Super cool place I really enjoyed the food and the vibe here. Life time meat eater trying out the vegan way and this was a great start. Will become a regular here plus the downtown area is pretty cool. read more

How have I not heard of this place or tried it yet?! I've had this bookmarked for a while and finally got the chance to check this place out...twice within a month haha. I've got their cobb salad both times because...I clearly did not get enough the first time around. The portion was pretty decent and the service through the line was fast. Staff was friendly and the place was clean. Plenty of seats and it does come and go in waves. The two times I've gone, have had plenty of seats to sit in. I feel like this place is a good mix of CAVA and Mezeh. Price was reasonable and the bowl was filling. You will not leave hungry. Positive experience, I will be coming back! Be sure you know where you're going when driving here to park. Be prepare to parallel park and pay for parking. read more

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Roots Natural Kitchen Ratings: 4.5/5 Food: 4.5/5 - Roots rice with grilled chicken and bbq tofu with potatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, corn and mixed greens is my absolute favorite. I love the El Jefe bowl too if I am just feeling lazy to custom my own bowl. The bowl are good portion size, but varies depending on who's making your bowl. Ingredients are fresh, tasty, and delicious. Always been a fan of Roots since undergrad at UVA, so they will always be my go to spot wherever I'm feeling for a healthy meal and when I visit UVA. Ambiance: 4.5/5 - Clean and cute atmosphere. Love the smell of the grilled chicken as soon as I walk into the restaurant. They have open up some seats now for dine-in, but still very limited though. Price: 4.25/5 - Depending which bowl you get, it can range from $10 to $15. Definitely more expensive than other fast causal chain like Chipotle, CAVA, or Mezeh, but still worth the price. Really do fill you up. Also, download the Thanx app for a $4 off here and there at Roots. Service: 4.75/5 - Amazing service as usual. People working at Roots are always friendly. I think most of the time they are VCU students. Friendly and fast service. Quick grab and go transaction. BLUF: Highly suggested for a healthier meal option. Food is pretty consistent across different locations. Lots of gluten free options too. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Custom Bowl with Grilled Chicken & BBQ Tofu - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

For years I have been a fan of roots, regardless of the absurd pricing. However, when I went to take a bite of my bowl and looked down to see eye balls staring at me, my opinion greatly changed. Not only did I find some sort of critter in my bowl, I have yet to hear any response back from the manager. I am incredibly disappointed and will be telling everyone I know about the horrible service. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Critter inside of my bowl - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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A favorite delivery spot for hospital staff - I always get the Tamari bowl. Full of kale, love the hidden jalapeños, a heap of broccoli with pops of color from crunchy carrots and purple cabbage, generous heap of flavorful tofu, tons of toasted nuts, sweet n tangy dressing. Highly suggested for a healthier lunch option that doesn't compromise flavor. YUM! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Tamari to-go - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Stumbled upon this spot while walking around Richmond. The staff is lovely. Super knowledgeable about the menu and personable. The menu is healthy, lots of options and flavorful. I love that you're able to substitute all things in the bowls and they are very serious about food allergy and food preferences. Portion sizes were huge and they allowed me to sample different sauces and items to see what I wanted. While the decor and space is not glamorous, the food and service makes up for it! read more

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This is another take on the popular make-your-own-bowl meal for quick access to food in large amounts. The salads and the rice bowls have two different sizes, which is what I've always dreamed about having happen. The rice bowls don't take as much room as the salads to have the same caloric content, so I'm glad they got it right! I am not a fan of pick the things someone has pre-made for me in these types of venues, so I appreciate having the make-your-own-bowl option. I tried both a rice bowl and a salad bowl, all veggies. They have the option for grilled mushrooms to be added in, tofu, chicken, etc. The different choices have different prices, which I also appreciate, because mushrooms and tofu don't cost the same as meat, so thanks for helping me save money. The rice options are brown rice and a brown + forbidden/black rice that is gently flavored. Ummm, I went for the Roots rice mix - and it was delicious. I wanted more, but, really, did I need more? The serving of rice in your bowl is more than a normal serving size, and I worry at the caloric cost, but I ate it anyhow, quickly, too. I mixed in my selection of amazing vegetables and a dressing for each bowl. I love that there are roasted beets and sweet potatoes and broccoli, because after that, for an autumn rice bowl, what else do I need? The salad bowls can have kale or Arcadian (mesclun style) mix or spinach (extra), and then, again, mix in your choice of veggies, etc. Avocado is extra x3, but it's avocado, it makes sense. There are also beans and nuts, some dried fruit, etc. Many choices. I like it! The only concern I have is that their restaurant on the wall menu does not explicitly label for you what is gluten or dairy free, which makes a person like me have to ask a lot of questions. They were friendly and happy to answer my questions, but I'm sure they'd rather me just know what I need to know ahead of time to make their lives easier. I'll be back. read more

Really good ingredients and a great spot for a quick bite. I will be coming back. Well done!

