I've been ordering take out from LR for some time. Â I assumed it was a soup, sandwich and salad bistro. Â We decided to eat in their restaurant last evening and were amazed at how much flavor was in each and every bite we took. Â The portabello
mushroom appetizer was amazingly good. Â My salmon was delicious as was my partner's steak. Â Even the blueberry crepe was bursting with flavor. Â Who would have thought to combine blue cheese with blueberries in a crepe!
I can't say enough good things about the place. Â We've needed a high quality, affordable neighborhood restaurant for some time. Â Local Root meets that need.
If you want a comfortable atmosphere with great food and drink try this place!
Loved the food, it was amazing! Â Organic as much as possible from the veggies to the meats. Â I loved it. Â I had the small mediterrean salad, it was so delicious. Â The brisket sandwhich was omg delicious. Â I didn't give five stars because the menu was a bit confusing and it seemed a little weird that the chef was so opposed to making any sort of substitution...I don't eat pork, but if they removed the bacon, they wouldn't sub in extra cheese or egg. Â Either way, loved the food, loved the atmosphere!
Review Source:Was happy to find a more sustainable restaurant open up in the old Adesso space in Streeterville. Â And at a block walk from my condo I was really hoping to find another go to restaurant that was a little less expensive than Quay, and a little better food than D4. Â Local Root achieved both these objectives. Â Â
The atmosphere is quaint, especially during breakfast with a coffee and a study break. Â The dining fare has been excellent, including the poutine and mussels and wine, and not nearly as expensive as some equivocal dishes in the city. Â The small space allows significant attention to be payed to you by the staff, but they also know how not to be overbearing. Â
Have been back to LR 3 times now and have not been disappointed. Â I see many more visits in our future.
I like this cafe-restaurant hydrid. It's got the cafe to the right and restaurant to the left. For some reason I expected the place to be more bustling for a Saturday night. But it's in a quiet part of town and the music was a mellow jazz sort.
For a small place, I was impressed with their cocktail list. Several interesting ingredients for your hooch.
Service is friendly and knowledgeable. I insist you get the brussel sprouts! They were out of steak which I was looking forward to having but had the chicken instead. I liked that is was cut up and easy to eat. Could've used more seasoning.
If I am in the area, I'd stop in again.
Love the location and decor but the arrangement and organization of the space lacks direction and purpose. I felt like we were in a Panera.
Service was polite and there was no lack of effort (which is why they get two stars, not one) although additional training would certainly benefit the staff. For instance, empty glasses, bottles, and dishes sat on the table for some time even though servers stopped by to check on us several times; and when they did pick up empties, they would pick up some but overlook the rest. My drink sat empty for one course before I finally asked for another bottle.
On to the food... We started with the duck poutine and scallops. The scallops were fantastic but some of the duck on the poutine was terribly dry. We ordered the blue cheese and mozzarella flatbread and even watched it being made. The crust was fantastic and it was cooked well, but the mix of cheese was very greasy and the crushed red pepper provided on the side wasn't fresh so it wasn't very spicy. In the end, the flatbread was mediocre at best but it does compel me to return just to try the baked goods.
At this point I'm starting to think the cost for this place's gimmicks (i.e. sustainable, farm-to-table, zero waste, etc.) is consistency.
After the second course we went back to looking over the menu. They had a pre-fixe menu the evening we went and for some reason, very few items on the pre-fixe menu appeared on their regular menu. Not wanting to be constrained, we wanted to order a few items from both menus. The chef saw us buried in the menus so he came by to chat. Very polite and nice guy but he was shameless in pushing the pre-fixe entrees so we relented and ordered the flank steak and four cheese ravioli (which he somehow mixed up with the poached salmon when he repeated our order to us). We asked for the steak rare (how we always order our steak) and he suggested we get medium rare because the beef was grass fed. Did this make a difference? Couldn't tell.
The staff was very apologetic when the food arrived which was the only reason we realized how long we had been waiting because we were engrossed in conversation.
The chef said it took him hours on end to make the ravioli but I think he meant cook, because the ravioli were beyond stiff, resembling cardboard.
Dessert was less than inspired and made me rethink returning for their baked goods.
After watching the kitchen staff step outside for several smoke breaks and our waiter put his jacket on and leave for the night, we decided to get up, find someone left on staff, and ask for our check.
