Roots

The first time I came here, I tried the «fish» tacos (which by the way are excellent), and also the «chili“cheese fries. I was very satisfied. However, the second time I came, I ordered the kendri lama. Oh my goodness never get it. There was a piece of food that was hard, so I couldn’t eat it (probably a piece of star anise). I took one bite, barely ate it, and went to pines shortly afterward for pizza. That one bite was the worst thing I’d eaten on campus. Please don’t get it.

I enjoy the atmosphere of the restaurant. Everyone is quiet, and by «quiet», I mean they are not loud at all. Mostly everyone does two things: whisper or eat. They never get louder than the soothing or hipster music played over the speakers. Thus, various people even sit and study there. Since Roots is a vegan restaurant, only a handful of people come, and sometimes, even professors will come and eat with their families, spouses, or friends.
If you are a vegan, you will love the food. They serve vegan burgers, chili, etc. I don’t want to list them all because they will just make me hungry. Also, the food and the drinks are sold in whole dollars, so no one needs to worry about pulling out coins. The menu also distinguishes what is gluten-​free.
Compared to various other places on the UCSD campus, I have never gotten food poison, diarrhea, etc. Roots is a healthy place where the workers actually clean the plates and prepare the food fresh and clean.

They would benefit greatly if they learned how to use salt. Also, edamame and potato gnocchi? Seriously bad idea! Smoothies are alright though. Root burger is pretty good too, but again, SALT in the kitchen would make it better.

Another specialty dining place on campus! I’m not sure why our school makes a huge deal about being the best Vegan restaurant when the competition probably isn’t very big on other campuses. Nonetheless, it’s still nice to know our school is recognizing different eating habits!
I’ve ordered:
–Sunflower Fields: probably my go to dish here! $ 6 for a huge plate of salad that has artichoke in it! I’m always super full after this dish.
–sweet potato fries: YUM! Sometimes it’s a hit or miss because it might be burnt or too salty, but their dipping sauce for it (the white one especially!) is so yummy!
–Kendra lama: a noodle dish! It was semi filling, but just looks presentable. It has a big piece of coconut in it that is somewhat edible? Flavor was okay– it was the five spices that most Asian dishes have.
–chop chop river: this was a disappointment and not filling at all. Literally half a stock of romaine lettuce sprinkled with some fried tofu pieces and onions. Tasty, but not filling.
–spicy Sierra: this was yummy! Imitation chicken drenched in BBQ sauce. It’s like taco Tuesday but available everyday!
–roots vegan chili: you can either get a coup or a bowl. It’s pretty good! You can add green onions and tofu cream to it.
–fruit tart: VEGAN DESSERT? yay! It’s not bad at all! Tastes almost like a regular tart!
Pros:
–good service! They are nice and helpful. Smiles!
–good variety! I’m surprised there is such a big bulletin of different options.
–decent prices! For a specialty place, the price is great for the quality and quantity.
–nice environment! Good place to study if you have no where to go!
Cons:
–inconsistent portions: sometimes I’ve gotten a Sunflower Fields salad without the artichoke, when that is the main ingredient. Also, some people are skimpy on the ingredients.
Tips/​observations:
–sometimes they have number plates and serve you, sometimes they call your name and you pick it up at the front.
Overall, highly recommend this place!

Parking was a challenge (best in the «lower lot» $ 3 for 2 hours).
Lots of options, but some were spicier than one in our party wanted.
Another person in our party actually vomited while at the restaurant… unclear whether the food was at fault… but a number of us had rumbly tummies afterwards.
***Finally, the address above and on the website (
) is incorrect … it should be «Stewart Commons, UCSD»
Anyhow, aside from these two points, the food was good and filling. no issues with the service, though it is cafeteria-​style and bus-​your-​own.

This place is hit or miss in terms of entrees. Chia seed chillers and sweet potato fries are usually good. The root and root of all evil are good. I also like the valley view salad, el capitan, and spicy sierra as well. Kendra lama is bland. Pacheco pass is full of flavor, but average and a bit spicy. Service is good.

