Royal Blue Grocery

This place is like if a mini mart got accepted into an Ivy League school, studied abroad in Italy, and came back wearing Warby Parkers and Birkenstocks with holes through the bottom. You walk in expecting a dusty corner store and instead BAM — curated cheese, and kombucha judging you from the fridge. Need gluten-free kale chips? They got you. Need a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and a Pinot Grigio for your hotel meltdown? Also got you. Coffee? Fresh and hipster-approved. Hygiene items? Yes, because sometimes you forget your toothpaste and deodorant when you black out packing for a work trip. The aesthetic is “old-school general store goes to SoHo,” and honestly, it works. 4/5 would buy $25 worth of trail mix and diet tonic water again.

Love the place but being prompted for a tip while buying premade pasta salad is a bummer. I feel pressured and obligated to tip when I’ve picked out my own salad, walked it to the register and swiped my card. I don’t think I’ll return.

I came in the other day and ended up chilling to wait the storm out. Felicity and Nix were so kind. Downtown is downtown. Of course there are going to be interesting folk wandering in. I just saw a couple of reviews talking about that. Austin Texas has to have one of the craziest down town areas ever. I think it’s awesome that Royal Blue employees have such a great attitude dealing with that all day. I honestly don’t know how they do it so I was impressed. I love the little cooler section with mini cheese and eggs. It’s a cute little space. Oh I forgot, I bought this adorable mini Nutella. I love the mini items there.

I bought this food in royal blue, and the rice is raw as if they just threw it from the bag onto the plate, I got sick, it gave me pain, don't buy that, it's expensive and they don't cook it well, and it's not the first time...

I loved this place! Places like this make me wish I lived in Austin at times because there is nothing like this where I live. They are open till 12 AM, and have mostly healthy snacks and food. They even have toiletries and such. If you are staying near here it’s the perfect place to go and get quick snacks or drinks. I hope the workers actually get the tips though because they ask for that and I did tip!

A true “convenience” store. I stopped in for an energy drink and Liquid IV which they had both. Also a deli/cafe. A little of everything with quality products. Very friendly staff

Amazing store! So convenient, high quality products. Large variety of snacks for the health nut and for the not so healthy individual. Lots of wine and beer options, tonic waters, and a coffee bar for fresh coffee! They have items such as meats and cheeses and also hygiene products and other convenient store options. Very cool aesthetic inside. Old school meets modern. Great for if you’re from out of town and forget some items.

Over $8 for a king size Reese’s and small bag of lays potato chips. 8 something! Then when you pay you are asked if you want to tip. It gets old feeling like you are being ripped off! It’s a food desert around the store so they charge what they want.

I work in the area and make sure to stop in at least weekly for lunch & some fun snacks. Sandwiches are delicious!

I bought Tano Skincare products. They feel amazing! I would recommend these products to everyone! Thank you

I went here for the first time to get a late night snack since they are open until midnight, and it was a cute store. It is much smaller than expected, and there is only street parking, but they have speciality snacks. They have unique items, but if you are just looking for regular grocery store snacks, they have that as well. The prices are pretty steep, but that's the price you pay for one of the few stores that is open late. I would probably not go here again unless I needed something urgently late at night. 6/10

Lovely staff and a perfect place to grab beer. Wine pop in the heart of Austin. We were staying at a local hotel, and just wanted to get a few things to put in our fridge. This was the perfect solution.

Believe it or not, some of the best snacks that I had in Austin were from this grocery store! This was within close proximity to my hotel in the downtown area and was honestly such a great find. If you've ever visited NYC, Royal Blue could be ATX's version of a bodega. There were several ready made foods available in addition to snacks and drinks galore including different types which also accommodate dietary restrictions! I was able to stock up on snacks and bottled water (don't judge me, my hotel didn't have a filtered water machine!) for the remainder of my trip. The cashier and store associates were also friendly. I would definitely recommend checking out Royal Blue out to pickup groceries or if you're in need of a quick bite!

Oh my goodness. Curiosity led us into this amazing grocery and we loved it. The selection of snacks was amazing and really hit a lot of diet choices from keto to paleo and gluten free and more. They had great snacks, simple groceries (milks, eggs, etc), a good selection of alcoholic beverages, coffees, a coffee bar, and delicious pastries and sandwiches. The staff was super engaged and friendly.

I was in Austin for a work trip and was in dire need for caffeine. I found Royal Blue Grocery while taking a walk and they did not disappoint. They are cute and quaint and offer a variety of food and caffeine options. I opted for an iced caramel latte with oat milk and hazelnut flavor added. It was really delicious! If I'm ever back in Austin, I'll make sure to stop by and try the food.

Got an iced white chocolate latte and a chocolate chip cookie warmed up. Baristas were super polite and had good recommendations. Fair price as well glad I stopped it.

This was a cute grocery store and deli near my hotel. It's not a big store, but they had a good selection of coffees, ice cream, beer, wine, chips, and other household and grocery items. They also have a coffee bar, sandwiches, bakery items, and pizza. Staff was friendly.

Open til 12 am! Needed a charger cause we forgot one for travels and they had it! Really cool little shop with just a little bit of everything!

I ate at this grocery store more than I did the restaurants during my Austin visit! They had everything we needed -- the selection of snacks, wines, kombucha and CBD drinks was phenomenal! And the fresh grocery/deli items were delicious! Their couscous was some of the best that I ever had! Royal Blue, please open a location in Chicago please!

The store itself is OK. It's a fairly typical convenience store with limited selection of grocery items, wine, a few hot food offerings, and coffee. The prices are high, but I don't fault them for that... it's what you'd expect at a convenience store in this location in downtown Austin. The reason that I give it 1 star is that it's really badly managed. Whoever manages the store has let it become a hangout for drunk, strung-out homeless people, who are constantly in the store or hanging out at the outside tables drinking alcohol. It feels really sketchy. I go there only out of necessity. If there was a more professional, clean, safe alternative in the neighborhood, I'd go there instead. Also, I recently had a strange experience where an employee was really rude to me for no reason. As I walked into the store and asked him a question, he was disrespectful and outright rude to me. It was bizarre. I'm not sure what his name is. He was a young African American man with longer hair (I only bring up his ethnicity to provide a physical description of him, since I don't know his name). This goes back to the store's poor management.... if this employee had a better manager, he'd have received better training and this kind of behavior wouldn't be tolerated. I'm a frequent customer and I write this review in the hopes that management reads it and makes improvements. Or - in the hopes that a competitor reads this and starts a more professionally run store in the neighborhood instead! Thanks for reading...

Nice store, coke products, looks like a bit of a deli with pizza and sandwiches etc. easy in and out

Generally over priced, but it is downtown and that is just how that goes in any downtown. Convienence! Was very clean and organized! Has less beggars and dope fiends hanging around outside than competitors. But why does the cashier want me to tip them for ringing up my purchase and taking my payment! I don't tip the guy at 7-11! Maybe that's next???

Got a sweet potato wrap with a side of cigarettes and "a lighter, please." She passed me a Playboy BIC. LMAO. Opted for matches today.

Lots of choices for a downtown grocery store. Got my drinks and snack they I wanted. Fairly large selection with customer favorites.

Nice little cafe/market vibe. The Americano I ordered was great and so was my bagel. On the other hand, the matcha latte missed the mark. It had way too much milk and not enough matcha. The service was very slow and the employees are a little weird. It's conveniently located near the hotel strip in DT Austin so it is a convenient spot for a quick bite and drink.

The store has some great options for a small grocery store with top notch Items. There's prepared options to go, order pizza, sandwiches and coffee too.

Such a cute place, cheap pizza slices for lunch and fresh items if you want them daily. The peeps working there are super sweet, I even called today to ask if they had something in stock and he checked in out (7/6, 10am) for me. I love to sit outside at the patio tables and eat lunch. I see folks here all the time around 3 or 4pm with their "happy hour beer" sitting and chatting outside - it's a fun little place with lots of conveniences! Enjoy!

When Royal Blue started its growth spurt I was a little impatient, because it was a great concept -- the high end bodega. What?! However, there were some growing pains. Now, a few years later, I have seen the chain grow into a fine place to shop or snack. For me, the comeback all started with a breakfast burrito. As a native Texan, I love meat. I accidentally grabbed a vegetarian taco with mushrooms. I was disappointed until my first bite. It was excellent. So, this kept me around and the place has continued to improve. The secret to the success is not vegetarian burritos (but I still recommend you try one). The secret to their success is attention to detail, cleanliness, and attentiveness. I cannot stress the latter enough. Royal Blue is excellent about responding to customer preferences very quickly. I hope this company can remain so nimble and responsive as it continues to grow. There is one on my building and I hope they don't leave soon!

The selection of food and trinkets is on-point. The music is also pretty good. The staff however... What is the point of being rude? I'm from here and this seems to be a growing issue in the Austin service industry. It's very un-Austin to be a jerk at the register. Sandwiches are delicious!