Final recommendation: Walk the extra blocks west and find food and service that's actually consistent.
Great food and friendly waitstaff. They also have awesome options when it comes to drinks. We were staying from out of town and we came on a Friday night for a light dinner. We got the stuffed portabella mushroom and the Brussel sprouts in addition to a few drinks. The food was flavorful and reasonably priced. The service was excellent. Our waitress gave us some great tips for finding other gluten free friendly restaurants in the city. Â
I swung by the next day to pick up lattes, and the coffee was great. It was definitely fresh and prepared with care.
Finally, we came by for brunch on a Sunday. My dining partner got the cinnamon french toast, which he devoured. It looked and smelled great, although possibly not the healthiest choice. But who cares. I got, upon suggestion, a breakfast sandwich made with gluten free Udi's bread. Do yourself a favor and opt for ANYTHING else on the menu! Its not the restaurants fault, but Udi's bread isn't really known for its flavor or quality. I ended up eating my eggs and bacon off the bread. It was a very sparse sandwich, and when I looked around at everyone else eating the breakfast sandwiches, theirs looked much more full of the inner workings.
I would still recommend this place to everyone. I wish I had stayed longer to try more of their coffee and food. If I lived in the area, I would for sure be a regular!
After almost passing by this place on the way to the Kingston Mines, i stopped in  for a glass of water to wash down a pill.  What a find. Â
With a local farm fresh menu and an emphasis on modal brewery/dustilleries behind the bar, it fits right in to the trendy organic fad sweeping the nation. Having been raised a vegitarian since birth by Rastafarians that grew their own vvegatables, made goat cheese from the herd, got eggs from the coup each morning and skinned fresh caught fish, I can smell a fake wannabe green restaurant from a light year away. No such odor on this block.
The owner behind the bar was glad to offer me samples to ease my curiosity of the plethora of whiskey and I preferred to go with the last one of 3 that he offered up. Â Ends up, I have good taste.
Tripple Smoke- Cask strength, small batch whiskey is amazing, go figure it's made by the multi award winning distillery, Corsair. Â Which is now one of my favorites. Super nice oakyness and very pleased to have a knowledgable bar keep to talk to.
I can't wait to return
Local Root is exactly what Streeterville has been needing! This is a cozy, indie joint with great food. My husband and I have been here twice - once for dinner, and once for lunch - and both were great experiences. For dinner, we went for the $5 cocktail of the day (a Friday special) and shared a few of the small plates - the autumn beet salad, lamb sausage flatbread, brussel sprouts, and brisket poutine (served over Belgian fries; yum!). We couldn't leave without sampling one of the delicious desserts that passed us, and ended up indulging in both the creme brulee and what was supposed to be one delicious cookie, but turned into two (one snickerdoodle, one chocolate chip) thanks to the generosity of the staff. At $70 for what was by anyone's standards TONS of delicious food between the two of us, we felt like we had a fantastic meal.
When we went back for lunch just yesterday, we split the beet salad and a brisket sandwich on brioche (both without realizing we'd ordered similarly last time we were there... whoops). Thankfully, the food is consistently tasty and we were pleasantly surprised by one of the chefs bringing out a complimentary bowl of spinach soup, topped with shittake mushrooms and creme fraiche; we think they were debuting the soup and wanted our opinion... and we loved it! Next time I'm there I'll definitely order that soup if it's still on the menu (they seem to rotate the menu somewhat, seasonally).
I've also had coffee (and a cookie) here with a friend, and it was the perfect spot for a nice chat, complete with a lot more charm than Starbucks next door.
An extra plus of Local Root is that the staff is friendly, laid-back, and prompt. They also have daily specials (something to the effect of $5 glasses of wine on Mondays, 1/2 price bottles of wine on Tuesdays, $21 pre-fixe meal on Wednesdays, some discounted pastry/coffee combo on Thursdays, $5 cocktail on Fridays, etc.) Anyhow - so happy to see a spot so unique open on an otherwise drab, canned corner of the neighborhood!
WOW! My hubby & I went with couple friends and were amazed. We love the decor, the concept and the people. If you are a foodie and like new amazing places,you must try it. The chef brought us desserts which we talked about for the entire week. They offer locally brewed beers ,fresh food. We are going back for brunch,heard it is amazing. Dozzy ,Isaac are extraordinary people and will keep this place a success!
