Pub Royale - Anglo-Indian and Craft Beverages on Division

This is the new Heisler spot in the former Smallbar space. Anyone else been yet? I made my inaugural visit earlier this week and came away very impressed. The food (chef Jason Vaughan), cocktails (by Wade McElroy and Jeff Donahue) and draft selections (curated by Michael McAvena) were excellent across the board. The space is comfortable and service is friendly and stellar.

Food-wise, we tried a bunch of dishes and loved the big, bold, unapologetic flavors in many of them. Of particular note were the gamey Lamb Dumplings, Szechuan Tripe (heavy ma la), fiery and complex Eggplant Curry, delectable India Hot Chicken and yes, the perfectly grilled Royale With Cheese. Given the pedigree of the place, I shouldn't have been surprised by how good the food was. But the neighborhood does not generally cater to the adventurous, so I was pleasantly surprised by the spice level and ballsiness of the dishes.

The taps are very well-chosen, with a variety interesting beers, ciders and meads. The cocktail menu is a terrific, original spin on the motif of the restaurant, best exemplifed by The Royale Cups, 4 different libations all featuring Pimms. Beverages from both categories were uniformly food friendly. We arrived early and sat at the bar. By 6:30 the place was pretty much full. We would have stayed longer but were on our way to an event. I'm not in this neighborhood a ton but seeing that Pub Royale is not far from Bar DeVille and Sportsman's Club, I can definitely see making some dedicated trips here. I'm not sure how conducive the narrow space is to a larger group but it'd be great to hit this place up with some genuine ordering power.

=R=

Pub Royale
2049 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 661-6874

I went last week and had the same impression as you. Loved the food. Outstanding Indian American type dishes. The drinks are creative and well crafted. I'll be back soon.

Could the food be described as salty and expensive and small and greasy? (Asking for a friend. )

I went a few weeks ago - the food was good. However, the one thing that bothered me (small) is the fact that they don't even have Kingfisher beer there. WTF?

Teresa wrote:Could the food be described as salty and expensive and small and greasy? (Asking for a friend. )

Some yes, some no.

In all seriousness, it wasn't very greasy nor very expensive, especially considering the quality and quantity food we were served.

=R=

Teresa wrote:Could the food be described as salty and expensive and small and greasy? (Asking for a friend. )

No, not at all.

Just don't try and go there (or anywhere in that section of Ukie Village)
on a Friday night as parking is abysmal! We drove around Division and varios side streets
for over 25 minutes to no avail.
That entire stretch of Division (from Ashland to Western) has gotten as bad as
Lincoln Park or Wicker Park for
finding a Street Parking Spot...
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Both the 70 and the 50 will get you there.

I live in this area, and if any LTH'rs would like a parking pass, I'd be glad to give you one.

We walk or take the bus, but if driving I would look for parking on Damen.

Tried some of the food here Saturday night. Thought the salt cod samosas were delicious. The palak paneer was probably the best I've ever had, though my experience with Indian food is a bit limited. Very rich, spices were assertive, and the heat was just right.

The Szechuan tripe and rabbit pie were both very good, but I honestly liked our first two dishes a little better. The mala was noticeable and appreciated, and I also think there was a sour note, maybe from Chinkiang vinegar? But for some reason, it didn't quite come together all the way for me. Maybe my standards for Sichuan food are a bit too high The rabbit was very tasty, and the crust was very, very good, but I expected bit more vegetables or something more inside the pie, it seemed to be mostly just gravy, and I thought the gravy was just okay.

The beer list is as good as advertised!

