Royal Cafe

I love the Royal! Our family has been going here for years, since we first moved to the neighborhood many moons ago. They do have excellent grass-​fed burgers and other lunch items, but my favorites are the egg dishes, which they’ll serve all day. A large, varied selection on the menu, or they’re happy to cook whatever you want however you want it. My personal favorite: greek omelet with spinach and feta. The hash browns are great, or they’ll sub out a fresh fruit plate or grilled tomatoes for the diet-​conscious. Excellent, large espresso drinks, served on china! Cute décor, friendly service, family run. Always a big hit. It does get crowded around brunch time on the weekends, but it’s always worth the wait. Open seven days a week, but only till 2 pm. Highly recommended!

The scones — yes yes and yes.
The wait and overall experience — uhhhhh… I don’t know if I’d want to wait that long for brunch again.
Group of 4 around 11am, waited for about 30 min on a Sunday. Not too bad, but it just felt really long. Retro experience inside with a vintage espresso machine, old cartoon/​comic book character lunch boxes and old school toasters on the tables. The service was great. Everyone who tended to us was nice, smiling and friendly. For brunch, I ordered the Bene on Fire (an eggs benedict with hot Italian sausage, sauteed jalapenos and roma tomatoes with a side of home fries. This was LITERALLY on fire… it was insanely spicy, and I couldn’t even manage to eat the second bene. Husband had the huevos rancheros. Two sunny side up eggs with all the fixings. The sauce tasted really similar to enchilada sauce, but it was good nonetheless. Now the scone… which we ordered amongst the table and shared… was delectable. Served with a huge dollop of lemon curd, this scone doesn’t disappoint. You can tell it’s freshly baked by how it crumbles and doesn’t taste like a rock. I would’ve ordered 10 of them if I knew they were going to be this good.
If I had to re-​do it, I’d definitely try a different item on the menu, but I would order the homemade currant scone again and again and again.

Yaassss! I found a new fave brunch spot! I’ve been trying places locally and I’m so happy that this isn’t far from home. The place itself is so friggin cute with all the retro décor and the staff are just so sweet. There’s a parking lot and it tends to fill up quickly but street parking shouldn’t be a problem to find.
I felt like piggin’ out as I always do when I eat out alone so I ordered a half order of the Cinnamon French Toast with fresh berries and bananas and their Naughty Charlie Benedict with poached egg, smoked bacon, grilled tomato & avocado (sans the spinach it also comes with). I like spinach but I just didn’t feel like eating it at the time. Their orange juice is freshly squeezed so I had to have it. Everything was delicious! I told my husband I’d take him here next time and I plan on ordering their Watermelon Mimosa cuz that just sounds bomb!

First time back in about five years. The prices are much higher and about on par with the best breakfast places. The food is above-​average.
Value for money is not quite where it should be. The Bloody Mary, for example, tastes great but you get about 6 oz for $ 7. Other places you get at least 12 oz. for $ 8 or $ 9.
$ 13.50 for scrambled eggs and sausage, $ 8 for pancakes is what I would expect to pay at a gourmet-​level eatery such as Meal Ticket, Sunnyside, Bette’s, or the new Sam’s.
Probably I just need to get used to the idea they are trying to «go gourmet «here too.
Pancakes are good. They serve real syrup and real butter, which are a must.
The toast choices are good. The orange juice is very good (and $ 4.75).

Came here for lunch with my gang on rainy Saturday. Had the Famous scone with lemon curd, BLT sandwich, blueberry pancakes and an eggs Benedict. The gang has given this establishment the thumbs up. Pancakes were soooo good!!! Fluffy with tons of blueberries and crispness to them as well. Service is friendly and parking is plenty.
Looks like a popular destination, so there could be a little wait if you go.

My family and I love this place! Every time I come, I try a new thing off of the menu and EVERYTHING is amazing! Great ownership, great staff, great food! The Royal Café never disappoints.