LOVE IT :)
tried the whole pig brioche for lunch. it is a bit too sweet for my taste and the pork a bit dry as well. This would have been ok if it didn't cost 12 dollars.
Also, can't believe they'd charge $2.70 for a cup of warm milk!!!
the atmosphere is great though, casual neighborhood cafe with very friendly staff.
A-OK for a first visit. We really liked the warm decor and french sax music vibe we were getting, although a hard projection onto the LeftBank in that nice groovy industrial design that we also liked, without some funkier rugs and easy chairs.
We ate early for us on a Saturday night, around 7:15 and did a mix of half salads and appetizers including the lamb sausage flatbread that we really liked, with a cup of lamb chili. We also really liked the brussel sprouts side, suitably undercooked with a little char but found the beet salad reduction too sweet, we could have asked for a lemon to cut it.
Main courses were the steak and fries and salmon and polenta, which we found disappointing, largely because somebody had gotten the Large salt shaker stuck in their hand for EVERYthing, including the salmon, except the polenta (usually cooked in saltish water:).  Again we could  have asked for a lemon to cut it a little but it really was on the edge of WAY too salty for us. Still it was probably a skirt steak and needs a lot of seasoning and everybody else oversalts their frenchfries so why shouldn't they? But we don't want them to.
We look forward to going back, but are going to stick with appetizers and small plates. Decent by the glass wines, we were red that night and the Pinot was the winner.
Interested busy young help was very helpful and we managed to mess up their bill, as did they, when we switched to some half plates, and they made it all right no problem.
There are many interesting fun recycled touches like your bill being served in an old Oster-Blender cook book that your grandma left you, retro china, Â and a fun old recycled candles in the bathrooms.
Saw some fantastic looking pastries and scones as we were leaving so this would be a great spot for some early morning coffee.
A-OK. Try it. Support them.
I love this place! My partner lives across the street and this is one of the few places in this touristic area of Chicago that has affordable (but not cheap) high quality food. I love the emphasis on local ingredients. I would describe the food as French Canadian inspired. Go for the soups, sandwiches and salads, you will not regret. The place is cozy, it has a feel between a coffee place and a restaurant.
Review Source:It's funny how even the bad reviews of this place talk about how AMAZING the food is. I think if you go anywhere more than 10 times and 9 are amazing, a one star rating might be a bit harsh. I've been here a few times since it opened and without fail, it was the highlight of my week. No one in my group has ever had anything but great things to say about the sandwiches. I'm also a HUGE fan of the fries. You're not going to pay fast food prices, but you're not going to feel like you're eating fast food, either. At the end of the day, I will return every chance I get.
Review Source:I was there on 1/6/13 for coffee and didn't try the food, though I was tempted to the more I smelled what they were cooking up. Â I was meeting my friend for coffee and found the interior to be cozy, casual, and comfortable. Â The conversation was great, and so was the service. Â We were attended to even though we were both low-maintenance customers, being offered food, water, etc in a very unobtrusive way. Â I felt cared for by the staff who was warm and eager to serve. Â I'll certainly be back when I need a chill place to read, study or catch up with friends- I can't wait to come back and try some of the food as well!
Review Source:Excellent place for a local bite. I've been several times and enjoyed all of the experiences. They are exceptionally receptive to feedback, and seem to genuinely want to create a welcoming place in the neighborhood. Though their coffee and sandwiches to go are good, I find their playful menu most interesting. Try the dessert poutine. It seems weird to have french fries with ice cream, but I like the contrast.
Review Source:My fiance and I have been to Local Root close over 10 times since it opened. Â When the food is good, it's REALLY good. Unfortunately, the quality is inconsistent and their service is usually pretty....well, bad.
What we love: the cheese plate, the fries (I refuse to call them "frites"...c'mon), and the chocolate chip cookies are pretty amazing.
When it comes to service, we've encountered several problems. We generally order their food to go and every time we walk in to order, we have the same guy who does not know their menu. It's a small menu as is and it shouldn't be so difficult to order a cheese plate. I generally order the same few things and sometimes something will be AMAZING and then the next time, it will be terrible. I feel like their staff just "wings" it when it comes to some of their dishes. The flat breads frequently come in varying sizes despite the fact that I was never asked what size I want. One night my flatbread will be 12 inches and the next night only 6. Ridiculous.
