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Name: Roots Handmade Pizza
Address: 1924 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622
Telephone: (773) 645-4949
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 3.51

Roots Handmade Pizza

1924 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622

(773) 645-4949
Store is closed

Roots Handmade Pizza Menu

Snacks & Salads

Bread Basket

Crudo

Chicken Skins

Duck Rilletes

Smoked Asparagus Salad

Kale Salad

Little Gem Salad

Roasted Eel Panzanella Salad

Bread Basket

Crudo

Chicken Skins

Duck Rilletes

Smoked Asparagus Salad

Kale Salad

Little Gem Salad

Roasted Eel Panzanella Salad
Medium Plates

Moroccan Spiced Mussels

Pig Head Croquette

Orecchiette

Tagliatelle

Pappardelle

Arancini

Moroccan Spiced Mussels

Pig Head Croquette

Orecchiette

Tagliatelle

Pappardelle

Arancini
Large Plates

Seared Walleye

Seared Scallops

Slagel Farms Lamb

Swan Creek Hangar Steak

Duck Two Ways

Half Chicken

Seared Walleye

Seared Scallops

Slagel Farms Lamb

Swan Creek Hangar Steak

Duck Two Ways

Half Chicken
After Dinner

Plum

Plum

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Carrot

Carrot

Beignets

Beignets

S'Mores

S'Mores

Plum

Plum

Rhubarb

Rhubarb

Carrot

Carrot

Beignets

Beignets

S'Mores

S'Mores
Hot Beverages $8

French Press Coffee For Two

Tex's Hot Cocoa

French Press Coffee For Two

Tex's Hot Cocoa
Specialty Cocktails $11

Vodka

Gin

Aquavit

Rum

Tequila

Rye

Vodka

Gin

Aquavit

Rum

Tequila

Rye
Sparkling & Ros?

'10 Mont Marcal

NV Bele Casel

'13 Elio Perrone

'13 Domaine De La Chanteleuserie

'10 Mont Marcal

NV Bele Casel

'13 Elio Perrone

'13 Domaine De La Chanteleuserie
White

'12 Muros Antigos

'12 Palmina

'12 Le Vigne Di Zamo

'10 Grant Family

'10 Argot

'11 Hovel

'12 Muros Antigos

'12 Palmina

'12 Le Vigne Di Zamo

'10 Grant Family

'10 Argot

'11 Hovel
Red

'12 Santa Barbara Winery

'12 Domaine Pere Caboche

'12 La Fraghe

'11 Blau Can Blau

'09 Quinta Portal Colheita

'10 Hermanos

''10 Jason Stephens

'12 Santa Barbara Winery

'12 Domaine Pere Caboche

'12 La Fraghe

'11 Blau Can Blau

'09 Quinta Portal Colheita

'10 Hermanos

''10 Jason Stephens

Healthy Meal suggestions for Roots Handmade Pizza

Snacks & Salads

Bread Basket [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crudo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Skins [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Duck Rilletes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Asparagus Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kale Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Little Gem Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Eel Panzanella Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bread Basket [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Crudo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Chicken Skins [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Duck Rilletes [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Smoked Asparagus Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Kale Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Little Gem Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Eel Panzanella Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Medium Plates

Moroccan Spiced Mussels [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pig Head Croquette [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orecchiette [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tagliatelle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pappardelle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arancini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Moroccan Spiced Mussels [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pig Head Croquette [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Orecchiette [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tagliatelle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pappardelle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Arancini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Large Plates

Seared Walleye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seared Scallops [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Slagel Farms Lamb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Swan Creek Hangar Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Duck Two Ways [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Half Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seared Walleye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Seared Scallops [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Slagel Farms Lamb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Swan Creek Hangar Steak [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Duck Two Ways [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Half Chicken [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
After Dinner

Plum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rhubarb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rhubarb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carrot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carrot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

S'Mores [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

S'Mores [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Plum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rhubarb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rhubarb [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carrot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Carrot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Beignets [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

S'Mores [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

S'Mores [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Hot Beverages $8

French Press Coffee For Two [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tex's Hot Cocoa [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

French Press Coffee For Two [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tex's Hot Cocoa [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Specialty Cocktails $11

Vodka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Gin [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Aquavit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tequila [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Vodka [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Gin [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Aquavit [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rum [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Tequila [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Rye [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Sparkling & Ros?

'10 Mont Marcal [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

NV Bele Casel [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'13 Elio Perrone [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'13 Domaine De La Chanteleuserie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Mont Marcal [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

NV Bele Casel [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'13 Elio Perrone [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'13 Domaine De La Chanteleuserie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
White

'12 Muros Antigos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Palmina [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Le Vigne Di Zamo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Grant Family [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Argot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'11 Hovel [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Muros Antigos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Palmina [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Le Vigne Di Zamo [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Grant Family [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Argot [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'11 Hovel [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Red

'12 Santa Barbara Winery [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Domaine Pere Caboche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 La Fraghe [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'11 Blau Can Blau [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'09 Quinta Portal Colheita [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Hermanos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

''10 Jason Stephens [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Santa Barbara Winery [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 Domaine Pere Caboche [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'12 La Fraghe [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'11 Blau Can Blau [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'09 Quinta Portal Colheita [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

'10 Hermanos [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

''10 Jason Stephens [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Diana R.

I was invited here by a friend and told it was the best pizza he's had in Chicago. Bar was set pretty high and the pizza did not disappoint! Medley of ingredients in the cheese and fact that cheese is sprinkled on last reminds me of pizza as a kid. It has a certain taste to it that gives it a hint of nostalgia. It's the way pizza used to taste...perhaps more real, made with better quality ingredients? We had half pepperoni and half sausage. Both were tasty, but the sausage is really somethin' special. Again, perhaps a blend of spices that makes the sausage stick out to me? But....the crust. So good. I specifically said before ordering the pizza that I did not want to eat a lot, but this crust was seriously delicious...a bit sweet, soft and irresistible. (According to their website, malt crust. om nom nom) Extensive drink menu includes a million and one craft beers from the midwest U.S. Not a beer connoisseur, but definitely like to try new ones when I can and stay away from Miller Lite. Server was full of info about the beers as well as suggestions. Long story short: I ate half of a large pizza. The only reason it's 4 stars is because the restaurant was SO COLD.
(4)
Eric S.

This place easily can become your home away from home if you're new to the neighborhood. Their build-a-salad is awesome. I find my way there weekly and usually more than once. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Big John is a real hoot. Ya, I said hoot. Only complaint is Jameson is $7 a shot I think....that's just robbery.
(5)
Julie A.

Ok, first time was great timing, second time was lousy. It's crazy expensive and the service is severely lacking. And like many other people, we got seated in the kid's area. Which I'm happy they have, I'm glad I can bring my nephews there, but seriously, it was hella loud and I so wasn't in the mood for it. The service was SO SLOW, salad came after pizza, yada yada. And again, so so so expensive!
(3)
betsy b.

Wow, I'm actually really surprised at all the bad reviews on here. I was very hesitant to try this place....what the hell is quad cities pizza anyway!? But, it's awesome. It's different and I like that. It's sweeter and Roots has many topping options that most places don't. I love the roasted red peppers and creamed spinach...the sausage is great too...it's nice and crumbly instead of big honker pieces which I'm not a fan of. The mozz sticks are to die for. The first time I came here they had a special of fried jalapeno slices...I really wish they'd bring those back. The beer list is great too...it's all Midwestern brews and there's something for everyone. If you have kids this is easily one of the most kid friendly places I've been to since becoming a mom. They bring out pizza dough to play with, they have actual sippy cups, there's a window to watch the kitchen and the servers have all been super friendly and never annoyed that my kid throws obscene amounts of food on the floor. There's a back room where it seems most families sit on weekend nights and I'm ok with that. Doesn't hurt that you can get cake balls next door after dinner....yum!
(5)
Christopher P.

Love this place. I've become slightly addicted to their crust. The touch of malt makes it. The Green Goddess salad is great. Get a little extra dressing for your crust. You'll thank me. The lollipop wings are rockin' too. I've been ordering from here at least twice a month for the past 4 or 5 months and they never disappoint.
(4)
Sabrina F.

Hard, dry crust. Freezer-burn-tasting cheese. And sad, sad toppings that likely came out of a can. "Handmade" garbage if you ask me. Giving them 2 stars only because they had some decent beers.
(2)
Kelley C.

Maybe I don't like this place because i never developed a taste for cafeteria pizza in high school. Who knows. The rest of the place is fine, and I love this restaurant group...but Chicago has enough mediocre pizza....it doesn't need more.
(3)
Amy C.

I really like this place! Great atmosphere, food and drinks. I go there often as its close to me and a great crowd. Try the Mozzarella sticks... holy yum. I would give it 5 stars... but I cant... its too expensive! I have a hard time spending $20+ on a pizza. It seems like this is a general sentiment.
(4)
Lois A.

I avoided this place for a long time because televisions in restaurants turn me off. But when Crust closed up shop I came here and discovered that I love this pizza. The sweetness of the sauce and the chewy crust...yum. Plus, the awesome amount of things they have to adorn salads with won me over in a hurry. I've had the make-your-own with corn, avocado, pistachios and green goddess dressing...it was so good I had to have it again and again. Tonight I picked up the Girl and the Goat special pizza they have with goat sausage ragu, sharp cheddar and yuzu maple drizzle. Get it while you can...it is seriously wonderful.
(4)
Christopher F.

Some of the more disappointing and expensive calories I have consumed in awhile. My wife and I almost left when we saw the fairly lame menu but they have some decent craft brews and the better, cheaper, fresher and cleaner Barabari down the street was closed so we went for it. The menu says a small pizza serves 1-2 people which qualifies it as a personal pizza with a few pieces left over, but turns out it is oversized which means they are trying to win on portions but really don't deliver on the idea of what a handmade pizza should be. Unless if by "handmade" they mean that a pair of human hands took the dough out of a wrapper and poured on some freezer burned cheese on top then their pizza qualifies. The promise of a handmade pizza is a small, hand crafted, high quality dish with fresh toppings, not an engorged flavorless mound that I can get everywhere. If I was going for volume I would hit the McDonald's dollar menu. My wife and I ended up with two mostly uneaten pizzas and fairly disappointing salad drenched in dressing. The waiter saw we didn't like the pizza and didn't want the left overs to go and just said, "Oh." and walked away with our $70. The food isn't awful, it's just not good which makes it totally not worth the price. They do have nice seating outdoors and some very comfortable window seats but so not worth it. Anyway, back to the gym to win back those squandered calorie credits. Note: I feel like I am on a negative review streak so maybe Mercury is in retrograde and I am just being overly picky but I have been feeling pretty good over all so I am going to stand by this review.
(2)
Filiz T.

I looooove Roots!!! Their pizza is like no other pizza you've had before, seriously. First off, it's all handmade and fresh; the crust is so crispy; and the cheese is melted to perfection. Not only that but they have this salad called the Tomato, Avocado, and Mozzarella Salad that I swear is the best salad I have EVER eaten! The ingredients are so fresh, and the combination of everything together topped with the cilantro lime dressing is to die for!!! They also have a million craft beers to try if you're a beer person like myself. I could go on and on about this place, so take my word and go see for yourself! I hope your experience will be as good as mine!
(5)
Jen B.

A few friend had less that stellar experiences at Roots, so we were a little reluctant to eat here, but after stopping in for a beer last weekend and seeing that the food looked and smelled good, we went back this weekend for lunch and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is great, all the windows open on a beautiful day, olympics on TV, good tunes playing. We were delighted to find at all the beers are midwest. We ordered the mozzarella sticks to start, but asked what kind of oil they are fried in, as our little guys is allergic to peanut. The waitress double checked for us and said they are normally friend in peanut oil, but that they could make ours in vegetable oil. How nice is that?! They were delicious as well. I have to agree with the other reviews that the salad was probably the highlight of the meal. We had the northlander with blue cheese, candied walnuts and cranberries and it was excellent. We ordered a BLT pizza, and liked it. Definitely different that what you normally get in Chicago, but a change every once in a while is good. I look forward to going back and trying other dishes.
(4)
Michael F.

Most people know more about the four horses of the apocalypse, quad core processors or the game of four square (not the one where you check in on your phone) than they do about the Quad Cities. Upon eating at Roots, I learned that the Quad Cities are comprised of Rock Island, Davenport, Bettendorf, and East Moline. Though these four cities are celebrated at Roots, Wikipedia claims there are actually five, a claim that seems spurious until a further explanation is given, which is mostly that the Quint Cities sounds dumb. I guess Roots feels that Moline can be damned or they wish not to explain how five cities make a quad. I was also surprised that the Quint Cities have their own distinct type of pizza. The difference is the high amount of malt they add to the crust which makes it crispy, like a piece of toast on the outside, but more of a doughy texture on the inside. They also add an entire wheel of cheese to the top. I would say that their pizza is about 8% better than average. Perhaps my biggest disappointments is that their draft beer comes in glasses which are clearly less than 16 ounces and that I did not get to see Alex Haley. Still, there is comfortable seating and the restaurant is huge so it should always be pretty easy to find a table. It's not good enough to drive to Rock Island for, but it's worth the trip to Uke Village.
(3)
Megan G.

I can't believe I'm saying this about a pizza place, but my favorite thing on the menu would be the salads. Either the make your own or the designed ones are great. The pizza is so-so, though I'll admit that I'm an east coast style pizza girl myself, so I'm not as big of a fan of Quad City pizza. The drinks are fairly strong and the bartender is pretty good. Downfall is that the place is very loud and pretty expensive- I live five doors down, and I only tend to go there when I've got a giftcard.
(3)
Tom H.

The pizza is really good. However, their service is awful. Waitstaff is basically untrained. Calling in an order for carryout is a joke....they always put you on hold and the process ends up taking 6-7 minutes every time. C'mon man!
(3)
Brett S.

Pizza is good. Salads are really good. House made mozzarella is super tasty. Pesto dressing in by salad was great. Toppings aren't super fresh but not bad. A little pricey for what it is. Beer selection is vast
(3)
Krista J.

Went here to have their taco pizza after the Chicago's Best episode. I grew up around the Quad Cities and therefore grew up with taco pizza. I was very excited to try it again. The pizza was good. It was pretty much what I would expect a pizza to taste like. We also had the garlic monkey bread. The bread itself was not anything special but the marinara reminded me of home. It also had a great beer list. Although the pizza was enjoyable I would not say it will be a "go to" pizza place for me. I will go again but it does not compare to my two favorite pizza places in the city.
(3)
Ashlee S.

I've been to Roots a number of times and I love it. Generally my boyfriend and I eat here on Monday nights so he can enjoy football on a number of flat screen TVs, and I'm inclined for the Build A Salad option. As a strict herbivore it's nice to have options, like pistachios and beets, for a salad. Needless to say, it's a huge upgrade from the expected house salad other restaurants carry for their vegan/vegetarian customers. The sesame oil vinaigrette is delicious - if you're getting a salad it's a must-have. Roots has plenty of options for everyone, including a taco pizza with Doritos on top, which seems to capture the interest of the friends we bring here. I've also tried a variety of their appetizers (great for sharing) which never disappoint. Our servers at Roots have been friendly, quick to get our drinks, and generally seem like happy people. I appreciate this aspect as I work at a bar/restaurant myself. They have a decent craft beer list. My boyfriend raves about their decision to include Summit EPA in the craft bottle menu, as he is from MN and not many other Chicago bars carry any of Summit's beer. Additionally, Roots has a pleasant atmosphere and is great for bringing out-of-town friends for pizza and drinks. 5 stars!
(5)
Lincoln M.

Cool atmosphere, nice outdoor seating, good drink selection (lots of Midwestern beers). Atmosphere is 5 star, but their pizza is pretty average in my book. Non pizza food is pretty standard fare. Tasty, but nothing to write home about. Def will go back for the atmosphere. Service has always been good when I've been there
(4)
Anand A.

Not a bad place if you are in a pinch and need pizza. Not sure what makes a Quad City pizza, but I think if you have to define pizza by a small region, I think it's a derivative of pizza vs. true Pizza. I view this is puffy bread with toppings that all together resembles pizza but is a bit different. Also, pizza here is expensive. A large veggie pizza was $25 while a small taco Pizza was about 25 as well. Neither pizza was that impressive. I'd rather do Papa John's which is tastier and over 50% cheaper than this place. Mad props on the beer selection!
(2)
Holly O.

I agree that it's a tad pricey, and I will say our server didn't blow me away - but damn. That was a good pizza. Taco Pizza folks, that's where it's at. I Facebooked a photo of it and had friends drooling. Doritos on a pizza? AMAZING! And the yummyness underneath... and little taco sauce packets you could pour on? IN. Great sized space - I ate outdoors and loved it. I could see it being a great afterhours place... Just, like I said, a bit pricey. I would love to come back and have stellar service next time.
(4)
Haley S.

Went here after West Fest. Mainly just reviewing the Mozzarella Sticks, which my friend and I both had and were just as good as reported. I mean, fresh mozz as a mozzarella stick. Worth the hype. My boyfriend had a sausage which came with yummy garlic butter (that I ended up with), that he said was fine. Good beer selection. The pizza wasn't really my thing, but I'm a NYC pizza person, so I have a hard enough time with Chicago Style, let alone Quad City!
(3)
Bruce W.

First the food: It's decent. I've had the taco pizza twice (Sarpino's does it better) salads and hot dogs (both good). But I have to remove all stars, regardless of how the food tastes, because of terrible service. Long story short: You make my pizza, not me. That's why I ordered it. Don't deliver me hamburger pizza and tell me to add the lettuce, tomato, etc on my own to "preserve the integrity of the ingredients." This is crap, make it for me that's why I paid way too much for it ($30!!!). I want it the way it is in the store, when it comes to my door But fine, that's a my preference to have pizza taste and be made correctly when I pay for it. I complained and they graciously comped me another of the same I ordered last night to be made the way I want it. How long does it take to order a pizza at Roots? 29 minutes as I timed it....I'm only talking about the phone call. 16 minutes with a girl that put me on hold 4 times to find a manager and eventually hung up on me. The rest of the time was spent calling back to finish the order, looping back into their VM, putting on hold and hung up on, somebody literally picked up the phone TWICE and hung up on me. Forget this noise. I can order a pizza from 100's of other places in the hood that may cost more but at least they can take my order and work a phone in less than 10 mins. The worst delivery experience (twice over) that I've had in Chicago in the 8 years I've lived here.
(1)
Tim M.

I feel lucky to have this place in my neighborhood. It's nice to have something besides the typical Chicago deep dish pizza place next door. Roots pizza is ridiculously good. Also try their Monkey bread. You won't be disappointed. The beer selection makes me very happy.
(5)
G L.

I am quad cities born and raised. I grew up on this pizza and I know it well. Roots is on the right track, but still off. My main beef is with the taco pizza. It's done wrong as far as taco pizzas go.(see Happy Joes) I agree with the complaints about the cheese tasting sour, or freezer burned, this is true. I guess I'm going to be harder on it since I'm from the QC. Price is definitely a big problem. WAY overpriced. And with so many good pizza places around, roots is just making it harder to go there. I love all the QC stuff, names of pizzas and menu items. But like I said, it's still a bit off. If you ever find yourself in the quad cities ( 2 hours west) seriously, stop in to a sluggers, franks, Harris or happy joes to get a real taste of what QC pizza should be.
(3)
Danielle K.

Sausage pizza was really good. Sausage was small and crumbly in a good way. Had the monkey bread which was nothing special. Went during the afternoon so no problems with service or atmosphere. Would probably try delivery instead of dining in again.
(3)
Rachel F.

Our server Anthony was awesome. He guided my hubby to his favorite beer. I am not supposed to eat pizza (gluten allergy) and the gluten pie hit the spot! I also love that have local partnerships with other restaurants in the neighborhood. We loved the antique taco pie. Thanks Anthony - go hawks!
(4)
Michael G.

The pizza's not bad but nothing special, but the service is BRUTAL TERRIBLE. It took over two hours to make it through a dinner consisting of stuffed artichokes and a BLT pizza. Not even a special order. The waiter would often disappear for 20-30 minutes at a time. Then to add insult to injury, I'd ordered a bourbon on the rocks for a drink. I got charged $8 for the bourbon (Ok, fine) and $1 for the rocks. This place had the gall to charge $1 to water down my drink despite the liberally sized glasses of ice water that were free. Will not be returning.
(1)
Mike L.

The service, food, and atmosphere were all enjoyable during my visit. We had the taco pizza and a few appetizers. Chris, the bartender, also made some great manhattans.
(5)
Mike L.

My son and I dropped in today just after opening time (just to beat any lunchtime rush) and ordered your basic small sausage and cheese sticks, with a coke (all I could afford). Service was friendly and helpful (thanks, Anthony, btw) and the food came out pronto. The sticks were huge, heck, almost like eggs rolls! And the dipping sauce was great too. We really liked the pizza too - the crust was crunchy and firm and you could taste the malt; super-cheesy too. A few small issues: I thought the pizza could use a little more sauce, to keep the cheese in place - we tried picking up a slice and everything started pulling off; we just cut each slice through before separating. The sauce was nice 'n spicy, just a little more of it please. And the sausage itself, I feel, doesn't need to be ground so fine. You could get away with a coarser ground. The cheesesticks were great but almost too big - I take one bite and I'm chasin' cheese 'til I realize I might pull all of it out of the breading. So I just cut 'em down in smaller pieces and dipped 'em with my fork. No biggie. All in all, a pleasant lunch experience and I'm sure I'll be back soon; I was eyeballing some of the apps that others had ordered - lookin' good! Anthony said a second location would open in Lincoln Square, in the summer. Which is good, since that would be closer to my neighborhood. Good job,guys - see you soon.
(4)
Leang E.

After finding out that neither Lou Malnati's would be able to deliver me food during lunch, I decided to try some place new - Roots! The story behind the place was interesting and I like the collaboration on some of the pizza specials with the owners of other restaurants. I wanted to try one, but really wanted something with their traditional sauce. My girlfriend and I opted for a healthier pizza with chicken and vegetables, and were very happy with our choice. The pizza was less greasy and we both really enjoyed the crust. It didn't feel as heavy in our stomachs either. It was a pleasant surprise. My only gripe is that it seemed pricey for the size that it was. There was only 2 pizza sizes and we got the larger one that was supposed to feed 3-5 people, and between the 2 of us there were only 4 pieces left. $30 seemed kind of expensive for pizza that fed 2 people. I think if we had a 3rd person they would have still been hungry. I guess it's one of those places that I will order from every once and a while.
(4)
Annabelle F.

This place is consistently great and delivers on everything it promises. It is not fine dining, it is a perfect low key spot to enjoy good food and company. Awesome patio, family and non-family friendly, great space, great service, great food. The pizza is good (not the best I have ever had), the beer list is impressive, they have other drink choices and the salads are AWESOME. Huge salad person - dressing are great, options are plentiful.
(5)
Gregory G.

Update: I have returned a few times since. Figured I'd up my review. Salads were pricey, but fantastic. Pizza... I've tried two of their more gimmicky ones (Big Mac and Antique Taco), and they were just that: gimmicky. Didn't love them. I'd like to try a more standard pizza next time... only I'll have to remember to hold the oregano. Original: They make their own mozzarella, sauces, and crust... all of which in themselves are fantastic. However, the way in which they put them together didn't do it for me. This is the first place I've been to that, dare I say, uses too much cheese on their pizza. There was a probably 3/4" thick blob of cheese on there. Good cheese, mind you... but that was about all you could taste. Well, that and the silly amounts of oregano sprinkled on top. It's a shame too, because their crust and sauce are delicious. The copious amounts of cheese also wasn't allowed to melt and get that delicious carmelization. Plus, all of the moisture made the middle downright soggy. I'm going to give it another shot, however I'm going to ask them to use half the amount of cheese and leave the oregano off (it should be in a shaker on the side, anyways). I'm convinced that with those changes, it'll be damn good pizza. Oh, and the mozzarella stick are fantastic. As is their house-brand root beer. Decent beer selection, too.
(4)
Brian P.

Have been here a few times. Always enjoy the food. Have founds it to be a good place to bring my kids. Easy, fun.
(4)
J R.

I would NOT RECOMMEND CARRY OUT from Roots Pizza. It was to be ready within 30 minutes, we arrived within 25 minutes, waited a few minutes for the pizza and drove home 1/2 mile (less than 5 minutes at 6:30PM on a Sunday). Once we opened the pizza, it was luke warm, almost cold and was not made with the level of ingredients that you expect at this price point. I'm sure they have warming lamps/warming ovens in store, but it is possible they were not used or are broken. I think the true mark of a great pizza spot, is that they can deliver a "dine in" experience at "home" @ $15.75 for a 12" cheese and sausage, I would drive over to "Piece Pizza" and have a consistently great pizza, at a better value, hot and fresh, at home or while dining in. They did remove this from the bill, so props for making it right.
(1)
Jon K.

There are two great things about Roots...the food and the customer relations! They really know how to take care of you and keep you coming back for more. The combination of the fresh ingredients and the malt that they put in the crust for a unique flavor will make this some of the best pizza that you will have tried.
(5)
Jason C.

Finally sat down at Roots for pizza and drinks. I have to say, I'm enjoying myself. Great food, atmosphere is lively and the crowd is easy on the eyes. Our bartender Lesley has been attentive and friendly and taken care of us like we're visiting family. I'll be back. Great craft beers too.
(4)
J. Chuck K.

My second trip here was a vast improvement from the first. Whereas last time the waitress had a a hard time serving just my friend and me, our waitress this time was on top of everything, even with our group of 8. The food did not disappoint either. Our appetizers were just as good if not better than my first visit. The BLT and BBQ pulled pork pizzas were delicious, light years better than the "The Mic". Finally getting a chance to try their house beer only enhanced my experience. I definitely plan on coming back.
(4)
Anna P.

I like their vegetarian pizza, its amazing. I also like that they cut the pizza in strips - its fun to eat, and tastes great.
(4)
Scott K.

I'll keep this short and sweet. When I moved io Chicago it was in UK Village so naturally I had Roots a few times and really enjoyed it. I happened to be in the area the other day so I picked up a sausage pizza and lollipop wings. The pizza is delicious in my opinion. The crust is thin but not like New York style. It has a chewy and crispy crunch even after taking it home and out of the box. I love the cheese there. It's super chewy and flavorful. The fine ground sausage is nothing to slouch at either. As for the wings. Usually wings are wings but not these wings. They are called lollipop wings as they resemble a lollipop (hard to explain). They are super crispy on the outside and you dip them in the sauce which is very tasty. They almost remind me of a tiny piece of fried chicken. All in all, I think this place is getting better with time. If you are in the mood for a good pizza but burned out on the Chicago staples definitely give this place a try. The place is real nice on the inside, has a great beer list and a friendly staff to boot. So much for keeping this short but one more thing. I do feel that it is a bit pricey but I will gladly pay a premium for quality. Roots was recently in Timeout Chicago as a nomination for one of the best new pizza restaurants in Chicago and I would have to agree.
(4)
A S.

