Roots on the Square

A bit pricey, and that seems to be going up. I stopped going when it introduced meat on the menu. A nice vegetarian alternative if you want more Asian food than Owlery offers.

Don’t believe the bad reviews. I have been here more than a dozen time and it is the best vegetarian/​vegan restaurant in the midwest. We always get the country fried seitan sandwich. It is AMAZING. The thai food is good as well. We like the sweet potato fries and the salads as well, but you can get those anywhere. We don’t normally get juice or smoothies, so I can’t speak to those, but the food is great.

I went to Roots yesterday for the first time. As a new Vegan, I was expecting more of a juice bar than what they had. No greens?! Just fruit smoothies. I was really hoping for something more cleansing, with kale or something. But I did like the smoothie I got and will be back soon. Service leaves a lot to be desired, but I can just get my smoothie to go next time.

I’m going to call a big fat bull shit on this one.
Roots Restaurant is a lesson in the saying: «looks can be deceiving.» They call themselves a juice bar, I wanted juice, we walked in and were immediately told that they pretty much only had oranges, apples and carrots. Our possibly stoned waitress also quickly told us all sorts of other things they were out of before we even made it to our seats. I love a good hippy, don’t get me wrong. I dated the hippiest of hippies in college. But, this waitress tiptoed a fine line between dipshit and carefree. I was desperate for a wifi spot and thought, fine, no biggy, we’ll make this work. I ordered an orange apple juice and for mom, a straight orange juice (because what tastes better than a true fresh squeezed oj?)
Juice Price: $ 5.35 for 12 oz. (at first I thought — ouch, that stings, then I remembered that I pay that at Natural Born Juicers on a near weekly basis. Yet, NBJ almost is never out of an ingredient, better yet half of their ingredients). Within an estimated 2 to 3 minutes she returned with our juices. Hmmm… that was weirdly fast? And hmmm… I only heard the juicer for like 2 seconds. This is where my calling a «big fat bull shit» comes in: my juice was 50 percent fresh/​50 percent store bought OJ. As for my mom’s full order of OJ — she could have bought two full cartons of the Florida’s Natural that they probably used to fill her cup up. There is not a bit of doubt in my mind that the juices were store bought — there’s a big difference. I was tired and didn’t feel like mentioning it to the waitress — I figured a Unilocal was a better outlet to vent. Please note that I use my one star reviews very sparingly. It’s a shame, because I feel like Roots has the right vibe and the right menu, but the execution (and gumption) just isn’t there.
I’m thinking their next business should be a burger shop with no buns or a florist with no flowers. In the end, this is my fault. My fellow Unilocalers had warned me, but my desperation for quick wifi won over.

The idea of the restaurant as well as the menu was very appealing to me. However, the service was uncomfortable. It was as if our waitress did not want to be there and she seemed annoyed and inconvenienced that she had to wait on our table of three. This set the tone for lunch. Aside from that, they were out of soy milk and a lot of different teas and other menu items. For an entrée I ordered the gyros with seitan (I did like that they had an option for tofu, tempeh, or seitan). For some reason, the seitan was breaded and deep fried. It was equivalent to eating a gyro stuffed with mozzarella sticks, which was strange. To top it off, my side of sweet potato fries were soggy. My parting thoughts were that I would like to give Roots another chance; however, the poor service will most likely keep me away.

We ran in here to get some smoothies and escape the heat. The smoothie I ordered was incredibly bland and forgettable, as was the one my friend had ordered. I’ve made better ones at home… that’s saying something.
It was edible though, and that would have gotten 2 stars out of me. Unfortunately, the service was also terrible. Our «server» (who actually never ended up serving us, either) had the worst attitude, and made us feel completely unwelcome.
Never again.

Roots is hit or miss for me. I’ve had some killer polenta there (consistently awesome) but also some lackluster, overpriced falafel and black bean burgers. For me, the entire menu is about a dollar or two over what I think it should be for the area, even considering the portion sizes. With that said, their lemon-​ginger tonics are wonderful and always a great choice for those trying to get over sickness. I’ve always found the service quick and nice, even at busy times. However, the main dining area can get pretty noisy due to the lack of carpeting or wall drapes. Personally, I prefer Upland’s vegetarian options (even though I’m an omnivore), because they’re consistent and always flavorful.

Don’t tell my roommate this, but I was less than impressed.
I was completely turned off from the get-​go when my roommate asked for a smoothie without blueberries and the waitress said they’re all pre-​packaged. gross.
As for the food… I thought they had a hard time converging healthy with tasteful. Everything I tasted seemed bland. There are plenty of ways to mix healthy and delicious, and I felt as though this just didn’t cut it. My roommate got a hummus wrap, which ended up coming out with frozen looking vegetables. I had a garden wrap, which was okay, but not what I expected and I honestly don’t think it contained everything it was supposed (if it did, they were miniscule portions). The plum sauce was tasty, though. The sweet potato fries were highly disappointing. They just lacked flavor!
I keep hearing how cheap this place is… what? I thought everything was slightly overpriced.
Our service was also beyond slow and we were the one of two tables there.
I won’t be back.

Hokay! I’ve only been here three times, and as of yet I don’t get the majorly negative reviews, but let me talk about my three times!
First, and most important, at a restaurant: the food. Now, I’m in no way vegan or vegetarian (I’m a happy omnivore, I dare say), but having visited a few other vegan/​vegetarian places with my friends who ARE, I have to say that the food here is really good. I don’t much care for the sweet potato fries, but I have never really liked them anywhere. On the other hand, the fresh veggies, the curry puffs, and my barbecue tempeh sandwich were FABULOUS. I’ve tried the black bean burger too (also good), and the curry (which I liked). I’m going to try the pad thai next round, I think.
Second: The service. I’ve never had bad service here, but my friends and I go around lunch where they seem to not have as many people. That might be why we do, because it’s always prompt and courteous.
Third: I like the interior a lot. It’s got a woodsy feel to it; everything seems to be carved or made naturally of wood. They have a stage set up for live music that doesn’t look like it was just forced in to the place, and the layout is natural and intuitive to move around in, which considering the limited space they have to work with is nice.
The one problem I have noticed is that every time I go in, something is broken. Either the fryer is broken so you can’t get anything involving that, or the blender is broken so you can’t get anything involving smoothies, etcetera.

When they have what you want (the juicer is working, etc …) the food is really heathy and fairly tasty, it just seems rare that Roots actually has what I want. An example:
Went today for a late lunch. I ask about juices and was promptly told the juicer was broken. Ended up ordering a mediterranean salad with sesame ginger dressing. A moment later I was told that dressing was unavailable and they had no feta for my salad.. Agh I hope the management gets it under control!

Although a «long-​time» Vegetarian, I’d have to say I wasn’t actually blown away by this place… I went with fellow non-​vegetarians, and that may have been it… If I do recall correctly, I didn’t eat much, but I remember thinking their food was «weird.» Now, I know you should not be closed-​minded about things, but, at 26, I feel that I have earned the right to be. :)) Soo, if, like a skinny celebrity, also known as Gwyneth Paltrow, you feel you need to restrict yourself to lentils and brussells sprouts to feel good about yourself, then this is the place for you. I do remember, though, they had a lot of interesting varieties of organic vegetables, so, for the sake of supporting organic fare, this place might suit you. I just remember spiceless, somewhat insipid food. There is no particular ethnicity associated to the place, which may explain the seeming «lack of traditional cuisine.»
~Suphie

