First off, I think the food at Roots is good but my most recent experience soured the restaurant for me. They advertise free kid meals with the purchase of a regular bowl, and our family has taken advantage of this a few times. Earlier in the pandemic we called to ask how this worked for takeout and were told to just write in the order notes when placing a takeout order online; this has gone smoothly for us a few times previously. Yesterday we placed an order like this and when picking it up I was told the children had to be present. I explained I was trying to avoid bringing them inside but could bring them just outside to the door (this is due to COVID; both my kids are too young to be vaccinated). The employee got visibly agitated at this and told me it was a dine-in promotion only, contradicting both her earlier offer to make them if I brought the kids inside and the information on their own website.After this I asked her to cancel the order and left. If their requirement for the promotion is the child must be physically inside the restaurant, then that is fine. However, they need to be more consistent with their communication. I would also ask they be sensitive to parents with young children trying to take COVID precautions seriously; cases in VA are nearly 5x what they were six weeks ago.
I think my feedback will be similar to other reviews, in that the taste of the food is great, but the value and portion leave me desiring more. I chose "The Apollo" from the menu, basically a Mediterranean chicken bowl. It includes brown rice, chicken, spinach, and a lemon za'atar sauce. I feel the chick portions were a bit small, there was a bit of a wait while it cooked, which I didnt mind because that meant the chicken was super fresh. After a tip, the bowl was around $15, which for the portion was fine I suppose, but the bowl at the Chipotle next door is almost $7 less and is more food. I think I would go back though because the flavors were definitely good, and I was satisfied at the end of the meal. Just a few things I feel could be improved on.
Since this Roots has opened they have consistently had smaller portions than their Charlottesville location. For $12 this was frustrating, however, recently they have increased their prices even more. Charging $14.30 for something similar to a chipotle burrito bowl ($7.58) is unacceptable.
Tried it for my first time today and I can’t wait to go back and try more! Very good food!
The main part of the salad was chicken. Its so dry and burnt it was inedible. With such a limited menu, I'd expect better quality. But, the staff was nice.
Great spot, especially for vegetarians. Also, kids get a free bowl with adult bowl! So glad this location opened up in Bburg!
Love your spot. Y’all do a great job. 5/5 except for the kale. Please start cutting out the hearts of the kale!!! Not pleasant to bite into these big chunks. Otherwise really great, highly recommend for a healthy bowl.
New favorite place to go to! Extremely friendly crew with great recommendations! Such a selection of delicious options!
First real food i had eaten in 2 days. Been travelling. OMG AMAZING!!!! I am a hippie at heart and their food delivered. Fresh, healthy, vibrant flavors, refreshing and filling without the blah feeling. Just what I needed after a very long road trip.Staff was awesome as well. It was very clean also. Definitely one of my new favorites.
Great vegetarian options! Make sure you specify that you want the vegetarian version though, because the menu defaults to chicken. It's great stuff that'd be hard to make at home.