PROS: Vegan/​vegetarian food, good portions, light yet filling, good place to lounge and eat between classes.
CONS: Sometimes bland, no table service.
Would recommend to those with restricted diets or looking for a meal that will not induce food coma.
—–
I personally prefer the Food Co-​op in the old student center in Muir College for vegetarian food, but if someone is looking for variety, this place has more options. Roots also has chia drinks and smoothies that are rather refreshing as well.
I have had the Kendra Lama and the T-​Meadows, both of which were good for campus food standards, but on the blander side. The Kendra Lama is my go-​to when I come here because I love noodle dishes. The T-​Meadows is also on the mushy side and somewhat resembles ratatouille, so I would stay away unless you have had dental work that restricts your chewing abilities.
As for the ambiance, it is the kind of space where you could get some studying done in-​between classes, but there is no table service so if you are uneasy about leaving your laptop alone, be aware that you order and pick up when your order is called.

Great staff and study environment! And for college students who want a break from disgusting dining hall food, this is a great place to spend your UCSD dining dollars.
That being said, the food is not so great. It’s good but not great. The main flavoring is salt and though it’s fresh, a lot of their meals are not really that healthy because you’re consuming 5x your daily sodium intake in one sitting.
My one recommendation would be their vegan bars and their smoothies. However that combo costs you $ 10 (dining dollars) which is more than your budgeted amount… So like me, you’ll probably run out of dining dollars well before the rest students.
Give it a try though! You might find you like some of their meals.

Words cannot describe my love affair with the Roots dining hall. I literally order the Root of All Evil and the daily chiller every single day for lunch. Crazy, I know, but it is oh so good! I recommend The Root, Pacheco Pass, and the Root of All Evil here, these are my favorites and you really can’t go very wrong with them.
It makes it «feel» healthy while eating something hearty, so when cravings hit this is the perfect place to be.
The workers behind the counter are super attentive to what they are doing, and it just makes the experience so much better!

LOVE Roots– I think this is hands down, one of the best dining dollar places on the UCSD campus. Why? The servers at the counter are super attentive to any special requests you want to make for your dish and make your food truly delicious. The food is really not bad either: my advice, as mentioned in the tips, is to really stick with the item choices under the ‘Slab’. Those items usually are the amazing burgers and sandwiches, which could be served on rice instead of on a bun! My personal favorite to get because of the cheaper price and equally delicious taste is the Roots Burger with rice and extra slaw. Runner up to that would HAVE to be El Capitan because it just tastes so dang good with the sundried tomatoes. If you feel like a side, get the sweet potato fries! Super sweet and super yummy– though the portion is a bit too generous for me (better to share with friends!). If you want something really good to drink: get the Cooler special listed in front of the register. They never do bad with the flavor combinations listed there– trust me! If in the end, you still want dessert and you have enough dining dollars/​money to spare, get that amazing Soy Cake! Its only served on a weekly basis, so its something to really come back to Roots for.

This is a cool place to be able to say your campus has. I’m not vegetarian but I would imagine being vegetarian on a school campus is hard and not fun. This place makes it more interesting and yummy. I’ve only eaten here once in my two years on campus and I’m bummed I didn’t come here more often to try different things. The employees are all friendly and helped me out for a solid 5 minutes while I was kind of backing up the line but they wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting and I appreciate that.

Flavors are decent.
The cashier was a vegan elitist.
I received food poisoning from one of the aiolis…
Would not return!
Even if I had dining dollars.

Great study spot with clean tables and chairs and electric plugs along some of the walls :)
food wise, i used to come here when i was a second year and living on campus with dining dollars. maybe my review is out of date, but i remember when i was coming here the food was obscenely expensive and wasn’t very flavorful. i only recommend the sweet potato fries, and their tofu enchiladas which were served during cinco de mayo and absolutely amazing.
on the flip side, never order tofu enchiladas at the other dining halls because they are disgusting. lolol

Yummy food and nice setting! I love the Root burger and El Capitan burger. I can’t wait to try the rest of their menu!

I’m glad UCSD caters towards our fellow vegetarian and vegan food eaters but I was expecting better because the food looks really good but the taste is just meh.
We ordered the Curry Down the River. It looked very colorful but the flavor was bland and I feel like I could make it better at home.
We also ordered the Sweet Potato Fries which were very tasty and I would definitely come here if I’m ever craving them!
I like that Roots is a more healthier option on campus (depending on what you get obviously) and I’d probably eat here again if I’m forced to eat something on campus. I feel like it’s a better option than most of the eateries in Price Center, but it’s still just average dining hall food.

