Roots Café

This is a solid, healthy breakfast/​lunch plate. I love the Roots breakfast. Instead of potatoes and meat, I get fruit and avocado, a buckwheat pancake (SO GOOD), and 2 eggs. I try not to do this, but sometimes I have to cave and get the buttermilk pancakes. They are AMAZING.
For lunch I’m super obsessed with the shepherd’s pie and chicken salad.
Tip: We try to go early, because if not, there is a bit of chaos managing the seating. I definitely wish this place was twice the size.
My favorite thing, is that they truly care about the quality of their food, focusing in organic, sustainable, and locally sourced food. Even their coffee is organic, which makes me a very happy drinker.

Best Huevos Rancheros I have ever tried. Also definitely get a pancake of the day. Can get very crowded especially in the winter with limited seating. The patio is awesome during the summer months.

I wish I could give 5 stars. The food is everything I adore: local, fresh, organic… You get the idea.
Where this restaurant lacks is in service and seating. First of all, when you are misquoted wait times over and over and over again, that alone can discourage you from returning to this place.
Second, when you wait over an hour you expect they would provide COMPLIMENTARY coffee like every other joint in the city.
The servers have low functioning brains and stare blankly at you when you ask for anything at all.
The food is good. Only come if you’re willing to deal with poor service and an unpredictable wait with no waiting space.

We went here a few weeks ago and I was impressed. The breakfast was really quite good, though a bit spicer than I anticipated for eggs Benedict.
The restaurant itself is really cute and located with an adorable shop that hosts booths for individual sellers. The only downside is the space is FAR to small for the crowds it draws. It’s also nearly impossible to chat because it’s so loud. Great food, quick, friendly staff.

Food was very good. High quality & taste was exceptional (especially the apple juice). Was confused that we didn’t seem to have just 1 waiter but at least 3. Other than that it was enjoyable.

Ordered the biscuits and gravy with coffee. It was all really good. I always love homemade biscuits and gravy and breakfast potatoes. That’s great there open 7 days a week and have a yurt for the winter on there deck.

When we last left our heroes they were still on their divinely appointed quest to find the perfect brunch location. They had traveled hither and thither and even fither, as they partook of pancakes, wondered at waffles, and binged on bacon.
As the afternoon sun rose on a quiet Sunday morning they knew it was again time to take up their journey. The location today was Roots Café, a tiny (And I really mean tiny) little café tucked away in a groovy little development in the Sugar (ish) Hood.
BONUS: They allow you to call ahead and get on the list. Doesn’t mean you won’t still wait when you get there (you are going to wait) but it does save you a little time. Make sure you dress warmly because there isn’t a lot of space to hang out inside while you wait for your table. Or, there happens to be an adorable little nick knack shop that shares a hallway which you are more than welcome to peruse whilst you wait.
Onto the food!
I had a mad craving for Huevos Rancheros and wonder of wonder, they did not disappoint. A little variant from the traditional style, the whole thing is serve in a tiny little crock dish and comes with a side of flour tortillas… except I needs the crunch so I asked if I could get a couple tostadas instead, which they were happy to oblige. The dish was tasty and fresh, though lacking in salt. My friend ordered Biscuits and Gravy and seemed quite pleased as well.
The portions aren’t huge considering what you are paying for them, but the quality is high. Point being, if you are starving and just want a huge pile of food, this isn’t the best bet for your buck, but if you are of an average appetite and want something with a «from scratch» feeling, then this should just hit the spot.
Service was great.
Happy Brunching. Until Next Time.

Best breakfast I’ve had in awhile!
Roots you are making it hard to live out of state. The quality of everything was amazing and the ginger tea you brought out for my breakfast companion burned my nose from across the table! That’s the kind of ginger I like!
From start to finish everything was delicious. Quality, fresh, and well prepared food/​drinks.
Massive props for having such a great restaurant.
See you next time I’m in SLC.