I’ve been here three times now and I think this place is pretty great. The décor gives a fun retro vibe without feeling cheesy or dusty. The menu has a decent selection. I’ve had a few omelets and a burger, all were delicious. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 – 10 minutes to be seated and the service is just right. Attentive but not over the top and someone always refills your coffee. I would have given a fifth star but on my most recent visit I waited the whole meal for my delicious currant scone with lemon curd only to find out that the last scones had been «stolen.» I was bummed but was already full of yummy omelet so it’s ok. Try this place– just hope you don’t go when the scone burglar is on the prowl.

We came here on a Sunday at about 1:15. They close at 2:00 so I was worried that service might be rushed.
We had a late breakfast so we decided to share the chicken and waffles and an order of the scone with lemon curd sauce and 2 lattes. The chicken and waffles was YUMMO! Juicy and crispy chicken breast fried to perfection. The waffle was crispy and light. The waitress told us they were out of scones so I was pretty disappointed. But she came back with a piping hot fresh out of the over scone on the house 10 minutes later! How awesome is that???
I would give service 10 stars if I could. This is a casual diner eatery filled with locals. I would love to go back and try other items on the menu but it would be hard not order my 2 faves!

Cute 50’s themed café. Great customer service & even though it was crowded for Sunday brunch, our food came out very fast. I had chicken & waffles that were on point!

Yummy!!! This place seems small and it does get packed so I would suggest coming early or even calling ahead to see what the wait time is and maybe they can put your name on the list if you’re on the way. The waitress that helped us was super friendly and so was the girl that seated us which is always a plus in my book! Customer service is always a good thing!
As for the food we ordered the chicken and waffles (only served on the weekends), chile quiles, and the egg scramble with the sausage and spinach with potatoes. Every plate that came out was delicious and filling and was very satisfied with everything. Even the mimosa’s that came out was used with fresh orange juice and not that cheap orange juice that tastes like sugar. Oh yah and we also ordered a scone with the lemon curd on the side and it was so delicious!!!
This place is definitely a must if you’re in the area and want some good breakfast with a friendly vibe. Also the décor is pretty cool to look at as they have old school classic signs everywhere.

Royal Café has the interior of a typical diner (with fewer booths) but the food is a step up. The menu is fairly extensive for this small café, and I went with the huevos rancheros. The serving was large and a bit more like a huevos rancheros quesadilla but definitely tasty. While the scone doesn’t come with the huevos rancheros (but I love that it’s an option with the standard egg dishes), the currant scone with lemon curd was divine.
I appreciate their reasonable prices with breakfast/​brunch entrees at ~$ 12.

Yaaaaaaaas brunch!
Call me basic, but there is nothing in life as good as a delicious brunch.
I always order their vegan tofu scramble and it’s so good. I haven’t tried their pancakes yet, but everyone I bring always loves them.
The service here is great as well! All the waiters/​waitresses are super polite and sweet, and very prompt as well. I always feel inclined to give a higher tip because they honestly are some of the most genuinely kind servers I’ve ever had.
Thanks for a delicious start to my day!

This restaurant is absolutely adorable. The setting is very 50’s, the customer service is friendly, and the breakfast is pretty good too. Getting there early in the morning around 8am on a weekend starts to get pretty busy, but my guy and I only had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes. We were seated at a window and it has a cute foliage/​street view. We ordered two coffees which was just average but still good. Our lady server was sweet and on top of things so we didn’t have to wait long to order or for our food, or for refills! We ordered the Naughty Charlie Eggs Benedict and they allowed us to split it between the two of us — and without having to request it, they automatically placed it on two separate plates so we were very appreciative of that!
I noticed they serve bloody Mary’s and mimosas for brunch ;)
All in all, this place has good food, good service, cute décor, and a charming environment!

I’ve gone twice now with my boyfriend and it’s been great. I’ve really enjoyed this place. The atmosphere is classic 50s and 60s nostalgia. It’s been packed both times we went. The first time, the wait was maybe 10 – 15 minutes. The second time, we actually got there a few minutes before they opened and were seated immediately once inside. About 15 minutes after opening, every table was filled and there was a line in front.
The Food:
I ordered 2 eggs any style (I chose whites) with bacon and toast. I asked if they could put spinach and mushrooms in my eggs and they happily accommodated. The toast was warm and thick. Boyfriend got a blueberry muffin… which was AMAZING! I forgot what else he ordered, honestly lol. But the check ended up being less than $ 30 for the two meals plus drinks. I have really enjoyed it there and look forward to another visit.
The jam and salsa on the table are pretty spot on too!