The build your own salad thing was the best part about this place. generous on the things you picked, and the salad was good sized. Lots of options. Like that alot. The pizzas arent my style of pizza. i like a real wood fired italian pizza - but ... they do taste good. How bad can a dorito cheese bread combination be? not sure about quality - prob average. the moz sticks were tasty - but again, they are moz sticks so....can you really F those up? ricotta was good all the salads were good. I would go back for the salads alone that is for sure. but for pizza, i'd for sure go elsewhere. like great lake or crust.
(4)
Cindy A.

I've returned to this place and also gotten delivery more recently, and I had an even better experience. It doesn't get overly crowded on Friday nights like some places. The drink list and beer list are great, with a lot of selections. Service is fast and helpful.
(5)
Chad S.

Let me start off by saying I was really excited about this place when I first ordered it. I saw that it is owned by the same people (or corp.) as The Fifty/50, which I enjoy semi-regularly. But this place was a huge let down on my both of my experiences. First order: Got the taco pizza delivered. It was basically a sausage pizza with some cheddar sprinkled on top and seemed slightly under-cooked. They gave me shredded lettuce and tomatoes in a separate container accompanied by taco sauce packets and what seemed to be some Taco flavored Doritos. I got sour cream with it which was like a dollar more. The first piece I attempted to build what I imagined the pizza was supposed to be served as, but after a few bites it was obvious I put way too much work into it, ate 2 more slices of the sausage pizza and was very unimpressed. Ended up eating more of the Doritos and threw the rest of the pizza away. Second encounter: Went to the restaurant and was shocked to see on the menu they listed the Taco pizza as there signature pizza. Anyways, got some buffalo "lollipop" wings and was again unimpressed. On top of that there was a bill dispute a few of my friends had with the bartender over the daily special drink. The guy seemed very uninterested and didn't seem to care that he told them a different price for the drink than what it actually was. So yea totally meh...will probably never go to or order from this place again.
(2)
Brittani M.

I have tried every type of pizza place that Chicago has to offer, and Roots will always be one of my favorites. The sauce is very unique, and the atmosphere is super comfortable. I always recommend this pizza place to anyone who comes to visit!
(5)
Hales L.

We wanted to try Roots because Silvy, from the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN radio, tweets about it all the time. They have a gigantic selection of brews from around the midwest area, which I thought was pretty cool. Try the Motz sticks, they are delightful. The monkey break is also very good (although it's pretty hard to mess up monkey bread). I love their build-your-own salads. The ingredients came out fresh and I love the different choices of dressings. Their pizza was good, but I didn't like the crust. It's hard and crunchy; not appetizing at all. I really the spin they have on the sausage. They use ground sausage and it tastes really good. Unlike some of the other patrons, I actually really enjoyed the cheese on the pizza as well. The service was really good every time I was here, so no complaints there. Even the hosts were nice! It is a little overpriced, but I like the ambience and the food, so I guess it's worth it?
(4)
Leslie W.

Roots is my go to on a Sunday morning when Saturday night was too much. I don't like bloody mary's typically, but I love their bloody mary. That coupled with a chaser of one of the many beers on tap and some sweet potato tats...I'm all better. The Rock Arsenal is the hangover cure sandwich, but lets say you go on a random Wednesday night...any of the salads are awesome, and many of the other sandwiches are great too. Roots is also very kid friendly, at least on the weekends when friends have brought their kids to brunch with us. The staff is super nice, and I like having the car atmosphere with the good food and the kid friendly areas...Roots, you make me happy!
(4)
Jerry F.

Nasty stuff. First pizza took 45 minutes to get and was wrong, so waited 30 more minutes for second pizza. That one arrived burned black in some spots and undercooked in others. Crust has a weird pretzel taste from the malt. Way too much cheese. Cheese and sausage slide right off each slice. Also had a Caesar salad drowning in too-garlicky dressing that took us a few days to recover from. Really pricey to top it all off. You can do better almost anywhere else in Chicago.
(1)
Carolyn E.

I know a couple Quad City natives who insisted that I try this place. I barely know where the Quad Cities are and I do know that the Quad City DJ's aren't even from Quad Cities, so I was skeptical. I went here a month ago and I'm still thinking about my pizza because it was so delicious. First off, I think the owner/managers are reading yelp, because our server was awesome and attentive. She asked us if we had been there before and then explained that our pizza was not going to be cut like other pizzas and that the crust is sweeter and goes better with beer. (Pizza AND beer, don't mind if I do!) We got a 3 topping large vegetarian pizza and 2 beers and our bill was about $35 with leftovers for lunch. Our pizza had adequate FRESH toppings and was super cheesy, also all of the toppings were UNDER the cheese. Like I said, delicious. The strip cut is novel and fine but it makes for floppy pizza slices that need to be eaten with a fork and knife until they are shorter. Is this what people in the Quad Cities do? Fork and knife? Really?! If you're in the neighborhood, you can't go wrong by trying out this place or ordering delivery.
(4)
L G.

I am honestly shocked with almost shocked that with almost 200 reviews, they average 3 stars. I didn't bother going through and looking what the negatives say, because my thoughts can't be wavered. I LOVE ROOTS. ALL of my friends love roots. I've gone 3-4 times, always had something different, and always was blown away by how good this pizza is. But not just the pizza, the salads and appetizers are amazing as well. I've done salads set on the menu and created my own, along with the pizza and really there is nothing bad. Even something like the taco pizza, which I normally steer clear of was so addicting and good. And their customer service is tops. When we showed up with a large group- they made room for us in a private area. When a group of us were just celebrating, they kept hooking us up with free new shots, and if they ran out of a beer we wanted- the next was free. And the bar area is super comfy and chill, I love the feel of it. Even better in the summer. But what it comes down to is the pizza, and seriously, it's one of the best in Chicagos. You have to try to it!
(5)
Ann M.

Stopped here after a concert at the United Center. The weather was beautiful out so they had all the doors/windows open. We had a very nice waitress who was really attentive. I was told to get an order of the mozzarella sticks because I have heard they are awesome. Holy crap they were good and HUGE. I will go back just for those. Overall I really enjoyed myself here and I can't wait to come back!
(4)
Kellisanth d.

I've seen this place quite a few times as I walked by it, living in the neighborhood. Three things I will say, I shouldn't have eaten several hours before coming here in the evening for dinner. For those who are tired of Coca-Cola products, they do serve Pepsi (which is a most terrific change). And "Za" is a valid Scrabble word, for those who wondered what to make use of a two letter word in a pinch. Coming in close to 7P, the place was nicely filled out. Roomy and not feeling so closed in or overly noisy. It wasn't packed, but give it time. I was seated near the kitchen area which gave me a nice view of the patio and the windowed cooking room. There were also two large widescreen on the wall, each were showing different sports at the time (in my case, it was hockey Vancouver vs Boston, and baseball) Kiristin was my lovely server that night, and she had some great suggestions. The choices of beer was quite extensive. No Guinness, so I opted for the "Cocoa Loco". Unfortunately, I was told they were out, but she did suggest the "Sprecher Dark (Black?) Bavarian" which itself was very tasty. One of the appetizers I had was the Vienna done corn dog style. Okay, granted it was a lil' pricy for the wee thing, but I do love corn dogs; although mustard would have been preferable to the ketchup. And I will admit, I will very likely eat more of them in the future. After I try out some of other appetizers (there was no soup that day, bummer). After much deliberation, and her suggestion, I tried "The Big Mick". For those who were curious, think of it as a McD's Big Mac done pizza style - only without the ketchup and mustard. At 12", it was rather hefty to work thru and I basically was only able to get thru half of it, taking the rest home. (note: the take home box is rather large for the 12" thus it will shift around a lot). I'm going to have to try the taco or sausage pizza next time around. Other than a lot of lettuce, the crust was very good to chew thru. I've plans to give some of the sandwiches or pasta a try, and perhaps the salad; although I will admit, I'm not a big salad person but you can customize your salad! The dessert choices seemed limited at the time, but the good thing is, at least one of them is chocolate! Overall, I say give them a try. There's enough of a variety to try something new each visit. Maybe not every day, but maybe as a weekly treat for the family. For those who complain about the prices, bugger off. It's not that bad. After all, it's Chicago. :D
(5)
Virginia T.

We ordered for take out. We were quoted 25min. I was running late and showed up at 35min and then was made to wait with NO explanation for nearly 20 MORE minutes. When I finally got my pizza, I complained AGAIN and was told all they could do was make me wait MORE now that I'd gotten the pie and talk to a manager. I left and called back. The manager said there were two large parties in the restaurant and the kitchen got backed up. But I had to ask him outright why I was made to wait so long. He also said that if I had waited he would have refunded my money (I paid cash). So now there is apparently a 'credit' on our take out account we can use again........if we decide to use it. We get it home and the pizza is hotter, but the monkey bread was cold. It was greasy and dry at the same time, totally not worth $8 and very small. I was not impressed. Monkey bread and small pizza $35, and double the quoted wait. Ugh.
(2)
Scott J.

Friendly service and a bright and welcoming atmosphere, but one of the worst tasting pizzas I have ever had. Salad wasn't much better. The kitchen needs to work on its recipes before I'll go back.
(1)
Ryan C.

Oh man, those mozzarella sticks are huge and amazing. Basically mozzarella twinkies. I grew up close to the Quad Cities, so I was excited to try this place out. It's not my favorite pizza in Chicago, but it's right up there. Their taco pizza is excellent. They even have one with Sauerkraut on it - fantastic, although they should put more on it. I love the crust, and it holds up excellent when you reheat it. They cut it in strips which can be a bit of a pain, but that's ok. Always love coming here. Seriously, get the mozzarella sticks. Do it.
(5)
Matthew S.

Someone in the Quad Cities smoked a pound of grass and then they were like "lets put Doritos on top of a pizza!" Way to go Chong! It tastes amazing. My buddy purchased the Gilt City deal for $100 that included 5 bloody marys, two pitchers of beer, 3 Appetizers, 5 Sausages, two pizzas, and Rod Blagoevich for 5 (we had only 4). After what turned out to be 3 pitchers of beer and 5 Bloody Mary's I thought I was starting to see things when Governor Dumb Dumb comes walking through the door with his wife, and bodyguard that looks like Fabio. Enjoy that pizza big guy because pretty soon you are going to be knee deep in prison sex. Our waitress was amazing and the food was yum yums. The Bears won and it was a great time. Come on in for the food, relaxed atmosphere, awesome service, and the Celebrity fuck ups! We loved you on Apprentice Jack ass! I had such a great time I want to end this review with an inspirational quote" "We will meet our challenges head on and we will do it by rejecting the politics of mediocrity and corruption. You voted for change; I intend to deliver it. ... I will govern as a reformer."-Gov. Ding Dong
(5)
Rheeva F.

Was visiting a friend in the area and ordered a 16" Sausage, Pepperoni, Onion, and Mushroom pizza while watching the NBA Playoffs. This pizza really hit the spot! I went on Grub Hub and they delivered before the estimated time. The sausage is crumbled which was a nice difference. Will definitely eat them again when I'm in area and in the mood for some pizza.
(4)
Jamie R.

Great service and great food! Hands down the best mozzarella sticks, if you can call them sticks. They are more like mozzarella logs! The red sauce had great flavor. It was a bit spicy and the perfect amount of spices. The $8 build your own salad is a great deal and it is delicious! You get to pick from a ton of ingredients. The taco pizza was topped with doritos and really flavorful. The pepperoni pizza was just enough! :) The bloody mary special on Sunday is great and it's even better because the bloody was delicious!! :) The server was patient and informative. He told us all the specials verbally and made recommendations about the menu. Great place!!! :)
(5)
Drew H.

Spent a Sunday watching football at Roots not too long ago. Pizza was terrific and a great beer selection. Staff was very friendly.
(4)
Julie A.

I am a big fan of hand tossed pizza. I do not like the deep dish Chicago style or the thin crust. They have a lot of topping choices. The build your salad also looked good, however I did not have that..maybe next time. I saw the mozzarella sticks.. they are the size of Twinkies!! It was worth blowing my gluten intolerance for this pizza. Who ever complained about fennel in the sauce is crazy. Everyone can make their own sauce. I liked it and honestly the fennel didn't stand out. Mine it wasn't in there. I have feta, pepperoni, and sautÃ©ed garlic spinach. I was very happy the didn't skimp on the feta. My niece had pineapple dress mozzarella and something else. We both loved our pizzas. Ohh they have a kids menu as well. This place is baby friendly!
(4)
Liz N.

Have always loved their Caesar Salad but noticed today that the dressing is different. Prior to this, quite possibly the best caesar dressing I've ever had. Today, not so much. :( Also the second time the caesar was delivered without croutons. The food here has always been consistent, we get it delivered often for lunch for our office. Might have to re-think the caesar next time.
(4)
Katie C.

I called on a Thursday night to see if Roots would take a Saturday evening reservation for a large group of people (20+) post-bridal shower. Ryan, the General Manager, called me back the next day and confirmed it wouldn't be a problem to take our party. He was really accommodating, friendly, and willing to work with us. Everything was so great and I was extremely impressed with how Roots handled our group. Also our waitress couldn't have been better. I will definitely keep Roots in mind for big groups in the future!
(4)
Angela S.

I got sick. Enough said.
(2)
Adam K.

This place has interesting pizza. I say that because a lot of the elements alone I would fund repulsive but as a whole package they work well together. The sauce: sweet and tangy. Which I would find repulsive normally but with; The crust: It rocks. Wow, some kind of beer or something in this crust? I love it. The Cheese: for sure will slap back against your lips and cause them to blister and burn, but whatever man, I am from the streets. Wings: Real nice and meaty, lots of flavor. Baked Ravioli w Marinara: Marinara = not so good. Baked ravioli was sub par also, kinda bland. All in all, a solid joint. I will be back.
(4)
Mike S.

I see several negative reviews on this page and I am disappointed. If you don't like rockstar bartenders like Ashlea and John then you shouldn't come here. Not to mention the beers are great, mozzarella sticks are out of this world and the world class bartending of these two.
(5)
Bob D.

Driving by on a regular basis I am amazed at how many people are hanging out here. There are choices. This pizza is even worse the second day, the cheese forms back into what looks and tastes like a bottle of Elmer's glue spilled on a giant piece of dough. Filling the middle one inch thick and half set. As you chew the cheese begins to soften up releasing its unfortunate flavor. I guess the people that hang here are more interested in finding that someone special than putting something good in their mouth.
(1)
Sean S.

I had been told by quite a few friends that this place was horrible... But Hey... Im a risk taker so my gf and I decided to try it. Not necessarily in the mood for pizza, we opted for the Gyro Sausage Sandwich and the Asian Pulled Chicken Salad. I honestly cannot not complain about the sandwich, but the $12 salad is a horror story in and of itself. The chicken had no seasoning at all... and Im not saying you could barely taste it.. I mean.. NO SEASONING AT ALL... The lettuce was browned and clearly from the night or day before. My GF, who a half hour before eating here would have settled for McDonalds, did not even eat half of her salad. We told and showed our server the salad and the browned lettuce. She very honestly apologized and told us that she would speak with her manager.. Well.. the manager was too busy on his cell phone to even acknowledge his own sever for almost 10 minutes while she stood right in front of him holding the salad we just complained about.. 5 minutes after that our server came back and told us it had been taken off of our bill. That was the best part about our visit... Id go back for the beer list. But then again... I can find a mid-west beer list like that anywhere around here.. so.. maybe I wont. P.S. This place is owned by the same people who own the 50/Fifty and claim to serve "Quad City Style Pizza". In my opinion, that's both strikes 2 & 3. This place is OUT!
(2)
Carly O.

Roots pizza, which is also affiliated with Bleeding Heart Bakery and The Fifty/50 was pretty great. First, the space is unexpectedly huge. I have no idea what was there before, but I loved how open and spread out it is. While the feeling of it is similar than The Fifty/50, it's much more comfortable. I had a Two Brother's Ebel Weiss (on draft) for $5. My friend and I chowed down on their speciality Taco Pizza. Wow. It's exactly what they describe on the menu, served with a heaping mound of nacho flavored tortilla chips (definitely not Doritos, but good in their own right) and a side of taco sauce packets. The crust is a perfect balance of not too thin/crispy, but not pan. Doughy with good texture. It says that size feeds 1-2 people. I SUPPOSE I could see a large man being able to POSSIBLY finish it, but it was the perfect amount for two hungry (and out day drinking earlier) girls. I will definitely be back to try the other pies. I like that Roots is doing their own thing and serving up something a little different in a very pizza centric city.
(4)
Ryan P.

Really good pizza, the mozzarella sticks are amazing. Must try. Cool atmosphere, little over priced.
(4)
Leslie P.

I grew up in the Quad Cities, and I get that it's a style of pizza that you either love or hate. But let's be honest here - not everyone loves Chicago pizza either. I went with a bunch of friends and ordered a variety of pizzas and beer. I was impressed with their beer selection, and I think the venue is great for an afternoon of watching sports, eating pizza, and drinking beer. The pizza was great, and service was fantastic. Everyone loved it! For the QC pizza virgins out there, I have two words: taco pizza.
(4)
Kristen R.

I've been here a few times and just recently ordered in, and while I am a traditional, Chicago-style, pizza lover, this place grows on me little each time. When I called in for delivery I was a little surprised and disappointed when they told me it would take an hour on a Thursday (no big games that night) and I live ubber close (a few too many blocks to walk in and grab it though). However, I was shocked when it arrived half an hour after my call. The pizza is cut in thick, long rectangular strips with scissors apparently this is part of "Quad City style." So you could fill up on just a slice or two. The sauce is light and zesty and there's great seasoning on the handmade crust. The extra ingredients are fresh. When I have dinned in the servers have all been great and I have really enjoyed salads and appetizers. I do have to say that it's not my first choice and I would prefer not to go on a Friday because you could be waiting for awhile and the music is too loud and it's a little too dark for pizza. On a Friday, the bar/club vibe is alive and well. It's a good place to go when you want a twist on one of your favorite staples
(3)
Eric B.

For being a pizza place the pizza was terrible. They were cheap on the toppings and everything slid off the crust the second I picked it up. If you want a mediocre experience and pay way to much for it, go to Roots.
(2)
Laura G.

Probably won't return. The good: The build your own salad. Amazing. Such a good idea, and so delicious! Lots of options and variations, you could never have the same salad twice, but I would actually like to have the same one we got again. Too bad the pizza was nothing to write home about, and the service was pretty lame, so I might never eat that salad again. I've definitely had better pizza. It was fine, but not amazing. Let's just say I would have preferred takeout from Papa John's. Three issues with the service: 1. I told the server I would order a beer when the pizza came. She came back asked me what beer I wanted because the pizza was on its way out. She served me the beer, and the pizza didn't come for another 20 minutes. Not a big deal, but still. I've been a server-- the two biggest parts of your job are timing and listening. Hello!!! I had a warm beer by the time the pizza came out. 2. Server never came over to check on us once the food runner brought us our pizza. BF had to track her down on foot for some red pepper and parm. WTF you're a pizza place!!! 3. Food runner/busser asked if I was done with my food and I said I was still working on the last few bites. He stood about two feet away watching us while I finished. Weird. Maybe I will order the salad to go in the future... but I'm not gonna go sit through dinner there again.
(2)
Ry W.

WAY overpriced for pizza. We ordered a large pizza and 2 appetizers.... $46! We are not cheap and we don't mind spending money on good food, but $46 for pizza??!! The food was just ok. We had the monkey bread, dry, and the stuffed artichoke, which was soggy and not very good. The pizza was ok, but not for the price. I don't think we will be back. We really wanted this place to be great.
(2)
Alexa H.

Let me preface this by saying I have never eaten Quad Cities style pizza before. I have never been to the Quad Cities so if you know and love this style of pizza, maybe you will like Roots better than I did. Let me say, the beer list is great if a little pricey. Also awesome: the adult spiked sodas. One of my dining companions had one and it made me want to come back to try a different kind and eat more of the mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks are as amazing as you've heard and if you haven't heard, take it from me: these are so far from those icky frozen, tasteless, floppy mozzarella sticks they serve at places like TGIFridays. These are worth every penny of the $9 they charge. The pizza was underwhelming, though I did like the flavor of the crust. Very malty. Unfortunately, the special cheese blend had very little flavor. If this is the point of this style of pizza, I will pass. Probably forever. We did have a mild service issue that colored our experience. We were a large party and they offered us a table in the private dining room. Being hungry, we said okay. They led us to a private dining room which was filled with...noisy kids. I love kids, I work with them but this was like being trapped in a very loud children's party with no warning. We did complain after being seated, and the kids did go home early (it must have been past their bedtime) but I really would have liked a warning. We would have waited for a grown-up table.
(2)
Claire R.

Since this place opened I have been curious to try it out. So, i suggested it for my boyfriends birthday dinner last night. 15 minutes went by and the only person to approach the table was the bus boy to drop off water. It wasn't busy, we were in very plain sight and girls that were working in the section walked by a million times without any regard to say as much as "hello" or "be with you guys in a sec". Our party ended up heading over to High Dive and getting drinks, dinner and great service. Not to mention the music was awesome. I've worked in the Chicago service industry for nearly 10 years. Service like that is pretty unforgivable if you ask me. As far as the food and beer... wouldn't know. Maybe they should try training their staff...
(1)
Rasmus P.

Good Pizza - yes! Best pizza - no! Over prized - probably! Good Beer list - absolutely! Over prized beers - yes! Try it - well you have to try everything once, so go ahead and try it and be reassured that Piece is still the best pizza / beer combo in Chicago...
(3)
David S.

Great outdoor patio... It just took them 20 minutes to sit us when there were 2 empty tables for that long. Service? They do not know about it. Our waitress was aloof, forgot half of the order ( a pizza, mozzarella sticks and 4 beers) and didn't even apologize for screwing up. Lots of better pizza joints in the hood. Avoid this one.
(1)
Shannon F.

I would have given it five stars accept for it was a little expensive for a delivery pizza. Excellent pizza and great mozzarella sticks.
(4)
Christy S.

I really wanted to love this place, but sadly, that is not the case. I think the pizza was good, but just not my style of pizza. Ambiance was fine. Could def do without the tv screens. Wish them the best, but probs won't be back myself.
(3)
Nikki Y.

Since the opening of Roots, this side of Ukrainian Village has gotten busier. Every night I pass this place, it seems to be packed; so, my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try. We gave them a call to place an order for pick up. First try, the girl at the front desk put us on hold. Six minutes later, we realized she had forgotten we'd called. A bit annoyed, we hung up and tried again. A different girl placed our order immediately and told us it would take about 25-30 minutes. No big deal. Then we get to the restaurant to pick up our food. "That'll be $44, please." Wait, what? $44 for a 12-inch pizza, a spinach and baby beet salad, and the garlic monkey bread!? Are they serious? At this point, we were crossing our fingers hard that the food would be so good that it would be worth the $44. Boy, were we wrong. Here's the rundown: 12" pizza with chicken, roasted corn, carrots, and jalapeÃ±os - Bland. I known what you're thinking. How can a pizza with so many flavors be bland? It really was. The jalapeÃ±os had no heat (and honestly tasted more like standard green peppers), the chicken was eh, and the other vegetables added nothing but texture. As far as the famous "quad cities" style crust, it was really nothing special. Certainly not anything to shout about. Garlic monkey bread - Yet another famous item on the menu. First of all, it was a little larger than a hockey puck and looked like a big, dry corn muffin. Except, it wasn't even as good as a big, dry corn muffin. The exterior was dry and the interior was decent, but there was no real garlic taste. Instead, they had a garlic sauce and marinara sauce on the side. The marinara was decent, but the garlic sauce was way too garlicky and salty. Now, the spinach and beet salad. How about we just call it a chopped beet salad with extremely watery dressing (that was a little sweet, to be honest) and browning pears (along with goat cheese and pistachios) all served on a bed of uncut spinach leaves. Enough said. I really hate writing such a terrible review on a local business, but I was extremely disappointed on three different levels--service, price, and quality of food. Though the restaurant seems to have a great atmosphere to hang out and drink at on a nice summer day, I will likely not be returning in the near future, not for eating anyways (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for their drinks).
(1)
Chris G.

Man whats with the negativity?? The place just opened! I really liked the place, the decor is awesome the staff was friendly and the food was great! My thoughts are if youre in the service industry and dont understand that places get busy and baking a pizza takes time.... Youre an asshole.. Everybody was busting their ass when I was in there.. Pretty cool to see into the kitchen window in back too, which is probably why kids get put back there to preoccupy them with something... Its great for the neighborhood and I will be back soon..
(5)
Matt L.

And that'll be the FTR for Matt L. They were playing Gold Panda's Marriage, or some remix thereof. That alone is worth a 5 bomb. Stay tuned for further info.
(5)
Gen L.

It makes me super sad to read some of these reviews about Roots, as I've never experienced half of these issues and I'm madly in love with this place. Seriously. In love with it. That's why I'm there twice a week, the entire staff knows my son, some of the servers know my order by heart and I talk about it all of the time. Yes, we've been to Roots on a night and at a time when the kitchen couldn't handle how busy they were. No, it wasn't fun to deal with our toddler while waiting over an hour for our pizza. But that's nothing compared to all of the good stuff. First off, the build your own salads are fabulous. The options seem relatively endless, you'll most likely not know what to put on there and it might overwhelm you. I'll give you a few pointers - the beets are delicious as are the roasted corn, red peppers and pita chips. Secondly, the roasted red pepper and spinach dip as an appetizer is worth ordering. Combine that with a salad? You've got an entree if you don't want pizza. And thirdly? Roots is the only place in the Chicago area to serve crumbled sausage pizza. If you've never had it, you want it. Someone said that the pizza here tastes like Papa Johns and I have to respectfully disagree. I mean, I'm not Papa John's aficionado but I had it a few times while obliterated in collage and I don't remember it being like Roots... It's not expensive, the beer list is wonderful (local - YUM), the atmosphere is pretty fly and for a new restaurant, they're doing a great job.
(5)
Brent W.

