Shh! NYC's Best Kept Secret! ~ By Phil and Lindsey

 

Photography by Michelle

Royale 
157 Avenue C, New York (Alphabet City)

New York is the land of flash, ambiance, theatrics, and branding. In a moment, your fifteen minutes of fame are subject to disappear at the hands of the new kid on the block (and there is ALWAYS a new kid.)

Then there is Royale, our best-kept secret. In fact, our collective fingers are currently trying to gouge our eyes in an effort to prevent us from divulging our carefully-kept refuge.

But it's time.

Nestled in quaint little Alphabet City (okay, it’s not quaint, which is probably why we won’t venture there without running shoes, lest we need to activate light-speed) is the definition of a neighborhood bar. No gimmicks, simple/cheap menu, a few TVs, plenty of beer and a surprisingly awesome back patio make this place feel, dare we say, homey! 

Just to prove it to our loyal readers, we trekked to Royale in running shorts and baseball caps (and we may or may not have been wearing T-shirts.)
 

Photography by Michelle

The crown gem of Royale is surely the aptly named burger, The Royale. It is easily one of our favorite burgers in the city (and one of the cheapest). We love it because it is simple and as a result, it is extremely well-made. Available with crispy bacon and/or with cheese, you won’t need to get overly fancy with this burger because its value is undoubtedly proven with the first bite.

While Royale is not much to look at and your food comes in simple little baskets, Royale doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. The result is pure, unfiltered and relaxed fun.

Come for a game, happy hour (half off…yeah, we know), or just to sit with some close friends! Order some onion rings and surprisingly cheap beer (yeah, we are going to keep reminding you about that) and cool down on the patio. Do we really need to list anymore reasons for you to check this place out?

You can thank us later.

Ladies First:
“I can still taste the deliciousness that is The Royale. A good burger is not as easy to find as some may think. The patty to bread ratio; a substantial bread to hold your burger; to sauce or not to sauce - these are all reasonable requirements to any great burger and Royale hits it out of the park. Alongside this phenomenal burger, I suggest you pick a side a shoestring French-fried goodness or sink your teeth into some MEGA-crunch onion rings (yes...I am drooling right now.) They also have awesome-sounding salads...if you're into that type of thing OR you're that girl that doesn't eat red meat but once a year because ’your trainer’ said it was bad for you.”

Gentleman’s Disclosure:
"I live around the corner, so having this establishment at my disposal is obviously tremendous. The Royale makes it hard for me to want to try out other burgers, because it is hard to beat from a taste and price standpoint. It would be nice to see this place add milkshakes to their menu, but their beer menu is more than a suitable substitute. This place feels like my own personal bar!”

The Royale: $7.00
Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, and Pickle

Royale with Cheese: $8.00
Choice of: American, Cheddar, Swiss (Blue add $1.50)

Bacon Royale: $9.00
Choice of: American, Cheddar, Swiss (Blue add $1.50)

Texas Ratings

Lindsey:

Phil: