Post #721666 by AceExplorer on Fri, Jul 4, 2014 6:16 AM

I guess I get too focused when I'm at a bar, so I don't post what I'm drinking RIGHT NOW. But how about what I drank last night?

I introduced a friend to my local Roy's Hawaiian Fusion restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. Those who know Roy's recognize it for moderate to high-end dining. The bar has a reputation for good sangria, and their nightly "Aloha Hour" packs the bar. So that was our after-dinner experiment last night - the sangria. It was very fresh and very good but sweeter than what I'm used to. I don't drink sangria very often, and I like it a bit less sweet and slightly more tart. So for $10 I was a little disappointed. It's only $5 or $6 during Aloha Hours, so that's the tip from me if you want their sangria.

I did try their Hawaiian Martini and found it pineapply, tasty, but a bit tart in a strange sort of way. Not a bad drink, but not to my personal taste at the moment. It may grow on me as many initially-strange drinks often do. I will have to order it again.

Roy's has an interesting drink menu. but their drinks are unique house concoctions, probably initially created by professional bar consultants. This gives them both unique stuff to sell and avoids copyright issues. For example, their Mai Tai is not the original Trader Vics version. While decent, it does pale in comparison to the original. I have always found their drinks to be relatively low complexity when compared to the original tropical cocktail recipes, and that's to be expected in a venue that caters to the relatively cocktail-uneducated general public. But they have a nice environment and some pretty darn good food, so I like going there for special occasions.

The bartender last night - Kat - was out of this world friendly and fun. She alone would make me come back over and over again. She knows what service and fun are all about and we had a great time. She became the third person in our little party that evening. I will return to the bar more often just for the hilarity of watching her with other patrons during an Aloha Hour.

Kat told us they recently opened a "Hawaiian lanai" up front outside. I'll have to go back and look for it and see if there is any tiki there. I suspect there will not be tiki, but again, a nice place to sit and relax and enjoy drinks minus the entertaining bartender.

Fun - definitely.
Drinks - not bad, not really tiki, we counted 5 bottles of rum TOTAL at the bar. There was a good selection of sake and some excellent tequilas.
Drink Prices - "resort pricing" around $12 each. For that price, they should be pretty darn good. There are better cocktails available in a few places up and down the beach.
Atmosphere - not tiki, but upscale and classy with emphasis on quality food.