The Royal Hotel and Pizzeria

Amy Gauger

The food was okay, not anything to write home about, but not horrible either - however, the service was AWFUL. First, we were told they were out of pretty much everything. Okay, cool, we hit the place on the tail end of a Sunday evening, so we weren't going to complain. We ordered an appetizer, the same meal for three kids, and two individual pizzas for the two of us (mom and dad). Dad got his pizza about 10 minutes before any of the other food came out (even the appetizer). 2 out of 3 kids eventually got their food, I got mine after another 5 minutes or so - and then the waitress asked if we needed anything else. Husband says yes, youngest kid's meal and our appetizer. Waitress looks lost, asks if Y.K. wants the same thing as the other two, then gave husband attitude when he says, "Yes, that's what she ordered." Comes back about 10 minutes later with Y.K.'s food and some burnt-to-a-crisp appetizers. Get the check after flagging her down. Definitely overpriced for what we got, the quality, and the service but it did all add up correctly. For the first time in about 15 years of eating out, we didn't give a tip. Had she not given us attitude after screwing up, the waitress would have gotten one, because I'm usually a pretty generous tipper. We're definitely not going back, and I'd recommend steering clear!

My U/fyt Stories

Boy, we had a terrible experience. We get there and the kitchen team needed a break. At least that's what we were told and it would be about 10-15 minutes. About 40 minutes later!!!, we were told the kitchen team was ready to work again. We asked for the back patio and we were told it just closed. Then we asked for the window table and that too just closed. We sat down under a storm of fans going off. We placed our order promptly because we were starving. We ordered the family special. The salad came out wilted, room temp, and brown on the edges. The cheese bread was less than mediocre and the pizza was aight. Nothing to write home about. The ice was cold so that was cool. We saw two families sat by the window. That was not cool. The manager on duty is a coward. Not once did she come by and ask how everything was. Professional tip, when you have your guest wait that long so the cooks can relax, you should automatically offer something free on the house or give a discount. Why should your customers be penalized???? We were overcharged on the bill but I was desperate to get the eff out of there. There are not many choices in Lava town but I still wouldn't recommend that place. There were more annoying issues but you get the drift: Money was poorly spent there.

Rachel Holding

Local pizza. After 2 days of burgers it was a nice change. Price was $13 for a 10 inch pizza and $20 for a 14 inch. Supreme or extra toppings ranged from $2-$5 which we felt was average for a -not fast food- option. Appetizers, Garlic bread and kids menu were also in abundance. The alcohol seemed to be local brews but we didn't partake. In all it was a homey feeling and for a Wednesday night the place was busy with only 2 tables still available at 7:30. Family friendly with somethin' for everyone.

Steve White

I worked in F&B for 20 years including 3 restaurants that served pizza. I have made more pizzas than there are stars in the sky. It's extremely rare to impress me. This was a good pie. For me, it's all about the interaction between the dough and the stone and whomever cooked my pie got that. The crust was perfect. The toppings were LOADED. The service was awesome. I'm impressed. I read some reviews about the wait time to get in. We went on a Thursday afternoon. Because we know that Lava Hot Springs has a population of 442 (or something) and this isn't the Bellagio in Vegas with hundreds of employees. Be realistic. Showing up in the middle of the dinner crush on a Saturday night and expecting to be seated immediately, and complaining about it if you are not, is counterproductive. And bad planning. Think. Our visit was amazing.