Roots is taking on a phenomenon that's becoming all too common of late with the "burger/pizza" joints I've been dining at. OVER-PRICED! One way they accomplish this is by capitalizing on revenues in only giving you TWO pizza size options, yes Tee Double You Oh!...so if you are solo, you're screwed...the bare minimum you'll pay is $16 for a pizza (ONE topping, 12")! Each topping alone is $2 and above, so start at $16 and go up. Also, with regard to revenues, they're quite clever with their take$ on alcohol...I'm pretty sure the glasses they use for draft beer are in fact 12 oz and not a Pint and they start at 5$.....the minimum you will pay for a glass of Red is 8$ for a meager pour of Malbec (served in a small white wine style glass), the only one at that price point. The other Red's available (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cab, etc) are $9 -$10 and above. Again, I just feel that they are nickle and diming you at every turn, no customer wants to feel that way and makes you not want to spend your money there. All righty then, now that that's out of the way. The pizza. It's pretty good and suffice to say pretty unique. The only comparison I can make is Pizza Metro, and not bc of the buttery crust. More bc the topping I chose which was sausage, was EXACTLY like that of Pizza Metro (and that one NY style pizza joint on Clark street)...that is to say, finely diced, which I happen to really like. Even though the crust wasn't the buttery type of Metro, it did taste very similar to it and the thickness of said crust was in line with Metro too....ok, enough of the Metro comparisons. I also did something that I've never ever done with pizza and very rarely do with any type of food...and that is send it back. This was for a simple fix though...the cheese was *just* barely melted through and white as white will allow....I happen to like a nice caramelized cheese on my pizza, SOZ. However, they sorted it out it quick fashion no questions asked. The Beer: the list is fairly extensive, their house brew a Two Brother's version specifically brewed for Roots, was excellent. The Verdict. I'll be back. Not often but will at some point.
(3)
Kelly S.

Great beer list and I really liked the interior of the bar/restaurant. My husband is from the QCA and thinks the pizza is better than what they have back home. I thought it was good, but realize its not typical Chicago pizza. If your gold standard is Lou Malnati's or Gino's, this is not your place. The crust is sweeter and I thought it was finished to perfection. Our order came out of the kitchen slow. Without any prompting, Ryan (a manager) apologized and offered to comp us the entire meal (including drinks). We told him that we were not looking for a free meal and said it wasn't necessary, but he insisted that we not pay because of their delay. I think that this is a great place to drink and people watch. I also really enjoyed the pizza.
(5)
Mark K.

I've never taken a strong stance in the "Pizza Wars", but a new challenger has emerged. From the quad cities? A WORTHY OPPONENT! It takes a LOT to impress me when it comes to pizza, no matter which geographic region it hails from or how thick or thin it may be. A good pizza, one that stands out, is a rarity in my world. Roots' sausage pizza has entered the upper echelon. I just couldn't stop eating it! The crust really rises above all else (pun very much intended). It has the perfect texture with an amazing balance of crunch and chewiness. And the malt amplifies the bread-y flavor to the next level. Sausage is normally my least favorite ingredient but this version satiates with a pleasant flavor and how fine it's chopped. The house beer also compliments the malty crust extremely well; refreshes and intrigues the palette. The sweet potato tater tot side is plenty for 2 people and so crunchy and perfect. The inside bar booths are big and super comfortable. It's really spacious inside and service was quite adequate (and attractive) on a sparse Tuesday night. NOM'd: Sausage Pizza + Sweet Potato Tater Tots + Roots House Brew
(5)
Shannon C.

Big bar with a lot of comfy booths, good beer list, the taco pizza and monkey bread are great. Good outdoor space. Kid friendly. A neighborhood go to spot.
(4)
Andrew V.

Checked out Roots after helping a friend move. Our server Danielle was great, and she convinced us to get the mozzarella sticks (more like mozzarella pillars of awesome). The 16" pizza was perfect for the 4 of us, and the crust had just the right amount of chew. Danielle told us about fun-sounding grown-up sodas with a candy theme: Adult Root Beer, Big League Chew, Sour Patch Kids? But I don't drink, so I went with the "kid root beer", in a bottle, and it was the perfect beverage for enjoying the summer evening in Roots' outdoor seating. Roots, I shall return with more frands.
(4)
Little R.

Came here a few weeks ago on a Sunday. While I wasn't blown away by the pizza, the Green Goddess salad and cheesy monkey bread were pretty good. I'll definitely come back, if only for a place to hang out and drink from a nice selection of beers.
(4)
Sarah L.

When I moved to Chicago from New England, I knew it would be challenging to find actual pizza. And, for two years, I was sort of right. Sure, Piece Pizza and Spacca Napoli are fabulous places for actual thin crust pizza, but Roots blew my mind. My husband and I went to Roots last night with my bro-in-law, all of us praying we were going to have good pizza. Since my bar is set low for Chicago, I was expecting a good pie. I did NOT expect one of the best pizza crusts I have ever had. EVER. The sauce is homemade and fabulous. Not too spicy, not too sugary or bland. It is what pizza sauces all around the world wish they could be. The crust is epic. Really, there is no other way to describe it. Pizza crust should be able to stand on its own, and Roots has accomplished that. It holds up with toppings and is crusty yet soft on the inside. Appropriately, pillowy soft, and perfectly cooked, with the malt that gives it such depth that you just want to keep eating it. We all tried different pizzas. I went with Italian beef (yes, Italian beef on pizza!), my husband chose pepperoni and pepperoncini, and my bro-in-law went with the taco pizza. We all fell in love. I am now convinced that Italian beef is the ONLY meat topping for pizza. We also tried their mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. I was nervous because they make their own mozz in house so I was concerned that it would hold up. Again, I was happily wrong. They were not greasy, like most mozzarella sticks can be, and the cheese was creamy and perfect. The breading was very light and didn't overwhelm the cheese, which is another flaw usually in getting mozzarella sticks in restaurants. We sat indoors, so I can't speak for outside seating, but I appreciated sitting in the back room near the kitchen. I loved watching the kitchen, and so did most of the other patrons we were seated near. So, in the end, Roots has ended my quest for pizza in Chicago. This is it for me. I don't need to go anywhere else, and more importantly, I don't want to. I just wished we lived closer. I just can't wait to take out-of-town visitors so they can appreciate this new Chicago gem.
(5)
Sebastian W.

What can i say!!! Pizza from roots is amazing as well as the beers on tabs. Nice clean spot. The server was nice as well. Deff would come back for more pizza.
(5)
Rachele R.

Good pizza! GREAT BEER!! It was a little bit pricey but worth it. I have to say it was just a tad loud...I didn't realize there was a DJ spinning tracks on the 1's and 2's...in a pizza joint. Different, but cool! Just a tad loud.
(4)
Steven B.

I am a huuuge fan of Quad City DJ's. And not just their 1996 breakout single "C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train)"-- I celebrate their entire catalog! For my money, when they spit the lyric: "graduated from Boone's, up to Alize," it just doesn't get any better than that. So if Bettendorf pizza joints are "Boone's [farm]" then Root's pizza is Alize. If you don't like Alize, perhaps you'll like Matilda...ON TAP! Bam, girly girl!!! At $8, you can't afford not to. The craft beer selection is outstanding. The pizza is good. Despite how fat and drunk you are, a 16" pizza is just too big for the two of you. Go for the 12" Fine yelp, filter this review. I don't even care, cuz I found a new joint in my hood. And also, I'm drunk.
(5)
Mollie H.

This review is for our delivery order. I'd been looking forward to trying this place for awhile now. After a long day we decided we wanted to order a pizza in. Unfortunately the ONLY thing the West Loop is lacking is good pizza that delivers. We are one block out of the Piece delivery area and that is absolutely heartbreaking. Therefore I was excited that Roots delivered to us. I ordered the smallest pizza (12 inch which said it fed 2-3) with half sausage. I wanted to add an app but it seemed like $8.00 was a bit too much for a fried ravioli app when I've had outstanding ones in the area for much less. I wanted to keep my pizza delivery order under $30 and that wasn't going to happen if I added that on. When I ordered online I was sort of unsure if I was choosing the right "extra" options by clicking LT SAUSAGE to make my pizza 1/2 sausage so I called. The guy explained that I did but that my order hadn't been released yet and wouldn't be for another 10 minutes or so. He wanted to know if I wanted to go ahead and release it right then.... uh, yeah. Usually when I place an order I don't want it to linger in space for about 10-15 minutes before the people acknowledge it. Anyways...... An hour or so later the pizza came. Supposedly the guy had been waiting by our door. We asked why he didnt call... he didnt have a cell phone... okay.... The pizza was cold. The pizza was 3/4 sausage - my cheese half was non-existent. I was not pleased as I dislike sausage. Also.. this pizza would maybe feed 2-3 not hungry 4 year olds. Not 2-3 normal people. We weren't full and with the $3.00 delivery charge (then $3.00 tip bc I have to tip) and tax... our 12 inch cold pizza was about $25.00 total. I felt quite ripped off. Maybe I'd go there and try something else, but this pizza is way overpriced. I still have a bitter taste in my mouth over it. Piece.. come one more block ... please?! I'll even pay Roots overpriced prices.
(2)
Colleen R.

Since it opened a few months ago, Roots has joined our rotation of a small but select group of nearby restaurants that we consider when we're looking for a consistently reliable place for dinner on our occasional lazy no-cooking nights. The pizza may have some detractors. First, it's definitely pricey. Unless you want one of their few predetermined combination pizzas (like Taco or BLT), each topping for a build-your-own will run you $1.50 apiece. As for the crust, I can understand why it's so polarizing, but I'm a fan of its almost sweet taste. Same with the Northerner's Salad that's topped with cherries and candied walnuts -- you can set them aside and eat them for dessert. The drink menu definitely needs improvement -- if you don't want beer, you can choose from a few wines by the glass or "adult sodas" -- full-sized plastic glasses of flavors like Big League Chew or Sour Patch Kid that set you back 12 bucks. Seriously, can we get some grown-up drinks, please? I'll stop my whining, though, because when ordered right, Roots really hits the spot. Also rounding up to 4 stars for having rehabbed an abandoned storefront and for helping to bring Bleeding Heart Bakery (right next door) to the 'hood.
(4)
Bree S.

Sorry, Roots, you've been demoted. The first time I went (see below), I was in love with this place. They could do no wrong. The next couple times, the service was slow, drinks took awhile to be delivered, but they still had my full support (and my five star review). Today, we ordered delivery. Shortly after our phone call, they called back and were confused about our address. (We live less than a mile away.) After sorting everything out, we started to worry that our hangover cure might be delayed. 30 minutes later, we got another call...they were apologetic but admitted that the order wasn't prepared because of the confusion. "It will be there in ten minutes." Twenty minutes later, we called again. We got *another* apology and were told "twenty minutes." Thirty minutes later, we had our pizza. The reason I'm still giving them three stars is because the order was comped and I do still LOVE the pizza. But TWO HOURS for a pizza to be delivered is insanity. Beware. ****************************************** I'm a Quad Cities girl. I served taco pizza at my wedding. I was ready to judge this place harshly. Not gonna happen. My husband and I stopped in around 4 PM on a Sunday. Nice crowd, but not too crazy. Our waitress was sweet, the space was fun, we were huuuungry. Started off with the avocado, tomato, mozzarella salad. My husband claimed it was the best salad he's ever eaten. Pretty sure I agree. When the taco pizza was delivered to our table, I felt like I was home. This is Harris pizza, people. I was always more of a Happy Joe's fan, but Roots might change that. From the ambiance, to the waitstaff, to the food...I'm hooked. addicted. in love. I will be back, often.
(3)
David K.

What a great place. They have a bar that is gorgeous and bigger than the dining room. A separate dining room was super kid friendly. If your little ones get bored they can watch them make pizza in the kitchen. They make their own root beer which I believe is how they got the name. They also have a huge selection of beers including local varieties on tap. Check out the complete list of food and drinks on the menu at their web site.
(4)
Brittany B.

I feel like I'm betraying my native Chicago roots by saying this....but I think I have found my favorite kind of pizza ever - Quad Cities style! I'm ADDICTED to Roots' pizza. I can't get enough of the delicious, slightly sweet crust, the deep rich sauce and plentiful cheese. This place is NOT CHEAP, but if you want for-sure-delicious pizza and lots of other good options, this is the perfect place! Glad to have them in our neighborhood! To make up for the sligh priciness, they've implemented a new "rewards" program for us addicts, so now I can afford to keep up my weekly Roots habit!
(4)
Heather G.

GREAT beer list! All sort of local beers with lengthy descriptions. GREAT pizza!! The pizza is super yummy. The one downfall is the high price and the lack of "special pizzas" Nothing compared to a supreme, just veggie and BLT and stuff like that. I don't like having to build my own pizza very much. Good service GREAT SALAD!!!!! had something with nuts and pears and was delicious LOTS of outdoor seating or seating next to a window is a plus. Big screen tvs :) Good for dates, families, or large groups!
(4)
Oscar G.

Good food but bad service outdoors. Never got refills with water and I never received my second beer.
(1)
Lou L.

I realize it's not very fair to give a rating to a place thts been open for a week, but as I sit here rolling around in pain emanating from my roots pizza filled stomach I can't help but to rate the establishment which will likely lead to my demise tonight. The sausage pizza was just plain gross. Not enough sauce and the sausage was so crumbly and strange that I actually took it off- meaning I mostly ate just saucy bread. Service was bad. They've got 20 servers/bussers just standing around the bar, yet nobody to bring you the hot sauce you asked for twice or to let you know your pizza will likely take 45 minutes to reach your table. As I mentioned before, I'm pretty sure I have food poisoning from this place. And if this isn't food poisoning, its still a horrible reaction for my body to be having. My stomach sounds like an aquarium. So go to roots, if you want to spend at least $20 on a 16 inch pizza and if you don't value your bowels.
(1)
Adrian A.

At $30 for a pizza, you'd expect something AMAZING. Instead, I just felt stupid for ordering it. Maybe if I had some kind of quad-cities nostalgia thing going on, I'd get it and love it, but since I'm a transplant to Chicago from Southeast Michigan and had no clue what the hell the waitress meant when she said, "We're a quad-cities pizza place!" with expectant eyes as though that meant something to me, I guess I just can't appreciate it. When I went during their opening week, it was full of people gushing quad-cities memories and trying to out quad-city each other by naming obscure small colleges or restaurants. We ordered the taco pizza, which I'm told is important or significant in some way to the quad-city crowd, but it needed some serious doctoring with taco sauce and sour cream to be tasty. Half a star: The garlic cheese monkey bread was pretty good, but still, not worth the price. Half a star: The beer list is a good Midwest selection (OMG, did I mention quad-cities!) but their featured mixed drinks were weak and over-priced. One star: The service was good and cheery and acknowledged/adjusted for the wind blowing the crushed Doritos off our pizza, although the chef kept visiting the tables of aforementioned quad-cities lovers and ignoring us because we weren't declaring our love for the quad-cities loudly enough. It all finally made sense when I noticed the chef had his Fifty/50 chef's coat on. Unless a hugely-devoted and upwardly-mobile fan base of quad-city douchebags relocates quickly to replace the hipsters, Eastern Europeans, and working-class people here, I don't see Roots lasting too long in Ukrainian Village.
(2)
Justin L.

What a disappointment! I ordered pizza with sausage and extra cheese. Not only was the sausage cooked under the cheese (why?), thereby causing the cheese to fall right off the slice, but it was ground sausage. This was a fork and knife pizza because there was no way to possible pick up the slice. In total, low-quality, flavorless meat, unappetizing cheese, an insufficient amount of sauce, razor sharp crust, and an all around poor excuse for pizza. Sure, it's a nice bar, but I came here for pizza and will doubtfully ever return. Better off going to Piece on North Ave. or BYOB at Paul & Monica's on Chicago Ave.
(1)
Stef C.

Other than the place being really nice its not that great. Irony I ate a hot dog not pizza and it wasn't good. I enjoy the hot dogs more at 7-Eleven than I did here. I will be going back for their $3 Cazadores Tequila shots on Wednesdays :P
(2)
Eric V.

Let me preface this review with the following: -Pizza is very particular to it's consumer and what one person thinks is awesome another would trade in for Tombstone. With that in mind let me say that what they've created here is very unique to the area. Being able to watch the kitchen staff hand toss and finish each pizza is a nice touch. It certainly helps calm the children as you wait. Great idea putting the children / family room near the kitchen window as well. The pizzas while very creative in design was mediocre at best. You can certainly tell that they are trying to pull off unique pizza recipes such as buffalo chicken and taco but in the end it's just not what I'd order when looking for pizza. The ambiance and beer selection on the other hand is exactly what I've come to expect from a pizza / bar joint. While my review here isn't impressive I must honestly say I hope that their menu gets adjusted a bit as I'd love to come here again when it has something I'd really like sinking my teeth into.
(2)
Linda S.

Hosted a birthday party here for 40 people. Spinach Artichoke dip and lollipop wings were a huge hit along with the Greek ish salad and pizza - Lilli's Q ( bbq topping ), mushroom / green pepper and cheese. The buffet table was attractive and never short on food! Wait staff was outstanding - don't know how they kept track of everyone's drink order with all of us milling around! Catering staff was great to work with and had some good suggestions. Best part was getting the birthday cake and cupcakes delivered and set up from their bakery ( West Town ) next door.
(4)
Katie W.

Great place for group dinners! A bunch of girlfriends and I went to Roots Friday night for a girls night dinner. They were great and took reservations, which I always appreciate on a Friday night. We got there and were shocked at how big it is, and a great atmosphere. This would be a perfect Sunday funday bar for football games :) The manager was awesome and brought us a round of shots right as we sat down for "being attractive"... a litlte cheesy yes, but was very sweet. Later we got to talking and told him one of the girls was getting married in a week, so he sent over another round of shots. Whatever the pear shot was - DELICIOUS! We ordered a varity of pizzas and all were great, but were a little bummed that they were out of the garlic monkey bread we heard so much about :( Will definitely go back!
(4)
Natalie R.

HORRIBLE service! After our group of 7 asked to move to a bigger table, the menus were literally thrown at us on the table. The waitresses all gave us dirty looks and whispered to each other. And after we finally received our food, it took forever for the waitress to check in with us. At one point we had all waited such a long time for drinks that we had to waive down another waitress to go look for ours. Overall, mediocre food, horrible service, not a place I'll be coming back to.
(2)
Katie N.

I have to say I'm really shocked at all the negative reviews of this place! A friend and I went on a Sunday evening around 7:30. The hosts were busy filling 2 carryout orders, and this is my one complaint about our experience... We stood directly in front of them (the hosts) for several minutes before anyone acknowledged us. I'd wager it was at least 10 minutes we stood there, before one said anything to us. We mentioned we'd been standing there for several minutes, to which some jerk host/manager (I don't know what he was) said in a very exasperated tone "We are REALLY sorry about that, but as you can see we're VERY busy with takeout orders right now!" As if its my fault you can't take the 14 seconds to say 'Hi, I'll be right with you...' That being said, everything else about this place rocked... There was about a 15 - 20 minute wait, but there was some space at the bar, so we checked out the beer/drink list. Pretty great list of beers, and their speciality cocktails were fun and delish! The bartender that served us was uber great and friendly. She gave us some shots on the house for no apparent reason, other than to be nice. When my friend was trying to decide on a beer, the bartender just gave her a sample of one to try. Not many bartenders do that in this city - She was awesome!! The food we ordered was quite good. I'd absolutely order everything again. We had the fried ravioli, a pizza, and the chocolate cake (Not exactly the healthiest meal of our lives...). Our fab server, Leslie, told us they make their own cheese & sausage in house. Pretty cool. We loved the food! The big oversized cushy booths were awesome. The light fixtures were fun. Drinks were very strong. Great beer list. Service was fantastic (minus the hosts). No reason not to at least try it! I'll def be back!
(5)
Tu'ens N.

I just personally didn't like the pizza. It's really cheesy with cheese that is just like a uniform white across the top; the crust isn't very flavorful. The sauce -- this is not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation -- tastes a lot like I remember Pizza Hut's sauce to taste. I kind of liked that last time I was at Pizza Hut 10 years ago to be honest. Anyways, then the toppings aren't very good. The "chicken chorizo" was terrible. It tasted very similar to that Old El Paso taco seasoning mix. The sausage that they were all hyping was boring and was that sort of ground-beef style sausage covering the whole pizza that I think is gross. The veg one was not great. The all cheese was gross cause its a lot of cheese that is just barely melted. I did not factor service into my one star because if I had, we would have been deep in negative star territory, and I am chalking it up to growing pains. That said, when I ate there, they apparently hadn't numbered the outdoor tables, because literally every single time the runners came out from the kitchen they stood there and had no idea where to take the food. This is over the course of the two-plus hours we were there. They took guesses and gave us the wrong stuff and gave ours to someone else. Ultimately we got what we ordered and got someone else's for free to compensate, but they need to get that part of the act together. Unfortunately I think it's a little bit expensive for pizza, even if it were good, so we are down to just one lonely star. Good beer list.
(1)
Matt S.

I have been here a bunch of times and every time was great. The pizza is unlike anything in Chicago. It's not "chicago style" but it sure is delicious. I suggest building your own or the Taco Pizza. The cheese sticks are the best I've ever had. But if you get them, order a salad after...they fill you up! Or just order them and then decide what else you want. The beer selection is also great. Our bartender, Kevin, did a great job giving us suggestions on what to drink. Tons of craft brews and local options. The atmosphere is so friendly and welcoming as well. Good for families, young adults and just about anyone. I love sitting at the bar when the Hawks or Bulls are on. Overall, great place with good food. Some of the best pizza in town!!
(5)
Jennifer P.

On visit #2, we tried more of the menu and found out how much the food really sucks. The mini calzones were gross. I ordered 3 and were surprised by the size, but they might as well have been small because I only had a few bites. The crust wasn't cooked all the way and the fillings were accompanied by a tomato juice. Crumbly sausage is too mealy. And the spinach artichoke one was just the dip inside an undercooked crust. The worst part was the sauce they want you to dip it in. A spicy ketchup Turns out it is also their pizza sauce which explains a few things. Husband had an Italian sandwich. Shoulda gone to Fiore's. It would have been better and not $11. I would have given them less stars but the mozzarella sticks were awesome and the waitress was great.
(2)
Patrick C.

I recently ordered pickup here to try it out. I ordered online. When ordering you select a time for pickup that are listed in half hour increments. I placed my order at 8:40, and the soonest I would be allowed to pickup my order was 9:30, almost an hour later. Not quick, but hey, not unreasonable I supposed. Until I got to the place. I was (not) greeted by a hostess who was too disinterested in life to even hold her head up. She mumbled something and had me sign to pay for my order. She then went to check on my food. She came back about 5 minutes later (the kitchen is nowhere near the front) saying it would be ready soon. She then sank back into here chair and resumed her crippling depression. I was not offered a place to sit and there was no clear waiting area other than the bar and some dirty tables. By this time it was 9:40. Fast forward 15 minutes. The hostess with the mostess sits a couple who walked in, and apparently decided it would be a good time to check on my food. She comes back and presents me with my pizza. It is now 9:58, Almost 30 minutes after my order was scheduled to be ready, and 1 hour and 18 minutes since my order was placed. At least I could count on a fresh hot pizza. I took the pizza home (5 minutes away) and oh man, what a surprise. I wouldn't say it was cold, but it had clearly spent some time under a heat lamp. The exposed sauce and crust were basically half dried out. Either Roots has developed a new way to make fresh pizza taste old, or I waited a half hour for no apparent reason other than the hostess had no clue and there is no clear line of communication from the kitchen to the front. And by the way, the pizza itself, even considering it was not fresh, was mediocre. Cutting it "quad city style" apparently doesn't make it taste better, and "malt crust" probably is less awesome when heated/re-heated to stone. Avoid the place.
(1)
Su S.

I usually don't travel outside of a 2 block radius for pizza. I have a pizza place on the corner and I'm not too good for the frozen section at the grocery store. I do not regret travelling more than 2 blocks for this pizza. We got toasted raviolis as our appetizer. Why don't more pizza places have toasted raviolis on the menu? They're delicious. I like crumbled sausage rather than big chunks of sausage on pizza. The crust is pretty tasty and there was so much cheese. I got a couple of their speciality cocktails. Also good but a bit overpriced. I like the big booths. I'm not sure if the benches on the ends of the booths are for big groups or if they go somewhere else when its crowded. They're also right next to Bleeding Heart Bakery. They have a couple Bleeding Heart items on their dessert menu or you can do what we did, which is stop in for a to go dessert since we were stuffed with pizza.
(4)
Mariah C.

I'm from the Quad Cities originally, so when we headed to this Ukranian Village spot for my boyfriend's birthday, I was prepared to be critical. I grew up with Harris Pizza back home, and I've had my fair share of the Wise Guys and Uncle Bill's that are its descendants. But QC pizza in Chicago? It was great-- it tastes just like the home grown original. We had the Taco (a nod to QC's taco inventor Happy Joe), BLT, Sausage and Pepperoni. I have to say that the pepperoni was my favorite-- a delicious classic. My boyfriend even contends that the crust at Roots is better than what we get back home-- slightly firmer and maltier, which allows is to hold up better as you sling it toward your face for a bite. Another member of our party found it to be slightly less greasy than the original QC pizza. I was also impressed by their huge selection of Midwestern beers. The place itself is pretty great-- a huge, open space with lots of room to dine, drink or both-- and the service was friendly. I'd definitely go back.
(4)
Tony D.

The pizza here is awesome. I prefer it over Piece for pizza. It's probably the best in the neighborhood and they have a great variety of beer on top. The place is the spot and there is usually a wait on the weekends and it's worth it.
(4)
Kelsey K.

Roots kicks so much ass! Ryan the manager is awesome and he makes us feel so welcome! We had Carissa the first time and I'm pretty sure that she made us laugh uncontrollably the whole time. Keep rockin it, you crazy Rican! We had Rachel the second time and she's probably our new best friend. She even went out of her way to come hang out with us for a while on the next visit which is fantastich!!
(5)
Isa B.

I am sad to say I found this place too late and now I move away from it in two months. I LOVED their pizzas more than any other I've had in the city. I am a pizza connoisseur and this, to me, is the best one so far. I've gone to at least 18 other places and this one won my respect the three times I've been in a month. Pickup twice and once eating in. Good service, good beers, good times, good atmosphere, delicious pizzas.
(5)
Atul J.

There's a reason no one has ever heard of "Quad-city pizza." After reading about this place in the latest issue of Chicago magazine I browsed the website for Roots Handmade Pizza and hungrily added it to my list of places to try out. I decided to force my friend in joining me for some take out: one large "Garden" pizza (hold the olives and add onions) and one tomato, avocado, and mozzarella salad. We were told that the order would be ready in 20 minutes. 25 minutes later we arrived at the restaurant and ended up having to wait over 10 minutes for what turned out to be a pizza well on it's way to room temperature. At least I had an interesting conversation with the woman at the door. She gave me a thorough lecture on the background of the "Quad-city pizza." Back at home, starving, we eagerly opened the box to reveal: a large pizza, overloaded with toppings and a mountain of cheese, and a disgusting crust that was as soggy as wet one-ply toilet paper. I'm serious- picking up a slice led to an avalanche of slimy toppings and cheese sliding right off the tepid and thin crust.The cheese was bland and while the olives were left off as requested, they forgot to add the onions. As my friend described it, it was "like four-day old cafeteria pizza." The salad, on the other hand, was delicious yet over priced at $12. I will never eat at this place or order from there again. Too bad because they seem to have a great beer list.
(1)
Alana G.

I really enjoy Roots as an overall package. An unpretentious environment where you can catch a game on TV or sit and talk with friends. The food is great and the prices are reasonable. I love their make-your-own-salads! The list is so extensive, I can't think of any additional toppings I would even want on my salad! Their sweet potato tots are AMAZING. Their homemade sausages are delicious, try one with a corn dog wrap too. Their pizza is pretty darn good. Not my favorite (and I have never been to the Quad-Cities so can't discuss with experience) but still pretty good! My husband loves their Italian Beef Sandwich. Their beer list is fantastic, and I have been enjoying systematically trying all of them! Oh, and you must try their homemade Root Beer - YUM! Overall, this is one of my favorite places to go for a good salad and a beer, or to share a pizza with friends.
(4)
Aaron L.

5* Mozzarella Sticks 1.5* Wings 3.5* Pizza with diced tomatoes, mushrooms, lamb sausage 3.5* Crust
(3)
Ariane S.

Not from the Quad-City, so no I don't understand any of the jokes going on in the place but I did understand the build your own salad and loved it. You are able to put basically anything you want into the salad for only $8 which clearly makes me a fan. Plus the Cilantro Vinaigrette is to die for. The pizza is nothing to write home about. It honestly tasted pretty similar to a frozen pizza which was a little upsetting since we paid $1.50 for every topping we put on the freaking thing (absurd). But I would go back for the salad definitely. Especially since I have a friend who likes to control every aspect of her salad and not get dressing. (Looks like we won't be fighting about where to eat anymore!)
(3)
Imran A.

updating my rating with a caveat. they make awesome salad's (our go to place for a quick week night dinner) and the bartenders great. Still not sure about the pizza though.
(4)
Nathan F.

I loved this place. I would give Roots a 5 star review, but my first experience was during the soft opening, so I don't know how that will compare with future experiences. If they continue to churn out such high quality, I will re-visit this review to give it the 5 stars it merits. Food: The homemade mozzarella is the key to all their best dishes, from the mozzarella sticks to the pizza. Roots has clearly invested a ton of time into perfecting very basic recipes with high quality ingredients. Simple, but superb. My fiance and I tried the Lollipop Wings and Mozzarella Sticks for appetizers and we were thoroughly impressed. The Mozzarella Sticks are HUGE, but they are prepared from scratch and suprisingly well-seasoned -- not greasy or bland like most restaurants. For dinner, we tried a pizza with half of regular sausage and half chicken chorizo sausage. Looking back, we should have just stuck with a full sausage pizza -- the original and Roots' specialty. I have never had "Quad City Style" pizza, but if Roots' pizza is representative -- I AM HOOKED. The crust is malty, doughy, and crispy in a perfect balance. The sauce is spicy without overwhelming the other subtle flavors, like the oregano smoothly integrated into the mouth-watering homemade mozzarella. Even the sausage is remarkable -- crumbled spicy and savory sausage pieces are sprinkled throughout the entire pizza, instead of the huge globs of amorphous sausage found on most pizza. 5 stars are well-deserved here. Along the lines of the meal, the beer selection is truly jaw-dropping -- 10+ Midwest Regional Microbrews on tap (Point Belgian White from WI was my favorite) and around 50 bottle selections. I will be back just for the beer selection. 5+ stars. Love it. Service: I would probably have given the service a 3 if it hadn't been for the manager and owner stopping by to say hello. Our waitress was a space-cadet and remarkably awkward in a manner that bordered on pushy. To be honest, if you told me she was stoned, I wouldn't have been suprised. On the other hand, they did just open, so it may just be a hiccup. The fact that the owners and manager stopped by our table was very nice and they even noted that we should stop in the kitchen to say hello next time. Overall, this is probably 3 or 4 stars. Ambiance: Think of a loud, lively gastropub experience without it being overwhelming. The open window booths, garage doors, and re-purposed original wood-paneling (salvaged/restored from original 100 year old building) gives the restaurant an authentic gritty feel, but still maintains a very classy vibe. This also has potential as a late-night bar scene, since it's open until 2 am. The rooftop opens in 5 weeks. I'm a fan -- 5 stars. Overall, I loved my experience at Roots and I can't wait to see what they do with the opening of Bleeding Heart Bakery next door. This is a pizza place with so much more -- definitely give it a shot the next time you're in the mood for a great microbrew and handmade pizza.
(4)
Kelly K.

To be honest.. The food is ok at best, the service is slow, the acoustics are terrible so it is extremely loud, and it is overpriced. Simple as.
(2)
Samuel W.

We showed up at this place because it was on the route for the "Chiditarod Race" expecting to find exactly what we found, a bunch of young singles in silly costumes drinking beer and over flowing onto the sidewalks. What we didn't expect was that we were sat right down at a comfortable table and given warm friendly and very quick service despite the malay! Then the best part.....The food that comes out of this kitchen is exactly what they promise, Home made, from scratch, Chef driven, delicious comfort food at a VERY reasonable price. To boot, the bloody mary I ordered to wash it all down that was garnished with some fresh pulled mozzarella cheese and dried smoky sausage of some sort was the best I've had in a LONG time! I should have just started by saying that!! Yup, we'll be back and we are the toughest and snobiest critics around....... -GOTC
(4)
J O.

Went with the stuffed artichoke app and it was a mess to eat so we were glad that we got the order to go. Flavors were great but as with most artichokes, it was tuff to find much 'meat' and just a vehicle for the breadcrumbs filling. The taco pizza was very good with a nice chewy crust but our favorite was the tomato, mozzarella, avocado salad. The cilantro dressing was superb but did have a tendency to overwhelm the veggies,so go easy with it. In the end, it is a bit pricey for pizza and salad, so we probably won't frequent the place but it is only a short stroll away.....
(4)
Casey F.

My husband and I have been here twice so far and we really like it. We've even dared to say we prefer it to Piece, and that is a bold statement. Neither one of us had ever heard of Quad City pizza before, but whatever it is I love it. The malted crust has a distinctive taste that is delicious. The beer menu is awesome, service has always been good, and the food was consistently good. We've only had the pizza so far, and the monkey bread, but Roots has definitely made the list to throw into our rotation of regular spots.
(4)
chris c.

The wings and the beer list are the winners here. But the owners are the same as 50-50 so the wings better be good. We also had the gyro sausage with sweet potatoe tots and the beet salad. The sausage was very meh and nothing special. Neither bad nor good. The tots were really dissappointing. The beet salad was very unbalanced. The beets were good but the balance with the cheese was way out of wack and the dressing was very bland. It was an example of some good ingredients making a very average dish due to lack of attention in the kitchen. All this and a price point that is abou 20 percent too high for what it is. This place is the definition of a place I would go to if a friend wanted to go but would not return on my own.
(2)
kevin C.

pizza is good. thus far i had the taco pizza and the girl and the goat pizza. both were a-ok. the crust is awesome. service is great. bartender is legit, remembers your name and your drink even though i was only in there once before. the reason i took them down 2 stars is the cost. went there with a total of 3 people. order consisted of 4 craft beers. 2 schlits, 6shots of jamo, and a large pizza. total 101.xx i get it your a business and provide a very nice atmosphere, but dayum 7 dollar jamos! ill be back but ill save the shots for cleo's across the street where you got a jamo and pbr tall boy for 6 bucks.
(3)
Natalie K.

Being a Quad City transplant into Chicago, it's nice to see a place open up that can satisfy my craving for a taste of home. Their taco pizza, while not EXACTLY like what I grew up on, is pretty on-point. They also have a massive beer selection, which is always great. I would give this place 5 stars but I had to take one away for one simple reason, they only deliver to a certain area. While I understand the reasoning; my heart was just broken after I moved from Wicker Park to Bucktown, only to discover that delivering into my new 'hood wasn't even an option. Fingers crossed that they decide to follow in the footsteps of Piece and deliver anywhere in the city, I would definitely pay the extra $$ to have it brought to my doorstep.
(4)
Matt L.

As a former TV news reporter in the Quad Cities, when a place opened in Chicago that sold Quad Cities pizza, I'd have to check it out to see how it held against the stuff I ate for three years. We came here for lunch on a weekday when the place wasn't busy. Service was fantastic, our waitress was attentive without being pushy. As for the pizza itself, much, much better than I expected. I ordered the classic sausage pizza and it was as good as, if not better, than the pies I enjoyed in the Quads. The crust was perfectly malty, there was more than enough sausage on it, and the sauce was strong without being overpowering. The only reason this is a four-star review is because of the price ($18 w/ tax for a small pizza? Really, guys?) Will be back not just for the pizza but the impressive craft beer list.
(4)
Angelica M.

Something to livin' up the Chicago Ave. Ukie Village scene a little bit more! I couldn't miss this spot...the sign at 11pm on a Friday night illuminates the street! The patio was hoppin, the DJ was bumpin some oldies (90s) but goodies and I was hungry.... Pizza: A large was WAYYY too large for 2 people, but was DELISH. (ate leftovers for the next 48 hrs) The crust is the "malt" crust so it has a bit of a sweetness to it. We ordered the mushroom, onion, green pepper combo and it was cheese-pully and yumz. THE MOZZARELLA STICKS: ...are a meal in themselves. think mozzarella LOGS. seriously the best mozzarella sticks i've ever had. and apparently the mozzarella is made in house!! gotta love the cheese. Service: Friendly Drinks: Had the JALAPENO tequila shot....sweet and tequila with a nice spicy aftertaste. Try it out!
(4)
Samantha M.

I went to Roots last week with my friends and I thought it was great. I am from Iowa and have always loved Happy Joe's taco pizza but could never find and equivalent in Chicago. I now have one! We got the taco pizza and it was great. My friends liked it so much that they went back there this weekend to get it again. I was out of town so I didn't get to go with them. :( We also got the following: - Stuffed artichokes- delicious, especially the creamy mustard sauce which we kept to dip pizza crust in. - Cheesy garlic monkey bread- good but not what I expected, I probably would try something else next time. - Caprese stacks with bacon- why isn't bacon always on this salad, yum- my. They also have a solid beer list. There were 5 of us with the food listed above and a few beers each at like $35 a piece. I didn't think the prices were bad at all like other Yelpers did. I will definitely be back and super happy that Roots is not far from my hood.
(4)
Carol K.

The portions are big, the pizza has tons of cheese (too much really), vodka on tap, and incompetent servers. We sat outside, starved excited to try a new place, server comes over maybe 5-7 minutes later in a panic, she apologized for being late (it wasn't a big deal, we had time to look at the menu), we put the order in. Artichoke dip app and a garden pizza. My friend ordered a beer that took another 5 plus minutes to get over to the table and then maybe 10-15 minutes later our appetizer. It was good, super rich, lots of cheese, with deep fried pita chips. I stopped on the appetizer to save my appetite for the pizza, we waited about 35-40 minutes (it had gotten pretty busy, we were busy talking) and then I realized a table that got sat next to us 20 minutes prior just got their pizza... the server totally forgot to put our order in... she apologized profusely and then said she would take care of the pizza. 15 minutes later the pizza comes out, it's decent, again too much cheese, not the best sauce or crust, but we were ready to eat. She came over several more times offering excuses, over explaining, and offering more free stuff. She brought us a round of shots, and said she would take care of the drinks as well. We get the bill, pizza was still on the tab so were most of the drinks. We asked what the deal was, she explained that she comped the price of the pizza... we asked her why she said she was going to comp both the pizza and drinks if she wasn't able to, she again profusely apologized and then reluctantly comped the drinks. We did leave her a generous tip because we knew she had a bad night. Serving tip 101, don't offer shit you can deliver. Probably won't go back and if I were the owner I would train my servers- how to serve. Good. Luck.
(2)
Michelle F.

Double check your take out orders. Good food but they get the orders wrong often. Forgetting dressing or substituting things they are out of in the kitchen... Now twice in a row!
(3)
John R.

When I heard Quad-city style pizza, I wasn't quite sure what to think. My hometown is very close to the Quad cities, so pizza joints there are similar. Roots' specialty pizza menu has the staples from that area, mainly the Taco and to a lesser extent the BLT. Roots does the Taco pizza justice. It's the by far the best I've had in this area. The crumbled sausage under the crust also seemed more like pizzas back home. Roots has one thin style crust. It's a little thicker, but flavorful. Ingredients are fresh. They also have guest chef's make pizzas and no slouches either. When I was there Girl and the Goat and Chicago Q chefs were on the menu. They have a pretty good micro-brew menu-- definitely above average. Their house root beer wasn't bad. Their non Pizza menu has the usually Bar or Pizza Joint findings, but certain things that are a little more unique, like the huge Mozzarella sticks and monkey bread, the sausage section. I definitely want to come back.
(4)
Deanna W.

Great salads! Had the taco pizza and pulled pork pizza it was a lot of food! The mozzarella sticks are great too. Service was ok...the servers were not very friendly.
(3)
suzi w.

my new favortie is spinach and tomato pizza. but i think it's still pricey, and no pizza on the kids menu makes some difficult choices. But so delicious, I just love it. The only reason I give 4 stars is because of the price, but the atmosphere is just wonderful.
(4)
Maura M.

I finally made it to Roots and was very pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend and I stopped in around 8:00 pm on a Saturday night and were seated outside without any wait (that scored huge points in my book). We had a great server who was very attentive and got our food and drinks in a very timely manner. The mozzarella sticks were recommended so we ordered those and a small pizza. I was a little shocked when the mozzarella sticks came out and they were each the size of a Twinkie. Eating just one of them made me pretty full so I think I would stay away from those next time (even though they tasted great). We decided to create our own pizza with sausage, onions, jalapeÃ±os, and tomato and it was delicious! I was so full from the mozzarella stick though that I didn't eat as much pizza as I wanted (made from great leftovers though). In terms of price, it was a little expensive but not over the top. For three beers, an app, and a pizza, our total was just under $50 (without tip). It does get more pricey if you create your own pizza. I'm looking forward to making another trip to Roots - it's a great addition to the pizza scene in Chicago (especially for those of us who are sick of deep-dish and ultra-thin crust pizza!).
(4)
Karl B.

This place is incredible. Top notch ingredients, super fast delivery (even late at night), great service. Highly recommended.
(5)
Brendan H.

Bourbon = $9.00, bourbon on the rocks = $9.00 + $1.00. WTF. Who charges an extra dollar to put 2 ice cubes in my glass? Is this a common practice anywhere? Service is also pretty meh, a lot of people standing around taking their sweet time to serve customers.
(2)
Paul C.

I was a little leery of whatever Quad City pizza is, but decided to swallow my reservations and hit up Roots for lunch. The beer list alone made the visit worthwhile. The pizza isn't the best in Chicago, but it's surprisingly good. The crust really separates it from the herd. Plus they have a Two Brothers house brew. What more do you need? My only complaint was that the service was quite lackadaisical upon our arrival. It took what felt like 15 minutes before someone came by to take our order, and they weren't exactly busy. After our waitress came to take our initial drink order she was attentive for the rest of our visit, and the pizza was good enough that I'll give Roots another try, but they need to do a little better job at making you feel welcome if they want to keep customers coming back. I don't understand all the complaints about price. After eating a large pizza and having a few brews we spent about as much as you would at comparable "trendy" pizza/bars like Piece (which is most likely the business model Roots is trying to model itself on). Maybe the neighborhood isn't accustomed to higher priced establishments, so if you're expecting Domino's or Papa Johns prices go there instead. If you want good pizza and craft brews you'll be happy at Roots.
(4)
Christian B.

Great pizza! Their taco pizza was outstanding and their salads are must try.
(5)
Heather K.

5 stars. I seriously have dreams about this food.
(5)
Carly G.

The food out shone the service for sure. So for service 1 star and food 3. Went here for date night last night. Got there about 8pm, good crowd. Mixed age, some professional some hipster scene. Love the atmosphere, very clean and fresh, airy and booths are a great size. Love the fact that they have garage windows to open in the summer. We sat at the bar, beer was great. I had the wheat pale ale from Stevens Point. So smooth and yummy. Food we had the artichoke with was so yummy served with a great mustard. As for service, we should have gotten a table; the bartender seemed overwhelmed and that we were inconveniencing him when asking for another beer or even to order food. Pizza was excellent, crust is great and airy not so doughy. We ordered the BLT pizza, and it was so fresh, came with two kinds of bacon. I think the only thing missing was a side of ranch. Will be back, especially with a group of people. Hopefully they will have more beer specials with better prices, and we will certainly sit at a table.
(4)
A. S.

Been here twice...cheesesticks were great both times and the pizza was really good but tried the monkey bread this last visit and it was AWFUL...had this funky taste that my friend kept saying was just garlic but it was just nasty to me...I would go back cause of the pizza and the atmosphere but I never wanna taste that nastiness of that bread ever again!
(3)
Matthew B.

In Chicago for work - went here for the first time. Great open area, huge restaurant with inside and outside seating options. If the weather is nice, they open the sliding doors to restaurant. Pizza was very good, its a bit thicker than traditional thin crust, has a slightly sweet taste (dough) given the malt used in process from what I understand. Lots of options with respect to toppings. Also, avocado salad we had was top notch. Would go back albeit my go to is deep dish when in Chicago.
(4)
Mara N.

Love this place quad city style pizza, they make fresh mozarella the sauce has kick to it and the crust is the best that I could of eaten by itself, Great neighborhood atmosphere.
(5)
First L.

I am pre-reviewing this place in advance after reading nearly 40 1 star blasts on (1) the horrible service; (2) the over-priced food; and (3) the Quad City pizza. Fortunately, I know Harris Pizza, which is truly IN the Quad Cities. I will offer my studied opinion shortly. But for all of you Pizza War fans, know that Quad City pizza is very different....just as Coal Fire is New Haven style and Pizanno's is the best pizza ever. Ever. But for the true pizza fan, we love ALL pizza in the same way that a parent loves all of their children (we love some facets more than others, but the amount and quality of love is equal). I plan to order an appetizer, perhaps the sweet potato tater tots, a salad (although probably not the spinach beet salad unless they've really improved it), and a pizza. I'll let you know how it goes...
(5)
Salil G.

Beer selection is very good. So why the 2 stars? Their pizza dough tastes like Chef boy r dee pizza crust mix out of the box. Also, their monkey bread was undercooked and raw. Only come to this place to drink. Their pizza is overpriced and not very good. If this is what Quad Cities pizza is supposed to be, it's pizza only a QC mother could love. Pass.
(2)
Larissa B.

OK, this review will consist of two parts: the food, and the service. I'll start with the food. I went with two girlfriends and we ordered the mozzarella cheese sticks, the tomato and avocado salad, and a small pepperoni pizza. Cheese sticks- amazing. I am still thinking about them. Definitely order these. Tomato and avocado salad- sounded good, but was kind of bland- seemed to be missing something. Could take it or leave it. Pizza- good, not great, but a solid addition to the neighborhood. Part 2: The service. Me, my two friends, and a baby were at our table. The baby is adorably dressed in a polo shirt and seersucker pants. Along comes our waitress who notes that 'Our baby is one sharp dresser'. Awesome, thanks. Then she continues.... 'He is such a snazzy dresser it is hard to say who he will be attracted to someday... definitely not the ladies!' Umm... We stare at each other. Did she just say that our baby (3 months old!!!) is gay?! Nothing against gay people at all...but awkward, um yes. Management- maybe a quick refresher course on table chit chat.
(3)
Martin S.

Pizza is simple but delicious - sandwiches are great - but mostly try the mozzarella sticks, which are hand made and not from some giant brown bag like most places. Good atmosphere for a long conversation with friends.
(4)
Jace C.

Just as I thought, good pizza in the Quad Cities is only mediocre pizza by Chicago standards.
(2)
Klo J.

unique recipes n' satisfying tastes - isn't that all you need in a food joint? if they just lowered the price of that 'za, i'd be swallowin' that yummy crust daily!
(5)
polymorphyc g.

Very disappointed. They place is great and family friendly and huge, awesome wait staff, ect... but the pizza sucks. It's a real shame they would load up a pizza with that much cheese. It was a grease pit, terrible, we think HRI frozen is better I mean who the hell trains these people to cook a pizza. We did not even take it home.
(1)
Fariha N.

I went with a few of my friends for some dinner. The service was alright but we were a big party. I am a HUGE fan of the spinach artechoke dip, it might be the best I have ever had. I would highly recommend trying it out!
(4)
Debra R.

Roots is a great place to go for dinner in the neighborhood for dinner or with a group. A great beer list, good pizza (I also had a delicious salad named "proco moreno") and TONS of space perfect for groups including outdoor space and separate rooms & booths. I love that the walls are garage doors that open up to the fresh air.
(3)
caroline k.

I don't get this place. What's the hype? Ok, the apetizer salad (avocado, tomatos, sunflower seeds and a cilantro dressing) was good, but the 'quad-city' pizza (we got the veggie) wasn't anything spectacular. tons of olives on 'malted' crust (i.e. just tastes sweeter), i didn't really understand how this was a 'veggie' pizza let alone anything special. the service was super friendly though.
(2)
Ban S.

Quad Cities pizza, give me a break. I'll bet Quad cities pizza is nothing but Domino's and Papa John's every other corn field. Trying to hang the shingle of your business on something as insignificant as Iowa is like trying to make a root canal sound sexy. The waitstaff was completely friendly and attentive and that's why it gets two stars. The beer list...yeah, everyone has one these days and while there were some decent choices, do I really need to work so hard to figure out what kind of beers you have? I mean give me a break, making me flip through 30 pages because you want to be unique about presenting your beers is a total turnoff. KISS isn't just a band, it's a moniker you should very well understand. Keep It Simple Stupid(KISS). Prices are what kills you. I'm willing to bet you there isn't a place in all of Iowa serving overpriced food. I mean $9 for fried ravioli and $10 for fried cheese? Is there a happy ending involved or something? $12 for a salad that has cheese and beets? How bout you beat it back to Iowa? $7 for a Vienna Beef Hot Dog...are you friggin high? You don't get charge $7 for that same dog at an overpriced sporting event. Is there gonna be a stripper serving the hot dog or something? Give me a break. $10 for an Italian Beef sandwich? Have you ever been to a Chicago beef stand? I could get two for what you charge...WITH FRIES! For those of you playing the home game, just think if the mediocre food is this overpriced wait two years until they raise their prices...or better yet, order anything for delivery and you're gonna need an ATM at home to pay the bill. The sausage pizza we ordered was very bland. It was like someone crumbled cat food on my sausage pizza. How can you screw up a sausage pizza in the pizza capital of the world? I can't wait for the first Irish guy to sue the place because they have a pizza called the Big Mick. Of course that may not happen because JJ isn't Irish. Folks, for you keeping score, score your pizza and sandwiches elsewhere because even if you don't like salami, anytime you see a $10 salami sandwich, you should run. I've never been to the Quad Cities....thank god, but I'm certain you won't find a $10 salami sandwich there. You could buy 3 pounds of salami for $10.
(2)
Adam E.

The service was slow. But the pizza was ah-mazing! I am from the QC, so I'm biased. I did not realize how much I love the crust and sausage until I ate here. Highly recommended for something different!
(4)
Mike B.

I'll Always give a good rating to a place who supports local brew. They have Two Brothers Domaine Dupage as their staple brew. They also have a solid beer list and cool homemade shots. I didn't have time to try the pizza so I will be returning to check that out.. and eat it.
(4)
Larry S.

The menu tells me that this is true "Quad Cities Pizza". And, the folks at the next table (who recently moved to Chicago from Moline) could attest to the concept that there really is such a thing. (I had my doubts.) Service was good and the ingredients were certainly fresh but, if this is one of the highlights of living in the Quad Cities, it's now clear to me why people move away. I mean really, did you ever meet anyone that wanted to move to Davenport for the pizza?!? Like I said, service was quite good, everyone there is very friendly but, the pizza is nothing special. (Apparently, the "real" Quad Cities thing to order is the Taco Pizza, covered with Doritos. Looked more like something invented to cure a freakish case of the munchies late one night. I'll pass.)
(2)
Jeff R.

We're never upset about trying new pizza places in Chicago, especially when they pop up in our neighborhood. Roots is differentiating itself by calling their style "quad city" style. It's not deep dish but has a large and doughy crust made with malt. Yes, malt like the good stuff in beer. The concept is interesting and the place is well furnished in a large corner of the block with a huge patio and a garage door in front. There's a large bar in the middle with access on both sides. The tables are on the outside walls, two steps up stadium style with great leather padding. The scene is definitely set for good times for a hip and family Ukrainian Village crowd. The other great aspect of Roots is the beer list. There are over 70 drafts plus bottles, and the best part is that all of them come from local breweries in the midwest. The list is organized by state, with each brewery located on the map. Unfortunately, the patio, decor, and beer list are the best qualities. The pizza isn't bad, and I actually enjoyed their specialty taco pizza - served with taco meat, tortilla chips and lettuce. We also ordered a plain cheese and mushroom pizza, which was disappointing compared to the taco. The outer crust is nice but there was too much cheese and not enough sauce or crust in the middle. For an appetizer we ordered the lollipop wings with buffalo sauce, where the sauce wasn't spicy or buffalo and the meat was very ordinary. I like that the menu is not overly complicated for a pizza spot - a good list of starters, salads (with a build your own option) and sandwiches. The specialty pizzas looked interesting, and the taco was surprisingly good. The pricing was a little surprising with $20 and $25 for 12'' and 16'' pies respectively. Our entire bill for four people was $30 each including tip and tax - and we didn't over order or over drink by any means. Since Roots is within walking distance and boasts a 90 seat patio with a great beer list, the chances or returning are almost 100%. I appreciate the new take on a Chicago culinary staple but feel it comes up a bit short. For those prices I might stick with Lou Malnati, but will return for beer, outdoor drinking with the occasional snack.
(3)
John M.

My girlfriend and I probably visit Roots once every other week. We split a salad and pizza. Fantastic place. Food is always great and the vibe here is fantastic. Can wait to shuffle over in the wintertime.
(5)
David A.

I like the concept, but come on, a $20 12" pizza? If I need a good pizza, I would rather go with a pizza place that has been been around and has a reputation for the pizza. Maybe in time the prices will go down, but who knows. As far as their beer selection, and you really telling me I cannot get a Stella? instead I need to get one of the midwest microbrews? For someone who is not a huge fan of the IPAs out there. This place will need to make some changes to make it. I see this place as more of a bar in a maybe up and coming area.
(2)
Tim H.