The chicken was juicy and tender, the breading was light and flaky and the waffle was slightly crispy on the outside and soft inside. Perfection!
No wait on a Saturday morning AND a parking lot! What a dream!
I will be back!

The scone w/​lemon curd is a definite yes! Make sure to eat this while it is hot. Their french toast looked delicious and tasted even more scrumptious! They give a good amount of fruits to go along with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the Italian Scramble as well, they give lots of sausages.
Their café latte tasted like coffee flavored milk. probably a bit more coffee would make it taste slightly better and more caffeinated. Overall, I love the ambience of the diner, I’d recommend it. There is a line for brunch, so be prepared to wait about 20 minutes.

This is a retro diner style restaurant that I absolutely loved. The décor is so cute and the servers were so friendly. The wait was little bit long but it was a Saturday at brunch time so there were lots of people. It’s a great place for groups because there’s lots of open space to put tables together and have a group brunch!
I found it so heartwarming when a blind couple came into the restaurant and they were treated so kindly and the waitresses spend the time to explain the menu to them. Their puppies were also really cute.
Anyways, this place just has an overall homey feel that I love and the food was pretty great tasting as well!

I decided to take my godson out to brunch and decide to come here. I noticed that they had outdoor seating, which look so pretty! However, it was pretty crowded, so we settled for indoor seating. I ordered the salmon scramble (~$ 13)and my little one ordered the eggs and bacon (~$ 9) both of them came with home fries.
The salmon scramble was fresh and large enough to take half of it home. The waiter was nice, and they service was great. I’d come back again to try their chicken and waffles. I saw that a lot of people ordered that!

I went to the Royal Café last week when I was in the Albany area. I obviously wanted a Bloody Mary, so my friend who lives in Cali brought us here. The vibes of the Royal Café are super homey and quaint– they have many knick knacks adorning the walls from decades past!
To start, I had my usual. A Bloody. It was $ 6.50 and decent– you can read the full review here:
It got a ⁷⁷⁄₁₀₀ on my rating scale, which entails «This is an average Bloody Mary. Tasty, drinkable, somewhat pleasing to the eye. Nothing too special, but I am not complaining.»
Anyways, for my meal I had the bene on fire, which was super freakin’ spicy. But I was expecting that. I love Italian sausage and have recently started ordering any breakfast/​brunch dish made with it. All in all, the benny was great. I did have to chug my water many times though.
Also had a watermelon mimosa because, HEY WE’RE ON VACATION, BABY! It was awesome. Literally like fresh squeezed watermelon and champagne. Yum.
Had some coffee too. It was good.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals as well. Everything was done in a homecooked fashion and filled us up for the rest of the day.
Royal Café got 4 stars because the Bloody could be improved upon, as well as the service. At times, service was slow, water glasses weren’t filled, etc.
All in all, a good time and a good meal!

What a great brunch place in our very own Albany! My review is probably long overdue since the last time I had it was back in December… I know. Anyways I still remember my experience here like it was last week! That lemon curd scone alone is probably already enough for me to keep returning.
My family and I came here for brunch and probably ordered everything they had on the menu. From eggs benedicts to omelettes to scrambles, from scones to blueberry muffins. All of them were SO GOOD! Our waitress asked if it was our first time here and proceeded to recommend us some of their most popular dishes aka their SCONES. Really good and friendly service as well! I also really like the retro decorations of this place. They have a juke box, kitchenware, and really old posters from the grandparents’ days, and they really add a nice touch to the ambiance.
People aren’t crazy when they rave about their scones here. It was still warm when arrived on our table! It was buttery, fluffy, and the lemon curd added a nice tangy balance. It was perfect.
This place is definitely a gem in Albany. A bit of a line on the weekends but well worth the wait! I have tried many other brunch places and this place still reigns as one of my best brunch experience. :)