My favorite touch at Pub Royale is the pour size and pricing on the beer. Every draft is available as a standard-size pour at full price, or as a 4oz tasting pour for $2-4. If a major part of your concept is a thoughtful, thorough, adventurous beer list, having these little pours gives thoughtful and adventurous beer drinkers the opportunity to come in and taste. It's a great act of hospitality to make one of your centerpieces easily accessible and affordable to your guests and something I wish more beer-centric bars would adopt.

jhdouglass wrote:My favorite touch at Pub Royale is the pour size and pricing on the beer. Every draft is available as a standard-size pour at full price, or as a 4oz tasting pour for $2-4. If a major part of your concept is a thoughtful, thorough, adventurous beer list, having these little pours gives thoughtful and adventurous beer drinkers the opportunity to come in and taste. It's a great act of hospitality to make one of your centerpieces easily accessible and affordable to your guests and something I wish more beer-centric bars would adopt.

I agree. The smaller pours are a great option and as a fan of beers, though not necessarily a rabid one, I also wish more places would offer similar options. For me, sometimes a full pour feels like a lifetime supply.

=R=

I have a bad habit of dissing spots after one visit, especially hyped hipster type openings. I then regret it it because they end up growing on me.

I'm glad I gave Pub Royale a few more chances after my first lackluster meal. I definitely enjoyed the draft list on that first outing, funky sidra and the perfectly balanced Thornbridge Jaipur IPA which is a must drink every time I visit. None of the grub did much for me on that mid- May visit, which to their credit was shortly after they opened. The Salt cod samosas were bland with undercooked pastry and the Indian hot chicken was drowning in red, oddly flavorless oil, which also obliterated the naan it was served a top. I liked a few bites of my buddy's Chicken tikka kati roll, but more on that in a sec.

I've worked my way across half the menu now and the cooking has really won me over. The Lamb dumplings are probably my favorite so far and my current top dressed-up dumpling in town. Funky lamb, taught skins, bright dressing of soy and chili oil, and those crispy garlic chips! Gobi Manchurian will win over sweet- savory averse because, well, its actually not that sweet or gloppy. The tart/ sweet/ caramel-y sauce (I suspect tamarind in the mix) perfectly envelops the crunchy nugs of cauliflower. The Palak paneer is one of the best restaurant curries in Chicago in a rustic, thick spinach sauce nestling uncharacteristically lightly textured though richly creamy chunks of house made paneer. I've rarely had curry this good outside of a home kitchen and you can tell they go the distance from the clearly fresh roasted and ground garam masala that adorns the dish. I look forward to tucking into an order of just this dish after a blustery winter workday with a pint. The other comfort food that I can see popping in for solo weeknight dinners is the Chicken tikka kati roll, which eats like an Indian burrito. It gets a bit busy with so many strong flavors– I'm looking at you cotija cheese and you can't help but dab the three potent dipping sauces on the thing. But the supple paratha is the star of this show, the vehicle for all its rowdy passengers. Let me backtrack on bread for a sec. The naan that arrives with the Palak paneer is toasted crisp and my seasoned dining companions made a wise move to order the soft naan, which is pillowy and great, if not char blistered as much as favorite renditions. The sleeper and something I would never have ordered so soon in the game is the Royale with cheese. PIGMON was correct in proclaiming it "better than it has to be". One of the better pub burgers in town– beefy as possible with a discernibly griddled crust on a well managed bun. I'm not always a fan of the trending So-cal style "sauce" but this one isn't too sweet and is studded with nigella seeds. Excellent.

I'm super stoked to have this neighborhood joint ~where increasingly everyone knows your name~ down the street from me. Inspired grub that's versatile to many degrees of appetite and kick ass libations. The decor might be a bit much and kind of colonialistic (I guess that's what they're going for though), but really, everything about this place is warm and inviting.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
{snip} We arrived early and sat at the bar. By 6:30 the place was pretty much full. We would have stayed longer but were on our way to an event. I'm not in this neighborhood a ton but seeing that Pub Royale is not far from Bar DeVille and Sportsman's Club, I can definitely see making some dedicated trips here. I'm not sure how conducive the narrow space is to a larger group but it'd be great to hit this place up with some genuine ordering power.