The last two times I have been there are what have compelled me to write this review. Â Two weeks ago I stopped in to order some to-go food and the man taking my order didn't know how to enter in the cheese plate. Instead of politely excusing himself to get help, he looked at me and said, "I can't do this. It's not you, it's me. Someone else will take care of you." UMMMMM....did he just break up with me?!?!? It was baffling. Another guy came to take care of me and everything was fine after that but wow.
Last night, I stopped in to LR at 8:30pm to grab some food. Specifically, I wanted 2 of their cheese plates and soup. Simple enough, right? Apparently not. They were closing early b/c they didn't have customers. Well, weird.... pretty sure I was about to spend some $$$, doesn't that make me a customer?? They said they would take a to-go order which was great since that is all I wanted. I started my order asking for the soup and then the cheese plate. I was promptly informed that they couldn't do the cheese plate because their sous chef had left for the night. Again, baffled! I then said, and this is a once in a life time question, "Can you not cut the cheese yourself?" The guy went to talk to someone else who worked there and then came back to tell me they could not prepare the cheese plate for me. Whatever. I left. I'll take my $50 and run.
As I first mentioned, when the food is good, it's really good, I just don't know if I'm going to risk going there again. I don't want to worry about inconsistent quality or having them close early without clearly posting it somewhere outside. Of course, I do welcome the opportunity to ask about cutting the cheese again, but even that doesn't make it worth it.
Flabbergastion abounds by the 3.5 stars. I really loved this place and, frankly, couldn't stay away. We we were staying in a hotel just around the corner so I walked by frequently enough as it was. Our first evening there, we walked in, and were seated in comfy chairs by the windows. Only 1 or 2 other tables in the whole place were occupied. I ordered a glass of wine, which they were out of, but asked if I wouldn't mind a different wine, a more expensive one, for the same price. Sounds good to me. Then we ordered the beet salad with goat cheese. Amazing and/but simple. We each ordered the vegetable flatbread. Amazing fresh veggies and really delicious crust. They really did a great job with this.
Our 10 month old daughter was with us at the table so every employee, from the hostess to the sous chef, came over to our table to meet her and even prepared a special fruit plate for her, gratis. Baby-bite-sized pieces of blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, honeydew, elegantly arranged in a bowl. Service was really spectacular.
I couldn't get this place out of my mind so I went back to try the champagne chicken sandwich I saw on the menu for lunch a few days later. Best. Sandwich. Ever. Full disclosure, I have been vegetarian for years now and cannot remember the last chicken sandwich I ate so it was a real treat and worth every bit of falling off the wagon. I also ordered a "chocolate kiss latte" because, how could I not.
It was definitely more crowded at lunch, which makes sense, as this whole area seems pretty desolate at night. Everyone I spoke with there was friendly and helpful.
Looking forward to my next trip to Chicago for my next champagne chicken sandwich!
First the disclaimer: I've carried out of Local Root on a couple occasions and the food was really good. Eggs benedict, farm salad, and bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.
Fast forward to New Year's Day, 2013. Phoned in an order for carryout of bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and bacon, egg, and cheese platter. They stated that breakfast would not be served until 11am...OK, fine, it's New Year's Day. We asked if we could pickup shortly thereafter. They said yes.
Now to the awful food and my theory as to what the restaurant did to complete our order. Clearly someone pissed off about working on New Year's Day or simply angry with their rotten life went to McDonald's and ordered eggs and bacon and threw it in a to go box.
The description on the menu for Bacon Egg Cheese sandwich reads Wisconsin Bacon, Organic Eggs, and Wisconsin White Cheddar.
1. Bacon was limp and greasy unlike the crisp, thick cut of bacon I had on previous visits
2. Eggs were rubbery, tasteless, and in the form of a microwavable egg patty served at a variety of fast food joints (like the one about a block north with the Big Golden Arches, hint, hint...) unlike the homemade scrambled eggs mixed with cheese and piled high on my sandwich once before.
3. Diced potatos came from Local Root, but cleary lacked the seasoning and finely chopped onion with which they used to be served.
4. Ciabatta bread was also good and most likely came from the restaurant.
Description on Bacon Egg Cheese breakfast platter reads Wisconsin Bacon, Eggs, and Veg scrambled with white cheddar. It was none of those things. Again, yellow, rubbery, tasteless eggs with greasy flaccid bacon and plain potatos.