Just the definition of great little grocery/ deli in the middle of the city. Very clean and organized with all your short list items on hand milk, eggs, cheese, lots of basic essentials. Wednesday they have a burger special and everyday they have amazing sandwiches freshly made! Came for a drink left with a bag! Exactly what you need downtown!

When we first landed in Austin, I was tired due to layovers and flight delays. It was also a red eye so I was STARVING. By the time I got to the hotel, all I could think of were breakfast tacos. The staff pointed me out to their place of choice and off I went. Got there, excitedly over sharing with the cashier that I was a first timer and she gave me the saddest smile. Apparently breakfast tacos have an end time. Noooooo. We ran into Royal Blue on the way back to the hotel and decided to stop in. Cute grocery store - this location was small but it had everything we needed. I asked the guy at the counter where I could find tacos and he nods his head at the tray next to him...then when I tell him how excited I am, he says they're ON THE HOUSE. No joke, I almost passed out from excitement (I must've been really sleep deprived, haha.) We ended up going to a couple of other places later in the trip for tacos and I think Royal Blue's were the best. That Migas with avocado was the jam! Royal Blue ended up being a regular stop during our trip. We loved it so much we even bought a mug. Of a goddamn grocery store. Now that's love.

So during this corona virus chaos, I was standing out side organizing my groceries that I had just khrcbased and this rude lady with grey hair started yelling at me saying it's a $1000 fine. And never let me explain myself and pushed me with her hands. So awkward

The other day I spent $22 here. It is suprisingly easy. I bought a salad, a bottle of salad dressing (don't really care for the citrus vinnegrette that comes with the salad), a pint of cheese tortelini with maranara and mozerella, and a pint of fruit salad. So far, I have eaten this for lunch for 3 days and still have one serving of tortellini left. Seriously, RB has it going on. This week I have been super lazy in the morning and not making breakfast. RB has their own breakfast tacos, but also stocks Taco Deli tacos. After much back and forth and painstaking research, I have concluded that the TD tacos are slightly better, but the RB tacos are more filling. The next thing I will research is whether chocolate chip / nut / coconut cookies can be part of a healthy diet. My hypothesis is yes, owing that when I eat cookies, I drink milk and my doctor told me to be sure I am getting enough dairy in my diet. Ergo, cookies are part of a healthy diet. I would be duchess here if I cared enough to check in every time I am here, sometimes twice a day. But it takes longer to check in than it does to grab a taco and a cookie so I usually don't bother.

After living in New Orleans for four years, it was kind of a nostalgic sigh coming upon this place. It's evidently owned by former New Orleanians, so authenticity can be mostly assured. Royal Blue is a nicely stocked convenience store and deli. In terms of the deli - there's a whole hoard of sandwiches to choose from (haven't tried any of them, but the descriptions all sound pretty enticing), pizza, a few baked goods. There is a very limited produce section that more often, than not, seems very poorly stocked (probably not popular), an impressive wine selection for a store of that size, a frozen foods section, and dry foods - offering many of Austin's local goodies. As with any convenience store, the prices are slightly more inflated than what you would anticipate from any regular grocery store. But hey, those other grocery stores aren't open until midnight and aren't as accessible as Royal Blue - so there's always that to be considered. I certainly appreciate this place because of the late hours and well, its convenience. Although Whole Foods may even seem like a "deal" compared to the prices here, sometimes you may not be keen on braving the major masses of people and labyrinth-like aisles of "omg, I want to buy everything here!" Royal Blue has really come through for us when sometimes, we just want a bag of chips and it happens to be on the way.

Can Royal Blue get an more convenient?! I think not. Seriously this place has saved me twice now and I have quickly become a fan of their little local chain in downtown. This particular location is a bit small, but totally serves it purpose well. They have pretty much any quick little grocery item you might need. They have a super nice selection of wine here and decent selection of beer as well. If you are hungry you can grab a sandwich or some east side pies pizza or some other local Austin favorite because they will likely have it! The staff is super friendly too! Then the best thing is the little patio outside .... you can literally purchase your six pack or bottle of wine then sit on the patio and drink it up! Pretty cool if you ask me and convenient! I love convenience! Yes - on some things you will pay a bit more in here, but I do not mind because the convenience is totally worth it!

What a great little find in downtown Austin. Great service and all kinds of snacks that are great to take back to the hotel. The breakfast tacos are a great way to start a day! They are wrapped at the cashier and come with a bunch of sauces to pair with. Just perfect. I'm not sure, but I think it's a chain of markets, so maybe you could find others. Service was good and location on Congress is hard to beat. Nice spot!!!