Having been in the (former) space for a few U.S.A. soccer watch parties; let me tell you a packed crowd can really fit in there.
The entire Division | Damen area is such a fertile one for craft beer and food [+ the Rainbo, which doesn't have food; but mucho atmosphere], that popping in here is going to be questionable. In summertime, it is even worse , because strolling to Division | Ashland, or North | Milwaukee | Damen is also a potential.
For the respondent who griped about the lack of Kingfisher beer; let me just state that the affinity for Kingfisher has definite parallels to people who were in Vietnam and consumed 33 beer: Both were | are pretty blah, but obviously trigger beneficial memories of one's time in each country.

We went here a few weeks ago and were fairly impressed. The eggplant curry was amazing and the palak paneer is probably the only time I enjoyed a paneer dish. I personally like the crispy naan served with it. The salt cod samosas were technically well executed and flavorful, especially when dipped in tamarind sauce, but not something I would probably order again. I however find it a genuinely successful bit of fusion and an improvement on most samosas I have eaten.

The only disappointment was the hot chicken which is served on top of naan that is then saturated and soggy with chili oil. This naan deserves better. The breading is fine, but it's just mildly spicy fried chicken. Certainly didn't compare with the two curries.

Jefe wrote:I have a bad habit of dissing spots after one visit, especially hyped hipster type openings. I then regret it it because they end up growing on me.

This is certainly a hyped hipster type opening with servers too cool for the room and rather precious portions, but the eats are righteous. The rabbit pie with marrow and lamb dumplings offered strong, evocative bites, and the hot chicken with achar, raita, and both fried and fluffy naan brought many textures and sensations to what otherwise could have been a safe order. My favorite plate was actually the simple salad with crispy chickpea topping. Drinks I didn't love as much - we were surprised the mango lassi couldn't be served non-alcoholic, and when we went with it anyway the rum didn't seem to work with it. My Pimm's #3 was refreshing but very diluted, with the strongest flavor coming from the fresh mint. I'd like to explore more of the menu soon, and preferably inside, since Division there is a corridor for sirens and panhandlers and they haven't done much (yet?) to create an atmosphere with the outdoor seating some distance from the restaurant entrance.

I have been back with some friends and ordered more.

Lamb dumplings - Solid with good lamb flavor, but these are 4 really small dumplings for the price.

Gobi Manchurian - This was kind of sad IMO, mostly breading in a weak sweet sauce. Rangoli's is much better.

Chicken tikka Roll - Just OK. Slightly overcooked chicken swaddled in an unexciting tikka masala sauce and weak paratha.

Sichuan Tripe - This was really good except far too many peppercorns and that comes from someone that likes the slight alkalinity and numbing. NOTE TO ALL ASIAN FUSION PLACES: Sichuan food, apart from a few dishes, does not actually use that many peppercorns because it numbs your ability to taste. This abuse of Sichuan peppercorns needs to stop.

The eggplant curry, garlic naan and salt cod samosas (though we only got 2 instead of three like the first time) were still on point though.

botd wrote:I have been back with some friends and ordered more.

Lamb dumplings - Solid with good lamb flavor, but these are 4 really small dumplings for the price.

Gobi Manchurian - This was kind of sad IMO, mostly breading in a weak sweet sauce. Rangoli's is much better.

Chicken tikka Roll - Just OK. Slightly overcooked chicken swaddled in an unexciting tikka masala sauce and weak paratha.

Sichuan Tripe - This was really good except far too many peppercorns and that comes from someone that likes the slight alkalinity and numbing. NOTE TO ALL ASIAN FUSION PLACES: Sichuan food, apart from a few dishes, does not actually use that many peppercorns because it numbs your ability to taste. This abuse of Sichuan peppercorns needs to stop.

The eggplant curry, garlic naan and salt cod samosas (though we only got 2 instead of three like the first time) were still on point though.