Steer clear of this place...unless you don't mind paying $18.00 for a McDonald's sandwich and platter!
Local Root is a real solid spot in the Streeterville neighborhood that is seriously lacking variety and local/organic options. Â A smaller menu with items like Poutine that are only served after 5pm (haven't tried it yet) but the breakfast and lunch items are pretty good. Â I think the breakfast sandwiches could have a bit more seasoning but it's freshly prepared and pretty tasty, all on a freshly baked ciabatta roll. Â It's nice to see that LR now gives you the option of the frites with your breakfast sandwich, rather than stuffing them in your bag and forcing you to eat these delicious things. Â They lowered the price of just the sandwich accordingly.
Prices are a bit high but to be expected for eating local and organic and for the neighborhood. I still think $15 for a duck confit sandwich and side is too much, but it is what it is.
I've yet to do dinner here or drinks at the bar but it's such a nice option for the neighborhood. Â I finally have a spot close to work that I can eat a sit-down lunch or dinner or even get happy hour drinks. I'm tired of the same chain spots and Tommy O'Tooles.
I'm also happy to see that they serve some of the best coffee, Chicago's own Intelligentsia. Â The uncooked pasta as coffee mixers is a nice and unique environmentally friendly alternative to plastic or wood stirrers.
Overall, the food I had was pretty good. Duck confit was great and so was the pulled pork. Fries are great, locally made ketsup is a nice alternative to Heinz and LR has the best damn chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. PERIOD. They usually have fresh samples in the morning which is a great treat with my coffee.
I'll definitely continue to support LR and hope they expand the menu a bit. Â I'm looking forward to trying the dinner items and having a cocktail or beer at the bar.
Just slapping some stuff between two pieces of bread does not make a sandwich. Maybe some of the sandwiches are good but the vegetarian brioche offering (chickpeas and eggplant) is totally uninspired. You pick it up and all of the ingredients start to fall out. These ingredients would be much better suited for a wrap. If you wanted to use your brioche bread, that's fine, just figure out some fillings that will actually work given that. The fillings were pretty sparse as well which was unfortunate given how much you're paying for it.
Review Source:I will not be returning to Local Root.
I was surprised by the lack of vegetarian sandwiches here, but as I wanted a sandwich and not a salad I chose the only option, which was a portobello sandwich with strawberry jam and hummus. I was hesitant because I would not think to mix jam and hummus on a sandwich, especially with portobellos, but I'm usually up for trying any flavor combination if the chef recommends it.
Big mistake. It should have been named the strawberry jam sandwich. The jam was so copious and overwhelming that I couldn't taste anything else on the sandwich. The portobellos were not just cold, but so cold they hurt my teeth (and I don't have sensitive teeth). I actually set the sandwich down because I couldn't eat it. Then I realized that I wouldn't have time to go elsewhere so I removed the top portion of the baguette with the jam on it and ate the bottom portion with the portobello and hummus as an open-faced sandwich. It still wasn't good, but it helped. There was only hummus on one quarter of the sandwich-- half of the bottom half. It's too bad, because had this sandwich just be hummus and a baguette it would have been good. But for $12, that would be one expensive round of bread and hummus.
My significant other ordered the turkey sandwich, which he said was okay, but again, for $12 a sandwich should at least be good, if not great. Potbelly makes great sandwiches for under $6 and is just west of here. I would recommend saving your money and palette and eating anywhere but here.
I have to admit that I was stalking this place all summer with high hopes. I was initially a little disappointed because I wanted it to be a healthy version of the other fast-food Streeterville lunch spots, but the prices are significantly higher. HOWEVER, if you plan it well, then this place is a real gem. If you're looking for a quick lunch, know that your options under $10 will be limited, but go ahead and get the Champagne chicken brioche sandwich and then try to tell me you'd rather save a couple bucks by eating another panini or burrito bowl. If you go for brunch, expect to see smaller serving sizes than Yolk, but a much calmer experience and fun flavor combinations like the bleu cheese and blueberry french toast. If it's date night, then get excited for fancy dishes like pheasant or Moules frites with wine sauce, at prices that are very reasonable.
