Title: Royal Cafe & Bakery
Author: GCS
Last saved by: Owner

Royal Café in Albany, CA – update, lunch
Review date: September 2014
(previous reviews appended below)

We hadn't returned to Royal Café in quite a while; our last review was Dec 2012. We took the opportunity to return as we had an errand in the neighborhood. The small parking lot was full and they were fairly busy, with three waitresses on the run criss-crossing the two dining rooms. 

There were still a few tables available so we didn't have to wait to be seated, although it took several minutes before someone could take our order. I had my usual Solano Scramble, which has bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and Jack cheese. I get the 9-grain toast, and the Smuckers-type raspberry jam was pretty good with it.

Carlos got an omelet with ham, mushrooms, and Jack. Royal doesn't offer his preferred Gruyere or Swiss, offering only Jack, Cheddar or feta cheeses. He also got the option of green chiles, but we keep forgetting Royal uses whole chiles, not chopped. This made the dish rather watery, especially as Carlos heaped green salsa on top. He likes the fact that Royal is one of the few cafés that will grill tomatoes on the side for him, which he loves. 

On the downside, Royal steams their omelets, and neither of us like the texture of this technique. We find them oddly loose and spongy in texture, much inferior to a true omelet. The only good aspect is that one never gets those overcooked brown crusty spots that eggs develop when cooked over too high direct heat.

Instead of toast, he likes to get one of their scones, which they serve warm with lemon curd but no butter. He forgot to order it for after the omelet, so they brought it first. Royal used to use Thanksgiving brand coffee from Mendocino, but this time I didn't see the branded pitchers. It's possible they may have gone to something cheaper. I had iced tea and forgot to ask Carlos for a sip.

We're a little torn about Royal. We like their breakfasts, but they're not quite as good as Mama's Royal/Oakland. The service is cheerful but again, not as efficient and well-staffed as Mama's. OTOH, Royal has much of the same retro charm but a lot less greasy residue clinging to surfaces. in fact, Royal is almost as clean as Mel's Diner/SF, which is pretty much the gold standard in the Bay Area for 5-star diner cleanliness.

So we like Royal Café...but it doesn't jump automatically to the top of our list. It's close, but not quite there. The East Bay is full of diners, but most of them aren't very good. At this point, Royal, Full Moon/Oakland, Mama's/Oakland, Café M/Berkeley, and Oakland Grill/Oakland are all about equal to one another.

Two people, breakfast: one side, one main, one main with addition, two beverages with tip was $42.

Royal Cafe in Albany, CA  - update, lunch
Review date: December 2012
(previous reviews appended below)

Inez, Carlos and I were planning on lunch at Nizza La Bella after her Friday class, only to find that NLB has eliminated their Friday lunch. They are now open only for dinner with brunch on Saturday and Sunday, instead of the former Fri-Sun midday times.

So we ended up at Royal Cafe. Inez had pancakes with fresh fruit, which pleased her very much. She finished three-quarters of a stack of two big fluffy pancakes, which is a lot of food for her. Carlos and I had burgers – his with feta and green chiles, mine with cheddar and mushrooms. They were pretty good, although the buns fell apart towards the end. This is why we rate La Calaca Loca's burger so highly. RC’s patty is very fine, but that La Calaca's bread roll, a telera, beats any Orowheat or Kilpatrick's.

Service, as usual, is efficient and pleasant. Their hot tea is Numi, however, which is an inferior "premium" brand compared to Mighty Leaf. The Breakfast Blend tasted like tea dust.

Three people, breakfast/lunch: three entrees, one beverage, with tip was $70.

Royal Café in Albany, CA – update, breakfast
Review date: July 2012
(previous reviews appended below)

We hadn't been back to Royal Café in a long time (Nov 2011 was our last visit), which is a shame since we hold them second only to our beloved Mama's Royal Café/Oakland. We were fortunate to be able to snag one of the few booths by the window, arriving barely half an hour before a crowd of people descended upon them. 