I'm shocked to see the reviews for this place aren't that great because my experience was awesome. The service was friendly the pizza and home-made mozzarella sticks were amazing. Plus they have all these special adult sodas and root beer in a bottle. I definitely found my new fav pizza joint on the west side.
(4)
Rebecca P.

This place is awesome! How does it have so few stars?? The food is super delicious, pizza crust was awesome, home made mozzarella sticks: best I've ever had, the "adult sodas" are such an original idea...which is hard to do with cocktails these days, plus they are HUGE (lot of bang for your buck). If you aren't into Pizza there's plenty of sandwich and app options, AND they have tons of yummy interesting salads with a "make your own" option.... which is a draw in and of itself since Chicago restaurants usually don't have a ton of salad options going on. Decor always contributes to a dining experience of course and Roots does that beautifully as well. The indoor/outdoor feel to the restaurant created by garage-like pull up walls is really unique, and the other decor elements are generally just urban and cool. I will for sure be back, great place to have in the neighborhood.
(5)
Mel A.

I went there on Tuesday, their grand opening. The mozzaralla sticks and stuffed artichokes were awesome, and I got a pizza there too, which was decent. We ordered way too much food, but we were really hungry and everything on the menu sounded great. The pizza didn't seem all that special from pizza you can get around here, though. Their menu is pretty large and I'm excited to try everything there though, so I'll be back! They have a large beer menu from a bunch of Midwest brewerys and specialty cocktails that honestly didn't appeal to me (I guess they were going for candy-type vibes from your childhood -- a good n' plenty flavored one, and one with pop rocks at the bottom of it, if that's your thing - $12 each though) Our waitress was nice but I felt like she was more hellbent on telling us all about the background of the place and all that, rather than asking us what our order was, but I guess that goes without saying since it was the grand opening. I agree with another reviewer that it was pretty much a script, as she said the same exact things to the customers next to us. She was nice and it was her first day working there so I can't fault her for doing what was apparently their job of trying to sell the place. But I felt like saying "Okay, I get it, just take my order already!" But the food is good. Like I said, I'll be going back!
(4)
Therese O.

YUM! And Tuesday is 1/2 priced wine night. I really enjoyed going here and thought the pizza was delish and the salads were amazing. The sweet potato Tots are amazing. We were almost fighting over them. The artichoke appetizer was meh. Overall I will be back. A nice alternative to the overcrowded and super annoying Piece.
(4)
stu y.

Place cool, waitress super cute, pizza terrible. Too bad
(1)
Phil W.

Too expensive. I usually don't like be bready pizza dough, but this crust was very good. Bottom with crispy, inside was chewy and flavorful. Lots of topping. Beautiful look inside the restaurant.
(3)
B W.

I'm a QC guy and grew up on Pizza Joynt Pizza from Milan,IL. Pizza Joynt or Harris this is not. Why? #1 Where's the potatoes? How you gonna run a Harris style joint and not serve the staple: sausage and potato. C'mon man! #2 Service is total crap. Rachel our waitress was inattentive and apathetic- even when my girl spilled her drink we had to clean it up ourselves! #3 Wheres the down home QC vibe? Nothing about this place reminds me of back home. All in all the food is good and the pizza nearly legit minus the lack of potato. I'd maybe get it to go sometime but then again maybe I should just visit my dad and get the real thing. One last thing: you dudes promised Whitey's and there was none to be found. Meh.
(2)
Cindy M.

We got two pizzas, taco and sausage. They were excellent. Service was also great. We were just there on Saturday and I am already craving the pizza. We will be back.
(5)
GABRIEL M.

This is the best pizza crust I've tasted in a long time. They are brand new to the city, so I am willing to give them patience and time to get things perfect. I've ordered carryout twice, and can't wait until the next time!
(5)
Beth R.

This place was so good! Taco pizza is a must have. Huge restaurant and a great place for groups. I will definitely return for more.
(5)
John F.

Pizza was good but I've had far better elsewhere. The beer was good if you can get one. Sat 20 min. with empty beer glasses while the waitress looked at us from a few tables away taking shots. Eventually had to get up and get my own refills. Once she saw this she didn't return to the table except to drop off the check and said nothing. Probably the worst service ever recieved at a Chicago restaurant.
(1)
Heather H.

Went on Sunday & had the worst experience the bartender "Eric" was lacking in a personality & was more concerned about the people next to us who were his friends & worked there! Too busy ignoring us & making them shots the whole time! (and we are all in the restaurant biz) Had to flag someone down to order our food who I think was the manager! It took over almost 2 hrs total for drinks, 2 apps & a small pizza & when we asked where are pizza is his response " I have no clue" we are busy! Didn't seem that busy more like short staffed! Too many places to spend my money elsewhere! Never going back!! Also emailed them and never heard anything back!! Don't waste your money!!
(1)
Cameron F.

Great experience overall. Good selection of draft beers that are reasonably priced. The salads and giant mozzarella sticks were great. Pizza was very good too. Had a sausage and pepperoni pizza. Tasty, medium crust, correct amount of sauce and loaded with cheese (I'm usually an easy on the cheese type, but I couldn't complain in this case). They do a thin layer of sausage, which was delicious and did not make the pizza greasy even with the pepperoni. Service was also great, our server was attentive and on the ball with everything. This is a good pizza and beer place.
(4)
Kristy R.

Meh. I lived in the Quad Cities for a brief time and never understood the hype about the pizza there, but it's something very special to the natives. So I somewhat begrudgingly tagged along to Roots with two Quad Citians. For those familiar with "Quad Cities style pizza," Roots comes close but doesn't quite hit the mark. First of all, the prices. $27 for a taco pizza? Happy Joe would be rolling in his grave! The sausage, or "Harris" style, doesn't have nearly enough sausage, too much cheese, and a very bland sauce. The crust however, is great. We ordered the mozzarella sticks and monkey bread and while good (c'mon, its deep fried cheese) was nothing spectacular. The beer list was good, but nothing the neighborhood doesn't already offer. Service was...weird. The hostess was very nice and promised us a table in a couple of minutes, we took a seat at the bar and she came and got us when our table was ready. Then we waited. And waited. A bus boy brought us some appetizers, only we hadn't ordered them. Finally a waitress noticed us and apologized, promising our waitress would be out soon. Apparently there is mass confusion about table numbers, because we were brought food we hadn't ordered several times during our visit, and then the staff would look confused and consult each other, pointing to different tables. In summary: They just opened, so I'm going to give them a break on the service, everyone was nice, just confused. Work it out. The food is okay, but I can get a better pizza for less at Piece. I'm glad they've opened, it's another option in the neighborhood, and bringing more life to the block. Stick around Roots, but reconsider your pricing, don't be shy with the toppings and get your table numbers straight!
(3)
Samantha M.

Loved the amount of beers that they had to choose from and the mozzarella stix and sweet potato tots were great! Service was very slow...from initial drink order to paying the bill. The bus boy helped us out more than the waitress. The pizza was good (crust, sauce) but the mushrooms were canned! For claiming to use such great ingredients, this is a tragedy for a vegetarian. Also, I don't think that the price tag is worth it. $9 for mozzarella stix and $22 for a "16 pizza seems a bit high.
(3)
Kathy N.

I love the pizza here. If you're the slightest bit choosy about pizza, you won't be disappointed, If you eat Domino's pizza and consider it even slightly palatable, this place isn't for you. The one drawback to dining at Roots is that it is a bit pricey. I don't mind paying more for good pizza but they could come down on their salad prices.
(5)
Brad G.

Hands down the best mozzarella sticks I have ever had and there adult rootbeer is amazing
(5)
Sarah R.

The build-your-own salad is really the best thing this place has going for it. Pizza is just okay.
(3)
J H.

Pizza was mediocre. Creative but lacking in execution. Use a LOT of cheese. Service was very slow and poor. Prices were on the high side.
(2)
Tricia G.

Let me start by saying, yes there are mixed reviews..... Give them a break! It's only their first week of being open. They are still working out their kinks. Yes, the wait is long and seemed like they were all over the place but this will happen. I'm sure after a week they will have it all down pat. One recommendation I will make is, they need those strong wire pizza holders. The space for the table (even for two) is very limited. Atmosphere is nice. I can see it being the new trendy place for a while. They are the owners of 50/50 and have something to do with Bleeding Heart Bakery. They were in the old spot that Chick Pea is now in. They left and are back! (well soon). I have to say it's not "Chicago style" pizza, which is nice for a change. The pizza is good. HUGE may I add. They were out of monkey bread when we were there so they recommened the mozeralla sticks. They were good! We will go again! It's worth the wait! I'm glad they opened in the area. First larger bar in this area, which is great to see. Only more will come. Beer list is great! One of the managers got wind of us waiting a bit longer than they had said. (It was only their 4th day of opening). He apologized up and down and sideways. He not only checked on us twice, but four times and a fifth to say goodbye! He took care of us! Let's just say because of a little misshaps, we were very pleasantly surprised when we had received our bill! They even have organic beer! You'll LOVE it all!
(5)
mike s.

Pizza is nothing special, service is terrible, beer is warm, wine tastes like its been sitting open for 10 days.
(1)
jenni k.

I like to go to Roots for their build-a-salad. The portions for their salads are huge and they offer a variety of fixin's. However, it always takes forever to get our food in front of us. - like 40 min for a couple of salads. I understand that these are custom-made salads, but usually we go there when it's not busy. Wait staff is very friendly tho. And the decor and set-up of the restaurant is really nice, especially with the windows/walls open to the outside.
(3)
Nikki L.

A few great things right off the bat. First, they are open till 2am Monday-Friday which I think is great, especially for the neighborhood. Second, I love the menu variety, I was hesitant to eat pizza so late at night, but got really exited to see they had so much more to offer! After reviewing the delicious looking salads, I saw I could just make my own, they literally have almost any kind of lettuce, topping, cheese, dressing and protein you could ever want to put on a salad. I built a chopped salad with slivered green apples, cucumber, carrots, candied walnuts, goat cheese and blackened shrimp with a honey lemon dressing. Did you just drool? I know, right? My hubs ordered a pizza with Italian beef and mushrooms, I thought it was just OK...then again, if I had it my way, I would have chosen different ingredients. Either way, I can't wait to come back again, our server was really nice, friendly and welcoming. I definitely recommend Roots!
(4)
simona s.

Still not sure if the amount of stars i gave is appropriate for the review I'm about to give because i keep going back and forth between 1 and 2. First thing: we came in with our almost 2 year old daughter, we were immediately sat at a "crazy toddlers lounge" in the back of the restaurant, AKA parents with kids room, which i wasn't happy with at first. I was looking around and saw all these parents just as confused and baffled as we were. However, knowing my child and how she acts at the restaurants, I was eventually *glad* I was in this room where I knew other people(other parents) would understand all the crazy loud noises coming out of our "party of three" table. That being said, I didn't appreciate the fact that the "family room" didn't have any child related activities and we weren't really asked if we wanted to be seated in that area at the host stand. I am a parent, but i don't like people assuming I'm an "outsider" and should be put away to another room because I have a kid. I drink beer, I eat pizza and my daughter is as loud as some of those rowdy customers up front. I appreciated the manager(i think it was a manager, he didn't really introduce who he was) coming and talking to us and asking how our meal was(standard procedure of a new restaurant) and he was saying they were thinking of turning this into an official family room, but really, before you stock it with parents and kids ONLY, please, make sure there's things for all those kids to do, so they don't run around in an empty boring room. As the restaurant got busy, the hostesses were bringing all these couples to this family room and i felt so sorry for all of them. They looked horrified! Definitely not your first or second date material: a room full of screeching kids! Awesome! NOT! Second: pizza- mehhhh. We got a sausage and mushroom pizza and i really liked the flavor of sausage, but was it 18$ worth pizza? Not a chance! It wasn't anything special I would be coming back for! As other people have commented, even though it's all home made, blah blah... it didn't make it any better because it didn't taste any better than any other pizza in the neighborhood. Actually, i could name more than 3 places that have a better pizza, but I won't do this on yelp. The crust is very, very average and mushrooms are still to be discovered. Third: beer list. Not bad. they have daisycutter on tap and it's 5$, which my husband loves, so he was happy about that! There's a lot of good beer on the menu, and having this place so close to our house made me really excited, however, there's just not enough ambience and charm to this place for me to come back again.
(2)
Van D.

Came here on a Sat night and don't think that I am coming back. Waited for about 30 minutes for table. Probably would have been shorter but hostess seemed to be in her own world. It took a server to tell her that 4 tables were available for her to start seating anyone. Once we sat down, we waited forever to see our waitress. Other waitress and bus boy had to tell her that we were waiting. Again waited awhile for pizza to arrive (see a pattern?). Once we received it, it was a pretty good pizza but a little on the pricey side (one topping pizza for $23). I did like the malt in the crust. They say large pizza feeds 3-5 but its really closer to the 3. The troubling part about this place is that I don't think the hostess or the waitress even had a clue as to the slow service that they were providing. Plenty of other pizza places in chicago with better service and price. And like the other reviews said, the music in the place is way too loud. Only positive things to say about this place is that pizza is above average and water/bus boys were very nice and attentive.
(1)
Bethany P.

My husband and I went there last night with good expectations. We live two blocks away, so we've seen it bustling since day one, and the promise of "handmade" pizza was definitely appealing. Everything was fine until I looked at the menu. I had to flip all the way to the back of the menu before I found the pizza page. Appetizers, two pages of salad, sandwiches, pasta, and finally pizza. There were more salad options than pizza options. I felt deceived. The pizza options they did have did not appeal to me at all, and neither did anything else in the menu. My husband decided he wanted to try the special, the Taco Pizza. I have had worse tasting pizza, but the over-all experience of this "pizza" was, well, stupid. The pizza was baked with pizza sauce, taco meat and cheese, with lettuce, diced tomatoes and fake Doritos piled on. Every time we tried to pull a slice from the pizza, almost all of the lettuce and Doritos fell off. I don't know what frustrated me more, all the toppings falling off, or the fact that this didn't even meet up with the most Americanized definition of taco - no onion or pepper of any kind, no beans, no salsa, no cilantro, no avocado. I guess they lowered the bar on Americanized Mexican food. I can make a better taco pizza, and I probably will. We also ordered the cheesy monkey bread for an appetizer. It didn't quite meet up to my definition of monkey bread (a solid spongy loaf in a ramekin covered in cheese), but it was still pretty tasty. Anyway, you can check it out if you want, but don't go expecting to get pizza.
(2)
A E.

This place has pretty good pizza, but I always go for the awesome beer menu. I don't think it's as good as Piece, but it's good. I like the atmosphere inside - I have had a lot of fun at Roots.
(4)
Mia P.

I have only had delivery from them and I had the Caprese Salad and let me tell you, I dream about it. It was beyond delicious and the mozzarella was mouth watering! Definitely looking forward to dining in next time!
(5)
Jim F.

This place seems like a "Breastrant" in progress. Women in tight tank tops is not a good sign for family fun. Way overpriced for a pizza joint. $51.00 for pizza, mozzarella sticks salad and 1 pop plus tip. Seriously overpriced. Pizza is "meh" and Asian salad was a bit bitter. Service sucks and I think this place is trying too hard to find itself. Have been here 3 times due to friends demanding to try it and against my advice we went. Last time for me. Each time I have gone the staff boasts about their beer selection and how they must "sample" each beer. Each server seemed a bit inebriated from most likely too much sampling. Our server kept forgetting things and at one point, dropped off a "to go" package at our table. We had to get her attention via the busboy to let her know about the left overs that belonged to someone else. Our server was very slow and the wait for food was too long. Three strikes on this place. If you are looking for a good pizza, you can find it much cheaper and with more flavor at a local pizza joint. I recommend this place for drinks before heading out for some serious food at realistic prices elsewhere.
(2)
Ted o.

I was looking forward to trying this place out since the website was up, teasing me with promises of a truly midwest style pizza experience....and I was not misled!!!.The week it opened i was determined to eat there....After a 1 minute sales presentation for my family, it was off to Roots!....Parking was a breeze and as we walked in we were warmly greeted and seated promptly, even though it was very busy.. booths near the bar are nice and comfy, the whole room was rocking and that set the tone for the evening....our server was sweet and helpful with the menu...excellent beers on tap...which is very important to me...they had many different styles on tap and kn bottles, so there is truly a beer for any beer lover....and THE FOOD!..............perfectly golden Mozzarella sticks started us off, followed by a well dressed caesar salad...followed by a sausage and musroom pizza that just was so tasty that I could not stop eating it..even after my stomach told me to stop..my heart told me to keep on eating!...there was one minor hiccup at the end of the evening, which, honestly, given the fact that the place was crazy busy and just opened up, I allowed to just shrug off : At the end of the meal, we had a few strips of pizza left and asked for it to be wrapped up to go....when our server returned, we asked for the pizza and ....She threw it out on accident....maybe she didint hear me over the crowd of hungry people, maybe she was a bit overwhelmed...either way, I understand things happen and Im not going to let a few lost strips of pizza undermine a really great experience....If you want to have a great time with some excellent food and beer...go to Roots!....
(5)
Jaela M.

Roots is also owned by 50/50 in Wicker Park, another awesome restaurant/bar. *Tons of tv's, great for watching any sporting events. *Extensive menu, something for everyone. I had the Build Your Own Salad, which is awesome, mini vienna beef corn dog, and the mini calzone with spinach, artichoke hearts and roasted pepper. Everything was yummy, salad was a good portion. Menu has appetizers yum, salads, build your own salads, specialty sausage's (add corndog if you want), pizza, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. *Craft beer selection is pretty extensive. Mainly local brewerys. *Seating arrangement is cool, they have large, comfy booths that run along the walls throughout the restaurant. Large u shaped bar with plenty of seating. *Host was really nice. Service I was a bit disappointed with. I ordered a Dynamo craft beer, she finally came back to the table 10 minutes later and told me they were out of that one, so I ordered another Pere Jacques, that took another 5 minutes. Besides the beginning not going so well, the rest of the time was good. Haven't had the pizza, but I've heard it's good. Oh yea, I'll be back :)
(4)
s. m.

This is a dr.jekyll and mr. hyde review because thats how im feeling about roots right now. my mom and i stopped in on a thurs. afternoon for lunch @ 3ish just trying out a place in the neighborhood we hadn't been to(trying to support the local biz) great service everyone(hostess,waitress,buser,bartender) we encountered was was very friendly,service oriented.the pizza was good but i was amused by some of the specialty drinks they had listed so i was def planning to go back and try those and other items on the menu.also love the decor/layout.so i grab a friend and popped in there fri night just before midnight(it wasn't crowded tables were all empty,there was space @ the bar and on the patio) not being acknowledged by anyone(2-3 employees made eye contact as we were deciding where to sit and no one said anything) so we grab a booth,sit for a minute still not acknowleded then a server comes by to let the windows down and i ask if they were still serving food ,he says yes so i ask for menus(had to ask for beer/drink menu because he didn't bring 1 aren't they big on how many beers they have?),he says he has to check but it may only be pizza being served now(i understand they are a pizza place says so in the name but unless i missed it no where on the menu did i see it say from blah blah time it's only pizza available) so we decide against eating there and move over to the bar to try the specialty drinks i'd seen.after moving to the bar,the female bartender took our order,we both had the big leauge chew,was yummi has a lil sneak up on you effect .so of course we're sitting chatting she never stops and says doing ok can i get you anything else etc... but we notice she's cheesey and smiles with other customers.i understand having regulars,i'm somebodys regular @ another spot ,but you don't get regulars by having crap service skills.so we finished our drinks sat with empty glasses and no check in from her and again this wasn't a fri night where the bar was jumping and packed.so we scrapped having another $ 12 drink or trying any of the cool shots listed and had to flag her down to get the check.we went on with our night.the friendliest person we encountered was the d.j. my experience with roots was a bit dr.jekyll and mr. hyde because during the lunch hour everyone is friendly,service oriented and the late night staff we encounterd was not, seemed like a totally diff place.i'll go back during lunch hours.
(3)
Jason W.

It's got a great atmosphere. The food is pretty good, but as others have said, it is really pricey. Too much money for the quality. The pizza is good, but nothing special. Here's a hint, if you advertise your out of town pizza in a city that is world renown for piazza, yours had better be damn good. The beer list is pretty good. I like that they have $6 samplers of beer. They had 3 flights when I went, 5 or 6 beers a piece. I had all three. That's a lot of different beers for $18!
(4)
Burr B.

Went to Roots last night with Stephie. We sat down and each had a shot of $3 Honey Jack Daniels (which I guess that is an especially good price? on Thursdays) and a beer. Then we ordered taco pizza on my friend's recommendation. I liked, Steph loved. I think at $22 for the smaller version it's overpriced, but because our waitress who we loved and who kept goofing up in cute ways gave us free cheese sticks for one of her missteps, we ended up feeling alright about dropping around 50 bucks for pizza/ round of booze/tip.They were super good about fixing their mistake on our order, and had manager even come over and check in with us to much sure we weren't upset, which we thought was above and beyond. Reason I think this place is *** instead of **** is it's just too much scratch for what you're actually getting: if your drinks on special are $9 instead of $12, you may wanna remember you are launching a pizza place-ish place. Place was full though, so on the other hand I'm probably just cheap.
(3)
Alexander A.

Worst restaurant in Chicago! The host was rude, the waitress was awful, and this was during West Fest where they should have been trying to shine. Sad.
(1)
M R.

I went with a vegetarian friend and we split the caprese stack salad (with the bacon on the side for me), and the veggie pizza. Good beer list, some interesting and unusual selections, and the pizza was very tasty. $20 for a small seemed a little pricey, but then again we did have leftovers. The clientele seemed very Division Street, kinda douchey. It makes me kind of sad that this place is a harbinger of change coming to my neighborhood. But the food is definitely good, and the patio, not being right on Chicago Ave, is nice.
(4)
Adam G.

Great beer selection, great service, great pizza! Plus, got to watch the Heat lose to Dallas. What more do you want? They clearly spent a ton of money turning this place into a great bar/pizzeria. It is a massive place with outside seating and garage type windows that open when the weather is nice. All of the staff were continually asking us how we liked the pizza and other things. I will definitely be back!!
(4)
Rian S.

The cheesy monkey bread was amazing, and i held on to the garlic sauce they served with it to dip my crust in. Our pizza was delicious. the server was totally friendly and nice. the space both indoors and al fresco is great. The beer list is awesome, although yes a bit overpriced - $8 for a matilda that was not even 12 oz. But overall, definitely excited to have Roots as an addition to my neighborhood!
(4)
Nicholas G.

Growing up in the QC, I'm familiar with QC style pizza. When I tried this place a week after it opened I was pleasantly surprised how well it matched up to the QC "Harris, Pizza Joynt, Wise guys" pizza style. However $25 for a large one topping is a bit expensive. But I tried it again and it still held up. UNTIL, I got a pizza there a few days ago and it seemed like their whole mantra changed. The cheese wasn't that "QC mozzarella mix" they were claiming, the sausage wasn't the crumble style, and it seemed more like cuts up Italian sausage. And the pizza seemed to weigh about half what it did when I first ordered. This is a typical Chicago trick, load up on everything the first few weeks, then skimp on the topics and ingredients from there on out. And Oh yeah (and this was the straw that broke the camel's back), apparently they "don't do change" because my bill was $24 and change, I gave the waitress $25 and she handed me my receipt and I put out my hand for the change and she "sorry we don't do change, we just round up." ADVICE: You should probably let the patronage know that in advance. Lastly the raspy voiced, teenage wait staff stood around for almost 10 minutes gossiping before I had to ask them where my pizza and I got the old "Oh, I'm sorry". So I'll probably never order there again, even though that is the closest place to my apartment. I would definitely never eat in, because the place gives me the creeps with its plastic wait staff and unfriendly environment. So for a QC replica, I give it a 3 star and everything else I give it a 1. Overall score 2. I'd rather order from Piece and pay more for a better product.
(2)
Tyler W.

this place is terrible. if it wasn't for the decor and atmosphere i don't think you would ever see anyone in there. the service is slow and dumb and the food has zero taste. you can tell that whoever runs that place has never tasted the food they serve their customers. i dare you to order the alfredo pasta. i was excited for this place since it's right around the corner from my house. the beer list is pretty original though.
(1)
Tanya Z.

i like their pizza. been there only once in the summer, i had fun. they have a lot of beer variety, not the usual stuff u can find in every bar. loved it.
(4)
Mike J.

I have gone here a few times and kind of had the same impressions a lot of others seem to have had - Great space and build-out, huge beer selection, ok pizza, but overpriced everything. I had lunch there and only got a sub and a fountain drink and my bill came to $16.46. I thought I was in downtown Chicago to pay $19 for a simple lunch with tip? The most interesting part was when the waitress only gave me three singles in change from the $20 bill I paid with. When I asked what the story was, she nonchalantly replied (with a truly straight face I might add) that they don't do change and that was the norm nowadays whenever she went out and thus they simply round to the nearest dollar????? I of course gave her the deer-in-the-headlights look and told her that I eat out 95% of my meals (for the last 10 years) and have yet to encounter a restaurant in America that assumes no one cares about 50 cents anymore. She obviously realized my reaction meant that I didn't get the memo about the Roots no-change program and she decided to give me another single to shut me up. Which I promptly gave back to her as a tip..... Just when I thought I had seen everything..... :-)... maybe I am the last person still using cash in Chicago?
(2)
Nicole M.

I am not sure why there are so many negative reviews! I really enjoyed this place. This is a fun place to go with a group of friends which we did. It is very big and open. I was a little confused as to what was so special about Quad City pizza ... really, it's not too much different than traditional medium crust pizza. Our server told us the Quad City crust is a bit nuttier and is more wheat-based. Regardless, the food was great. Everything is made in-house, even the cheese! I would highly recommend trying the specialty pizzas, instead of creating your own. Our favorites were the taco pizza and the BLT pizza. Try them! Our server was fantastic and very helpful, as the menu is a bit overwhelming. There are a ton of local beer ... great selection. Added bonus, all of the desserts are from Bleeding Heart Bakery (each piece of cake is huge!). I will certainly be going back again!
(4)
Ali H.

I had been excited to try Roots for quite some time after moving into the neighborhood but was really very disappointed with the experience. We ordered food for pick-up. We had the fried ravioli (meat filling and garlic alfredo sauce), the calamari, and the antique taco chili cheese curd pizza. (Going out on a limb here, people). Anyway. The pizza was expensive (27 dollars I believe), and was certainly not remarkable in any way. If anything it was bland, I couldn't taste any of the "notable" ingredients, and seemed overloaded with toppings. It was a strange combination of "There is too much going on here" with "There is really nothing going on here." I've had better pizzas from the national delivery places, and for 1/3 the cost. :( The fried ravioli was a sad experience as well as both the ravioli and the sauce were super bland. We didn't even finish the dish. The calamari was ok, actually the best thing we had, but still not outstanding. It was a lot of money to spend very mediocre food.
(2)
Amy R.