This is a bit of a defensive push back post, since I do love this place. I actually can't refute that you may have been unimpressed by price to portion size ratios or that a certain dish was off (last time I was there a few things were inconsistent with previous visits, but if you return, I'd give the Gobi another go if I were you).

RE: non-Sichuan restaurant's excessive use of peppercorns. I've had issues with this at the most venerated spots in Chinatown.

One I didn't enjoy:

Jefe from the Sze Chuan Cuisine thread wrote:In a classic move of the seemingly-random-order-sequencing at Chinese restaurants, we actually were served our Boiled Fish Slices in Red Oil first, even before waters came out. And if you've had this dish, you know you're going to need a neutral palate cleanser to take the edge off. Speaking of the intensity of this dish, I found the numbing effects of its 100s of Szechuan peppercorns totally overwhelming. I'm typically a fan of the sensation, but this stuff was hard to eat, it completely anesthetized my tastebuds so that I had to wait five minutes in between eating anything else, since my sense of taste was so impaired. Maybe they accidentally dumped the peppercorns in our bowl. Not enjoyable.

This is the bottom of a take home container of a new-ish Lao Sze Schuan dish, smelts with peppercorn. I do love this dish and it has become part of my rotation at LSC.



As with the preponderance of dried red chiles in many Sichuan dishes, I think that they are present largely to impart their aroma and meant to be eaten around.

Just my 2¢

I stopped here a couple weeks ago to see about the hype. It was fine. Beer list is good, I enjoyed that quite a bit. As for the food, I was a bit less impressed. Prices are a bit high, I agree, in terms of what you get. I was eating solo, and so only ordered two dishes: the regular samosas, and the palak paneer.

The samosas were sizable, and tasted about right, but the filling was in over-large pieces. I like things a bit more integrated, I guess. The crust was also fried a bit hard, which, combined with the big pieces of filling, made this a bit messy. The chutneys were tasty.

The paneer itself here was very tasty, but I found the surrounding spinach and spices (while visibly present, even arresting), to bit a bit bland. Also, the bread presented with it was fried pretty hard. Perhaps I'd built it up a bit much in my mind, because I typically love this dish and was looking forward to an updated presentation. Just didn't seem worth it.

Additionally, the service was as Santander described. I was there a bit early, 5 or so on a weekday, and it was quiet. One thing that irked me was one of the (non-desi) staffers mocking the high-pitched singing of the Indian music playing in the background. They are apparently injecting the 'royale' back into Indian cuisine. Perhaps that's what I tasted.

Some good, mostly bad.

We tried a lot of the menu, and the only thing that stood out as exceptional was the house-made paneer. It was great, and I actually liked it better in the Butter Paneer preparation rather than the Palak.

As mentioned many times already, the tap list is vast and varied. It was more than just a bunch of IPAs, which I really appreciated. I also liked the pimms cups. That being said, the quality and variety of the drinks was almost canceled out by the fact that 2 of our drink orders were screwed up. The servers were extremely nice, but seemed extremely over worked and unhappy. They clearly know their stuff when it comes to craft beer and the cocktails, and I could only feel sorry for the staff for having to put up with being interrupted by bros-dudes literally screaming "double vodka on the rocks" orders at them over other poor customers ordering food from their bar seats. I honestly felt guilty about telling them that I received I a beer different than what I ordered, and even more so the second time it happened. I cannot imagine much time will pass before the management decides to do away with the made-to-order cocktails in favor of going with some premixed ingredients. If it was my place, I already would have.

As for the other dishes, nothing really stood out as better than average, and many things were off balance and I genuinely disliked.

Lamb Dumplings: The much extolled lamb dumplings were okay, but I found the filling to be stringy (under cooked?) and over processed, not sure a better way to describe it, but I have had poorly made sausages with a similar texture. The flavor was pretty plain, other than lamb. The dumpling skin was drying out on top by the time we received it, it clearly sat out open to air too long or under a heat lamp, as the pictures I have seen on yelp did not look like that. Also, potato chips...?