There were three waitresses working, all of whom were unfamiliar to us, making us wonder if Royal had changed hands. Not to worry, our waitress reassured us. The owners are the same, cooking great breakfasts for the last 28 years. 

Carlos got his usual Eggs Benedict, subbing grilled tomatoes for the hash browns. Royal seems to be one of the very few cafés who will do this simple switch; oddly enough. Carlos often receives plain sliced tomatoes when he tries to order it.

I chose my usual Solano Delight, scrambled eggs with bacon, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, with melted mozzarella on top. It was delicious, and we were happy to see neither breakfast dish had changed in the interim.

We also shared a short stack of buttermilk pancakes. Royal's pancakes are sturdier than Mama's, although both pale in comparison to the great pancakes made by Mel's Diner/San Francisco. 

Coffee is still Thanksgiving brand, but is now a blend called 'Mendocino Merlot'. Both regular and decaf are strong and smooth.

Royal remains our choice for breakfast when we're on this (north) side of Berkeley. They're quick, reliable, and cheerful, with better breakfasts than anyone else except Mama's.

Two people, breakfast: two entrees, two beverages, with tip $45.

Royal Café in Albany, CA – update, breakfast
Review date: November 2011
(previous review appended below)

This is one of our favorite breakfast spots, second only to Mama's Royal Café/Oakland. We appreciate that like Mama's, they have a higher level of quality than many breakfast places, and that their short-order cook knows how to properly poach an egg and fry up real hash browns.

We also greatly appreciate that Royal proves that Asians can provide cheerful, efficient service with smiles, unlike ninety percent of low- and moderate-cost Asian-run restaurants where all they can manage is to either snarl at you or more commonly, practice their skill at ignoring you as they walk through a dining room.

The latter isn't a talent we admire at any time, but especially for an American breakfast, where we want our coffee cups refilled without asking and at least two check-ins to make sure we've got everything we wanted.

Royal Café's Benedicts aren't quite up to the level of Mama's, but they're close, and Carlos loves the generous side of fried red tomatoes he can get subbed for hash browns. My favorite is their Solano Scramble, which combines a nice dollop of sun-dried tomato puree with diced bacon, fresh spinach, and mozzarella in a tasty scramble. 

Carlos got a side of their spicy Italian sausage, which was very good. We like their coffee, which is Thanksgiving Company's Nicaragua free-trade blend. This time we finished up with a warm raisin scone and lemon curd, splitting it between us. 

Royal had a good crowd for a Monday morning, with people even sitting at the old-fashioned counter seats. It's a fun retro space (as is Mama's) and if you like breakfast, it's one of the best. Especially since we can get it at the time we prefer, which is around 11:00 a.m. in the morning!

Two people: two entrees, two sides, two beverages, with tip was $43.

Royal Cafe & Bakery
811 San Pablo Ave @ Solano Ave., Albany, CA
No website. Yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/royal-cafe-and-bakery-albany 

It took Carlos and me forever to try this place. But it instantly became our second favorite breakfast place, right behind Mama’s Royal Café in Oakland. It has the same slightly faded retro diner look that only true age can give. Instead of Mama’s aprons and napkin art, Royal has a collection of old toasters and antique stoves. 

If you go on weekends, the small parking lot fills up early. But on weekdays, unlike Mama’s, it’s a cinch to park (although street parking is always available, and in Albany, it’s free with no parking meters). 

Like most good breakfast places, it’s only open until the early afternoon. But it does take credit cards, and the Solano Delight, a three-egg scramble with bacon, spinach, sun-dried tomato, and melted cheese, is one of my favorites. 

They are known for their scone with lemon curd, which comes warm. But be warned that you’ll need to ask them to bring it at the end of your meal, unless you want to start off with it.

The coffee is Thanksgiving brand, sourced from a Nicaraguan coffee grower. It’s excellent, both regular and decaf. 

Carlos likes that they are happy to sub grilled tomatoes for the hash browns at no charge, and even toss in extra green chiles for free. 

The two of us get a high-protein, non-greasy, excellent breakfast for $15/person. This is the way we like to start our day, with a good breakfast at 11:30 in the morning!