Waitress says "we make quad city pizza", i'm like wah...ok? Ordered the cheesy breadsticks, which was essential their cheese pizza with the sauce on the side for dipping. It was actually really good! I'll have to try an actual pizza next time. The reason I gave so many stars is for their salad....seriously. They have a make your own salad menu with lots of different options and their portion is large! Seems simple, but afterward, you're still thinking about the amazing salad you ate a few days ago and want some more. Weird, right?! Maybe i'm just amazing at designing my own salad...
(5)
Paul S.

I wanted to like Roots. But, they failed oh so miserably on the first go around in multiple ways: - The cheese was globbed all in the middle of the pizza - The crust, while delicious and crispy on the outside, was soggy after 1 inch from the outside all the way to the middle. Crust should never be soggy. - We ordered 4 veggie toppings, and got the most meager amount of toppings they could legally charge us for. - Without adding the package of hot peppers, the pizza had no distinct flavor. Just bored me to tears. This is not how you make a good pizza. This is Chicago god dammit, and this is unacceptable.
(1)
Jessica H.

If you go here and you DON'T get the mozzarella sticks, you've done yourself an incredible injustice. The pizza was great, don't get me wrong, but the mozzarella sticks were the best I've ever had. Given that mozzarella sticks are among my all time favorite foods, I died and went to heaven. I live less than a block away from the front door so the dangers of binging on mozz sticks until I burst are real. Do yourself a favor...Go. Now.
(4)
KM Y.

I really love Roots. They have exceptional salads and pizza (love the taco pizza!). The gluten free crust is exceptional. The restaurant itself is a bit noisy, but the booths are super comfy.
(4)
Justin J.

Gluten free brethren rejoice! After getting diagnosed with celiac disease in late 2012 I've been on a mission to try and fill the Peqod's sized gap in my heart. At this point in time Root's had come closer than any other g free pie in town.
(5)
Carol K.

Hmmm . . . .without knowing what to expect from a pizza place that I have heard little about, I pulled open the door on a snowy night and found myself in a cool contemporary space that had a really good vibe going, I was warmly greeted at the door by the host but since I was late, I knew my gang was there somewhere so I chose just to walk around the space. Sure enough- seated in on of the spacious booths (big enough for 6) was my group already enjoying some appetizers and beers off of their extensive beer list. Within moments, our friendly server was there (wish I could remember her name as she deserves a shout out Jennifer maybe?), took my order for a martini and was back in a flash with a perfectly poured one. Score one for the bartender for often times a place that specializes in beer can't seem to get the basics right. We looked over the menu and ordered WAAAAY too much food but our eyes were clearly bigger than our stomachs. We had wings (just okay), bread sticks with cheese to dip into (quite good) a tomato, mozzarella, cilantro, avocado and sunflower seed salad that was so good we ordered another, and finally . . . THE PIZZA. Now this place prides itself on "Quad Cities style" pizza. I'm not totally sure what that means but the crust is more like what I used to get in Detroit- not thick crust crispy but not deep dish either. More like doughy with a good mouth pull and crispy crusts. The odd thing is that they cut it with scissors so it took us awhile to figure out the shape of the pieces which tended to be odd shaped triangles. But the craziest thing were the flavors. Oh sure- you can load up your pie with all the classics in a build your own version. But when in Rome . . .so we ordered two of their signature pies- the Taco Pizza and the McDowell. They come in two sizes a 12" or a 16" so know the large is plenty large. The Taco pizza came with Doritos crumbled on top and the flavored crumbled sausage was quite good. And that McDowell? Look out McDonald's! This is clearly a Big Mac on a pizza complete with special sauce, pickles lettuce and lots of cheese. This was the table favorite . . .all it needed was sesame seeds to make it a true Big Mac (oh and that center bun . . think they can make a double decker pizza?)! Good food, terrific service all in a contemporary environment that felt more like a corner bar gathering place than a a pizza joint. And if you drive- they even have valet out front for $10 but parking is usually plentiful in this area. Oh, and here's a tip. It was a perfect place to stop before an event at the United Center as it is a lot less congested to get to the Madhouse on Madison from this direction than from the W. Loop bars which are our normal gathering place. Still need to get under what makes this a "Quad Cities" style pizza . . .but until I do- just know that it's good stuff!
(4)
Christina E.

Good food, strangely though, the pizza is not my go to on the Menu. Great salads, great root beer, great appetizers, and great desserts. Minus one star as the pizza is just pretty good.
(4)
Jeremy C.

It was aiiight. Their Taco pizza is amazing in concept and execution looks cool but it wasn't that tasty I must say. It's like a pizza with a bag of doritos dumped on it. No really, that's what it is. Mine was light on the meat and cheese and super heavy on the lettuce and Doritos. It's tough to do a taco pizza correctly and it's usually love or hate for me and this one I didn't love. Their lolipop wings are done well. I enjoyed those for sure. If I head back here I'll skip the taco pizza next time and so should you.
(3)
Dave G.

So difficult to short this establishment of the max star rating. The pizza is quite good and the mozzarella sticks are incredible. They have a great beer selection and the build your own salad is a reason to make this your destination when you want to eat a little more healthy. There are some shortfalls here, however. While the TV set up is conducive to the sports enthusiast, don't show up during baseball season on a Sunday. Even during halftime, the channels will remain on out of market football games while ignoring the local baseball teams here in Chicago. Management just doesn't get that Chicago has a major fan-base for their meager performing baseball teams. I mentioned the salad, which is really great and I order often. It's not exactly a bargain for the price, yet worth paying extra for the great ingredients available. They serve this enormous salad with a shot of dressing and asking for more will cost you an up-charge. Only place I have ever eaten on this planet where more dressing for your salad will cost you a buck. I find that to be so incredibly cheap on the part of the establishment. It's a salad. Give us enough dressing to cover the order. Don't nickle and dime us. Just a lack of class move on the ownership. Service overall is generally good, but call in your to-go order. It will take some time to get it to the hostess stand. Typically an hour for a pizza. Times for food are much diminished when dining in. Few tweaks and this place is a 5 star. Well, 4 1/2 at least!
(3)
Jon C.

This was the worst pizza that I have ever tasted. I have had it three times during office functions. The ingredients seem like they are cheap quality and it just is not good. I'm really not trying to be rude when I write this review, but there are many more pizza places in Chicago.
(1)
Parker K.

First time here and it was a pleasant experience. Sat at the bar and talked craft brews with "Rahill" (sp?). He was very, very articulate regarding the flavor profiles of all the craft beers Roots has. He also suggested the mozzarella sticks and they were really good! Rahul explained how the mozzarella is made in house. Can definitely taste to quality of the cheese. Great suggestion! Service here was very attentive, something in a stickler about from working in the industry. I will definitely be back and will be happy to suggest this place to friends. "Rahill" went above and beyond to make my first roots experience a great one.
(4)
Andrea K.

This place is awesome. We stumbled upon it while trying to kill time in the area before heading to an appointment. Decided it looked good so had an early dinner/late lunch there. Great drink menu, extensive beer list which we always love, food was amazing. They make their own cheese in house so the pizza and mozzarella sticks were delicious. The salads were awesome, super fresh and tasty...you can build your own too. Service was great - fast and very attentive. Can't wait to go back...this is a neighborhood gem for sure!
(4)
Izzy F.

Lollipop wings were great! The bartender was nice and friendly. They were having beer tasting from a new brewery and had the owners there to answer any questions and receive feedback. Great vibe. Amazing pizza!!
(5)
Katie S.

My dad is from the quad cities, so I grew up on Harris Pizza. So when I found out about roots, I was intrigued and wary. I brought my parents here And we were all just blown away by how much it compares to Harris. The sausage pizza- you would never know the difference. I think it says something when a Moliner thinks it compares. I'm also a big Antique Taco fan, so I ordered the Antique Taco pizza on another visit. It was awesome!!!! Definitely recommend!!
(5)
jeff f.

Ok.. The pizza is great! But last night when I went after waiting 35 min for the Delicious Pizza, it wasn't what we ordered. The manager came out and apologized. Great! He then said the next round of drink were on the house! awesome! So we ate our salad and waited another 30 min for the Delicious Chicken, mushroom and spinach pizza! In all I was I little disappointed because we didn't get the next round for free $23 but we did get the $8 salad for free. When I asked the server he said oh that's all the manager could do. What?!? But the pizza is delicious. But the service isn't.
(3)
Marissa D.

Came here during west fest. Food was great service not so much. I understand it was a busy festival day but a few things happened that made me a little put out. The waitress comes to check on us and drops another customers credit card on the floor and quickly walks away. I freaked out and ran across the restaurant to make sure and give it back to her. A missing credit card i'm sure would cause big trouble! After eating and drinking service was a little slower and I was trying to get my check after being there for over an hour. I ordered buffalo shrimp and a $9 Moscow mule that was served in this tiny baby plastic cup. :- ( I wanted to catch a few bands so I was very ready to leave. Finally the waitress appears and I ask for my check. I quickly give her my cash (my bill was $23, I gave her $40) She then reappears 20 mins later asking me if I had already paid.... I was like ummmmmmm yeah I'm waiting on my change.... Yeah I get she was overwhelm but things could have ran a little smoother. Needles to say I left her a crappy tip which I usually don't do but after all that I was not about to wait for more change to come.
(3)
Laura C.

I got the lilies q pizza and am kind of in love. The crust on the pizza was also amazing, I usually don't eat my crust, but this was an exception. Not too loud. Waitress could've been more pleasant, but not bad. Good drinks. Would go back again for sure!
(4)
mar m.

Fresh fettuccine garlic Alfredo was bomb! I'm from Galesburg, so the taco pizza is mandatory. Looking forward to coming back and trying the Homestead and Lilly Q inspired pizzas (I'm kind of a lobster whore) A great spot to come on nice days because they have the big roll up garage doors.
(5)
Nicole K.

My friends and I decided to order delivery from Roots and try something new. We ordered mozzarella sticks, curly fries, and a pizza with various toppings and sauces (marinara, parmesan pesto, and garlic parmesan). The food arrived on time and did not take too long and they did get our order right. The mozzarella sticks were delicious but because of all the steam they were somewhat soggy. The pizza in my opinion was okay. The pizza was very bland and had very little sauce and a lot of cheese but no flavor. The prosciutto we got on the pizza seemed like it had been sitting out and just was not very flavorful. Even with the dipping sauces the pizza was mediocre. Nothing stood out about Roots and I don't think I would order pizza from them again. Appetizers maybe but probably not.
(2)
Steven N.

Really really good pizza. I shared the taco pizza and the margarita pizza. Two pizzas were enough to split between four of us. I would say the portions were great for the price. Around 15$ for each pizza. Both pizzas were the bomb - when I think good pizza I think of the taco one they offer. The ambiance and style of the restaurant was interesting - kind of a contemporary feel which isn't always expected when you think pizza. Great beer list, a lot of local and interesting craft beers I have never tried before, which of course, is perfect with pizza. Service was ok, nothing spectacular but nothing much to complain about either although it did take a while to get our check.
(4)
Will C.

Nothing about this restaurant is set up right to give you a good experience. The "Quad City Style Pizza" is actually ripped off from a place called "Harris" pizza in Moline that makes its own pizza seasoning and hasn't given anyone the recipe. It's a great attempt at mimicking their business and trying it in a new market but I think that's kinda wrong to do. They treat their staff horribly, and I've been there several times when it rained and saw grey water flooding back up the drains and they don't immediately close the store (like they're supposed to, so says health code). They literally grab balls of pizza dough and shove them on the drain to try to plug it up and keep the water from coming out. They're opening another in Ravenswood and I don't believe they've given a penny to Harris Pizza. Their staff is grumpy from having to work under 50/50 management and it's just not my cup of tea. Pizza and food is great. I'm sure they're hoping that's enough... but it isn't for me. Oh my god and way too many kids. Go here if you're a parent I guess because you'll fit right in, but stay away if you want a nice night out without screaming kids all around you.
(1)
Juliana R.

Stopped by for the first time recently for a quick dinner with my main squeeze! Our servers was great! Wish I could remember his name, but such a friendly guy! We started with some mozzarella sticks, and ordered a sausage pizza for a our entree. Pizza was cooked to perfection with sausage in every bite, great place!
(5)
Pam D.

Our 1st time dining at Roots and it was only "OK". It was a Monday lunch hour so there were not too many diners in the restaurant during our visit. We sat in one of their enormous U shaped booths and were quickly greeted by the waitress. Since it was our 1st time here, we needed some time to check out the menu. We all ordered water to go with our meal. We had read about the "amazing Monkey Bread" so, we ordered this as an appetizer. Honestly, it was only "OK". For $6, the portion was very small, maybe 6" round. Our bread top was close to a dark brown color (ie: burnt on top) along with a burnt taste, not good. The garlic parmesan sauce which came with it, really had no flavor. My 2 companions both had The Fat Eddie which consisted of Canadian Bacon, salami, mozzarella , marinara sauce & a few more ingredients. The fold over Sandwich could have had a few more pieces of meat but, ultimately was ok. FYI: this sandwich dish requires a fork and knife, cause it does get messy. I ordered the Build A Pizza. I thought the base price of the 12" pizza was reasonable at $14. What I missed on the menu was a surcharge of $1.50 per item unless noted otherwise. Well my 12" artichoke, pineapple, prosciutto (I knew I was paying an extra $3.00 for this ingredient), with scallions, cost me $22! Total bill for 3 entrees & monkey bread, with H20 = $53! WOW! Kinda of $$$ for an "OK" lunch. Note to Staff: During lunch hour, it's "OK" to turn down the music. It's hard to have a business discussion when one is yelling over the back ground music.
(3)
Melissa M.

We really liked the food and atmosphere here. I had no problem with the Quad City-style pizza. I mean... sure we're all about the Chicago pizza... but sometimes you just want to try something different. The malt crust is hand-tossed, chewy, and slightly sweet (not at all like Pizza Hut as referenced in another review). I really enjoyed the contrast with their zesty tomato sauce. I believe they make their own mozzarella as well. We started off with the mozzarella sticks and the garlic monkey bread... both delicious... loved! Then we ordered a taco pizza (very tasty) and a cheese-only (also very tasty). The mistake we made here was ordering a small and a large. The small is 12" and the large is 16". I'm not sure if it's the crust, but it seemed to fill you up faster than a normal Chicago pizza. A small has 8 long slices and I would say it could easily feed 3-4 people... especially if you're doing appetizers. Our server was excellent... she explained everything, knew her stuff, was very friendly, and seemed very passionate about the place she worked for. The place itself is way bigger than it looks and I love the huge booths. You can easily seat 6 people at one booth... maybe even 8. They also have a huge bar and serve many craft beers. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Peter K.

Tried this for the first time and it was good. I would definitely return. The salad they offered was really good and I would recommend everyone to try them. They have a section in the menu where you build your own pizza and it was filled with endless toppings. Made a pizza and it came in a pan style. The food was good, the layout was great, and the bathrooms were extremely clean. I would recommend this as I would be returning myself. They also have a nice bar with polite employees.
(5)
Tim J.

I'm a true pizza fan of all pizza types and I grew up in Moline so I'm very familiar with Quad-Cities style pizza. Once I got a car, I often drove to Harris Pizza at least once a month to pick up the pizza for the family. This is not as good as Harris, but it's close. Harris has better cheese flavor and loads up more sausage. The pizza quality and flavor is still pretty great. I would give the pizza a 4 or 5 star. If you are a mozzarella sticks fan, these are by far the best I've ever had. The reason for the two-star review is today's experience at the restaurant after running the Hot Chocolate 15K. The table we were sat at had trash at our feet. There were napkins under the table, crushed cherios everywhere, crayons on the floor, etc. One of the two plates originally placed on our table was dirty. The mozzarella sticks were not freshly baked (or fried?). You could tell they had been sitting out for a bit as they were lukewarm, unlike the previous time we ordered them when they were hot and fresh. The salad came out with the wrong dressing. When the pizza came out we were provided two new plates. However, both these plates were dirty. I grabbed plates from one of the surrounding empty tables to find that 2 of the 4 plates sitting on the set table were also dirty. If the plates and dining area are this dirty, I have serious doubts about the sanitation of the kitchen. I really love this style of pizza and have ordered delivery/pickup 7+ times, but I'm not sure I'll be eating anything from here again.
(2)
Leo H.

Everybody rants and raves about the mozzarella cheese sticks, for good reason, but don't sleep on the Jumbo Shrimp!!!! I'm not much of a beer drinker, but on my latest visit, our server Anthony, suggested an array of midwestern beer selections and directed some of the girls I was with to wonderful selections that they all enjoyed. He guided me into trying The Gin Gin Mule and they were so tasty that I ended up having like 4 or 5 before the night was over. The pizza is okay to me, but I have friends who absolutely adore it. It's probably because I'm so full with aforementioned cheese sticks and jumbo shrimp that I don't savor the pizza as they do. Overall, the service is good. The layout is great for couples or even groups with big cushy elevated booths. TV's abound, although they only put on the audio for Hawks games. Otherwise they are playing trendy music.
(4)
Daneen H.

Kevin, the bartender, was awesome! Introduced himself.. Introduced me to my new favorite beer.. And offered suggestions on the menu!
(5)
Asma M.

Pizza is delicious. Fresh ingredients from a garden make regular pizza joints look like hacks. I always get the fresh jalapeno and garlic pizza and it is amazing. I had it twice in one weekend not too long ago and it was perfect. I just wish it was closer :(
(4)
Abbey W.

I was born and raised in the Quad-Cities and grew up eating Harris, Franks, Poor Boys, etc...I won't go so far as to say it's as good as Harris (The Original Quad City Style Pizza), but it's pretty dang close! If you're not into the pizza so much, the appetizers and beer list will still make you happy :-)
(4)
Jessica N.

Went to Roots on recommendation and am so happy I was introduced to this gem already! The space itself is inviting and there is the option to sit at the bar or at a table. The booths are big and comfy and perfect for groups. TVs abound so you can catch whichever games are on. There was a dj there on Friday night, which was fun, and she kept the music going. We went to Roots for dinner after hearing good things about the pizza so decided to stick w that. Tried the vegetarian garden pizza as well as a specialty pizza, which was like a taco style pizza. Both were very delicious. My only complaint about the pizza is that, rather than cut in it slices, Roots cuts in strips. The problem (as I see it) with this, is that all of the toppings are centered on the middle pieces and the corner pieces are mostly just crust. More equal distribution of toppings across all of the pizza slices, once cut, would be better, imho. Roots serves only Midwestern beer, which I think is awesome! Their lineup features brews from my fave micro brewery in Wisconsin so that makes me happy. I also had a beer from a local (Chicago) brewery that I had forgotten about, and it was cool to have it there since it's not a brew I see in restaurants often. There is also a full bar of spirits if beer isnt your thing, or you feel like drinking something else. Food was great, drinks were cold and satisfying, and service was friendly and efficient. I look forward to going back!
(4)
Sharif N.

Hands down, my very favorite 'build your own salad' in the city. They have a great selection of premium salad ingredients. Add steak, and it's a guilt free dinner! When ordering delivery, be sure to ask for the meat selection on the side in a separate container. The avocado cream dressing is goood...and don't forget to add pistachios & pine nuts. We order salads at least once a week, and they're consistent.
(5)
Kevin C.

The food is great and place is awesome. It is open, lively, well lit and decorated. They do not rush you at all! Jay and Michael take care of the new customers as if they are regulars!
(4)
Ron G.

I'm not one to debate "who has the best pizza in Chicago" BUT without question Roots has the BEST mozzarella sticks hands-down. That said, the pizza is dame good and the beer list one of the most extensive in the city. My absolute favorite thing on the menu is the Tomato, Avocado, And Mozzarella Salad. Its a great place to watch games with large groups of friends. The booths can easily fit six people. The service is friendly and down right good people. Highly recommend stopping by and checking it out.
(5)
Tammy J.

Had the build your own pizza and build your own salad yesterday. The food is pretty good, but the service was so-so and the food took a long time to come out. If the service improved a bit, it could be a top pizza place
(3)
Patty K.

I ate lunch at Roots on a Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed it! The place is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and has a great atmosphere: It's really up-to-date and filled with groups of people in their 20s and 30s. We ordered the mimosa bucket for $20. You get four mini-bottles of champaign and a jug of orange juice. Perfect for a Saturday lunch. We were hangry when we came in, and immediately ordered a basket of the curly fries and the sweet potato tots. The tots were ok.. I wouldn't get them again.. the dip needs to be rethought. The curly fries were amazing! Order them with ranch. I don't think Quad City style is a "thing" but Roots tries hard to persuade you that it is.. ok. If it is, I like it. Either way, the pizza is really good! We ordered the sausage pizza which comes with LOTS of sausage. The staff are really nice and attentive. I recommend this place and will be returning!
(4)
Mac R.

Chicago is known as a pizza town & I certainly have 2 clear winners here of 5 star accolades. And no, neither is deep dish. Roots Pizza has an innovative malt crust that is the beginning of a wonderful pizza experience. Just the right thickness and a super delicious base for their house made pizza sauce. Then the fun begins....they have some of the coolest selections of locally sourced toppings I've ever seen available to put on a pizza - meat, veggies & even fruit! You can get as creative as you dare & literally have fun with it. We've done beet & prosciutto a few times, bacon & jalapeÃ±o - hottest jalapeÃ±os ever, loved it! We've always enjoyed whatever we've put together. They slice the pizza in strips with scissors - a little different but it works for sharing multiple pizzas very well. The beer selection is huge with lots of local finds and always fun for sampling new brews. We've had excellent service each time we've eaten here and have gotten seated fairly quickly, even when they looked really busy. Outdoor seating area is nice, too. Tasty, innovative & fun - it doesn't get better than this!
(5)
Stephanie S.

I can't name all the Quad Cities, but I like Quad City pizzas. First: MOZZARELLA STICKS! Just get them! So so so good. Fresh made in-house. Best you'll ever have. We got the Big Mick pizza, which is reminiscent of a "Big Mac" (beef, a thousand island-ish sauce, cheese, lettuce). I thought it was great, but hubs was only so-so on it. We got the small one just for the two of us. With that and the mozz sticks, it was plenty for us. The pizza was a perfect thickness and combination of chewy/crispy. The malt used in the dough is subtle, but you can tell it's there and it adds a great flavor. We'll definitely be back, but probably to try something more classic like sausage. Gotta ding for the atmosphere though. We were there on a weeknight and it was full of children (as two DINKs, we try to avoid places like this). It wasn't really the vibe I initially think of when I hear "pizza and beer" so we were a little disappointed that there was a child's birthday party next to us.
(4)
Lily Z.

I came here with a friend for pizza earlier this month. I only came because I had a coupon from Drink Deck and wanted to see if it really worked. We split the spinach dip and a pizza. The dip was tasty, but the pizza was kind of a letdown. The pizza itself was bland, but the crust was sweet. Service was alright but she managed to mess up how to split the check.
(2)
Adam M.

I have been hearing a lot of hype about their pizza and was excited to give Roots a try. The food here is good, but really nothing special. Sadly, they were out of Gumball Head beer which you can't hold against them because it seems like no bars/restaurants ever have it in stock. The monkey bread was pretty good and I would recommend getting it. I didn't order the mozzarella sticks but they looked awesome so if I come back I will be sure to order those bad boys. I went with the Taco Pizza because it was highlighted in yellow and I assumed that was their signature Za. It was good, but really there was nothing different about this pizza compared to any other taco pizza I have had in my life. I guess they put way more chips on the pizza would be the only thing but I'm not sure that's a good thing. 3 stars is an average rating for an average place.
(3)
Rachel M.

BEST gluten-free pizza I've had thus far. On top of top notch service. Ask for JAY .
(5)
Anna Y.

I'm not a pizza person so I get other stuff on the menu and yeah it's heavy food and a bit pricey but it's made well and very tasty, although it's always packed the service is very good
(4)
Danielle P.

Mediocre food, from a mediocre restaurant, wasn't impressed and wasn't disappointed. Don't expect anything spectacular from this place.
(3)
J J.

I've only been here for drinks and they have a fairly decent beer selection but their practice of adding tax to a drink and then rounding up when you pay cash is cheap, tacky and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are plenty of other places nearby who know how to properly serve and charge for a drink. I'll frequent them instead.
(2)
Mary M.

Consistently great salads as well as heavy comfort food and a great beer list.
(4)
Erol C.

I have been going here since it's opening, and love their pizza, caprese salad, and now the desserts. I will be back for both delivery and dine in!
(5)
Sarah B.

Best cheese sticks I've ever had! I love that the beer selection is so massive. The food is a little pricey, three beers, a 12" pizza, and cheese sticks for $52. Service was a-ok. Extensive list of toppings including various cheeses. They also have gluten free pizza.
(3)
Bobby D.

A rather unusual pizzeria, But good. The malt crust is worth trying.
(4)
Jackie L.

Thank you for the best delivery service I've received in Chicago!! Easy online order through Roots website, arrived 20 minutes early, super-friendly delivery driver, food was perfect (thanks for automatically putting dressing on the side) - and yes, the lasagna serves 3. I dine-in every couple months and have also had a great experience. Thanks Roots - you've remained consistent since opening!
(5)
Amy R.

