Royal Food Store

I dashed in here today to grab a quick snack
So I grab gardettos mentos and an evian water and that was it
The world cup
Was on and two guys were working and watching it go USA
I have been here before to buy food and small items so I will go back again

I’m voting 5 stars pretty much to balance out the 1-​star review below. There’s no call for that. Not my favorite convenience store in the area but it has a varied stock and $ 1 gum. Many items are cheaper than neighboring stores. While you’re waiting half an hour for the laundry machines next door to finish that last damn minute, pop in.

I like this place to get a few odds and ends or change. The owner is such a sweet lady! The ice cream selection of Ben and Jerry’s is really good!

The store is pretty unorganized but it’s probably due to their large collection of miscellaneous items. The owners are extremely friendly and helpful. Like other stores they some items that are ridiculous cheap to balance out the more expensive items.

For people who hate doing laundry — Royal Food is a serious blessing.
I come here to stock up on towels and socks late at night, when my laundry is waaaaaaaaaay overdue.
In addition to buying…
Clorox wipes.
Paper-​towels.
Detergent.
Gummy worms.
Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt (this was before the no-​dairy era)
Y’know — the necessities…
Usually it’s the same older lady who rings up my purchases. She’s nice enough and definitely recognizes me by now.
Last week though I bolted in here after work to get some stuff, only to walk in on the familiar older woman — who runs the show– slowly jump-​roping in the middle of the store.
She looked embarrassed when she saw me and quickly hid the jump-​rope behind her back and rushed over to the counter.
It totally made my night though.
I can barely walk up a hill without panting — and here was this lady — who must be well in her 60’s, working up a sweat with an old jump rope in the cluttered space of Royal Food Store.
Love it.

So I usually wouldn’t go out of my way to review a friggin liquor store, but I’m lame and getting a bottle of soda for $ 1.25 instead of 1. seventysomething and gum for $ 1 rather than 1.19/29/whatever makes me EXCITED.
Other than that, this place is pretty odd and post-​apocalyptic-​looking. I can imagine hiding among is awkwardly placed aisles in the midst of a zombie takeover, fluorescent lighting flickering overhead.
P. S. They only take credit cards for purchases over $ 15, which is kind of a bummer at times. Be sure to bring the old-​fashioned paper moolah.

I had passed this place a bunch of times on my way from the 6 to my brother’s house. I had wanted to check it out, but from the outside, it looks like one of those liquor stores. You know the kind. The ones that are very likely to be robbed at night. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you haven’t spent many many many nights making food or Slurpee runs in neighborhoods in which there is bullet-​proof glass at the drive-​through windows for a reason.
Now, I know what you’re going to say. «John S., this part of the Inner Sunset is not one of those neighborhoods.» And you would, of course, be correct. But I’m not speaking about the clientele, the people hanging out outside, or even the socioeconomic status of the neighborhood. I’m talking about the layout of the store.
In my mind, the stores that are the easiest to rob are the ones in which the cash registers are closest to the door. Now, most stores will have the cash register somewhere near the door; if they didn’t, then whatever money they would save on armed robberies would be lost on shoplifting, but some counters are just really vulnerable to people casing the situation from the street without much effort. The Royal Food Store is one of those places.
So imagine my surprise when I came inside and I didn’t feel unsafe at all. Not only was no one else in the store with me, but the woman working the register was a friendly student-​age-​looking girl who was simultaneously watching Extra! and reading a fashion magazine. I also like this place because they carry those really thin soda bottles that only seem to be available in quirky convenience stores.
So four stars all around.

This is perhaps the most bizarre grocery store I have ever been to. I did not feel welcome when I was there, the place is seriously odd in the set up, and I really didn’t enjoy my experience. Family owned so my one is three. I know that’s lame, but I can’t tank it with only two other reviews.

I loved the Royal Food Store when I lived in Inner Sunset. The family that runs it is so nice and they have anything and everything you might need in a pinch. Seriously, they have everything from beer to a mop to lottery tix to laundry detergent to shoes. I love the Royal Food Store. I don’t know why the last reviewer thought it was so Eewww.

EEEeeeewww.