Salt Cod Samosa: decent but not memorable.

The Gobi Manchurian: an assault to my palate. Flavors that do not belong together ruined everything I like about eating cauliflower. Way too much going on, and the sweetness amplified that.

Cucumber Raita: $8? Okay, it was bigger, more like a salad, but Cucumber Raita salad...?

Naans: Very good, above average.

Szechuan Tripe: another assault to my senses. It was not the ma-la numbing that assaulted me, but again it was the way too much going on in one bite effect. Traveling through Szechuan Provence I tasted dishes with so much szechuan peppercorn that I couldn't go on. Simply having this effect was not the problem with this dish. It was (again) the mismatch of flavors. Vinegar and szechuan peppercorns with the thick slightly sweetened sauce just doesn't work together, at all. I hated this dish with a passion.

Eggplant Curry: pretty good but nothing that stands out.

Buttered Paneer: delicious! Maybe it was just that I needed some soothing subtlety after the former assaults, but I really liked this. Amazing Paneer, and rich smooth and buttery sauce. Great with the above average Naans.

Palak Paneer: great paneer, average spinach prep.

I am kicking myself for not bringing an out-of-town friend here. It just kind of slipped my mind, but he was looking for a brew-pub or a place with a really good beer list. This would have fit perfectly, but with a twist. Next time! I have tried most non-seafood items on the menu and have been impressed. This place can seem a little "too cool" but the service has always been friendly and I've always been lucky enough to walk in and grab a table with no problem (I hope I'm not jinxing myself here).

Took my friend visiting town from India here a few weekends ago. He approved of the food a lot and was shocked that the guys behind the place weren't Indian. LOL

On a side note, still no Kingfisher. My friend started giving them crap for it. Our server had no idea what Kingfisher was - which is kind of sad. We told her that even India House has it - maybe they'll get it in. If they want to be more legit, they should carry it.

Well, it depends. If they want to be an Indian place, then okay, Kingfisher. If they want to be a beer place, then Kingfisher not so much.

Roger Ramjet wrote:Well, it depends. If they want to be an Indian place, then okay, Kingfisher. If they want to be a beer place, then Kingfisher not so much.

Right - well it's a fine line. Kingfisher is not an amazing beer, but I think if they want to be more legit in the eyes of their Indian customers, or customers who know India, they'll carry Kingfisher. That's been the take of a few of my Indian friends on it who've been there. Plus, it was a little weird that the server had no idea what the beer was regardless of whether they have it or not.

marothisu wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Well, it depends. If they want to be an Indian place, then okay, Kingfisher. If they want to be a beer place, then Kingfisher not so much.

Right - well it's a fine line. Kingfisher is not an amazing beer, but I think if they want to be more legit in the eyes of their Indian customers, or customers who know India, they'll carry Kingfisher. That's been the take of a few of my Indian friends on it who've been there. Plus, it was a little weird that the server had no idea what the beer was regardless of whether they have it or not.

From the Pub Royale website wrote:Pub Royale is a study on the modern British pub and a beer bar at heart.

Jefe wrote:

marothisu wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Well, it depends. If they want to be an Indian place, then okay, Kingfisher. If they want to be a beer place, then Kingfisher not so much.

Right - well it's a fine line. Kingfisher is not an amazing beer, but I think if they want to be more legit in the eyes of their Indian customers, or customers who know India, they'll carry Kingfisher. That's been the take of a few of my Indian friends on it who've been there. Plus, it was a little weird that the server had no idea what the beer was regardless of whether they have it or not.

From the Pub Royale website wrote:Pub Royale is a study on the modern British pub and a beer bar at heart.

IMO they should still carry a little of it, but that's just my opinion and some of my friends'.

