Was eager to try this place as anything new on Forbes Avenue is exciting. It is pretty busy during the lunch hour, but the line moves quickly. Since this was my first time, I opted for one of the pre made bowls. I got the Mayweather. It consisted of kale, bulgar, sweet potato, beets, goat cheese, avocado, lemon tahini, pesto vinaigrette, and chicken. The salad came in a huge bowl and was just a little over $10. When they were making it, I thought they had not put enough dressing but it ended up being perfect. The bowl was delicious! I loved the combination of creamy and tangy. Definitely will be coming back as I am a fan of having a yummy and healthy option on campus. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Mayweather bowl - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Portions are huge so it can be two meals. They're fast and the food is always fresh. I go here multiple times a week but I love it!!

I was visiting Pittsburgh after graduating a year ago and found this new restaurant. Its similar to chipotle and hello bistro wherein you can choose what you want to put in your bowl! For anyone trying to eat a little healthier, they have great, fresh options suited for everyone. Their portions are also very large and filled me up for most of the day. Seating, just like any other restaurant on Forbes is limited, but you can always take it to go and enjoy it outside or at home. read more

After trying this place out, I feel like I've found the perfect fast food place to actually eat quality healthy food. I'm in love!! Hello bistro always felt like the only healthy option in Oakland for college students which made me pretty sad because I decided after a few trips, I'd rather not waste my money on their poor salads with artificial tasting chicken. Then came Roots and after walking past the store a few times, I finally came with a friend and ordered the May-weather bowl and BAM everything changed. I never liked goat cheese but amazingly it worked so well with the overall flavors of this bowl. The pesto vinaigrette is amazing. I also tried the pesto Caesar which was also very delicious. What had me most impressed were the giant portions here, making me feel like $9-$10 was so reasonable when I could have half my bowl left over and be full. The chicken is REAL and flavorful and again they were super generous with the amount. Wholesome, real ingredients combined to make a beautiful salad. Going to be my go to place for the rest of the time I'm in Oakland! There's additional seating downstairs in the basement and love the vibe. Try this place out! read more

Great addition to the Oakland food scene. It's the perfect place when you're looking for a healthy option. The miso tofu is delicious and the portions are huge (enough for 2 meals). They have a good variety of topping options as well read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Miso tofu - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

A new addition to the Oakland area! It was hyped up and awaited by many students, including myself! I loved the idea of a "healthier" option that is fast and easy. We went on the opening day and the staff was super helpful. When we first went in, someone explained to us the menu and how to order! I made my own bowl with the roots rice (much recommend!!), arcadian greens, sweet potatoes, broccolis, feta cheese, pickled onions, corn, and chicken with the lemon tahini dressing. Everything was delicious, the chicken tasted real and fresh. The portions are HUGE. I barely finished my bowl. My friends got a bowls on the menu, which were great as well. The seating area downstairs and in general were a little scarce and a bit dark. But overall, yummy food, great atmosphere, and awesome staff! I recommend, definitely coming back :) read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2 bowls in 3 days time at a new place.. I'd say that's pretty good! I'm a custom girl and like making my own creations. Very generous portions. Pick your base and your ratio - half green half grain? More grain less green? ok! Fresh tasty ingredients and chicken and tofu being grilled on the flat top, so you know it's fresh. Seating upstairs is limited, but downstairs has a nice vibe. Neat copper light fixtures and very friendly staff. Willing to help and answer questions and smile. Definitely get two swirls of dressing, possibly three next time to coat everything well. They toss it for you before topping with the protein. Not to compare to the other make your own salad place (HB).. but the taste difference will make you change habits. Nothing at Roots tastes generic or canned. A small sacrifice for not having Ranch dressing. Don't worry Pittsburgh, you too can try something new and healthy! read more

Roots is my new go-to counter serve restaurant in Oakland. The Southern bowl is delicious and I keep coming back for it. I substitute cheddar cheese for pickled jalapeños! The vegetables are always fresh and the tofu is warm and crispy. The roots rice is also a good addition to any bowl. They are quick to remake your bowl if they mess up any of the ingredients and are always nice about it. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - The Southern - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

It was good when I got it! They do give you a lot of food but I know the prices went up some since I have gotten food. It is a good healthy option! read more

Super fast place to get healthy customized salad or choose from a bountiful menu of salads all of which sound (and probably taste) amazing! Pros: 1. Fast 2. Tasty (I had one with tofu, and it was so delicious! Crispy exterior, charred bits of sauce make it an ultimate umami bomb) 3. Clean, ample seating (see downstairs) 4. Convenient location near campus for those who want a healthy meal and are in a hurry Cons: Can't think of any really...unless you're picky about your salads I think overall they do very well. Overall very pleased with this place, and I am looking forward to trying out their different salads! read more

