Royal Oak Brewery

Royal Oak BreweryRoyal Oak Brewery
Royal Oak BreweryRoyal Oak Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

215 East 4th Street
Royal Oak, Michigan, 48067
United States

(248) 544-1141 | map
royaloakbrewery.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.6
Beers:
29
Ratings:
156
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.78
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
62
pDev:
9.26%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by adams82:
Photo of adams82
Reviewed by adams82 from Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I knew I'd be a fan of the ROB as I was already a fan of the fellow beer companies: Rochester Mills and Detroit Brewing Company.

The menu is similar to their other establishments. Although there are some minor differences; the food is just as good. I love the pasta dishes that come with the GIGANTIC slab of garlic cheese bread that takes up half of the plate; a great way to indulge! Sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salads and special menu items have always been very good, the prices are below what I would consider the Royal Oak "norm" and the portions are rather generous. Amid the spectacular mix of fare, and oddly enough for me, my two favorite items have been the jambalaya (beware, the side of extra hot sauce is... extra, extra, extra hot) and the chimichanga.

The beers are of a good quality and they're well crafted, but I can't say that I come here for "that one beer". Unlike some of the other local micro breweries, none of the ROB brands *really* stand out and make you go "WOW", but they don't fall flat either. There's usually an IPA, an amber/red beer of some sort, a wheat beer and a "lighter" option on all the time, and of course, seasonals. This go saw a Scottish Ale (which was quite good) and a winter amber lager. The IPA is quite good and hop heavy, the Scottish ale was a good representation of a rather unique style and the winter amber lager was a mild flavored and crisp beer, which is a nice departure from the usual "winter warmers" that run higher in alcohol content and are heavily spiced.

The ROB is a comfortable place to eat/drink, and while not a true "sports bar", it makes a decent place to catch a game while grabbing a bite. There isn't one designated viewing area, but there are plenty of flat panels hung high and out of the way to so you can take in a game or two without some knuckle head hogging your line of sight.

My only complaint would be the service; while friendly, it tends to be a little slow, even when the dining area is sparsely populated.

For me, the ROB is more about the overall experience; the food AND the beer. I can't recall any one time that we came here just to have some drinks, and I couldn't imagine visiting the ROB to drink without eating or to eat without drinking. The food pairs well with the beer, and that's why I like it so much, even though there isn't any one thing that just blow me away.

Like any bar/restaurant in downtown Royal Oak, I would advise against a Friday/Saturday night visit, as you will wait... fore-v-e-r, but this is on of the rare places that is worth your wait.
Feb 23, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.8 by Buck_Jones from Michigan

Mar 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.49 by Gagnonsux from Texas

Jul 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.59 by MI_beerdrinker from Texas

Nov 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.29 by kyle_goochstink from Michigan

Sep 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.99 by GreatStoutman from Texas

Jul 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by gulli from Michigan

Mar 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.73 by capt93 from Ohio

Jan 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.3 by Daydream816 from Michigan

Sep 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by FaradayUncaged from Michigan

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by Fahrn13 from Michigan

Jul 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.99 by Bdorchy from Michigan

Jun 27, 2015
Photo of PatrickP
Rated by PatrickP

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Decent beer selection and good food. Nothing great but always good.
May 14, 2015
Photo of aboyd87
Rated by aboyd87 from Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -22.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
Solid flag ship beers, limited experimentals.
Jan 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.86 by Eric1Mess from Michigan

Dec 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by moshea from Michigan

Dec 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by mikediesel124 from Michigan

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by beornagain from Canada (ON)

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by AndyEdgar from Illinois

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by rjcoy06 from Michigan

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by todesengel135 from Michigan

Aug 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by tommy5 from Michigan

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.85 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

May 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by SkinniePost from Wisconsin

May 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JVoyager from Michigan

Apr 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Mxsluis from Michigan

Mar 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by David_G from Michigan

Mar 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dustin_A_Stoutdrinker from Michigan

Feb 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by kvnklingler from Ohio

Feb 10, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Jas45678 from Michigan

Feb 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by adamant1912 from Michigan

Dec 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Stu_Grimson from Michigan

Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Dec 03, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Jaysmittyland from Michigan

Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Danielr26 from Michigan

Nov 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by hotsudge from Canada (ON)

Nov 09, 2013
Photo of PapaGoose03
Reviewed by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
This was stop #1 of our pub crawl this day with four people in our group. Beer and lunch were the objective at this stop. The brewery was very quiet this day, and that was a surprise to me for lunchtime, so the service was very good for us. The building's exterior and interior are both very appropriate for a brewpub, and the vibe was enjoyable. The view of the brewing equipment behind the bar added to the atmosphere.