I love having a place like Roots in my town. I love the earthy atmosphere, the large wood tables, the plants, the large windows, and the cork boards covered with flyers for local goings-​on. Its location is great, as it sits on a central street corner with a view of the old courthouse on one side and a big «Bienvenidos a Bloomington» mural on the other. It is a great place to bring guests from out of town to give them a glimpse of how cool and progressive a small Midwest college town can be.
The menu is pretty large and impressive for an operation of its size. The thai menu I have found to be outstanding for the most part, especially the basil fried rice. The pad thai has been good at times, but recently they changed the noodle size and on the whole the dish seems a lot sweeter.
The big «catch» with Roots, unfortunately, is the service. One waitress in particular, who has worked there for a long time — I won’t name names, because it feels wrong to do so on the internet — is downright horrible. It is not uncommon to have to interrupt her as she converses with friends to get her to come to your table. If she visits your table more than twice during a visit, consider yourself lucky. Count on her being mildly impatient and condescending when she takes your order and clears your plates.
I am a waiter myself, and consider myself patient and tolerant when it comes to restaurant staff. However, it is also easier for me to notice when someone is slacking and not doing their job.
Sadly, I often skip trips to Roots if I look in the window and notice she is working; overall, I would eat there much more if the service issues weren’t so deep.

I like Roots. I like their location and sitting outside. I like what they represent. I like that their juices are interesting and unusual. But their cooking is a little like a youthful, collegiate brand of idealism. It’s got it’s heart in the right place but it isn’t fully realized. In other words, their ingredients may be fresh but their cooking isn’t that good.
Their pelletized falafel was dry, presumably made well ahead of our order and not that tasty. Their baba ganoush tasted like it was made from apples and barley, not olive oil and eggplant. It was so bland I had to confirm it was really baba ganoush with the waitress. The fried samosas were seasoned well, though a little greasy, as were the other appetizers we had.

I really wanted to like Roots. In fact, it was one of the reasons I originally moved to Bloomington. «This place is so cute … and they have an all-​vegetarian restaurant!» Small town, midwest. Little things become exciting.
But it’s really just not that good. The service is mediocre at best. They often seem to be out of things that I order.
I will say that the polenta I had at Roots was excellent. And the portions are generous. And when they’re good, the seitan nuggets are really good. But overall, it’s just kind of underwhelming and inconsistent. The seitan is sometimes really good, but one never knows if it’s going to be good. Upland’s is more consistent.
Roots has an amazing location and a captive audience with a town full of vegetarians, but I just don’t see myself going back unless they really turn some things around. Especially now that the Owlery exists … better off going there.

Good selection, good food. I have always gotten the padd thai when I go and it is top quality and very good. I need to try more items on the menu, but the padd thai is so delicious I can’t resist getting it!
The service is good as well and the restaurant has a nice atmosphere, too. It can get a bit busy and the food takes some time to arrive, so plan for some time if you’re eating during the busy part of lunch or dinner. As long as you’re not in a rush, there’s time to enjoy the artwork in the restaurant or talk to your fellow diners.
This is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at. Although I need to try more of the menu items, friends have always had good things to say about their food, which my sure is just as good as the padd thai.

This is definitely my current favorite restaurant in Bloomington. I’ve only been here twice, but all I can say is, «country fried seitan sandwich». Seriously. I’m not even vegetarian and I think I could eat this every other day.
Also, you have to try to cake! A little bit pricy, but well worth it. The cake is vegan and made from all organic ingredients, and rather than tasting like a brick of sweetened tree bark (sorry for my non-​vegan bias), it is super amazing!
The inside of this place is really cool– its like the inside of a log cabin, with a modern twist. I will happily be back!

This place is WAY overrated. They have a pretty cool menu, but it is very pricey for what you are getting. The portion sizes are not at all worth what you pay.
It gets a lot of positive attention since it’s the only place of its kind in Bloomington, which I give it credit for. I wouldn’t recommend going there unless you have properly lowered your expectations.