This little grocery store is in the street level strip below the AMLI apartment complex, and is convenient to downtown. If you've waited til the last minute to get your groceries, no prob, they're open til midnight! In addition to assorted basics and fancier (often local) goodies, they also have prepared foods for take-away. The trade-off for this convenience is a higher price than you'd find a a regular store. But if you live or work in the area, it's hard to beat the ease of shopping here. Top it off with nice staff, and you'll get the royal treatment at Royal Blue!

Royal Blue is the local, corner store for anyone who lives within walking distance to 3rd & Lavaca. If you live at AMLI, if you're staying downtown temporarily, or if you're in a pinch and need a necessity, stop by Royal Blue. There's really no other reason to visit this small, expensive store. Royal carries food, drink, and the general needs of daily living. Plus other must-haves like magazines, wine and beer. Three stars for a clean, well-stocked, locally-owned grocer who carries Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Royal Blue in a pinch.

Perfectly conveniently with awesome hours and staff! They have a diverse range of staples (from asian to italian) and decent wine selection. Prepared foods were surprisingly good and awesome range for the gourmet, college kid, or toddler- they sell yellowbird hot sauce, cold brew coffee concentrate, blood orange pellegrino, precooked microwaveable asian rice and kim (seasoned korean seaweed), instant noodles, pancake mix, and cheetos! Love it.

Really convenient places to have downtown. I hope more of them get set up in the near future. Royal Blue is a pretty good grocery market. They've got all the essentials, fresh fruit and vegetables, drinks, toiletries, everything. One of these places just put in a deli, forget which one it was though. The selection's good for a place of its size, although the prices are not terribly competitive; okay that was too euphemistic. The prices are pretty damn high. But still a nice little bodega. This location made some points with me for its music selection. The first time I walked in here they were playing "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads. *cue the "me gusta" face from Rage Comics, for those who know what that is*

I love this cute little place. Excellent and convenient food options, I don't always have time to go all the way through Whole foods. Great coffee and staff here. I love the prepacked meals

Awesome specialty grocery in the heart of downtown. Wine, beer, snacks for visitors to downtown hotels.

I think this place is worthy of 5 stars. Yah the prices are a little bit high, but that's downtown for ya... Anyway, the people here are super nice. Like REALLY REALLY nice. The store is generally always well stocked, at least with the select items I usually buy. I am also addicted to the rice, bean, and veggie tacos they have in the afternoon. Holy jesus do they taste good and fill me right up. They also provide some yummy sauces for their tacos. I think they have Taco Deli tacos in the morning, which are generally always good. But the aforementioned veggie tacos are my jam. Be nice and buy a homeless person a drink or sandwich from time to time if you visit here. Peace and love to the RBG people here at the warehouse district location.

It's really pricey and limited offerings, but does have more organic and local brands. It's a nice break from liquor store offerings. They do have a deli and breakfast tacos in the am. It's still cheaper than hotel food. If you are at the Marriott it's super close, but you could also walk to Trader Joe's or Whoke Foods e

Usually everyone is super cool here but today I asked a question about towing across the street from their location and got a super rude response from the cashier. not really impressed with that so I will not be going to this location anymore.

I never leave reviews, but after my experience here left me kind of raw, I felt it best to let everyone know that they should avoid this place like the plague unless you like being treated rudely by the over-entitled employees who seem to forget they are working for minimum wage at a grocery store. The young white female employee was unbelievably rude and unprofessional over absolutely nothing! (I called her ma'am, that's what "triggered" her to speak rudely and show me nasty attitude). I come here every week, but I'll take my business elsewhere from now on.

About time we got one of these! Cool little bodegas like Royal Blue are very convenient to have Downtown to grab the little necessities like water for walks in the summer heat, or groceries for dinner (though I've yet to actually do major shopping here). I also like the idea of these places perpetuating Austin's propensity to support local, home-grown business. The very first time I ever walked through the door to one of these, they scored major points with me by playing a song that I had never heard played on the radio or in a public area: "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" by Talking Heads. I absolutely love that song, and I instantly started humming along with it as I searched for one of my favorite drinks, SoBe Green Tea. Unfortunately, they didn't have that, so I was a little bummed, but no biggie. Plus the guys at the counter looked pretty cool and were very friendly. Too bad I don't live closer to Downtown, or else I'd be going to Royal Blue Grocery much more often. But they're definitely a great thing to have, and as another promising local business, I will do my best to support them.

. They have a lot of things here I was fascinated by Janette but doesn't get you by the pistachios they're not she'll get the show them your cell so that's how I'm going to find my way home tonight.

