I hadn’t ventured into The Royal Court restaurant since I reviewed it on September 22, 2021, so I thought it was about time to check it out and see what changes had been made. If you’re not familiar with this restaurant, it’s on the property of The Meadow Court Motel, on Meadow Street in downtown Ithaca. I was surprised to see the same menu and even the same servers. It’s really like a family establishment…. reminds me of the line in the Cheers TV song, “…where everybody knows your name.” Each time I go there, the restaurant seems to attract the same clientele, many of whom seem to be known by the staff. This even extends to the senior men’s group that secludes itself in a back corner once a week.
The atmosphere is spacious and pleasant with some recessed lighting and a few hanging Tiffany-type lamps, wood-type paneling and large windows that look out on the passing traffic on Meadow Street.
One of the reasons I think it’s popular with its regular clientele is the inexpensive pricing. In the morning you can order breakfast with a choice of about a half dozen omelets for less than $11.00 each. On the lunch menu, Appetizers are $10.95 or less, “Specialties” are $9.95-$17.75, the five salads are $10.95-$13.95 and five sandwiches and four burgers all are priced below $14.
The dinner menu also features relatively inexpensive items with Specialties from $12.95-$26.95 and Royal Delights, mostly sandwiches, costing no more than $13.95. There’s an additional category at dinner: Seafood entrées from $17.95- $23.95.
One of the lunch Specialties is a Reuben sandwich. I often order Reubens for two reasons: 1. I like them and 2. It’s a great way to find out the philosophy of management and the ability of the cooks. At The Royal Court, both pass the test. The sandwich isn’t as greasy as offered in many establishments, and there is an ample amount of corned beef which is the ingredient some restaurants use as a money saver. There’s also a reasonable amount of Swiss cheese and cabbage. It’s a good Reuben. It comes with “FF” (French Fries) and they are good too…not too salty. The potatoes are delivered to the kitchen frequently, however the accompanying coleslaw is house made and sweet without being overly vinegared and the cabbage is finely minced.
Another Specialty I like also happens to be a sandwich: Portabella Mushroom with a bit of Swiss cheese and some sliced red pepper.
I was initially confused by so many sandwiches under Specialties…there are seven and only five actual sandwiches under Sandwiches but it’s easy to figure out.
I recently ordered a dinner daily special of meatloaf with mushroom gravy. The meatloaf was tender and pleasant while the gravy was a bit on the thick and heavy side. It was accompanied by spaghetti which lacked seasoning.
Another evening, I selected Shrimp Scampi. I was pleased to receive seven large, tender shrimp over pasta. I wished that there was a stronger flavor of the garlic and white wine mentioned on the menu and wondered, because of their rather specialized, and often senior clientele, if the kitchen was being careful to not offend anyone with stronger seasoning.
At dinnertime, which starts from 4:00-4:30, there’s a small salad bar, with less than a dozen rather ordinary selections available. I enjoy the house made coleslaw and macaroni salad. If you’re not very hungry you can select the salad bar and some French onion soup for $12.95.
Beverages: The beer menu is all encompassing with a dozen and a half offerings, all but two in bottles. The prices aren’t listed and when I requested a glass for the beer, as one was not offered, I was presented with a small parfait glass. The wine menu is not nearly as complete, probably reflecting the tastes of their regular diners. I’d like to see a different selection of both whites and reds and there is no identification of vintners, vintages, country of origin, or prices.
TID BITS: -Easy parking at the nearby motel
Note: -Menu prices in the restaurant are about 30% higher than on their website.
-I’m impressed that whenever the restaurant is open, the owner can often be found sitting at a table in the main dining room greeting guests and helping, and supervising staff, when they need it.
– A nightly special changes from Tuesday to Thursday, (closed Monday), with fried seafood on Friday and Prime Rib on Saturday.
-There’s piped in vocal music that’s fortunately kept to a low, unintrusive level.