I'm really confused about the hype for this place. I mean, it's alright, healthy, and quick (which I guess is a luxury for Oakland eaters), but beyond that it is nothing special. I feel like anyone could cook a similar meal without much hassle and for much cheaper. I had no complaints about the bowl I ordered, the El Jeffe spicy one. I really wouldn't call this food "light," as it is quite substantial and there is a large quantity of it, so you can always save some for later. I did however, find that the sweet potatoes got a little soggy after a while. I guess you could sum this place up as a fancy, healthier, blander Chipotle. The food is fine with a price tag that doesn't match. Probably good for lunch a few times a year, but I wouldn't frequent it more often than that. read more

If you've been looking for a similar version of sweetgreen in Pittsburgh this is it. If you're unfamiliar with sweetgreen this is basically a create your own salad. They have a salad base you can pick from (kale, mixed, spinach), a grain base (roots rice, quinoa, brown rice) then some toppings (sweet potatoes, onions, corn, broccoli, various types of cheeses, etc.), protein (chicken, tofu) and a selection of salad dressings). There are already premade bowl options to choose from or you can create your own. Of note, they do have a limit of toppings you can pick before there is an extra charge for additional toppings. I've tried the roots bowl and a create your own. Both fantastic. I always get the roots rice with my bowls. It does get very busy during lunch time so take that into consideration although the line moves fast. For under $10 you are able to get a healthy lunch! Highly recommend stopping in here. read more

Found this place by accident after getting a procedure at UPMC and the woman inside of Roots was so kind, I would come back just because she was so sweet, but the bowls were awesome! We had an El Jefe and a Pesto Caesar and both were delicious. The chicken was dry, I think the pieces are too big which causes them to dry out, but the flavor pushes this to a 5 star for sure. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - El Jefe - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Absolutely terrible service. I was being served by the manager of the place and she got an attitude when I had to pause to think about what I wanted in my bowl as I was making my bowl and kept trying to rush me. I know the lines are long but that is no way to treat a customer. I definitely will never go back again. This has happened three times now. read more

I really enjoyed the concept of roots it's like a way healthier version of chipotle. It's also really nice because you choose whatever you want in your bowl and then they actually mix it up for you in a bigger bowl and then put it in another bowl so it's easier for you to eat. Each bowl is around $9 and it's a lot of food and it's really high quality of food. The people working there are also really nice and help you decide what to eat. The only thing was that the chicken in my bowl wasn't warm other than that it's a great place to eat! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - El jefe bowl - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

One of my favorite spots in Oakland. Everything I've tried has been excellent. The portions are generous and the service is great. Love the friendly lady at the checkout! read more

Best salad-to-go in Pittsburgh. They will accommodate any ingredient combination you want but their specialty salads are really great. Mixed by tossing between two bowls so every morsel has every flavor note. Great for vegetarians; meat options too. Tofu is really flavorful; kale is less bitter than some. I am not sure how they do that. Probably the dressing. Salads are very large! read more

Best salad place around! The ingredients are fresh and tasty. I love that you can see them actually preparing your bowl or salad.

Amazing food! My dasher did not leave it at my door but that's on them Regardless this food is so flavorful and delicious. It's also enough for two meals so I will be having as my dinner tomorrow! Where was this place 15 years ago when I was on campus!!!! read more

Literally one of the best places in Pittsburgh. The BBQ tofu is the best. Roots never disappoints :) read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - BBQ Tofu, spinach, brown rice, feta, cucumber, pita chips, and lemon tahini dressing - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I loved the restaurant when I walked in, and I love what they're trying to do. Yeah in terms of execution though, my experience was just okay. The Mayweather salad I got itself was nice and large, it had healthy ingredients, but the flavor palette was not to my liking: overly sweet for me and the tofu was over cooked. The salad comes with avocado, but about 2/3 of my avocado was not mashed / stirred in with the rest of my salad. Lastly the servers, while great, unfortunately were not able to communicate my order to one another, and asked me multiple times what I ordered. Great place in theory, and still really great in context of the neighborhood to get a good bite, but management - step it up ! Pay more attention to the details regarding service. PS I would recommend serving salads and bowls at room or warm temperturate respectively. For me the cold temperature gives me the impression I am getting cheap salad. read more