If Roots had been around when I was an undergrad at IU, I probably would have kept it in business single-​handedly. I definitely appreciate what they do, and generally liked what I ordered. This was one of a handful of planned destinations on a recent trip back to Bloomington, but I wasn’t floored.
The menu has a section explaining the differences between the various protein options. This is certainly a thoughtful touch, in particular for those omnivores who are accompanying their vegetarian friends and who may not know the fine points of tempeh vs. seitan. Both my omnivorous partner and I liked our tempeh sandwiches (bbq for him, gyro for me).
That said, the menu also lists many tea options. I am a tea drinker and this was exciting until the server shot down my first three choices because they were «out.» Eventually I chose an iced green tea but didn’t actually get it until after my sandwich came. Even then it was weakly brewed and there were no refills. Hmmm.

Another limitation was the next day when we stopped in for a bevo. I requested my iced chai be prepared with skim milk, but the choices are either soy or 2%. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a place with a specialty coffee menu to have skim milk on hand. Amiright?
Then again, they won huge points for the smoothie my companion let me sample (and sample and sample). There was no yogurt, which I usually prefer, but I love-​love-​loved the Tropical Breeze anyway. That smoothie kicked ass.
Roots, I’m on a see-​saw. I want to love you but I think we should just be friends.

Once again, I was shanghaied into a vegetarian restaurant, and once again the food was so great that I didn’t miss the meat.
We shared the curry puffs appetizer – some chopped vegetables and a vaguely curry-​like sauce stuffed into a wonton and deep-​fried. Yum-​a-​dum-​dums. Thankfully they were not too heavy or greasy from the frying. My main dish was the Roots-​B-​Q sandwich with tempeh (your choice of protein – tofu, tempeh, or seitan). This sandwich was packed full and served on some unsturdy toast, but it was delicious nonetheless. And I’m dainty so I tend to eat my sandwiches with a knife and fork anyway. The sweet potato fries on the side were somewhat inconsequential but I ate all of mine plus my ladyfriend’s leftovers anyway.
It’s a pretty neat place inside with a lot of natural wood, and they have outdoor seating also. The service was warm but a little slow: each visit from either of the waitresses (it was a tag-​team effort) seemed like it should have come a few minutes sooner. But that factor didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the meal.
We stopped back in the next day to get a cold drink on our way out of town. I went for the «Tropical Breeze» smoothie – orange juice, pineapple, coconut, banana, and mango. SO freaking good and really really hit the spot on a nastily hot and humid Indiana afternoon.
Overall, I liked Roots far more than I expected to. I would go so far as to say that if this restaurant were in my home city of Chicago, my semi-​vegetarian ladyfriend could drag me here semi-​regularly without any complaints from me.

I’m with those who say this place is hit or miss. I’ve been four times and twice the service was iffy and the food I ordered was bland, and the other two times my service was quick and friendly and my food was delicious.
The blandest meal I had there was a tempeh gyros sandwich, which was just some plain sauteed tempeh (with no discernible spices that might replicate those in a true gyros) thrown in a pita with some lettuce and tomato with a side of really boring tzatziki sauce. So, yeah, not too exciting but the sweet potato fries on the side were very good. I left full and proud for eating locally and healthfully, but I was sad to have spent money on something so flavorless.
So far, my favorite meal is the tofu and veggies in peanut sauce, although the amount of rice and veggies you’re given doesn’t quite match up with the copious amount of peanut sauce and I’m always left with a terrine half full of peanut sauce going to waste. Still, it is tasty and organic and healthful.
As others have said, the price is a little high for the amount of food you get (and, as mentioned, sometimes for the blander items or poorer servers), but local and organic produce does cost more than your average grocery store-​grade stuff so I’m willing to ignore that.
Over all, I’m happy to have an organic, meat-​free restaurant in town that serves entrees featuring vegetables and whole grains. (Seriously, why are there so few places in town with brown rice or other whole grains on the menu?)
So, yeah, if you go there on a good day and order the right thing, this place is pretty good. I’m certainly hoping those experiences will eventually outweigh the others.