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| - I HATE chain restaurants. No matter how much people tell me how great they are, I feel like I'm getting something ordinary.
This is soooo not true with Roy's. Each restaurant carries the vibe of the city it's in. The SF Roy's pulls you in from Mission street with the copper topped bar and two level open dining room. It pulsates with the City vibe, but has just enough of the Hawaiian undercurrant to remind you where you are eating. The Phoenix location has FLW influenced touches and feels both contemporary and familiar.
The same goes with the food. I've had a half dozen dishes on the menu, and while I hate to say it, everything is good here. I'm partial to short ribs and their's are the version I compare others against: fork tender with a rich sauce, not fatty or tough and resting on a bed of mashed potatoes that manage to be creamy without being dense. Seafood is a specialty. Their seared tuna comes with a wasabi and a mustard sauce and both complement this delicious dish. For a great value, order off the seasonal Prix fix menu. On my last visit, we ordered one prix fix and two appitizers for my husband and I. There's was more than enough food and we were able to try a wider variety of dishes. Oh, and the shrimp risotto app came with two monster shrimps, perfectly cooked, of course. We also got the seared scallops, divine in a lemongrass cream sauce.
Service is a standout here. No matter what you ask for the staff are attentive without being overbearing. I always feel like a welcome guest when dining here. And just to be clear, we are not big spenders, but I feel like a high roller no matter what we order.
Bottom line; Roy's is one of the best chains around.
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