Royal Fish & Chips

this place went way way way downhill, such a shame. the place is filthy, the a/​c does not work and it smells from muss. i use to go here all the time for the 3 piece fried Haddock fish, my order today was more like a cheap grade of fish-​sticks, definitely not the white flaky Haddock fish they use to serve, the coating was more than the fish and rock hard, I ate maybe one half of a piece and told the lady this was not Haddock she looked at me and said nothing, I left, never never to return to this once great place. to bad there is no where to get fried Haddock anywhere along the ct shoreline anymore

Okay, let me start off by saying that there are establishments that are significantly worse than this one. But, with that being said, Royal did leave a lot to be desired.
I am no expert at fish and chips but I had always wanted to try this place since I moved to Meriden six years ago. Finally made my way there a couple of days ago.
I went to Royal around 1:30 PM, just after «normal» lunch time.
There were no other customers, which I don’t find alarming, the lady at the counter that took my order was pleasant and patient as I decided what I wanted.
I ordered the fish sandwich combo. (You get fries and a soda) and I added a side of clam chowder.
The fish and chips themselves were really not all that bad. There was nothing about them that blew me away, but I had no problem eating them. Good size portions too.
The chowder was edible, but not all that great. I also couldn’t seem to find any black pepper anywhere on the condiment bar (which was very underwhelming) but, I ate it anyway.
The place could have been kept up a little more. It wasn’t «dirty» by any means but It looks like they do a quick clean/​check at night and then when they open they just unlock the doors.
A little TLC could go a long way here.
Bottom line: worth a try, probably won’t go back.

One of the worst places to ever go and eat. It is not clean there is cockroaches and mold everywhere. They do not clean their trays or tables I was there and I saw crusty food on the table. And the food is never fully cooked at the other half raw the middle is raw or its just overly greasy. I heard good things about it before I went there but now I wouldn’t go there if I was the last restaurant on earth.

This place should be condemned! Seriously it’s that bad!!! The foods are so bad, I don’t know how to describe it. This is not a review, but warning the public!

Who doesn’t like fish and chips? Obviously you do. One Sunday I was craving cod and chips. Punched fish and chips into Unilocal and this place popped up… I though «what the heck lets check it out» bad idea…
I arrive, park, and walk in with something deep fried and delightful on the mind. When I get to the counter there’s a young boy (under the age of 16 without a DOUBT) taking orders, cooking, and basically being a translator to an older gentleman behind the counter (father, brother, eh. not sure).
Food feedback:
— Cod was good but wicked greasy (oil wasn’t hot enough when they fried the food).
— Fries too salty.
— wouldn’t go back
— Cod too fishy (bad)

I was looking for a fish and chips place and saw this business on Unilocal.
The food itself was alright. Not the best, not the worst. I ordered the seafood platter to have a taste of everything. The fish was tasty, along with the shrimp. The clam stripes and the scallops was OK. The chips are potato wedges, which did taste good.
I got a soda from the frig, however it wasn’t cold at all, so I asked for a cup of ice. They apparently don’t have any ice.
Overall, I think it was alittle over priced for what you are getting.

Absolutely disgusting. Not clean, the tartar sauce is in a 5 gallon jug sitting out on the counter. I can’t believe this place is still open. The only thing that was edible were the french fries. At least the girls were pleasant.

Got take out today for the first time. Shrimp had the black vein in them. Cocktail and Tartar sauce premade — not at restaurant. Charged me $.20 more that what was on register. Said they charged extra depending on how much the bill came to. I had a bill of $ 13.38 and they charged $ 13.58 — never heard of that before! I asked for Broccoli/​Cheddar soup which was on menu in front of me. They gave me fried broccoli and said they don’t have that soup! I’ll never go back there and will tell all I know to stay away from there. Back part of restaurant looks dirty dirty and I saw that the bottom of the soda bins were dirty (stored cans and bottles in there).

We went for a late lunch/​early supper — only two people in the place.
She ordered haddock and chips, and I ordered the calamri and chips. I knew we were in for it when the young son, who took our orders and rang them up opened a small chest freezer behind the counter and started pulling stuff out.
Overpriced for fried from frozen (like in «Summer Vacation» with John Candy when they went to eat at «Scully’s»). The food tasted of the fried chicken they also serve. Fish and chicken should be fried in two different fryers.
The ships where potato wedges. These were tasty. But the hush puppies where little rocky lumps … texture and taste like they had been fried and refried at least once.
Did this place change owners? It doesn’t seem like the place we went to about two years ago.
MEH! says it all.

I come to CT for business and looking for a decent place to eat. Read the others’ reviews, decided to give this place a try. Fast food style, no server. It is definitely the best F&C I’ve ever tasted. I ordered the seafood platter that come with almost everything. The cod filet was really fresh and so are the clams and the shrimp. The scallops were not as good but still acceptable. The only thing surprised me was the price. Unilocal says «$», but I think it is more like «$$». The food quality is worth it, but it is a bit expensive for fast food.