The food is a 5 star experience. Breakfast is my favorite meal here, although the turkey sandwich with avacado and toasted is delicious. Their cottage bacon is a must try. The coffee is very good. And try the Pecan cookies at the counter, they are one of my favorite things.
Here’s why they get 3 stars– it is a small place, wait, that’s not why… it is because they seem to have trouble managing their seating and kitchen and always seem confused and dazed by how popular they are. I’ve gone there and waited to be seated, waited to be served, waited for my food and many times decided to eat somewhere else and not chance what I might have to wait for. They seem to have improved their system with a hostess stand they put up in the summer, but the jury is out on whether they can efficiently run it.
Summary– food = 5 stars, service 2 – 3 stars.

Great food and great service! The cappuccino (hazelnut and soy milk) was off charts. Will be returning soon!

What once was a favorite spot for both breakfast and lunch, has slowly become known for overpriced mediocre food and service. Had the buckwheat pancakes which are both massive and beautiful. They gave me assembles worth of syrup for my $ 10 pancakes. When asked for more syrup I was informed that it would be an up charge. When getting a «fresh squeezed orange juice» to go I recognized that they pulled out the Kirkland brand orange juice jug from the refrigerator so I was paying five dollars for a 16 ounce «fresh squeezed orange juice» when I could have bought the whole jug for the same price. Overall not an overly impressive place.

Fantastic place for a brunch. The food is delicious and all natural. It’s a little pricy and the wait is a little long but completely worth it, just don’t come here if you’re in a rush!

One of my all time favorite spots for Brunch in Salt Lake!
I could seriously eat the smoked salmon eggs benedict + quinoa everyday.
The smoothies and juices are to die for!

I am a lover of pulled pork. It is probably my third favorite food (behind my moms spaghetti and gravy and chocolate) and Roots does not disappoint. While it wasn’t the best I have ever had I did enjoy it. The bun, which comes from a local bakery, held up the sandwich well without being too overly bread-​y. The pulled pork itself was nice and moist with a little kick at the end.
For my side I chose kale chips which were not my favorite but that may just be because I’m not the biggest fan of kale chips (not sure why I chose them. Probably to balance the pulled pork…). They were nice and crisp and salty though which I enjoyed.
Usually I would not want to comment on a drink but their iced tea is delicious. You can tell that they know how to make it. Some iced teas come out butter but theirs is delicious and refreshing.
If you come here in the summer or fall make sure you get a seat outside. They have a large canopy that covers you from the sun and makes it a nice relaxing place to eat. There are privacy screens all around shielding you from the street creating a nice oasis. However inside does seem kind of tight so be warned if you come in the winter.
The service is quick and friendly. I would definitely come back here again.

Sometimes you try something the second time around and it’s even better than before. The Eggs Benedict is reason enough to have a bite at Roots Café. Their patio was recently updated and is the first thing you see while driving along 2300 East. Nestled against a woodsy area of the Eastside, they’ve really redeemed themselves and stand out in comparison to some nearby breakfast places.
Claiming homemade natural ingredients as part of their edible repertoire, I would allege Roots Café is on to something and are doing a great job. They stand alone in Salt Lake City where there is both a balance of healthy options and classic American fare. House potatoes are a win here, as are the portions. The Eggs Benedict here is now my favorite in the city. It’s a lot of food that sits well amongst friends and family. That said, you may always wait to get in, but as I said, worth a try.

We skipped our usual Saturday breakfast spot to try out Roots. Naturally, there was a wait but it wasn’t too bad when we were sitting underneath a shady tree and people-​watching.
I ordered the Peeto breakfast sandwich. I feel as if this sandwich should come with a warning on the menu for how spicy it is. I had a jalapeño in every bite and the seeds weren’t removed. The only thing I could really taste was heat. Thankfully, I ordered a small fruit cup and that was refreshing and a happy respite from the burn.
My husband ordered the Buffalo/​Beefalo burger and wasn’t a fan. It took two full bites just to get to the meat. Then the relish was too overpowering and made the whole burger taste a little spoiled. The fruit was my favorite part of the meal.
I think we just chose menu items that were meat focused and it seems more of a veg place. Definitely hoping to check it out again and try their plant based plates and fresh juices.