The service is generally very friendly, although sometimes slightly awkward, which I would attribute to either the slightly kitschy flavor (checks delivered in a used book, vintage unmatched dishes, etc.) or the newness. I've always been happy I came, but I know others are picky about such things.
I had dinner at Local Root last night with my parents, while visiting for Thanksgiving. Â I know that in Illinois it can sometimes be difficult to source local ingredients in the winter months, so I'm always keen to try restaurants that make that a focus.
For dinner, I had the "poutine" with bacon and caramel, the BBQ pork sandwich, and an apple pie-based cocktail. Â I thought that everything was excellent, and I will definitely be coming back next time I'm in town.
While the service was not the most efficient I've ever seen, the waitress was very friendly, the food didn't take long to come out, and they were happy to substitute the fries with my sandwich for a side salad instead.
The flatbread pizzas and charcuterie plates that the neighbouring tables had also looked really appetising, though I can't comment on how they tasted, since I didn't steal any! Â At any rate, I'd highly recommend that you try this place!
Great place - The boyfriend and I have ordered take out from this place a few times and we really enjoy the food. Â It is hearty and filing, and fairly healthy! Â My personal favorites are the Beef Brisket Brioche hot sandwich with frites and the homemade chili! Â Pretty delish! Â Haven't stopped her for brunch but will soon.
Review Source:Stopped by for a late lunch/early dinner Saturday and really enjoyed Local Root. Â The space is really cozy and the food was very tasty.
We started with the bacon and caramel poutine. Â Great combo! Â It was more like dessert than a starter, which is perfectly fine with me! Â I had the duck confit brioche with was chock-full of duck and topped with gruyere and this really tasty roasted aioli. Â If you're not a fan of duck, this isn't for you, it's really duck-y. Â I enjoyed it though. Â Only suggestion is to add some flavor to the duck while cooking. Â The toppings were great, but the duck itself was pretty plain. Â My friend had the brisket brioche and enjoyed it. Â I thought it was on the dry side, but he had no complaints. Â
Sadly, I did not try the drinks, but they had a good list of craft spirit cocktails, craft beer and some wines I had never heard of. Â I'll booze it up next time!
Service was good overall, but they were over-aggressive when trying to take away my plate. Â I was mid-fork jab of the last fry and they asked if they could take the plate away. Â Umm, no, MY FORK IS LITERALLY TOUCHING THE PLATE! Â I'll be damned if they rob me of the laste tasty fry! Â Otherwise, friendly and efficient.
TIP: If you start with the poutine, see if they have a salad instead of fries with the sandwiches. Â It's kind of french fry overload.
This place is a really nice addition to the area...at least for brunch. I have not checked out their lunch/dinner menu yet.
Those times i came for brunch, i always left with wonders on what go into their baked goods that make them sooooo good and delicious!
I love quiche, and i especially love their quiche, which was delightfully light, and soft, custard-like.
Their pulled pork benedict was really flavorful.
The lamb sausages and egg sandwiches was well assembled and tasty, though I didn't expect the eggs scrambled with the sausages.
And i thought their prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you got, again, for brunch.
I hope they stay open. This area needs some new affordable tasty addition that are not chains!
This place brightened up my morning today!!!!
I first visited this place when they first opened and had their Duck Confit Brioche... OMG!!! One of the best duck dishes I have ever had... trust me I am very very hard to please... I've had duck from 20 different places and this is the second place that I think does an awesome job!
Today they put a smile on my face with their Lamb Egg and Cheese breakfast sandwich and Intelligentsia coffee. The fresh ciabatta was SOOOO GOOD!!!....Plus I had to grab a freshly baked Oatmeal cookie after reading multiple posts on FB... Wow! I've never been happier after eating breakfast.
I'm 99% sure that I will up my rating after I try their Brisket for dinner soon!
Recently had lunch with some co-workers. Refreshing business model compared to the typical downtown Chipolte / Jimmy Johns options. If you are going to spend $10.00 on a sandwich why not give it to a local & sustainable restaurant?
I went for the Duck Confit Brioche. It was delicious. Also has a great beer section. Yes, I may have had a pseudo liquid lunch.
Really pricey for what everyone else across the street is selling.
But the few dishes I had there were in the just ok zone; nothing that tasteful and rememberable. Â This is a last resort spot on snowy, rainy, extreme cold days.
Why buy coffee here and Starbucks is next door for a $2 Grande of coffee of the day.