Not sure who the guy is with a tattoo on his leg wearing a camo hat , but he took my order and was already putting things in my bowl that I didn't ask for like lettuce I didn't ask for lettuce he just put it in it . ,ask for a protein and he already put chicken in the bowl , what if I didn't want chicken .. wants to be fast and get the job done but didn't even put in the bowl what I wanted .. read more

If you are looking for healthy, quick lunch or dinner option, you have found it. I mean, I drive to RVA just to go here and pick up lunch AND dinner. Totally obsessed. 1. Everything is fresh. The rice is fresh, the topping are fresh, the chicken isn't dry. What more could someone want? 2. Kids eat free. My daughter could pick what she wanted and it's just a kids size portion. Great for kids who don't want to be treated like kids but can't eat an adult size meal. 3. Deliciously flavorful and satisfying. Also, great portion size. I feel like I get my money's worth for sure. 4. The staff at this location always seems happy. We have been in several times and not a grumpy employee in sight. They are also extremely patient while my daughter decides what she wants (I'm a Mayweather girl, it's sooo good). 5. Lots of gluten free options. Or even vegetarian options. Please open a Roots in Virginia Beach. We want you here. read more

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Amazing. Just amazing what these folks do. Clean, tasty and consistent, Roots is possibly the best UberEats I have ever had. If you are getting delivery and want a healthy option, then this is the spot. You MUST get kale as a primary base. From there you can't go wrong. If you are a tofu lover or even on the fence the grilled tofu is also epic. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Like Chipotle, but better. Loved you in Charlottesville. Thank you for coming to RVA. Same El Jefe taste. Shorter line! Great location at Grace/Harrison. read more

Absolutely delicious. Affordable, fresh, and tasty. I had the coco-loco bowl. Staff was kind and courteous. Would go back!

Man, I took a chance with this place with some of the guys from work. I must say I was nervous as heck.... The salad I created was like a cobb salad. And it was simply amazing! All items were fresh, I had the spinach and kale which was a great mix together. The price wasn't too bad for the size of the salad. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I really love Roots. I even asked my friends to just order me a tofu bowl at Roots for my birthday last year. In my opinion, this is one of the best places to eat within walking distance at VCU campus. Roots is basically a salad version of chipotle, and they have so many different ingredient options to choose from. You have the option of ordering a custom bowl or selecting one of their signature bowls listed on the menu. If you're in a hurry, then choosing one of the signature bowls is a great idea. However, I feel like you can't even go wrong with anything here, so if you're going with the custom bowl, then just add what you would like because I'm sure it'll come out surprisingly delicious. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. The bbq tofu and miso tofu here are marinated well and are really flavorful; however, they are grilled kinda dry and a little hard for me. One of the best things about this place is that they shake/mix all of your ingredients together for you before they put it into your bowl, so you don't have to make a mess yourself trying to get everything incorporated together. Definitely recommend trying this place out! read more

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Our office had a lunch catered from here- the food was so good. We had a build your own buffet with a large variety of choices from the menu- yummy sweet potatoes, black beans, corn, bbq tofu, and so much more- and delicious cilantro lime sauce- so very good. read more

This place is as good as it gets. I've gotten to try a bunch of the menu bowls (and a couple of my own creations) through the past few years and I will never get tired of this place! My favorite, and a crowd favorite, is the El Jefe bowl (pro tip -- add the roasted sweet potatoes to this bowl, and it's PERFECT)! They've done a great job for take out during COVID-19 as well, making ordering super fast and easy. Even when the place is open, the line is always to the door. But, they're super efficient with getting people in and out, making it a great stop for a lunch break or in between classes. The only trouble I've ever had was using their app to order, especially if you are ordering for more than one person at once. Make sure to select how many bowls you want first and then specify toppings for each one (took me and my boyfriend 3-4 times to figure that out!). read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - El Jefe Bowl - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Just moved to area & let me say .. Fav new spot Not only is it delicious but it's fresh! They are a fast working team who greets you as you enter! Due to covid the indoor is closed but the staff still keeps interior clean & everyone is using safety guideline! I was impressed another 2 thumbs up for the delicious food! I ordered the Corner Cobb "twice" i left out the Greek Feta dressing & sub for the vinaigrette Spectacular read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Corner Cobb - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Deliciously fresh salad bowls in downtown Richmond. Located near the undergraduate campus. Currently only taking online and in app orders. The ordering process is quite efficient. The food is fresh delicious and a balance of healthy and hearty. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is one of those places I go to all the time that I forget to actually review it lol but roots is amazing. There's nothing like this in California where I'm from or maybe I'm just ignorant but roots is soooooo good and refreshing. Its supposed to be healthy and while it's nutritious, only warning is to look up nutrition facts and calories if you're on any sort of nutrition restriction like low carb or cal. Must try el jefe!!! They have the lilo for limited time and it's soooo good I hope they consider making it permanent. It's got kale and pineapple with some tropical flavors and chicken!!! read more