Every once in awhile the vegetarian version of something is good. This is true of the veggie sausage at Roots. I even think it’s better than the in house sausage that they make. Another surprise here is that they make fresh squeezed/​pressed juice it taste good. The cleanser is actually pretty good and if you don’t usually like veggies in your juice, I suggest you try it out.
I usually order the B&G with the veggie sausage when I go here. I love their biscuits here more than Ruth’s Diner even though Ruth’s Diner. Why? I love the extra flavor of the herbs in the biscuit. B&G consists of biscuits and gravy with your choice of protein and eggs and house potatoes. My friends got the omelet and added pork with chile verde and all the extra stuff and the B& G was better.
One thing, I don’t recommend is their chai tea. I thought the Keurig Chai tea tastes actually better.
So go order the B&G with the veggie sausage and the cleanser. If you like your potatoes extra crispy let them know and they’ll do it.

After a long wait since 10 am, and also they seated couple couples first we got seated. And when I ask to sit outside when they have couple empty tables outside, they ask us to wait longer… Can’t believe it.
More ridiculously, they give me a to go cup for my hot cocoa! will never come back again! Bad service!

This place is all about fresh and organic eating. If you are looking for a cozy, café feel then this is your place.
If you choose to come here, always expect a 30 – 40 minute wait. The best part is that there is a small store that you can shop at while you wait or grab some coffee or tea.
I had the breakfast burrito which was fine. My sister had the huevos rancheros which was pretty tastey. But the best dish ordered was the eggs beni with smoked salmon.
We ordered the pancake of the day (as suggested by others) but the waitress forgot about it so we didn’t get to try it.
Other than that, if you have quite a bit of time for brunch then this isn’t a bad place.

We are visiting Utah this weekend to see some of Cam’s friends and take a quick vacation. This restaurant was recommended by Bill so we decided to stop by for breakfast. As a native San Diegan, I still can’t wrap my head around how the grid system works, but Cam and Kris were able to find the café quite easily using the cross streets. The flamingos in front also helped.
We had a party of 5 people, so the wait was about 40 minutes due to the limited seating. I noticed that parties of 2 people were seated quite quickly, so if you’re looking for fast seating, just bring a friend. Thankfully, the weather allowed us to wait outside, but if it was raining, it would not have been as enjoyable.
Once we were seated, we were immediately served iced water and given a couple of minutes to look at the menu. The staff was very attentive and filled our waters and coffees once they were about halfway empty.
Emy: I ordered the Eggs Benni with bacon and avocado. It was definitely on par with The Cottage. Since my exercise has been limited due to my cold, Bill finished the other half for me. The seasoning on the house potatoes was also good, although heavy on the onions.
Cam: Huevos Rancheros. I had a bite of Cam’s food and the spice level was just right for me, although a bit too spicy for him. The flavors also melded very well together. I didn’t get to taste the tortilla, but Cam devoured it, so it must have been good.
Bill: Peeto Sandwich. He mentioned the roasted jalapeños made it legitimately spicy, but he seemed to enjoy it. I’ll admit this is the other choice I was looking at before ordering.
Kris: B&G. Biscuits and Gravy, but instead of sausage, the gravy was made with poblano chilis, which satisfied the vegetarian requirement for Kris. He ordered it with the veggiesausage. I was a bit disappointed to hear that the veggie sausage was Morning Star considering the local emphasis the restaurant had. That being said Kris said the gravy was great and made up for the sausage.
Phoebe: Buttermilk Pancake and Yogurt Parfait. The parfait looked delicious with all of the fresh fruits and the pancake was pretty big — she only finished half before we left.
Overall, I had a very enjoyable experience at Roots. We might come back if we’re in the area again. Kris and Phoebe mentioned that they would definitely come back since their climbing gym is close by.