We will see how long they stay in the neighbor hood since several business have come and gone to the spot Local Root occupay.
I like this place. Â Good food , great concepts and good looking waitresses.
I'll admit that i'm picky about where I eat and spend my money. Yes, they still have a few kinks to work out like any new bushiness .The hearty portions, flatbreads , Intelligentsia coffee and bright friendly servers more than make up for it . My server Tiffiny was so nice to my elderly father with dementia and to my bratty kid that was up wayyyy to late. She recommended an Old fashioned for me (I needed it that night) , a Poutine french fry concoction for the kid to keep his hands busy and a nice soft soup for granddad. I loved the way she was a good sport when my father called her Angie, told her about is navy days when when he met other "colored girls" (I'm sooooo sorry for that), asked her if she knew Oprah and tried to touch her breast when she was refilling water glasses( Again, so sorry)
She dealt with him in a classy professional way. Very impressed. I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out . Â There aren't many places that I can take him. Â Dementia , ya know.
You've got a customer for life. Â Next time ill bring in co workers instead of my crazy family.
A friend recommended Local Root and I checked out the website before heading in for lunch. As a self-proclaimed "whole foodie," it was refreshing to read their story and outlook on food - this part especially: "The century old fad of industrial food is reaching its end and it is time to go back to community. We must eat sustainably, live with the Earth, and embrace the seasons."
The staff went out of their way to be friendly from the second I walked in. They have almond milk (!!) so I ordered a latte and sat down. Louis came over to bring me some water, request any feedback, and overall make the experience very personable. After a while, I ordered a brisket sandwich complete with their still warm, homemade bread and a side salad with fries. Even the ketchup lacked any form of corn syrup or anything hydrogenated or fake. A friend met up and when we asked for another plate, they brought it to us right away, and warm. I do love the little things.
Because of the junk I figure I escaped with no fake stuff, I indulged in the BEST chocolate chip cookie I've had in a while...and left completely fulfilled.
Overall:
*Food was amazing...from latte to lunch to dessert
*...and served so quickly
*Felt no rush staying a while
*Salads etc. priced a couple/few dollars more than Panera, etc.
*...completely worth it for all of the above
Already plotting my return.
After giving Local Root a third try, thought I'd weigh in good, bad, ugly style...
The good
- sustainable, natural, ecofriendly interior
- service is thoughtfully friendly
- armchairs are made for settling in for a nice cup of coffee/tea/cocoa
- hot cocoa tantalizes: dressed in fluffy whip, choco-syrup, and powder-spices
- Ronny, ze bartender was super friendly, personally came over to deliver her drink and even asked for my friend's input
The bad
- confusion! I guess they did away with the numbering system? Upon entering, you automatically drift over to the counter but if you're dining in, they seat you with full service. I preferred the seat-yourself casualness; however if I just wanted to sit with my drink, I suppose you'll have to compete for seats with other diners.
The ugly
- duck confit sandwich: decent but pricey! price tag makes it a one-time order
- could frites be ugly? curled in every which way but soft on the inside. Yum.
- me after a pulled pig sandwich: crazy carnage! could only handle half.
LR gets a solid three-stars for now. We were told that they have a weekend brunch service, might be worth checking out on my fourth visit.
Before I get started, I want to add that I will probably change my rating after visiting this place a few more times. Â It just opened, so I figure the place is still figuring stuff out.
The space is nice. Â It has a nice, open layout. Â They have a bar in the back, which was a nice surprise. Â The staff seemed really nice. Â I do think they should have the staff write down orders instead of memorize them, because our order was slightly messed up. Â Also, I saw another table have issues with their orders being taken too.
The menu had lots of tasty options, but I noticed that there is no cohesion between all their menus. Â Some have different pricing (or none at all), others have different menu descriptions.
My wife and I had the gazpacho and Montreal poutine. Â The gazpacho was excellent. Â It was served with bread, which was good, just a little hard. Â It would be nice if they served warm bread with the soup.
The poutine wasn't bad, but it needs a bit of tweaking. Â First off, they really shouldn't charge so much for it. Â I feel like it shouldn't cost more than $7, because it is a cheap comfort food to make. Â Also, I wish the cheese on the poutine was a little softer (but not melted). Â It was basically hard clumps of cheese on the fries. Â The gravy was excellent though, as were the fries, which were perfectly crisp. Â They should consider serving the dish in more of a bowl than a a plate to be more authentic. Â Oh, I should add that the poutine should be served throughout the day. Â They only serve it in the evening.