I love roots so much! ugh I hate leaving a bad review but this is in hopes that some action really be taken!! I placed an online order at this location and my estimated time was for my meal to be picked up at 12:36. When I entered the building at 12:35 and I noticed about 10 other people standing around out of line waiting for online orders as well, I told the lady I was trying to see if my order was ready to which I was told were working on it but I wasn't even asked for my name yet? as I sat patiently and waited I noticed everybody seemed to be coming in asking about their order but they were just being told the same thing. I sat and waited as probably about 15 costumers came and went through the line, it started to feel like shoot I should ask can I just walk through the line and just tell you what order I had placed? If that's what it takes to get the meal any sooner. It seemed to me as I sat there and watched, no online orders were getting any attention at all! At about 1, about 25 min after my order should've been ready, I finally get my order which ended up both bowls being wrong .. not even remotely close to what I had ordered. They then had me go through the line and tell them the correct way of what was ordered so I do appreciate that but idk hoping some more insight goes into the online ordering, me and many other customers did not seem happy. read more

I love root! I get carryout at least once a week. You get large portions and the price is decent. I love the pesto ceasar bowl, I personally swap out the bulgar for brown rice and the kale for arcadian mix and I get the same order every time! I feel healthy eating it and always full afterward! read more

Much better than your average bowl place. Their variety of options is great, but it's the multitude of flavor profiles you can build that really made me love this place. It's quite the gem, wish I had one near me! read more

These past couple of months I have really been on my meat free flow. The goal being, to see how many days I can go plant based. Three things make dining out while plant based make me question the sustainability of this life. Oftentimes, I find myself hungry while eating and with these meals many times costing more, especially raw food, I feel let down. Third, many of these meals lead me down the deep fried row in pursuit of filling calories. The historical record shows that I have spoken out against "bowls" but my pursuit of meat free fun led me to roots. Me being such a sucker for old buildings that haven't fallen into disrepair meant that I practically swooning as I entered the space. The tiles on the floor, throughout, the old pictures did more for me than any fragrances emanating from the griddle. The menu seemed to be divided evenly between meat and non-meat options. As a lover of BBQ, I got the barbecued tofu with no kinds of customization.* Paying was easy, I even asked for a receipt at the last minute and dude who was handling business on the griddle hooked it up so that I left with a receipt. Cool. But you know what was colder than cool? My bowl was flawless. Eating while watching an empty restaurant fill with families, couples and solo diners I knew that I had to write a Five Star review. Everything tasted amazing. It was satisfying and I was left with enough money to buy more if I wanted to. *I know that many people have problems with soy, for a variety of reasons but I'm not one of them. Much respect to those folks. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Bum! - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Been a long time fan of Roots since they started in Cville and was pretty disappointed tonight by how they messed up and the way it was handled. Ordered an Apollo bowl with chicken as the main protein and instead got miso tofu. When I called to see what could be done about my order, I was told I'd have to go to the store for a fix even though I ordered delivery because I was working. Although I used the Roots app, there wouldn't be any way to either get credit for a future order or get it redelivered because they deliver through a third party. Definitely a big letdown at the nonchalance. read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Absolutely love this place; wish you guys would open up in Fredericksburg, VA ;) The food is so delicious & tastes fresh. Add the chicken to your meal- so juicy & flavorful. Staff is always super nice. read more

The convenience of the app and the quality of the food is worth your bucks. You get a lot of salad and you won't be disappointed

El jefe with the works and bbq tofu, mmh a party In your mouth and just the rite amount of spicy

Made a custom with brown rice, arcadian mix with spinach, onions, tomatoes, corn, lime pickled onions, with cilantro lime/chipotle tabasco. I forgot to added grilled chicken but I was able to try one piece and it was pleasant. My bowl tasted like chipotle honestly but without sour cream. It was pretty good, I added some tabasco which definitely tastes well with the options I have chose above. read more