I've always meant to try Roots pizza - it's owned by the people who once owned a stake in Bleeding Heart Bakery (may it rest) and the 50/50 (which I could live without...) and I always wondered how it fit into that mix. They offer "quad city style" pizza, which I had never had, and the reviews seem decent enough. Plus I always love an excuse to head to West Town, a cute, close enough to Wicker Park but still edgy-ish little hood. A few Sundays ago, my friend Nikki and I were STARVING and nothing on grub hub was sounding tasty, so we ventured out for a takeout pizza and some mozzarella sticks at Roots. We didn't stay to eat, so I can't really comment on the service, though the girl who helped us procure our paid-in-advance and shoulda-been-ready-to-go order was at once gorgeous and completely brain dead. Everything was super confusing for her and I think she tried to make us pay again like six times, and each time we reminded her we already paid was like a fun new discovery. Nevertheless, she was kind and helpful enough. The interior was cute, and seemed to attract all sorts of people. I'm interested to try the farm-to-table shtick they're running on the rooftop of Roots, some other time. After a short wait, we were presented with our enormous pizza and accompanying fried cheese and went back home. The food was well maintained during travel from West Town to Logan Square, and I was pleased to find that the mozz sticks were still a little ooey gooey despite the trip. PS these mozz sticks are GINORMOUS and delicious - perfectly fried coating and a nice, homemade dipping sauce to accompany it. I opened the pizza box and was immediately apprehensive, as I learned "quad city style" pizza is cut into strips, not slices, and I had painful drunken flashbacks to ordering "pokey sticks" at my dear alma mater, the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana (for those of you who haven't attended and have never ordered Gumby's Pizza's pokey sticks, allow me to advise you that they sound like cheesy breadstick irresistibility when drunk, but are actually a nausea-inducing, regrettable pile of cheesy, greasy regret when sober. Ugh). ANYWAY... I'm glad I pushed past my initial reaction to try it, because whoaaaa this pizza is BOMB. We ordered cheese and sausage and it was all so different, but so familiar. The crust had a nice chew to it that's absent in most of my other favorite pizza joints, but a solid, familiar, yeasty taste. The strips of pizza actually end up being quite convenient for grabbing and subsequent inhaling. The sausage was AH-mazing: crumbly, teensy bits of delicious, slightly spicy, meaty heaven. The sauce was unobtrusive, and the cheese satisfied even a cheese-obsessed monster like myself. We ordered a large, and it easily fed two hungry girls (and hungry Nikki's hungry roommate as well) with lots of leftovers. The menu indicates that they have a myriad of other items which are likely also delicious, like a super customizable list of salad options, and other fried and fabulous appetizers. And of course, while you're in the neighborhood, you can go right next door to West Town Bakery (RIP Bleeding Heart Bakery... Never forget) and get yourself a sweet treat or two for dessert, as we did. I'll be back to Roots Pizza again soon, to enjoy strips of unusual pizza and mozz sticks the size of my fist. I can look past weirdly proportioned food any time it tastes that good.
(4)
Derek M.

Great pizza fun place to hang out with the kids. Craft and pizza selections are very good as well. Not a bad place to come after a game as well or even to watch one on tv.
(5)
Jeremy T.

Come for the pizza. Stay for the beer. I've ventured to Roots four times in the past. It's a very nice looking place. Very spacious with lots of seating. I personally think that they have the best booths in the business. It's a great place for groups. On top of this they have good selection of local beers. The pizza is good, but it's not the real draw of the place. If you like a lot of cheese then it's the place to visit. The above paragraph seems like a three or four star place. However, the service is why I gave it two stars. With the exception of my last visit, our table's service was below average. It ranged from wrong orders to punctuality. Mostly EXTREMELY long waits for food, drinks, napkins, silverware, etc. I understand that things get busy at work. It happens to us all. It would just be nice if the waitress we had was nicer when asked why other tables seat 30 minutes after us got their pizzas before we got ours. Waiting over an hour for a small pizza ideally deters customers from coming back. Lastly, this place has pretty decent beer. One big gripe I had about this place is that their beers woulds cost a $1 to $2 dollars more than bars in the surrounding area. During my last visit the beer seemed to be priced lower, so that's good. Hopefully it's a permanent thing.
(2)
Armando C.

My first time ordering from roots and I have to say 1st impressions make impressions. The Chicken lollipops were good, I was surprised at the quality that i forgot to dip them in the bleu cheese; i didn't forget about the buffalo sauce. The fold over I had was immensely disappointing. Half of it was empty. When I read the description it said stuffed fold over so I'm thinking cool. It wasn't cool that half of the contents were missing. I know I ordered at 11:55. Yet i believe the kitchen should be at 100 percent till the last order. The quality of the food is good, no qualms there. If any one in management reads this. I want a fold over that's full (not half empty). A first time customer deserves that much. I wish you guys continued success
(3)
Lourdes A.

Arrived at 10pm on a Friday night and the place was pretty full and the atmosphere inviting. They only serve Midwestern beers, and there is nothing wrong with that. After all, Midwest is best. Since my partner and I were of different faiths (born-again herbivore v. staunch carnivore), we ordered a pizza that was half Garden Pizza and half Antique Taco Chili Cheese Curd Pizza. Yup, you heard that right. The Garden had all kinds of veggies including a green olive mix. I love green olives so I knew I'd love at least half of the pizza. The Antique Taco had cheese curds. Can I just stop there? Sounds delicious, right? It was tasty, for sure. Warning to crust connoisseurs: this crust is super thin, so if that's not your thing, skip this place. Like others who've reviewed Roots, I didn't know there was a Quad City style of pizza but I like it. My only complaint and I'm not sure if this is the style (Quad City) or the place (Roots) is that the cheese and crust often don't play nice together. The cheese and other ingredients tend to come off the crust so then you need utensils to eat this pizza. I forgave this because the flavors were right on, but they need to work on gelling the ingredients together. Perhaps more sauce or a little more cooking time might help? This is definitely different than Chicago style pizza but it's an interesting and welcome addition to the local pizza scene.
(3)
Eric N.

I'd like to comment on the food, but unfortunately, it never arrived. After waiting for 20 minutes, the waiter came and said, "we can't find the cook, and your food isn't in the kitchen". They comped the beer we ordered, so at least they attempted t make amends. It all adds up to a two-star experience.
(2)
Alysha B.

So delicious, and do worth every penny. A unique change of pace from the typical Chicago pizza fare. Anthony was our server and did a solid job.
(5)
Susan N.

It's amazing that six months ago I had never been to Roots, and now I've eaten there five times. It's terrific. I agree with the world that the mozzarella sticks are the best anywhere. There are many more appetizers that are great. There is a great variety of saiads, and they are all fabulous. The pizzas are great too. I loved the taco pizza. Roots is in a great location, and everyone there is very accomodating. I will keep going back forever!
(5)
Aja G.

Revisited it and regretted it. Hear me now: A SMALL PIZZA TOOK AN HOUR! AN ENTIRE FREAKIN' HOUR! We sat down and our waitress, who I will call Bland, because of her boring personality, made herself as scare as possible. Bland took about 10 minutes to bring a can of beer, which she did not pour, and another 10 minutes to bring extra napkins. Bland floated in from time to time to say our pizza would be out soon. No apology for the the wait, No explanation for why people seated after us got their food before us, no timeline for our food--just "soon." Soon took an hour and Bland's reply was " thanks for waiting" again no apology or explanation. The pizza falls apart when you eat it. The cheese and toppings slide of the crust immediately! You essentially have to scoop the disheveled pizza onto a fork to eat it. That being said the crust of the pizza is good, but nothing to rave about. It kinda remind me of the high-end oven pizza. On the plus side: The can/bottle selection is decent and hails from the WI,IL,Iowa and somewhere else in the mid west. The booths are deep and comfortable the TVs are plentiful The sound isn't too overwhelming Overall if you want to eat at 50/50: the pizza place come on down. If you want to eat a 12' inch pizza in less than an hour go to jewel's frozen dinner section.
(2)
S K.

I'm from the QC so clearly I'm biased that nothing can top Harris but Roots is the real deal QC pizza. Thank my stars this place is legit, and they deliver to my house?!?! I mean, come on its a dream come true. I've been to Roots itself a few times and the atmosphere is not real great, but hey! It's a pizza joint. It's gonna be loud and have kids and stuff. It's a bit chilly in the winter too. The food makes up for it, though don't over order! It's very filling. Get the taco pizza. You can trust me, it's good. It's not an exactly replica of Harris but it is close. They put their own spin on it and have more options. If you are in the delivery zone, even better. We've had delivery twice from online ordering and it's been fine. If you are from the QC tell the staff and they will put your picture on the wall. Nice touch!
(5)
J F.

Great service friendly staff and our server Anthony was attentive and courteous this was my first time here. I came to watch the black hawks game and of course food. Will definitely come here again.
(5)
Kevin B.

I'm upgrading to 4 stars, their pizza has become our favorite and the massive cheese sticks can't be beat. I haven't had any strange run ins with the staff in a few years so it looks like they have improved all around.
(4)
O K.

Good non soggy crust, friendly servers, delicious pizza. An abundance of tvs kept my hubby happy. Only complaint would be they seated us in the back and we were surrounded by what seemed like dozens of children. Got really loud. Will return for the food but will ask to be seated near the front of the house where it's quieter.
(4)
Wing C.

The mozzarella sticks were good. They tasted homemade compared to the usual fast food fare. The marinara sauce was really good and was tasty with pizza crust. I thought the pizza was normal. I've never had pizza in Quad Cities so I don't have a comparison to Roots, but I didn't taste a difference from a standard pizza. Maybe I was expecting something different, but the slightly sweeter crust was the only thing I detected. I would go back only for the wide range of Midwestern craft beer available. Otherwise, this Roots is decent but I wouldn't go back particularly for the pizza.
(3)
Daniel S.

Pretty good pizza place, had the sausage and taco pizza, good amount of toppings, thin crust wasnt too thin, also got the mozzarella sticks which were good
(4)
TONI B.

What a great place. So big and warm on the inside and the layout accommodates everyone. I noticed a family with children, a girls night out, a small birthday get together and then the people coming in to sit at the bar for Monday night football. The service was great ( Anthony) was so informative with everything from the beer to the salads and apps to the pizza. We had the pear salad !!!, it was excellent as was the pizza and the mozzarella sticks We will be back to work our way through the menu. .
(5)
Noomi J.

Average, especially at those prices. My group had the cheese pizza, mozz sticks, lollipop chicken, and shrimp. Mozz sticks were huge, which I liked haha. The pizza didn't wow me. I've had better.
(3)
Nelson B.

Great place for kids! Staff is extremely accommodating and friendly to children. In addition to the standard coloring menu/place mat with crayons, they offer up pieces of pizza dough that they can play with while waiting for the food (brilliant idea). They also have actual kids sippy cups with handles for drinks (not just the cheapo disposable kind). Overall a great experience, and of course the food is outstanding as usual... So, if you're looking for a place to dine with the kids where everyone can enjoy themselves, I'd highly recommend you check this place out.
(5)
Ryan N.

First taste of Chicago pizza. Best I've ever had! Mozzarella sticks were amazing. Guaranteed to come back next time I'm in Chicago.
(5)
S A.

Pizza is ok, mozzarella sticks were the best thing on the menu. Ordered the chicken tenders off the kids menu and these were nothing like I have ever seen before. It was more of a pounded chicken breast (not sure if there was any chicken involved) fried or something with odd italian seasoning for the coating. I don't know a single child who would eat this. I would consider changing the menu or having a better description as these are not chicken tenders and again my child will eat anything but not this dish.
(2)
Steve W.

i really want to give this place 5 stars, but I can't get over the lame wait staff. Having briefly lived in the QC I was pleasantly surprised to see a QC style pizza. I can speak for the QC when I say no one there even realizes its a "style"...but whatever. The taco pizza is way better than happy joe's. That's all some of you will need to know. i know...but trust me, it's way better. Unfortunately they went and hired some really snarky hipsters in an attempt to fit into the neighborhood. Come on guys...there's some hard working and attentive hipsters out there...go find em! I would still say go and get the taco pie. Great stuff. Try to get some of the malcontent' staff to make eye contact while speaking, kind fun...treat it like a game!
(4)
Liz B.

For the last 5 years, I've never thought twice about telling people what my favorite pizza place in the city is. Roots changed that last week! LOVE this pizza. The crust is amazing, and they pile it high with fresh toppings. The veggie pizza had a heap of freshly cooked veggies on top and was delicious. The salads are also awesome. The ingredients are finely chopped, so if you're a fan of chopped salads, you'll love them. Great atmosphere too and they have a really nice private party room with a large glass wall so you can watch the kitchen make the food. Can't wait to go back here!
(4)
Lindsey A.

At noon, at a table, of six. I looked around. Babies. Babies at every table surrounding us. Babies in high chairs and babies on laps and babies in those mother-earthly sling-type things around their mom's and dad's necks. BABIES! Granted, we were at Roots at noon on St. Patrick's Day (when most people were probably still sleeping off the night before). Despite my start to this review, the babies neither hindered nor enhanced my Roots experience, so... nevermind those sweet chubby chunks of life. The food? It was okay. I don't get the Quad Cities Style. Maybe it was the sauce? A bit too tangy for me. Or the crust - it had a bite I'm not familiar or sure of. We got a make-your-own-za with roasted corn, roasted chicken and spinach. It was ... all right. We also got the garlic monkey bread. That was pretty tasty. I liked Roots' beer menu, though, and service was really nice and friendly. The layout is cool; big tables with seats that wrap around to the next booth for overflowing patrons (or asses). And it's a HUGE space. Just walk to the bathroom and you'll see a myriad of rooms and stairs to more rooms. The decor was pretty hip, too. I don't feel like explaining it. Just trust me. If I lived nearby, I'd probably try it again, but since I'm an Andersonville resident with Great Lake down the street.... I'll stick to my 'hood for the good stuff.
(3)
Brian T.

Have eaten some of their specialty pizzas in the last few months. They may be a little expensive but well worth it. Also their spinach artichoke dip was insanely good. A touch greasy but the flavor was by far the best I have had from any other restaraunt.
(4)
Andrew B.

Been twice, came away full and happy both times. Service is attentive and accurate. And hot. Universally. Great beer selection, decent tap selection, some pricier pitchers, but mostly worth it. Decent number of reasonably well-placed TVs in the bar area, great for catching today's Packers-Bears game. Would have been better if they'd won. Good fan crowd at the bar and a few tables. A little loud at times, but they kept it family-friendly. Build a salad's great, easily split by two. Build a pizza's even better. Neither time have myself and a dining companion been able to finish the larger pie, despite big efforts on the part of various big-appetite guys. Lengthy enough ingredient lists that heated topping negotiations concluded successfully both times, and without violence. I was more impressed with the crust on my first visit, but wasn't unhappy with it this time around. Not sure how you eat the strip-style (Quad City?) slices without a fork and knife, you can't pick it up with a single hand, and it's not big enough to deserve two hands.
(4)
Dan N.

I couldn't imagine living in Ukrainian Village without Roots. Love this place. They have awesome food and great beer on tap. They get docked one star, however, because they are always out of gumball head.
(4)
Danny C.

Great beer selection. Pizza isn't my favorite, but I'm partial to deep dish. Service seems good. Great neighborhood meet up.
(4)
Adam E.

Yum! I've now found a solution for my NY Style pizza blues! And they have Dragon's Milk to boot? I'm hooked!
(5)
Drew H.

Went for dinner with the family. Huge space, great decor, plenty of TVs, good vibe. I had the Local Option Bourbon Barrel Kentucky Common beer, and it was fabulous. We ordered the taco pizza, the pulled chicken pizza, and the sausage and cheese pizza. All were excellent. I highly recommend checking this place out!
(5)
Hector T.

Very good pizza. The dough is sweet and different from all other pizzas. Ingredients feel fresh. Staff tends to be friendly. A bit loud inside but it has outdoor sitting.
(5)
Neil C.

excellent pizza great place for groups, and kid friendly.
(5)
Rachael C.

I really wish I could like this place more. If it weren't for the best mozzarella sticks on the planet, I wouldn't keep returning. The rest of the food is just blah but the service...smh. Each server or bartender we've ever had has been rude and seemed to hate their job. Not very welcoming at all. Damn you mozzarella sticks.
(2)
Anthony M.

Have you ever been traveling out of Chicago and decided to try the local pizza? That is this place. The crust is similar to pizza hut and that is not a compliment!!! We had a group of 9 and service was kind of slow. Waitress asked if I wanted a beer and then I asked if they had a list. She grabbed me one and then stood there as I flipped through it. After about two awkward minutes of her starring at me she said, "How about I come back?" That was a huge mistake...I didn't see her for 20 minutes!!! So I sat there sad and beerless in Chicago!!! In fact, i wanted a second beer and my empty beer glass sat there for another 30 minutes and she finally asked, "would you like another?" Two beers in two hours is not good customer service!!! (Attention owner you're losing money!) Back to the pizza...it is cut in rectangles. It felt like the cook forget to make just two more cuts. He was so close!!! This was the first time I've ever had a round pizza cut this way and I didn't like it. I want my pizza squares back!!! We ordered one large sausage and one large half pepperoni / half veggie. The crust was completely different on each one. Doughy on the sausage and thin and soggy on the pepperoni side. It was very inconsistent between the two pizzas. The sausage was a little werid. It was like ground beef and there was a layer of it between the crust and cheese and it did not meld together. If I lifted the cheese the minced sausage would just fall out like sand. It just felt like a bad frozen pizza. I also believe the large was 24 bucks...a little high for just okay pizza. Chicken wings were tasty but a rip off. 8 bucks for 5 wing drums. We got three orders which is 24 bucks for chicken wings!!! Really not worth it. The caesar salad was good but I wish I would have asked them to hold the baco bits. Reminded me of the 80's!!! Yes that was the last time I ate them!!! The interior is beautiful. They did an amazing job of decorating. It is fun and hip In here!!! But I can't eat the booth!!! I read about the taco pizza in the Reader today and I wish we would have ordered it. But the group was not going in that direction!!! Remember when Pizza Hut use to make Taco Pizzas in the 80's? That was awesome! (I sound like Chris Farley!) Roots is suppose to be a pizza place first and I'm not buying it. Our city has great pizza everywhere and maybe this style will catch on...I hope not! I think the owners were going for different. They really achieved that!!! I am going to go on a limb and say I would never ever have pizza here again!!! (unless it was free on Wednesday after 10pm...irony kills...that is the wednesday night special here!)
(1)
Gary R.

Word association. You say "Pizza", I say "Chicago". You say "Chicago", I say "pizza". Seems natural. However, when I think Chicago pizza, I don't think deep dish. No, not Lou Malnati's, not Gino's East, not Giordano's. My thoughts go right to Roots. That's right, Roots. Sacrilege you say? No, not at all. This crust is amazing and unlike any you'll find elsewhere. The use of malt in the dough makes such a remarkable difference and brings out a unique taste that I've come to crave! Hand tossed dough brings it right to a proper thickness - not thin, not thick. Just right. The homemade sauce is extra rich and flavorful. And they put the toppings on first before they cover it with delicious cheese so underneath that gooey goodness lies all those extra taste bud triggers. Yum. And they cut it with scissors into strips - a neat, quirky idea. So instead of getting a "piece" of pizza, you get a strip. And the beer? Oh my. With something like 70 midwest craft beers, this place is a haven for beer aficionados. Great beer, great pizza, great atmosphere. What more could you possibly want???
(5)
Michelle T.

Wings, southwest salad, and Italian beef are all great! We usually sit at the bar when we go here so I think the food is great for bar food in Chicago! Haven't tried their gluten free pizza so I can't say how their pizza is. Everyone else that's has had it says it's great! Really good beer selection (that's what my bf thinks since I can't drink beer)! Their adult root beer is amazing (and super strong...but u can't taste it). In the end, if ur in the neighborhood and want to watch a game, grab a bite to eat, and a drink or two this is the place!
(5)
CK K.

Went in with the family. The mac and cheese and chicken fingers were a big hit with the kids. I had a bite of the chicken finger and it seemed to be a thin breaded cutlet of chicken breast with an italian seasoned bread crumb coating. It was good as afar as chicken fingers go. The adults had a salad excellent! and split a sausage mushroom pizza (16" $22). It was just ok. Kind of a heavy crust with a small amount of sauce and a load of mozzarella. The place is very nice inside and a huge choice of craft beers. If I go back I would stay away from the pizza and head straight for the beer and maybe a chicken finger.
(3)
Jolana F.

Fell in LOVE with their special "antique taco pizza" I could probably eat it everyday. I love the atmosphere, however sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) you get a crappy lazy waiter/waitress. This has happened a few times. But I go back because the kitchen is doing something right!
(4)
Sarah T.

New to the neighborhood and stopped in while out shopping, We're glad we did! Great pizza, even better service. Will be back!
(5)
Priscilla S.

Best pizza I'ver ever had. Their crust drives me crazy! It really hits the spot.
(5)
Madee M.

This is my go to pizza delivery. They are quick and the food is delicious. I have heard mixed things about the environment of the restaurant but their food is so tasty. I usually order the baby beet salad and a pizza (with cheese curds, it may seem redundant but its delicious). They are always 30 minutes earlier than they say they will be which is awesome (except when you are in the shower). I order from here regularly and highly recommend it.
(5)
Rod O.

This place has a really large beer selection and I really like the decor of the place. It had a lot of promise to it. I was in a big group so we had I believe mozzarella sticks and the fried ravioli to start which were both good. I liked the mozzarella sticks more than the ravioli. We had the taco pizza and didn't really enjoy it that much. In talking to my quad cities buddy, I need to get the taco pizza at another joint in the Quad cities, not here. I will maybe go back and try a more simple pizza but the taco pizza was not good.
(3)
Jerry M.

The Taco Pizza was surprisingly good! The toppings were just right and the crust was particularly noteworthy. I want to go back & have more of their pizzas. Service was quite good and our server was very friendly & helpful. Hard to believe that the place has only been open for two weeks!! Members of my party ordered a sandwich and a salad and reported them to be bland but all enjoyed the mozzarella sticks. We will go back but will probably focus on the pizzas. One more think, the beer list was impressive.
(4)
emily h.

I wanted to update my review to rave about how kid friendly this place is! When I went with my son and husband last weekend they gave him pizza dough to play with! It kept him occuped the whole time! They also give out crayons and paper and kiddy cups. Oh and another thing that is great for people with or without kids- they seat the kids in their own area!!! How great is that?! If I am not out to eat with my own kid, I do NOT want to be sitting next to your screaming kid! And if I am out with my kid, I do not want my kid bothering others who are trying to enjoy a nice meal. I think having a "kid section," although the Roots doesnt actually acknowledge that they do this but its obvious, is such a great idea that more places should do!!
(4)
Sarah W.

I love this place. Whenever i have guests in from out of town i always bring them here for the awesome pizza and oh my lanta they have the best cheesesticks ever. They are seriously like bricks. We always leave stuffed and with leftovers. A+ for food and service.
(5)
Tommy D.

I've warmed up to Roots. Not their pizza. It's still sucks. But their salads and appetizers are the real stars of the show. We typically get our salads to go, waiting at the bar with a beer. The service is great and the salads are solid with lots of ingredients.
(4)
andy p.

When you walk in, you can feel a little intimidated from the body guard with a stern look on his face. But he is not there to hurt any patron, just the drunkies that cant handle it! Now onto the actual bar......food is great! the beer selection is perfect! its very informative and has pictures of where it comes from and when i say pictures i mean maps of the beers of origins! Its a pizza place Bar with a nice salad touch! I don't know what the others are talking about......the food is good for the atmosphere and the price. If you want pizza on a paper plate a can of pop and looking for an excuse to over analyze then go to the 10 mom and pop shops in either direction of the ROOTs or just find your local pizza hut!. This is a good place to be left alone and enjoy a good pie, great beer and good service. what more can you ask for
(5)
oh l.

Good pizza, salad is decent but not very fresh (there were a lot of brown stem ends of the romaine mixed in)... I'd say you're better off getting delivery - service is pretty awful (the 2 stars are for the pizza and nothing else). I've been here a few times now and have also ordered delivery a few times, but this last experience was the worst. I was there over the weekend and maybe it was because it was a holiday weekend, but the service was awful. From the hostess barely 'greeting' you, unless you count stink eye as a friendly 'hello', to the waitress not even opening your bottle of wine for you (screw top, but still)... and lastly, once the pizza was delivered to our table, it was just plopped down. As i put a piece on my plate, the cheese just oozed straight off the slice onto my hand and left me with a burn on my finger - it was scalding hot. Now I can appreciate and understand why pequod's serves you your first slice. They may as well turn this place into self-service, as all the waitress does is take your order. They never seem to be available when you actually need something or even when you want them to take your salad plate and exchange it with a new one for your pizza. This place basically needs to get it's act together when it comes to service OR turn yourselves into a divey pizza place known for bad service because right now, looks are deceiving.
(2)
Brent S.

My family was in town and they wanted to go somewhere close. I live in the neighborhood so I said why not. We were seated in the bar with the big windows, it was a beautiful night. We ordered salads and a pepperoni and sausage pizza. After 1 hour (yes an hour) we had our salads brought to us. They were ok. After asking if the pizza was on it's way the manager came by and informed us that there was a huge carry-out order and the kitchen is stacked up. I thought this was an odd excuse. Why wouldn't they prioritize orders from folks in the restaurant? When we asked when it would be ready we were told momentarily, 30 more minutes and the pizza came. This is a long long long time to wait for a pizza. The pizza was average at best. "Quad cities" style can stay in the quad cities. I'll take Lous or even Giordanos (in a pinch) over this. Got the check and the manager comp'd $40 bucks off the tab. Food was not worth waiting for, won't go back.
(1)
Lindsey C.

I have now had the pizza and it's awesome! You can do a make-your-own pizza, which I've done with prosciutto and house-made mozzarella. It's amazing!
(4)
David R.

Disclaimer: Native Quad-Citian Living in Hanover Park, I am about 2.5 hours from the Quad-Cities. However, I'm about an hour from Roots Handmade Pizza and a few friends and family that live within walking distance of the restaurant. Needless to say, since this place opened just a couple of months ago, I have gone out of my way to visit this place a couple of times already with another dinner party planned for the 15th. Of course, you could care less about my proximity and party planning, so on to the review. Service: Never had a problem either time there. Service was prompt and friendly. Food: In my opinion, the sausage and taco pizzas were the only reason to visit the original locations in the quad-cities to begin with. All the other options are just there. So many people in the world want to clutter their pizza with other junk like roasted this, lamb that, crazy combo of whatever stuff. People, KEEP IT SIMPLE! This style pizza is in it's element when you are having the sausage and/or taco pizza. And for god's sake, if you order a BLT pizza, utilize the mayo!!! friggin boneheads out there taking the snobby route on the mayo packets. Bottom line here, order what made this style famous back in the Quad-Cities and you will get a treat. Drinks: Wow, what can I say...that house brew is a new favorite. Love their beer. Not a big fan of the adult sodas based on price and relative value. But once again, all you fancy, shmancy folks want to be all modern and stuff...pizza and beer are where it's at....oh, and steer clear of that jalepeno infused tequilla...not so good! Price: Now, this is where I see a lot of the gripes from the other reviewers. First off, this is chicago people...let's agree to divide pizza places between the national brands and neighborhood gems like this place. Second, this pizza was always the most expensive back home. It only makes sense to me that it would carry a similar value here in a city where everything is already inflated (hello, you look at your rent $/sq. ft. lately???). This pizza was the pizza my family of five would get on occassion when Little Sleazers got boring. In the end, this is obviously my new favorite place to go. I tell whoever I can, whenever I can that they need to check this place out. And yes, I also tell them to stick to the sausage and house brew...dang, now I'm hungry!
(5)
Nycole H.