In conclusion, I really hope this place does well. Â It has so much potential. Â The staff seems motivated. Â The manager (or maybe owner?) Â even came to our table to ask how our meal was. Â It is exciting to have such a unique place in our neighborhood, which doesn't have many great food options for being such a densely populated area. Â As I pointed out earlier, I think this place does charge a bit much for what they serve. Â I definitely plan to check the place out again. Â They will get better.
Quick read?
- Atmosphere is open, making it a great place for a casual meal
- Staff is friendly, and the kitchen is open to see
- Breakfast is great, good portions + value, good Intelligentsia coffee
- Lamb sausage is tasty and well-balanced with other ingredients
- Frites are excellent (I can't wait to try the poutine)
Local Root opened just this past week, and we stopped by this morning to pick up some breakfast and some coffee. The space is excellent, with nice high ceilings, an open kitchen (through which we saw them baking more biscuits and baguettes for the day), and nice big windows.
My girlfriend and I both got variations of their lamb sausage with goat cheese breakfast. It came out in a reasonable amount of time, with pleasant, attentive service. The sausage came cooked together with eggs and zucchini, and the taste was perfectly balanced. With most ordinary breakfasts, the egg can drown out the rest of the ingredients, leaving you with the sensation of eating plain scrambled eggs. This is definitely not the case with Local Root, with the lamb sausage coming through subtly together with the lightness of the zucchini.
The breakfast also came with excellent fries (frites), cooked to a perfect crisp and seasoned with kosher salt. I ordered the plate, which came with a biscuit and some excellent tart cherry jam. My girlfriend ordered the sandwich, which was almost the same idea, only with the egg/sausage/zucchini plated onto the biscuit. (One note, the biscuit is more of a ciabatta roll, which is much healthier and offers a cleaner taste than your traditional biscuit).
The portion was plenty for a good breakfast, and together with coffee came to less than $20 for the two of us. They serve good Intelligentsia coffee, although it is not single-cup brewed. I was impressed with the flavor they were able to coax out of a normal drip brew, although I failed to notice that they do have a french press option. That being said, I have no complaints about the freshness of the coffee (and considering the only alternatives are Metropolis at Yolk (brewed the same way) and Starbucks, Local Root is filling a long-standing hole in the Streeterville area).
Ultimately, a great start for Local Root. I'm hoping they keep up the quality and the service, and will be heading back soon!
Anyone who works or lives in Streeterville can probably agree that the lunch options are more than a little lacking. Â
Enter: Local Root. Â Sigh no more, friends. Â
Went there earlier this week, had the duck confit on brioche. Â Beautiful, tender, flavorful.. Â but the price tag made me cringe (14.49 + tax for an average sized sandwich with a half side salad, around $17 with a small tip). Â Still, worth the splurge as I am a big fan of organic foods in general, and ducks in particular. Â The brioche was also the tastiest bread I've eaten in recent memory.
I just polished off an amazing prosciutto baguette with pickled onions and chevre ($12.49). Â And they were giving away free fries today. Â Holla. Â I don't even usually care for fries, so the fact that I snarfed them down in a matter of minutes and literally did the 'tip the bag into your mouth to catch the crumbs' routine should tell you something. Â Also, if cuteness and eco-friendliness sell you, the fries come packaged in a cute little newspaper packet and they seem to be all about sustainability. Â Schwing. Â
Prices may continue to elicit a wince from me, but there's not going to be much of a contest for lunch any longer. Â Can't wait to check out their cocktail hour/dinner menu, but if it's as tasty as I'm expecting there's a good chance I may swoon.. and/or propose to one of the chefs or bartenders.
Great food!!! I had the bacon & caramel poutines and champagne chicken brioche, it was awesome. Like the other reviewer said, best fries I ever had. There local, sugar cane soda is also amazing. They were out of some of the menu items when I went but I'll assume it was because they just opened. The ambiance is also wonderful but their waiters can use a little training.
I have to try them for breakfast still because my friend went this morning and said the latte was delicious as was the croissant. They must've lowered their prices (another review said it was expensive) because she said it was reasonable for organic, fresh baked food.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
