 of us we had two chocolate cakes! The other desserts didn’t sound as appealing so make sure you try this cake!
Service was excellent. Our server was courteous, smart, funny and knowledgeable. The dining area was comfortable with a lot of booth seats. The tables could have a little more space in between especially if the people next to us talk loud, but overall it’s not a big problem.
Great restaurant! Both their dinner and happy hour have given me good memories!

Came here after visiting the Sea World because I’ve had an Asian Fusion cuisine craving (and because the deep dish pizza place that we visited couldn’t make one for me without garlic).
The service was pretty quick and polite and the roll that I ordered was very good. My friend enjoyed their samosas (mind you, that was AFTER he had a slice of the deep dish pizza), but didn’t do much damage to the salad.
You have to ask for waters, as they’re not allowed to offer you any because of the drought.