The bowls are amazing! The flavors are great and the portions are quite big. Highly recommend: * Balboa Bowl * The Southern Bowl read more

I can't believe I have been missing out on this kind of goodness for so long. Out of all the "create your own" style restaurants that humane become super trendy, roots is the winner! I made my own bowl. I mixed all three greens, added brown rice, chick peas, beets (they make beets taste good - idk how, but they do) sweet potato, feta , onions and grilled mushrooms with pesto lime dressing. It's AMAZING! Truly- I'm so impressed because I didn't expect it would be this satisfying. I am excited to be able to go again. I will say parking in the area is a bit rough but worth it. Till next time Roots.... read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Yummy bowl - all veggies no meat - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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There wasn't a time that I visited here where I was disappointed with the food or the service. Located on a busy corner in RVA but well worth the small troubles of having to find parking. I usually go for a vegan build your own option with the bbq tofu. This last time I switched it up and got a classic Caesar with miso tofu (I'm not vegan). It was so freaking delicious. Looking for some greens that will make your heart smile without the guilt? Look no further. read more

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Places like this seem to be popping up all over the place, but Roots is definitely the best bowl spot in the city! They offer a lot more options than Cava or Mezeh and their specialty bowls are pretty diverse and (IMHO) way more delish! They can veganize just about anything on the menu and even offer a separate plant based menu. My favorite is the Tamari bowl. It comes with house made miso tofu, and it's insanely good! I need their secret on how they get the tofu to be so firm, it honestly reminded me of chicken. I'd also highly recommend The Southern bowl. Again the tofu was very flavorful. And we switched it up my doing half tofu/half mushrooms for the protein choice and we weren't disappointed. I can't wait to go back and try more bowls! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - Tamari bowl (front) and The Southern (back) - both made vegan - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Roots is absolutely delicious. I've been a fan for years, since their first spot opened in Charlottesville. The food is always fresh and tasty, and the bowls are a GREAT portion size. I am never left hungry after finishing an El Jefe bowl (which is my absolute favorite to order). I would highly recommend if you're looking for a salad or greens/grains bowl. I usually order pick-up, and my food is always ready when I get there to pick it up. I'd give Roots 10 stars if I could! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - El Jefe - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Small college spot with unique bowls. Heathy and almost to much food. Service good mostly college students.

I heard this place had great began bowls, and I was excited to try it. I met my kids there for lunch and tried the southern bowl, its vegan and had kale, chickpeas, broccoli, tofu, Cheese corn, onions, and roots rice.. I'm not exactly sure what roots rice is..I can tell you it tasted good, but I was caught off guard with my first night. I assumed it was regular soft rice like Im used to but I bit down on a hard piece of rice mixed in with it. It hurt my tooth! Lol.. surprised me because I wasn't expecting it to have hard rice mixed in with it. My daughter is not into alot of stuff in her bowl so she kept it simple with brown rice and chicken. She was happy with hers. I would definitely go back because my bowl was good, I will just get the regular brown rice next time. read more

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Delicious, filling bowls! So vegan friendly and easy to customize all options on their app. I highly recommend the Tamari! Bowls are huge and I got two meals out of it. read more

I was very pleased with my first visit! As mentioned in other my other reviews, customizable bowls are very up and coming lately. I'm glad to add Roots to my list of favorites! Roots offers both custom bowls and preset offerings. I went for a customizable bowl so that I could pick the toppings I liked. I went for a salad and portions left me feeling very full. I appreciated how they tossed the salad for me with my toppings, making it that much easier to see how their flavors work together. The sweet potatoes were seasoned way too sweetly for me, but the chicken and pesto were some of my favorite parts! Since it is near VCU, most people get their meals to-go and dishes are served in disposable bowls. Seating isn't ample, but I also had no trouble finding a place to sit. I look forward to coming back and maybe trying one of the creations that they offer! read more

Easy to order and filling! Two meals in 1 serving. I enjoyed the pesto and my friend got something different so we could try more than one.

Best chicken ever hands down!! Reminds me of a mix between chipotle and cava leaning towards more or The cava side. But it has its own unique twist to it. It's so healthy and refreshing. I like how they mix the bowl Bc I try to do that at home and end up making a mess. New and definitely worth trying! I got el jefe and was able to substitute so do not be afraid to change things up! They are very friendly! read more

Roots Natural Kitchen - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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