The Root Cafe
| Address: | 15118 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107, USA |
| Phone: | +1 216-226-4401 |
| Site: | theroot-cafe.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 6:30AM–9PM 6:30AM–9PM 6:30AM–9PM 6:30AM–9PM 6:30AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 8AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Greg Noble
The Root Cafe is an interesting place. My Fiance recently started working here as a Barista - hopefully this does not skew my review. Root is a Cafe - but its nothing like youre used to. Food: I hope youre not a carnivore... else youll be wondering: "Wheres the beef!?" Root only serves Vegetarian options. Dont worry, though! I am not a Vegetarian and I LOVE Roots food. These are not your bland tastes like grass type Vegetarian options. Each and every entree that I have thoroughly enjoyed at Root is both delicious and nutritious. They have Gluten Free options that are available in most cases for no additional up-charge (i think theyre all free, just not 100% on that). They also have specials almost every day! I really enjoyed the Reuben that used mushrooms instead of Tempeh. That was fantastic. -Tempeh Reuben: My (current) favorite sandwiches. On rye, this sandwich is better than any other reuben I have had. If youre a reuben fan - just try it! -Culture: My fiances favorite sandwich. I am not really a fan of Pesto but this unique sandwich is quite delicious. -Hoffman Bicycle Pizza: Kind of like a culture pizza. Delicious, unique, filling. -String Theory (calzone): SO. Much. CHEESE. -Sweet potatoe fries w/ aoili: These are fantastic. The sauce really makes them! -Burruto: Fantastic! Very filling... Drinks: Fantastic coffee choices. I believe all are fair-trade and local. They do carry Rising Star - Clevelands premier roaster. Right now I am enjoying some of the Costa Rica coffee. Their Baristas know how to properly pull espresso. Dont try to compare Root to *Bux and their burnt beans. Atmosphere: There are so many regular customers that if you, too, are a regular you can really feel like you are family. At times it can be difficult to find a seat. Most customers are kind and will share their table with you. They have paper signs by the espresso machine that you can put out to signify to other customers that they dont mind if you share the table. There are multiple power outlets for laptops and they provide free wifi. They play music loud enough that it doesnt feel creepy but soft enough that you can still have a conversation with your friends. Tuesday: Open Mic Night Thursday: Raw Food Night (5-9pm) Cons: -Sometimes it is hard to find a seat. Ask the employees for help, though. They can usually get you a seat. -Food can take a while to make - but its fresh and made to order so... this really isnt a con? Just relax and wait for your food! -They run out of Kombucha quite regularly. Youre probably not going to Root just for a Kombucha, though. -Drinking their coffee will make it difficult to go to the big name coffee places that just dont have comparable quality.
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Bethany Costilow Baldwin
I begin this review with a confession: I AM THE WORST! Going out to eat with me is like being in a Portlandia sketch: "Im not doing dairy, soy, or wheat these days. And Im really trying to stay away from nuts." "Is that organic? Is it local?" "Do you have a vegan option?" Needless to say, quick-service, grab-and-go dining is a minefield for me. So, Im giving Root Café 5 stars right off the bat for being a place that I can come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and make absolutely ZERO dietary compromises! On a recent trip I sampled a Fig/Orange muffin that, in addition to being DELICIOUS and house-made, was also gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan. The espresso roast I was served from Rising Star (love) was brewed to perfection. It was a perfect breakfast. I have also partaken in their house-made burritos, soup, and hot breakfast options, all of which have been prepared and presented beautifully. Were they the best thing I have ever tasted? Maybe not. But everything was fast, tasty, well-priced, and as healthful/well-sourced as one can dream of in a café service setting. Come here to have a quick snack that you can feel good about. Stay for the bustling energy and distinctive flavor of Lakewood. Thank you, Root Café, for being a haven for the demanding eater! Keep it up!
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Shannon Hernandez
Go for the coffee, not the food or service. Being permaculture and sustainability fans, my fiance & I were lured in by the good intentions of supporting local, organic business and farms. We ordered egg sandwiches from the menu, asked for avocado & tomato added, and paid $2 each for the extras. The sandwiches came out completely different than written on the menu, with onions that werent advertised, and missing greens that were. The avocado was hard. We mentioned this to the staff, who brought the matter to the kitchen, who then brought one sandwich back out and said it was correct, to which we reiterated what the menu said. So they brought it back to the kitchen. The next 2 sandwiches came out basically the same; hard avocado, onions, no greens, and wrong style of egg. Its hard to complain once, let alone twice. .. No one came to check if it was right. Hence the negative review. Coffee was great...
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Jordan Cable
Being a vegetarian my selection of fine foods is limited. Since moving up here Ive tried very few vegan-friendly places. I decided to try this place today on my bike ride and I was not disappointed. This place is amazing. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a café/local eatery but the staff was very friendly, welcoming and courteous. I ordered a hummus wrap and was surprised how massive it was. It was almost too good looking to eat! It was also very filling and had a hard time eating all of it (which isnt a bad thing). All in all, the pricing was spot on. Not too cheap but not expensive in any way - especially if all their dishes are big. I will most definitely be back there!
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Duncan Virostko
The Root is a good place to hold meetings or just plain relax. There Tea is good, decor is excellent, and service is good, but a bit slow. The only real problem is its popularity: it can be crowded at times, and if you have a large group coming this can be a problem. The outlets for laptops are inconveniently located, and the floor needs to be dried more during the winter, when snowy shoes make it very wet. Also watch out: sometimes there will be panhandlers hanging out, waiting to pounce. One of them is a deaf guy who wont leave you alone till you give him money. If you run into him, just make the sign for "No!"
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A Private User
Great cup of coffee. They know their stuff and make a good flavorful cup of coffee but the place is CONSTANTLY filled with people that DONT buy coffee but sit there taking up all the space and it is the high school hangout. Too bad. This place has good internet access great coffee but the clientele ruins this place for me. Nice looking enviroment. seriously throw out the kids. They arent buying anything and they prevent paying customers like me from coming back 1. because they take all the seats unless you get there REALLY early 2. they are disruptive when they DO pack the place. Not buying BEAT IT.
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Brian Mahoney
Dont like the faces in the bathroom, I have mental problems and the faces just give me an idenity complex, couldnt they get more earthy then having a bunch of faces. Some of the faces look like celebritys, if Cleveland is so artistic why have one face look like Eminem and some other faces look like Elliott Smith. It just bothers me I dont mean to have so much hate but it exists. Tried out the open mic night and I was last on the list and some kid stole my pick and I had an tele squire with thin strings and didnt ask for a pick from anyone. I was going to sound bad anyways.
