Just a few weeks ago, signage appeared on a former Cedar Rapids Chinese restaurant for a new business called Chicken Royale. This week, Chicken Royale officially opened for business!

About Chicken Royale

Chicken Royale is a new restaurant that has moved into the former home of Yen Ching Chinese Restaurant at 2317 Mt Vernon Rd SE in Cedar Rapids. Yen Ching closed its doors back in May of 2025, and the space remained empty until Chicken Royale took over in recent months.

Chicken Royale via Facebook
Chicken Royale via Facebook
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The menu at Chicken Royale features, you guessed it, a whole lot of chicken! They have chicken strips, aka 'Rooster Strips," which come with either regular or spicy breading, as well as a variety of grilled or breaded chicken sandwiches and wraps. Options include the 'Royale With Cheese," Honey Mustard, 'The Pickler,' Buffalo, the 'Slaw Stacker,' Hot Honey, and more. And, don't forget the sauce! Chicken Royale has several sauce options, like gochujang, raspberry BBQ, mango habanero, 'Gunpowder Ranch,' and their signature 'Royale Sauce.'

Chicken Royale via Facebook
Chicken Royale via Facebook
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There are a few other items on Chicken Royale's menu, including three types of salads, sides like mac & cheese and coleslaw, and something called 'Kitchen Fries,' which include a pound of fries topped with coleslaw, pickles, chopped chicken tenders, your choice of sauce, sour cream, and the Royale Sauce. YUM.

You can check out the full menu at Chicken Royale HERE.

Chicken Royale via Facebook
Chicken Royale via Facebook
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Restaurant Hours

Chicken Royale officially began welcoming customers on Thursday, March 19th, and an early review on their Facebook page from Brian Padget says, "this chicken and the many sauces are amazing." If you'd like to give the restaurant a try, it is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For the latest updates on the new eatery, you can follow the Facebook page HERE.

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