Bought fried clams, shrimp, and calamri and found they all tasted pretty much the same. Not impressed and not returning.

My family has lived in Meriden for ages but we just finally tried Royal Fish & Chips. We all enjoyed it… hey, it’s just fish & chips people! It’s a nice batter and everything tasted nice. I will try the eggplant and sweet potato fries next time.

My fiancé likes this place for their fish and chips. I usually get a hotdog, fries and clam chowder. He always leaves happy and I like the clam chowder. I also like their clam strips and the hush puppies were not bad either. They are pretty quick and pretty nice. The place is not the prettiest or the best. But its pretty good for Meriden. We go back when my fiancé can’t stand it anymore and needs a fish and chips fix.

I go to Meriden every other week for work and i gotta say is… thank god because ever since NYC changed their laws on what kinda oil you can use in the deep fry-​alator fried food hasn’t been tasting right.
Just the Deep Fried Okra, and Eggplant Fries pretty much make the trip here worth it. The eggplant fries are perfect with the right amount of salt. The okra is usually not as flavored but with a little bit of their hot sauce it still does serious justice to your taste buds. While i will say the main dishes (clams, haddock, cod, shrimp) are about average the sides completely make up for it. This is a must viist if you are craving the unhealthy crispiness of deep fried food.

Decided to try out Royal Fish & Chips last Friday. I ordered what else? Fish and Chips! The fish was a fresh piece of cod, and the fries were pretty good. They have all the condiments to throw on too e.g. vinegar, tarter sauce etc. I also ordered jalapeño poppers which were average. My wife had the fish too and stuffed mushrooms. All this and sodas for under 22 skins. Very casual, not a fancy place but good fresh fish!
Stopped in at 5:30 PM and by 6:30 the line was 10 people deep. I will go back for the fish and since it is so close to where I live.

Meh. Had fish & chips, and it was ok. Just ok. The fish was tasty but the oil was dark & it tasted like it needed to be changed. The fries are potato wedges like at KFC. The pieces of fish are large– I should have just ordered one & not 3.
Maybe I was there on an off night. While I sat & ate, many people came & went with take out. Regular customers came in & chatted with the staff while they ordered. Some folks ordered their «usual». It was nice to see.
I’ll probably give them another shot soon. A little disappointing, but it has potential.

I hate to give bad reviews, but here we go…
I visited this place just before 1:00 PM. There was exactly one other customer in the building.
The place is short on ambiance, but I expect that from any chip shop. However, it seems to lack a soul as well. The service and attitude really fell flat. They weren’t hostile, per se, just sort of present and apathetic. If there was a thought bubble over their heads, I suspect they would read, «Oh, right, your fish; come get it and go away.»
The chip shops I visited in England were tiny little greasy affairs, but the people inside were cheery and the atmosphere was cozy.
While I give this points on serving what appears to be real and possibly even fresh fish, there is something in the preparation that is missing. The fish was too wet and lacking in flavor.
If you are a fan of fish and chips, then you will probably «get» this, otherwise is may not make sense. I don’t pretend to know what the core problem is when I get fish like this, but, basically, the fish itself seems very watery and even with a river of malt vinegar and a mountain of salt, it still tastes bland.
Apparently, there is an art to battering and frying a piece of fish and these folks were not artists.
Maybe it was better back in 2010 when the happy reviews were posted, but I suspect those posters would not recognize the place I visited. The place reminds me of a person that has simply given up on life. Or, for a more appropriate analogy, a fish laying on the sidewalk, long past bothering to flap around and gasp for air, but waiting for the curtain to fall.
So, grudgingly, I have to give them one star.

This is a great representation of what fish and chips in England is all about. It’s a small unassuming place with a few tables and some odd posters that are supposed to evoke feelings of England, being from England myself, they felt a little cheesy, but maybe they make real Americans feel all colonial.
The staff were very friendly and freely chatted about the origins of restaurant. They were fast and efficient. The food is of course the main attraction here and it was not a let down at all. I was expediting the usual breaded and fried fish that usually pass as fish and chips in the area but what I was served was wonderful! Light and crispy beer batter, delicate white flaky cod and of course large chunky chips. This is simply the best I could expect from a place promising a taste of England, it delivered totally! I slathered on the vinegar to top the dish off. All that was missing was a big red savaloy and my mum having a natter with the cook.

A friend of mine from England told me this was the best fish and chip she has had in the US so I had to give it a shot. Once I tried it, I fell in love with Royal Fish. I go there atleast once a week during my lunch break and the food has always been quickly made and tastes great. Not only do they have great fish, but the fries there are awesome, I just cant seem to get enough of them.

Whenever I think of fried food I just feel fat! But seriously once in a while who doesn’t love fried food? My boyfriend brought me to Royal Fish and Chips for the first time just recently, and I loved it! There isn’t any huge advertisement or sign that leads you to the place, but when you walk in its a modest, small and CLEAN place. The owner is really friendly and he fried our fish and fries right when we ordered. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable!
If I could I would eat the fried Cod everyday!