We ordered a sampler flight that had 5 beers of the seven that were available that day. They were all good tasting, but I'll grade them from a C to a B-, so a C+ overall. They were all pretty much to style, just nothing that was exciting.

The food menu was interesting with its selections, and the food items that we ordered were all very tasty. We all agreed that the food deserved a B rating overall.

This is a cool brewery that is worthy of a visit, and I would visit again when in the area, but I wouldn't put it on my list as a primary destination.
Sep 16, 2013
Photo of SportsandJorts
Reviewed by SportsandJorts from Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Atmosphere: pretty much a middle of the way brewery. nothing that makes them stand out. I do like that they have a patio for nice summer evenings. When I was there they had odd tv choices, funniest home videos, bull riding and poker.

Quality: I was pleasantly surprised by their beers. I had two and tried two others. 3 of 4 were quite good and executed nicely

Service: good service. our appetizer, asiago dip, came out a little cold but it was replaced no problem and our waiter brought us extra chips right when we ran out. just the right amount of presence

Selection: 6 or so home brews. the ones i had were pretty good. but it is a ways away from having everyones perfect beer in stock

Food: good variety of unique dishes and common pub fare. Some of it was pretty tasty too

Overall: I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I would go back but probably not until their beer menu changes a bit, as i like to try all new things.
May 27, 2013
Photo of Kerrie
Reviewed by Kerrie from Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Went here for a friend's birthday party. The atmosphere inside was pretty dark (which I'm fine with) noisy, crowded and packed. It was too busy to get a seat outdoors, and we would have had to wait quite a long time. I do eventually hope to go and check out their outdoor area eventually.

The service was super slow, however. I've had much better service in crowded places before. Our drinks were empty too long and it felt like a millennium before the waitress even took our order, and even longer to get our food.

I remember their beer selection being quite small. I got their porter which was pretty watery and not that great, yet their raspberry wheat was excellent (better than WAB's, which is where I usually get them). That said, I wanted another but the slow service didn't allow me time.

The food was mediocre for the price, too. Overall, I am interested in trying it again to check out their outdoor seating, and maybe I can actually get two raspberry wheats this time!

Edit: Just visited again 5/14/13 and had a better experience. This time, we were outdoors and did not order food. Service was extremely prompt and efficient (so it's still an average of 3, given the terrible indoor experience, but I'd give a 5 for our outdoor service alone) and there were new beers on tap. The bf and I both loved the saison, which wasn't part of the menu last time. The outdoor area seems separate than the indoor in terms of service and still allows for ordering food. It's closed off, too, so you don't have the sun in your eyes or gawkers (this also means no people watching outside of the porch, so that depends on preference).

So my edited response: if you're able to score a seat outdoors (we went on a weeknight) I'd recommend that much more highly than indoors. Our outdoor experience was vastly different.
May 09, 2013
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
(Visited 08/2011): Royal Oak, one of several brewpubs in the city, is located in the heart of downtown on E 4th not too far off Main Street. Metered parking is available all around.

The interior has a cozy feel of wood, brick and maroon colors. The bar is along the right side and boasts a direct view to the tanks. Large historical pictures adorn the walls, and there is a beer garden out back.

Royal Oak's beer list consists of 5 brews, and are available in a sampler. On my visit the options were Northern Light, Summer Wit, Royal Pride IPA, Pappy's Porter and India Ink Black IPA. All of the beers are decent.

Service on a slow weekday early afternoon was good. The guy tending bar gave the impression that he has been there awhile and knew the beers and the history of the place.

I did not try any food on my visit.

Overall I favored the beers slightly more at Bastone but aside from that I would still recommend a stop here.
Jan 02, 2012
Royal Oak Brewery in Royal Oak, MI
Brewery rating: 3.6 out of 5 with 156 ratings