I had my first meal from here today and it was quite underwhelming. I had a grain bowl. The base was kale and brown rice. There was very little rice, and loads and loads of kale. It would be more fitting to call it a "kale bowl", rather than a "grain bowl". I do like kale though, and I would have enjoyed it more if the whole bowl wouldn't have been so dry--I feel like they really skimped on the dressings. I had two dressings--cilantro lime, and lemon za'atar--and in addition to the dressings, I also had fresh lime juice and tabasco. With all of those liquids, it shouldn't have been so dry. Visually, there was no sign of any dressing, so it must have only contained a small amount. There were just two or maybe three fork-fulls out of the entire bowl that were very flavorful, so I'm guessing I hit the dressing on those bites. I had mushrooms and tofu and there was a generous amount of both of those. Instead of being mixed in with everything else, those two items were sitting on top of everything else in the bowl. All of the other items (tomatoes, cucumber, chick peas, sweet potato, broccoli, jalapeno, pita chips) were mixed in with the kale and seemed to be in rather small amounts. Really, I would have been content with the bowl being majority kale and skimpy amounts of most everything else if there just would have been more of the dressings--if I could have tasted the dressings with every bite it would have been fine. It seems you have the option of ordering extras of any of the items (with an extra charge for most things), so I guess that's what you have to do. I probably wouldn't want to have to add on all those extras for an additional $5 or so. It's unlikely I would order from here again. read more

Super fresh ingredients jam packed into a hearty bowl. Prices that won't break the bank, I love ordering from here, never leaves you feeling sluggish. Just a yummy healthy lunch. read more

Ordered southern bowl today and it was good but had too much grain-- it is a grain bowl after all. However, last month when for first time I came to Roots, I ordered Lil Bob Cobb - that one was awesome! I would give a five star for that one: more ingredients, chicken instead of tofu (real meat over bean product), and tastier! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Southern bowl (BBQ tofu) - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Conveniently located on the busy Forbes Ave in downtown Oakland, Roots is a staple on Pitt's campus. Every time I walk into this restaurant, there is a line to order, but reasonably so. This take-out salad and bowl shop is a great place to get your daily serving of veggies, without sacrificing flavor. Roots has a wide variety of salads and bowls that have been pre-crafted by chefs and students alike. They are rich in flavor and greatly satisfying. The greens and other vegetables are always fresh and crisp, and the proteins are made on a flat-top right behind the counter. Aside from the pre-crafted items, you also have the option to create your own bowl, which is my go-to. The last time I had Roots, I ordered mixed greens with spinach, chicken, cherry tomatoes, feta, broccoli, pita chips, cucumber, and the greek dressing. All of the components complemented each other beautifully, and the dressing pulled the whole bowl together. The portion was HUGE, so I was able to get two meals out of it. Not only is the food delicious, but the staff is always helpful and friendly. The woman who works the register is probably the nicest, most cheerful and bubbly human being I have ever met. She always greets me with the kindest words and never fails to bring a smile to my face! If you are ever in the Oakland area and want a nice refreshing and healthy meal, definitely don't look past Roots. It is the best place in Pittsburgh to get a quality salad at a reasonable price! read more

Roots was one of the few places open on Easter Sunday, which I appreciate a lot! They specialize in salad or grain bowls, with a lot of customization options for both a bowl from scratch and swapping ingredients from pre-existing bowls. I had the Mayweather as is, which is a $9.50 salad bowl with kale, beets, red onions, goat cheese, avocado with a lemon and pesto vinagrette and grilled chicken. The vegetables were all fresh, and tasty. The grilled chicken was cold and dry-- they appear to chop & grill their meat ahead of time, and then leave it on the line to cool before it's placed in a salad bowl. One good point-- they're incredibly fast, because these are essentially cold bowls that they mix vigorously. One bad point-- it's a lot of the base (kale), and the eating experience is very one note. For this bowl, I was in the restaurant eating for around 35 minutes. I got through about a third of my salad, and the last few bites were arduous. I went with two friends, who got about 1/2 and 2/3 through their bowls. If you like salad, this is a great place for you. As someone who likes a little more variety in my meals, I'll pass next time. (Update: increasing review by one star because the leftovers I took home are actually better on the second day. I never thought I'd say that about salad!) read more

Flavorful and Fresh ingredients. Bowls are insane. Definitely one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite

Roots is conveniently located on Forbes Ave right by Pitt's campus. The food is always fresh and the portions are great for an on the go lunch! I got the create your own bowl, comes with a base (greens or rice), 5 toppings, and an item from the grill. I would definitely recommend the basil balsamic dressing! The staff is super nice and the cashier was friendly. This is one of my favorite spots in Oakland! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - custom chicken bowl - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Sooo yummy! Perfect for a healthy vegetarian option! I got a create your own bowl with Bulgar (like a grain that has a nutty taste) which is so great. I also got mixed greens. And a bunch of toppings including black beans, garbanzo beans, and cannelloni beans. So much protein so I didn't think adding the tofu was necessary but I want to try it, so next time!! The service was AMAZING!! I came in about 10 minutes before closing on this Monday night and the two girls working let me know right away there was no rice left and even took 30% off my order because of that!!! That was really going the extra mile I really appreciated that. Also, the young girl who made my food was so nice and helpful! I will definitely be back! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen is an Oakland staple. I love coming here to get a meal before heading to Cathy or the library to study. They have gluten free and vegan options. I recommend doing a custom bowl with roots rice, kale, sweet potatoes, beets, avocado, lemon tahini, and miso chili tofu. The staff is always super friendly. Despite the fact that it is super popular among Pitt students, the line always moves quickly. I crave it whenever I am out of town as there are only a few of these fast casual restaurants around. read more