The rudest employees I have every had to deal with. I am looking for something to buy and an employee cuts infront of me to re stock the very items I am looking to buy. Ok ill let it slide this once. But then he does it a second time. Cutting me off and blocking the grocies he is just not caring. Isnt the whole point of have a store is to take care of the people and provide them with products. His answer. Im just doing my job! I guess his entire job is to stock and not care about any customer and just push them aside.

I have something to say to Royal Blue, It may be silly, but I have a little crush on you. Your staff are spunky and bright, You satisfy my hunger, bringing me such delight. I love that you are only a short walk away, A visit to you helps break up my work day. Your tasty salads and sandwiches are so handy, I can even treat my sweet tooth by buying a single reeses candy. I can't cone every day, I would spend too much, You are a great escape, and now, I must blush.

Dropped in today to have a bite and do some work and discovered two new things: their sandwiches are GREAT and they have refillable fountain cokes. Yes Kelly, there is a Santa Claus and he gave you this store. So I got my italian sammy (extra hot peppers please!) and a diet coke and got a ton of work done while being lulled into chair dancing happiness with 80s tunes and strong wireless. If you work from home, this is a great spot to chill and get your work on until the inevitable downtown happy hour texts start roliing in.

I'm leaving this review because of continuous unprofessional attitude of employee Lydia. What can I say, she refused to help and use a lot of attitude in her voice for no reason. Comparing to other employees, who are most lovely shop attendees I've ever encountered Lydia is a huge contrast. After talking to her third time, I continue to feel I encounter bully. She rolls her eyes, walks away when someone talking to her, it gotten so bad I've seen a customer walking away once because of her nasty attitude. I hope this message will reach royal blue management as other employees simply amazing while Lydia creating very unfriendly environment. I live in Amli building which makes it impossible not to encounter her.

This store almost makes me wish I still worked in the Warehouse District. The staff is always pleasant, usually playing cool music, and helpful. The selection, while limited, is nicely edited. They have the best hummus, interesting wines, Sweetish Hill cream cheese brownies, and all sorts of great things. Those chocolate oranges from your stocking when you were 12? Yeah, those too. Don't see what you want? Ask and they'll look into getting it. Total's $10.13 any you're out of change? They will probably pull thirteen cents from the change cup so that you're not walking around with three quarters, a dime, and two pennies for the rest of the day. The pricing really doesn't scare me too terribly, though I do routinely shop at Whole Foods. I justify both places for their great selections and staffs (more so here than WF), and their lack of lines. I hate waiting and Royal Blue seldom makes me.

WHO DAT? BLUE DAT? My heart pitter patters and my mouth waters at the thought of your Cuban Sandwich. This my friend is the best sandwich in Austin. How can one go wrong - Royal Blue sells Taco Deli tacos for breakfast, amazing deli sandwiches, and East Side Pie slices for lunch and dinner. The store is stocked with local goods such as The Mediterranean Chef Tom's Tabooley Falafel Wrap Tom's Tabooley Hummus Wrap Rio's Salads Rio's Empanada Tabeluh The Sticky Toffee Pudding Co. Molten Chocolate Baby Cake Luxe Sweets Cookies Luxe Sweets Chocolate Cake Sweetish Hill Cream Cheese Brownie Mrs Butters Brownies George - you have done an amazing job and I love going to your store! WHO DAT? BLUE DAT

Yep, this store is very beautiful with everything you could possibly need, but you're going to hate yourself for buying more than a few things here. This reminds me of a planned community grocery store (like in Seaside, FL, or Mueller?) or the sundries store of a hotel or cruise ship. For the 2nd streeter (who ARE these people, someone help me understand), it's not a bad place for getting that wine you forgot. Produce is pricey, like .75 for a pear, but good for that one ingredient you're missing if cooking in your new loft condo. If you play downtown, you PAY downtown.

Cant beat the Cuban sandwich. The muffaletta sandwich is great too. Very helpful staff.

I live upstairs from this place and I am oh so thankful it's there. These folks pack a whole lot in to a small space and will special order just about anything you like. I'm from Louisiana and so is the owner, so if you need some filé for your gumbo, you can find it here. I also asked them to get me some Abita Amber and... they did! Everyone who works here is very nice. There's always good music playing. The wine selection is awesome... They've got a lot of bottles from d'Arenberg, which makes me happy. Their tacos are tasty, too! As far as price goes, they're no more expensive than Whole Foods or Central Market. On some items, they're cheaper... but hey, it's downtown and Design Within Reach is another tenant in the same building. I'm sure these folks are paying some hefty rent and I'm happy to pay for a little convenience, especially when it's available right outside my door and until midnight! And their reusable shopping bags are pretty, too. I love you Royal Blue!