I had a highly enjoyable meal at Pub Royale recently. Highlights were the lamb dumplings, foie paratha, eggplant curry, and rabbit pie. Excellent Pimms drinks too. Friendly service. Naan wasn't quite right, otherwise a great meal.

First-Time-Visitor- Plan on Returning for more.
Had the Lamb Dumplings- and- man they were good.
Small sized dumplings- not much larger than a gnocchi- but BURSTING with flavor.
Four to a serving @ $7.00 per plate.
Topped w/ Chili Oil and Samosa (Besan flour) fried bits, and torn apart Cilantro,
it was unusual and certainly non-Indian to see
multi-colored sesame seed's topping the dumplings- but the whole ensemble worked quite well.
Had a hot cup of punch= the Wassail> a Cider-Sherry-Scotch-Apples-Baking Spices-Orange
drink was served in a small punch glass for $8.00, and was filled with the warming glow of a fireplace
on a fall night.

I liked the "Market-Quotation" Board showing the current Beer + Cider offerings in a digital-easy-to-read-sign.
So much easier to read in a darkened Pub atmosphere than than a smeared chalkboard commonly used in other
"small-bars". Great service- fast and well coordinated. Honest too- the waitress we had said she'd only recently started-
and therefore couldnt tell me the "most popular" Royale Cup combo's- which I appreciated- nor- could she cite
a "favorite" since she hadn't really sat and enjoyed enough of them.
Fair enough.

Also- just to the west of InnJoy- another Kevin Heissler (Sportmans Bar, Pub Royale, Pleine Air on Woodlawn, etc.)
joints opened- based upon the British Royal Navy- and the beverages they'd quaff- as part of their rations....which features
a lovely vintage Art Deco Bar- made by Brunswick- w/a very gin-centric craft cocktail program.
Queen Mary- I think is the name......

Also- the "smell" of Pub Royale- was...IMHO- spot on!
Worth a return trip- if I can luck-out-and-find-parking again!

I went there after Mike Sula described the food here as Devon Worthy.

First things first, I am a vegetarian so take my opinion with a pound of salt.

I went there with high expectations after reading the rave review in Reader. I was expecting not Indian food per se, but food made with discretion and polish. I had the Gobi Manchurian, something called Vadouvan Split Pea Curry and a Paratha. All three were some of the worst things I have ever had.

The Gobi Manchurian was over breaded and mushy. It is supposed to have a nice crispy bite to it. This thing was like microwaved, spring rolls that I eat from Dollar Tree. The flavor was OK but the texture was not.

The Paratha was something that may have been sitting around for a while as it was dry. If you don't consume the Parathas straightaway, this is what it usually looks and feels like, and it looks like I got one that was made when the kitchen was slow. Again really disappointing.

But all this would have been OK if the curry i ordered was any good. Man, I have had curries and I have had curries. This was the WORST curry I have ever had the displeasure of eating. What was this crap? It has ZERO flavor except for the flavors of the ingredients. There was not a trace of any kind of curry flavor, either Indian or Thai or Indonesian or the Japanese stuff that comes in the box. And to top it it was almost unsalted.

I dine alone and as usual dined at the bar. The service was barely adequate. Even though the place was kinda empty for a weekday, the barkeep serving me did not seem like he could care less about serving someone dining alone. The tables that were occupied by groups got excellent service, BTW.

All in all this is not a place I would go back even if someone else was buying. If you know how cheap I am, that is a big statement.

I have no idea how the meat dishes taste. I am sure the kitchen puts more effort into those. I have finally come to realize that most restaurants are not vegetarian friendly. I mean they have some dishes that are vegetarian; simply because a group of 5 will probably contain a vegetarian; especially in places like Wicker Park. But these dishes are add-ons with very little thought or creativity put into them. I have resolved to spend my money only in places that are at least a third vegetarian. That way I know that the Chef has put some thought into it. Or maybe I should just go to places like Green Zebra and Mana.

Dining here has put me in a funk. Just really disappointed.