This is my favorite Salad/ bowl spot in all of Pittsburgh. The BBQ tofu is the stuff you dream about eating and can never accomplish in your own kitchen. Such variety and such tasty EVERYTHING. Any time I'm in the neighborhood this is where I have lunch. read more

Delicious and nutritious! I hit this up on every trip to Pitt, which is about 6x per year. I put all of my fav ingredients in one bowl, brimming not only with my favorite flavors, but also with loads of lean protein, high fiber, and high quality fat. Get excited thinking about it - look forward to it every time! read more

The food looked good but unfortunately I didn't want the side order of political activism shoved down my throat, so I left without ordering.

Roots is in the heart of Oakland, right on Forbes Avenue. Not the best parking situation, but is easily accessible by foot if you happen to be a student or work in the area. It's a popular spot for its speediness, relatively health forward attitude, and most importantly - its deliciousness. When you walk in, there is typically a line formed with your options up on the wall. Like many restaurants setup similarly, you can select a "pre-made" signature bowl or create your own. They all consist of a base (both mixed green and rice options), mix-ins/toppings, and something from the grill (chicken, tofu, or mushrooms.) What makes it so good and different than other similar places are the fresh, quality, mix-ins and dressings. They have your usual things carrots, cukes, avocado etc., but they also have roasted veggies ( beets, sweet taters, broccoli), pickled onion, jalapeño, charred corn, various beans, and cheeses. The options and combinations are endless. PLUS they have about 10 different unique salad dressings to bring it all together. You really can't go wrong. Bonus: It's delicious AND you don't have to feel guilty eating it? Always a win. Each bowl will run you about $10, but it is worth it. It sure about always, but give the current circumstances, they do offer delivery and pickup services. I recently went and picked up an order for my friend, while also still able to order mine while there. They have appropriate precautions in place and it is nice to see they are still open, while other places are closed. Stop by and stay safe! read more

i order this all time, via uber eats. it's always still hot & pact nicely when it arrives to me! so delicious. i customize a chicken. i love the charred corn and the spice on the chicken. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Custom Chicken Bowl. Double Chicken. - Salad Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I still deeply mourn the loss of Red Oak Cafe, the previous occupant of this space so I was reluctant to even give Roots a chance. Well, I am glad that I did and will definitely go back. The space is remodeled, bright and clean. I was approached by a pleasant employee upon entry who offered to explain the menu to me. I told her that I had checked it out in advance, so I didn't have any questions. It was an appreciated gesture, though, because the menu could be a little confusing or overwhelming if you didn't know what was up. The service was friendly and efficient. I ordered The Apollo and swapped out the chickpeas for black beans with no problem. It was a large serving for $9.79 and I was plenty full and satisfied when I was done. Overall, it was a nice ratio of ingredients and a nice blend of flavors. The ingredients all looked nice and were fresh and the seasoning on the chicken is delicious. The only negative that I can say was that I ordered easy on the onions and there were still many that somewhat dominated the flavor. If you're someone who loves onion flavor, you'll be just fine. Next time I'll just get no onions and be perfectly happy. It is a welcome addition in Oakland and hopefully it stays that way. read more

So delicious and enough for two meals. The roots rice and kale combo as a base and then whatever on top. Tofu or mushrooms or .. Yummy!

For how healthy this place looked, I was very pleasantly surprised at the taste. The bowls we ordered had chicken in them and I thought the meat was a bit dry/overcooked. Definitely recommend making sure to get something with sauce on it. Also, huge portion size! read more

We really like roots for lunch (and had it for dinner once also)! The bowls are amazing. Fresh-healthy-tasty. They are not afraid to take chances with my taste buds. I usually always get the Balboa...I substitute chick peas for the sweet potatoes and cucumbers for the onion. PERFECTION!! I've tried a few others that my family has ordered. They are good too. I'm not a fan of kale or spring mix, so I usually steer away from those choices. They really are helpful in tailoring dishes to the customers' tastes. Definitely one of go-to places!! read more

Moving back home made me realize how much I miss roots. Dying to get another yummy bowl!