Rating based on 5 stars, 5 highest. 3 neutral. 1 terrible
El Capitan: Tasty 4.3 stars
Pacific Crest: Falafal (more like a tasty hummus) with pickled veggies and tzatziki. Would get again. Surprisingly tasty. 4.2 stars
Root of All Evil. Tasty. 4 stars
Spicy Sierra/​BBQ Lettuce Wrap: This was basically a salad with not enough sauce. 3.9 stars
Kendra Lama: Looks super tasty. Unfortunately, tastes super bland. Fresh veggies, coconut, spices, tofu, rice noodles, sooo promising… Would not get again. Unsatisfying, but edible. 3 stars
Tres Leches Cake: 4 stars. Tasty
Chocolate Tart: 2 Stars. Weird flavor, salty, bitter. Almost yucky, kind of confusing. Not quite a 1 because it was edible. Expensive. I would eat it, complain free, if it were free.
Fruit Tart: (coconut cream, fruit topping, graham crust). Yum. Fun. 4 stars
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry, w/​nuts: Tasty. Chocolate is a little bitter for me. The strawberries were sweet. I’d buy it if I had a hankering for Choco-​Dipped Strawberries. 3.7 stars.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry with a cookie and nut crumble. Very tasty. Texture of the crumbles are super light, chocolate tasty. Would definitely get again. 4.3 stars
Vanilla Cheesecake. Topped with strawberries, and maybe caramel. Tasty. Texture seems like crumbly tofu… 4 stars
Chocolate and Coconut Dipped Strawberry. Very tasty. Would get again.4.1 stars
Chocolate Pudding (Avocado Base): Not bad. A bit chalky. 3.7 stars
Allergen Rating: Good. Never had a problem

Time to review this similar-​to-​Veggie-​Grill type of dining hall! If you like Veggie Grill, you won’t be disappointed with this. I mean, it’s pretty decent for a dining hall. And it’s actually pretty craveable.
I’ve tried a lot of different things on the menu, but my favorites are:
— Spicy Sierra: chopped vegan «chicken» in Root BBQ sauce, with chipotle soy crème, caramelized onion, tomato, and napa cabbage slaw wrapped in crisp romaine leaves. It’s as if you’re eating chicken nuggets, although not the real chicken and instead of the fried crispiness, it’s lettuce crispiness. I don’t know, maybe it doesn’t sound as good as chicken nuggets, it tastes pretty good to me! The faux chicken is super soft and tender to bite into. Absolutely delicious! Recommend this.
— The Root: vegan burger and portobello mushroom with grilled onions, soy cheese, tomato, and napa cabbage slaw with avocado served on a grilled roll. The portobello mushroom is so delicious. I love portobello. It’s like meat, but isn’t :) it’s a super juicy and healthier version of a burger. The soy cheese? Amazing. Didn’t think that some sort of fake cheese could pull this off. Oh my god, and the grilled onions just hit the spot. Onions are already good, but damn, when they’re grilled? Can’t get any better. I always crave this burger.
— Sweet Potato Fries: if you’re looking for a light snack, but feel guilty about getting actual fries, sweet potato fries are the way to go. One complaint, I feel like this is too salty. I always try to wipe off the bits of salt, but that’s just me. Most people like their fries salty. The sweet potatoes are just amazing, and the crispiness is perfect.
The other items on the menu, like Pacheco Pass and Sweet Passage are pretty good too, but nothing I would crave. The ones I listed though? I will definitely come back to :)

Terrible. The food SMELLS good, but it tastes bland. Don’t waste your time. Sorry to the people who work there. The only thing I like from here is the option of having sweet potato fries.
It might be because I like to eat good food. I enjoy vegetarian and vegan food, but this place is definitely UCSD quality… and it’s expensive as hell for what you get.

A hidden gem on our campus, this place is filled with unique menu options for all foodies… especially our Vegan and Vegetarian eaters. I thought the dish I had was an excellent mix of heat and flavor. Try the pacheco pass which has great flavor with spices and a bit of heat. The avocado is a perfect supporting actor for this dish.
I also go the chocolate cupcake which was ok… nothing to go back for… but the rest of the food would definitely be worth another trip. And if they have the chiller… get it! What a refreshing drink!
Not too far from my office, this is definitely a place I would come back and eat at again and again!

This is the new vegan/​vegetarian eatery on campus at UCSD. On opening day, there must have been at least 30 people lined up, out the door, waiting to try this place.
The food does not disappoint. I am a carnivore for life, but I can appreciate this place because of the simple, robust flavors. The meals are light, colorful and fresh. For $ 6 – 8 entrees, I’d say this place is worth visiting. Meals are made to order and the dining area is contemporary, comfortable and casual. Hydration station is also a perk — way to save mother earth and reduce plastic water bottle waste!