I'm a fan of The Fifty 50 so when I heard about this location I really wanted to try it out. The Fifty 50 has great food so I knew this would be good and I love pizza!! My friend and I decided to be super boring because we couldn't decide what to get so we shared a cheese pizza and we both got drinks. The pizza was really good. I love the strip style pizza makes it really easy to eat. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated I really liked it. It was absolutely PACKED when we got there and they had a list for us to go on. They told us the wait would be about 20-25 and I'd say it only took 10 minutes. They took my name and got us in right away. One of my favorite things was the host or manager whoever was taking names saw us leaving and asked me by name what we thought. I think one of the best things in customer service is when people get your name and REMEMBER it!! My only teeny tiny gripe was half way through out meal I start to feel like we were getting rushed out. The server was super friendly and not rushing us at all but the bus boy kept coming over asking if we were done and wanting to take each individual plate. He came over way too often trying to get us out. My friend was still trying to drink his drink. I understand you're a super busy trendy place and I love it but you can't rush customers out that will most definitely be return customers. Let them relax.
(4)
Tom S.

Type, delete. Type, delete. That's how this review has been for the past 3 minutes. I just don't know what to say. Should I even leave a review? Oh well, I guess that's just how much of an impact Roots Pizza left with me. Would I go back? Probably. Would I go back if it wasn't in my hood? Probably not. Pizza style is "Quad Cities" and I don't know what that means. I guess if you're going to compete with Chicago-style, you better have a catch. We had the Taco Pizza based on the recommendation of two bartenders. They said, "You HAVE to have it with the hot sauce." I LOVE hot sauce! The pizza showed up and it was interesting looking, that's for sure. The whole thing was topped with spicy corn chips (like Doritos) which was layered above shredded lettuce. Hmmm, okay. I'm then looking around for a squeeze bottle of hot sauce, thinking it was some special concoction since it was so highly recommended. Oh wait, there it is... The hot was were packets that were, I swear, the same hot sauce you'd get at Taco Bell except without the Taco Bell branding. I think it was Sysco or some distributor brand. Getting over the hot sauce thing, I enjoyed the pizza. It was delicious. The crust was nice and the toppings had lots of flavor. My other complaint was the beer list. This place boasts having an extensive beer list, and they do. The problem is the beer menu. It's separated by page by brewery (or cities, I can't remember). So each page has it's own city. Well, with over 70 beers available, and the beer menu lists each city on each page, how many pages do you think the beer menu is? It was a lot! Why can't they just list it all on one large page as other places do, it's so much easier to help you decide. This place has a great vibe and I'd recommend you checking it out. Let me know what you think. Just kidding, just leave your Yelp review and I'll read it eventually.
(3)
sandra j.

Really wanted to like this place since it's close to home. Unfortunately we weren't impressed and the fact that it's overpriced means it probably won't get a second chance. I guess you either like their style of pizza or you don't. We didnt. The sausage appetizer came wrapped in almost raw pastry dough. And they brought the wrong one, to boot. I liked the corn and avocado salad but it was DRENCHED in dressing. I like my dressing--I am not a dressing on the side girl but this was even too much for me. With a couple beers our bill was $80+ and I don't know...that's just too much for a mediocre pizza place on a Tuesday night, right?
(2)
Damian S.

Good atmosphere, great food and a incredable addition to the area. Taco Pizza, spinach artichoke dip and cheese sticks were all awesome! I know you might be thinking that this guy is promoting a dip and cheese sticks but they are not your average bar items here. The spinach dip had a sweet taste to it that made it stand out and the pita chips were a great add. The cheese sticks were HUGE and are better eaten with a knife and fork. I am a big fan of food and the beer list that features a good amount of local options.
(5)
sandie s.

I took a chance and chose Roots for my birthday celebration last night and it was worth it. I had been driving by every day and I was intrigued by what I could see of the decor. It was just as cool up close, with light wood everywhere and cushy booths. There is a bar area and a back room. We ended up at a stand alone table for 8 in between the 2 rooms, which was perfect. We ordered 2 appetizers to start-garlic monkey bread and stuffed artichokes. They were tasty, but on the small side. Then we ordered a 16" garden pizza, which was the perfect size. I really liked the crust and the end pieces were by far the best. I did have one inside piece, which tasted fine, but was a bit unwieldy with the amount of cheese on it. If the crust stayed thick throughout the pizza, it would be easier and tastier. Still, it was very good. We also ordered sweet potato tater tots-so good! And a Greek-ish salad and a tomato, avocado, mozzarella salad. The salad are giant and delicious, though I suggest you order the dressing on the side. Roots seems to have nightly specials. Last night was half price bottles of wine. They make their own root beer, which I meant to try. Next time for sure. We didn't get dessert, but I did see a very large piece of red velvet cake go by our table, so that might be something for the next time too. Overall, I liked Roots. There are several more things on the menu I'd like to try. There are a lot of TVs in the place, which I could do without, but they were easily ignored.
(3)
Ajay H.

It's my second visit here to Roots and as a matter of fact, I'm writing this review from the corner of the bar! All I can say is that the menu offers a wide array of options to fill up your tummy and put a smile on your face! So far, I've had the lollipop wings, a salad and the chicken chorizo brat with the roasted brocolli accompanied by clarified garlic butter... WOW, OH WOW IS THE FOOD GOOD!! I haven't even had the pizza yet. And I can't wait for it! After eating all the food, "how ya gonna wash it down?" - Dude, they have an impressive beer selection, full bar and even their own Root's Root Beer if you're not in the mood for adult beverages. All that AND the staff is one of the friendliest I can think of. Roots, you have my co-sign!
(5)
Coll D.

My fiance and i have liked Roots since we discovered it. their pizzas have always been a favorite, so many topping choices! Mozz sticks are the best Ive ever had-house made too. On my last delivery, i made a mistake and ordered pepperchinis on the entire 16" pizza, thinking they were like banana peppers. whoops, the pizza was so spicy, after one bite my mouth blew up, became puffy and red.there was no way we could enjoy much less consume this pizza. i called to see if they could switch out and help me in any way. yes i made a mistake, but the website doesn't specify spicy ingredients and clearly i was having a reaction to the pepper . the managers response was disheartening. Basically "ummmm well sorry there's nothing we can do, we cant control that the pepper is spicy" WOW i already felt silly for making a mistake, but as loyal customers to this place, there was nothing Roots could do? Really? I'm a customer service manager myself and was shocked at the response. i basically had to argue my case and she very unhappily and rudely responded " fine. whats your name I'll send you a new one." we've always put the good word in on this place and I'm happy she was able to "spare" a plain pizza for us,(they sent a 12", not 16". i do hope the management can learn a better way to respond to customers in situations such as this. it was very disappointing and left a bad taste in our mouths, literally.
(3)
Allison B.

Have you ever heard of Quad Cities pizza? Yeah, neither have I. But like Sarah L., I'm also originally from the northeast and upon moving to Chicago could not believe how shockingly bad the pizza options are. Roots pizza is good stuff. I'm not sure what Quad Cities pizza is supposed to taste like but it's safe to say that it's NOT NYC style, neopolitan or deep dish. We had the sausage pizza and it was delicious - ground up fresh sausage covered with cheese on a flatbread-like crust. The spinach artichoke dip appy was to die for. The monkey garlic cheese bread wasn't bad either, I just wasn't expecting it to come in a bowl. I saw a few other tables order salads and they looked good as well. Service was very good - we went on a Saturday evening and were seated in the "kiddie room" next to the kitchen with all the other parents - this was fine with us. It looked like they seated the more upscale clientele (i.e., those without baby puke on their shirts) in front near the hopping bar area. There is a lot of space in both rooms so we didn't have to wait - bonus! Four stars only because the prices were expensive for the amount of food we ordered. Note that they are currently not accepting orders for pick up or delivery, we hope that will change. Try out this pizza - it's unlike any other pizza in Chicago. And in Chicago that's a good thing!
(4)
Taylor D.

$28 dollars for a carry out "large" two topping (sausage and red onion) pizza plus tip. Honestly, I would have to be a complete moron to go back to this place a second time even though the pizza was...okay. I enjoy the malted crust they use here although I did not care for the "rabbit turd" style sausage topping. If I am spending this kind of money on a pie it should easily feed 5 hungry dudes, no problem. Nope.
(2)
Erin O.

1) Get the mozzarella sticks!! They are the size of Twinkies and the place makes its own cheese. 2) skip the taco pizza. There's a reason it's only a fad in the Quad Cities...There were 6 of us at dinner and none of us cared for the taco pizza. not enough like a taco, not enough like a pizza. 3) We also tried a custom pizza and it was good, but not great. 4) The space and staff are cool and fun. Definitely a good place to try with a solid beer list. The space is big, too, so it seems like it would be good for a party.
(3)
Dan R.

Great service helped us pick out the perfect beer. Great pizza.
(4)
Peter S.

We stumbled upon roots on the Tuesday of our staycation for lunch. Very attractive spot with complete bar. We ordered a basic sausage and mushroom pizza with extra sauce. The sausage is a ground sausage, not in chunks, probably a little too much. The mushrooms were roasted and very good but definitely too few. Either they are really skimpy with the sauce or they forgot the extra, once we ordered a bowl on the side it was much better. We will likely return but not in a great hurry.
(3)
Natalka K.

Came to Roots with a few friends on a Sunday afternoon. This was our first time here. Before we came, I checked out their online menu and let me tell you, it was quite extensive. We got there and ordered drinks and appetizers. We got the mozzarella sticks which enough for the 4 of us and split the last one in fours. After much deliberating on the pizza (some of us aren't picky eater and will eat any kind), we decided on the Big Mick. Once I saw this and tasted it, it was an almost direct replica of the Big Mac from McDonald's. It was goos seeing as it's been a few years since I've eaten anythign from McDonald's. This pizza hit the spot and between the 4of us, finished the whole thing. I also placed an order for take-out one evening. I wanted the Asian Chopped Salad, the Make your own salad and an order of lollipopo chicken wings. Well, I was going to place it online and walk over topick it up. They didn't have the Asian salad listed on their onlne menu, so I place my order of the make your own and the chicken wings online and then called the restaurant and placed the order for the Asian. I walked over to pick it up and they only had the Asian salad ready and not the other two items. Not sure what happened, but after waiting for at least 10 minutes they finally brought it out. I really did like the make your own salad since you can choose your own from the type of salad to the proteins to the dressings and everything in between. I will come back with friends and do take-out in the future. Still want to try their red velvet cake that i hear is astronomical and lasts for a few days !
(4)
Carissa R.

Overall, the food is not worth the terrible service. Partying waitresses and managers couldn't manage their tables properly, resulting in very long waits, wrong orders, cold food and no remorse. I would pass for Piece.
(1)
Pat H.

I enjoy the pizza here as a change up from traditional chicago deep dish. the crust is softer in middle but the outside is still crispy. Roasted red peppers are a definite must. Build your own salad is also a solid option, there are lots of toppings to choose from, and they don't skimp on the fixins. Servers are friendly, cute, and conversational. The bartenders can be hit or miss. I've had a few great ones, but a couple that act like they're doing you a favor to get you a beer. They should also cook the pizza a little longer. I love the beer list, which is 100% from the midwest. They also have shots of infused spirits on tap. Over the summer there was a watermelon jalapeno tequila that was way better than it sounds. Definitely my favorite place in the neighborhood to post up for a few on a weeknight, and weekends bring bigger crowds. I've heard a few descent djs on the weekend as well.
(3)
Raven C.

Hopefully I won't get booed off the page for saying this, but I'm actually not a huge pizza fan. I was however outnumbered by my pizza loving dinner dates, so we ended up at Roots. The place kind of reminds me of a less gothic Five Star, but all in all it was a very cute place. We were promptly seated. Our waitress was a tad slow throughout the whole night, but her pleasant demeanor made up for that. I wasn't all that sure in my abilities to pick the perfect ingredients for a pizza. And I was quite bummed that even though you make your own pizza, BBQ chicken was not an option. However, we combined chicken chorizo, mushrooms, garlic spinach, bacon, red onions and mozerella...best pizza I've had in a long time! I will be back.
(4)
Sarah E.

I haven't been this disappointed since I saw the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Every time I have passed by Roots I have noticed a fairly large crowd dinning there so I assumed that the pizza must be great. I was wrong. Even the mozzarella sticks were lackluster. The first order were cold in the middle and our replacement order was lukewarm. I was relieved when the pizza had arrived but after consuming two pieces I had realized that the pizza at Roots was nearly identical to Digiorno pizza. Why did I pay twenty three dollars for something I could have picked up at Dominicks?
(1)
Chris D.

Love the bar and love the layout of the place. Service is usually top notch as well. I believe the food will get better and better over time. You either love or hate their pizza. It's unique. It does me just just fine as I am not a big fan of Chicago pizza anyway, especially Lou Malnatis, which makes me puke just from smelling it. LOL! The only free pizza I will pass on is Lou's. Seriously stop by Roots, grab a beer or two or three....
(3)
Dustin M.

One of my new favorite spots. Awesome Salads (you build it off the menu). I've had the pizza two times and it was perfect both times. Good Music, awesome staff, and great service. I will be back soon! This place was done right.
(5)
Tim W.

Their sausage pizza is awesome. Thick doughy crust and cheesy. I also had a build your own salad one afternoon for lunch. Good size and fresh ingredients. I ate out on the patio which was very sunny in the afternoon but lots of seating. Ate with the dog and there was plenty of room for her to lay down.
(4)
Alyssa R.

I went there on a Saturday with my sister. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. It was a bit loud, but that's only because there were so many people there for the great food and drinks! I had the chicken caesar foldover (which is a sandwich made with their awesome handmade pizza crust, folded over and panini-pressed), and it came with my choice of side, which was the housemade chips and aioli, both of which were fantastic and original.My sister got the gluten-free pizza with some added garlic, and although the pizza is on the expensive side, she said it was well worth it, because it's the best gluten-free pizza she'd ever had (I tried some and liked it, which is saying a lot, because usually gluten-free foods compromise on the flavor a bit--not the case here!). The portions were generous, so we both had leftovers to enjoy another day. I definitely plan to go back again and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try a different pizza experience.
(5)
Jon G.

thanks to Brad, manager, for getting WGN radio when satellite went out during Game 1 of Kings playoff. Service and food are always great! They know how to take care of their customers.
(5)
Kristin K.

For what it is, Roots is a fine restaurant. They don't take reservations, which for some people might work, but I like to make them, so I was disappointed with that aspect. First of all, we tried to go a few times during opening week, but the wait was 2 hours. That was annoying, but understandable during opening week. We got in yesterday for the first time and were seated immediately. Tomato, Corn, Avocado Salad: amazingly delicious. Huge, too, so great to split for two people as an appetizer. Beer Selection: very good. I really enjoyed their house Roots beer. Pizza: We ordered the sausage. The sausage was extremely crumbled. I enjoyed it, but my husband did not. My husband said it reminded him of school lunch pizza, but I don't think he knew what to expect with this Quad Cities style of pizza. The crust was great. I guess some people will like it, others may not. You just have to know it will be different from other pizza styles you may be used to here in Chicago. Service: our server was great, but it did take awhile to get our pizza. That's not her fault, but it was a little longer to wait than I wanted. Also, the restaurant is SO LOUD. No, I'm not a little old lady who can't stand loud places. I'm in my late 20s. I thought it was too loud for a weeknight dinner. My husband and I had to yell to hear ourselves. Overall, A+ for salad and beer, B for pizza, B for service.
(4)
Jeff L.

Went to Roots 9/12/11 for an early lunch. I had been out running errands in the area and had been meaning to stop in and give this place a try. I'm going to only comment on the food since I was there early on a Monday afternoon and there wasn't much of a bar scene except for myself. I ordered the mozzarella sticks and the BLT pizza. First off, the mozzarella sticks easily could have been my entire meal! You get 5 massive house-made mozzarella sticks and some of their pizza sauce to dip in. Awesome! I actually really enjoyed these; tons of melted cheese, breading and sauce. But be warned, if your dining for one this might be all you will be able to handle. The BLT pizza was quite tasty also. Loaded with bacon, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce this pizza combination is one of my favorites. It reminded me a lot of the CPK variation, only a hell of a lot better and packed with more toppings. I found the crust to be the perfect balance for the type of pizzas they are. Crunchy but also chewy and holds up well to all the toppings. I'm a little curious why they give you packets of mayo to put on top of your pizza rather than tossing the lettuce with the mayo and then place it on top of the pizza, but maybe that's for the calorie conscious people...? Two things of note about the pizza: 1. The pizza is cut in rectangles... not large rectangles but little baby rectangles that make it incredibly hard to keep your topping on top of the pizza and to figure out how it's cut. I found that a little annoying but that's hardly reason to complain. 2. Expensive. $20 for a 12-inch specialty pizza. I felt more than satisfied dining by myself, and probably still would if I were sharing with a friend. But even still, the bill came out to way more than expected for a solo diner that only had a beer, an app, and a pizza. Maybe I just ordered wrong though, who knows. The service was friendly and attentive and I enjoyed the wide variety of large TV's scattered through out the place. Music was pretty decent too, not too loud and easy to listen to during a meal. Don't know if I would make this a regular pizza place, but it definitely has it's place and I will be returning to try out more of the menu and some of those adult sodas.
(4)
Travis R.

Roots has only been open for a week, so I won't critique the poor service. It does take a while for the waitstaff, bartenders, and management to become comfortable with their new posts. The poor service aside, this place was still simply "ok." The prices are considerably high. The food isn't horrible, but when five mozzarella sticks cost $9, they'd better be ridiculously delicious! The pizza is far from remarkable. The toppings aren't high-quality, nor are they very sophisticated. A basic 12" pizza (no toppings) starts at $14, and all toppings are $2+. For the same price, one could enjoy a much better, more heavily topped pizza at a place like Piece or Pizza Metro. There's obviously a lot of money behind this franchise. The interior of the restaurant is very well appointed with chocolate-colored leather booths, lots of nice wood trim, and a beautiful bar space. Thus, at least the space creates a nice dining experience.
(3)
Patrick S.

Good Fresh Food Great service from Molly,our waitress A bit pricey, but for me well worth it. Get the cheese sticks for sure, and my girlfriend loved the taco pizza. The make your own salad was huge and delicious (definitely enough to share). The $3 calzones were amazing and a great price. We will be back soon!! Patrick Stern 6ringsent.com
(4)
Jennifer L.

Great service and great food! I had the sausage pizza and garlic cheese monkey bread. I had a krankshaft kolsch with my food - their beer menu is extensive! A bit pricey though...
(4)
Laura j.

I personally love the pizza here. I can see why it may not be some peoples favorite, but it is great quad city style pizza. They have really great drink specials during the week, and FREE pizza on Wednesday nights. Finally, the worlds best f*cking mozz sticks. Seriously, housemade mozzarella and they are huge. You must try them. Try an adult soda too!
(5)
Sonny P.

Roots is located in Ukrainian Village and went there Thursday night with 5 of my friends. Based on the reviews, I felt that this place would be hit or miss. Walking in, the place is massive! They have a great selection of beer. However, the food is a different story. I was not "crazy" over the pizza and the "Quad-cities" pizza just seemed like a regular pizza. I would recommend Sono Wood Fired pizza over this place as the food was not up to par.
(2)
Kate P.

My husband and I went here for dinner last night. The service was lacking, thanks to a large party in the back room. Fortunately, the food made up for it. We had the Monkey Bread for an appetizer and Taco Pizza for the main course. The pizza was awesome! Very inventive and delicious. I would definitely go here again for the food, but bring your patience with you.
(4)
Aaron R.

I was here last night with some friends. The food is okay. It's not bad, but not good. There are better options out there. -The pizza is completely forgettable. -The monkey bread wasn't done well. It stuck to the ramekin below so you couldn't really get it out. -The mozzarella sticks are the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had (they're huge). But they are still just mozzarella sticks. Besides the food, the vibe the place tries to put out seems to be completely out of touch with the neighborhood. It's like they're taking a bar that might be successful in Lincoln Park and shoving it in the middle of East Ukrainian Village. While we were waiting for a table two busses showed up with a sorority party from Northwestern (and that's not even figurative or a joke). At that moment the music got particularly bad and excessively loud (though Get Low really really loud is my preferred pizza eating music). I really just hope places like this don't mark the beginning of the end of this neighborhood's character.
(2)
Mark S.

Roots is great! Lovely staff, great food. The patio is spacious and they have a ton of great beers on tap, including Point Belgian, which is made close to my hometown in WI. Nicole is our favorite server here. She always makes sure we get a great seat and have a good time.
(5)
Bethany R.

This place has the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had. I've been here quite a few times and tried a lot of things - their homemade pizza is really great here too.
(5)
M P.

Ordered 1/2 pepperoni 1/2 cheese pizza for delivery last night online. Said it would take 1 hour. After an hour, Roots called to confirm our order and said there was a problem with the receipt, but that the pizza had been made and was on its way. After 30 minutes, driver called asking for directions (we live less than a mile from the store). Pizza arrived: all pepperoni! Since the meat is hidden under the cheese, I discovered this by accidentally biting into a piece. As a vegetarian, I was disgusted. So much for ordering with a carnivore again. And I will never order from Roots again. I'm updating my review and changing my mind. Went to the actual location Friday night (1/27/2012), and the food was delicious. We especially liked the build-your-own salad. The lettuce and veggies were all fresh, and the salad was well balanced. Pizza was good too, and the wait for our food wasn't very long. Only negative was that the hostess originally tried to seat my fiance and I in the middle of the family section, surrounded by kids. We asked for another table and ended up eating at the bar (which was perfect, our service was excellent). We saw the hostess try to seat several other couples in the family section, and they all asked to be seated elsewhere.
(4)
Adrian P.

Great place, great atmosphere and the food is good. This is not chicago style pizza, so don't come there expecting that. Salads are amazing.
(4)
Joe S.

Big space aims to rival Piece but less of a scene. 'Quad Cities pizza' is of interest and worth a try. Great mozzarella sticks and salads.
(4)
F S.

I've been meaning to write this review for awhile-Roots is one of my favorite pizza joints in the city. I learned though that some of the specialty pizzas are definitely not as good as a plain cheese here (for example, tried the taco pizza and it was just ok). What Roots does well is an amazing crust and nice sauce, so their simpler pizzas are better. They also have a great beer list.
(4)
rhea w.

what is with this place? oh wait...its the same owners as 50/50. i dont know much about sports, or what 50/50 means...but i do know that this place is more like 50/100. the pizza is overpriced. in the quad cities, this pizza goes for 13 dollars a pie. not the 22 dollars Roots is asking. the drinks are fine. but for this price, I can get a cool atmosphere 2 blocks away at DeVille. But even Bros need a holiday. Enjoy.
(1)
Carolyn C.

Overall i really liked the place. It was really large and it had these big booths for seating. The spinach and artichoke was AHmazing! The reason for the 3 star is the pizza which was alright. I am def. open to trying it again. They had quite the variety of food on the menu as well.
(3)
Hatidza Z.

This place is pretty awesome! It's so large that I feel you'd get seated no matter when you go. I think the pizza is pretty fantastic, but it can be better. The monkey bread is yummy too! Plenty of beers to choose from and good service. It definitely a great place to go with friends and watch a game or just hang out. Also it's next door to Bleeding Heart Bakery, so in my book that's a huge plus!
(4)
Laura B.

I really enjoy the pepperoni pizza here. The crust is a great combination of soft and crunchy. The sauce on the pizza is a kind of spicy, but a nice change. Ive been there twice. Once I went in the winter and I felt the restaurant was very cozy and a great atmosphere. I recently visited on a somewhat chilly day this summer for lunch. The server nicely closed the windows but the AC was still blasting and it was FREEZING. It totally ruined the experience for me. Service was also pretty slow.
(3)
Victoria P.

Service bad. Food mediocre. There are so many other choices, I wouldn't go back. Too bad - this place is in my neighborhood, so I was rooting for them, but they have to work out the kinks. After being seated, we waited 10 minutes for someone to come over and take a drink order. Our salads were drenched in dressing. Almost like salad soup. When we brought this up to the server, she said "Yeah, we hear that a lot - most people just order dressing on the side instead." Are you kidding me? She forgot our appetizer and then brought it out after our meal. It definitely has a college town chain vibe and feels sort of out of place in West Town.
(2)
Nika K.

This place is so overpriced for below average food. Pizza was pretty much tasteless. Dough was uneven with it being very thin in the middle and thick on the ends making it either crunchy or under cooked. No seasonings on pizza. The caprese salad was a joke for $12. three slices of obviously refrigerated tomatoes so they were orange and tasteless, some mozzarella which oddly enough was not fresh considering they claim it to be fresh mozzarella for their pizza and a few bits of bacon. The best though was the sausage appetizers. For $4 each its literally half of a brat with some cheap yellow mustard. Really? This place is huge and always 3/4 empty. I give it less than a year before it closes.
(1)
Mary D.

Fits right in with the restaurant wasteland that is west on Chicago Ave (except for Chickpea). On the other hand, staff is fun, portions are huge if you're into that and getting a seat is easy, even outside. In my opinion Roots is really more of a college-type place with mediocre at best bar food and extremely bad wine, only for double the price that you'd pay in a bad dive college bar. Also, you have to really, really like gobs of bad cheese. I went there for my first time Monday and we had the taco pizza (server recommendation) and beet salad. Beet salad was great but how do you screw that up; taco pizza was horrible - just awful. Soggy crust weighed down with about a pound of bad mozzarella, taco meat and lettuce with tortilla chips on top which we removed. A frozen Lean Cuisine pizza is better. Wine was about the quality of Yellowtail but $10 a glass. Also, the menu reads like a bad website with random text boxes all over the place and WAY too complicated. They do have a good beer selection. Bad wine selection. One qualifier - I am a big fan of Piece Pizza a few blocks away so part of the reason for the bad rating is my preference for thin crisp crusts without a lot of cheese and really good ingredients, and a decent glass of cheap wine. Our dinner for 2 (12-in pizza, 3 (different) glasses of wine and beet salad was $70 - I think expensive for the quality. My recommendation: go elsewhere.
(1)
matt w.

I said I wouldnt return to Roots after a few bad experiences but I returned cause High Dive was packed and we wanted a seat.. They had a nice booth for us and the service was impressively improved. The pizza was good and we left satisfied. Its worth another stop through on a late night for comfort pizza and a table. So I added 2 more stars to my last review and hope to come back someday and give em another star!
(3)
Lauren G.

Roots is the best food and ambiance. Great service, professional managers. Wonderful spot for kids and families. Love the moz sticks, salads, and selection of drinks. Highly recommend.
(5)
shai h.

My bf and I sat at the bar, so I can't really comment on the poor service that everyone is talking about. Our bartender was funny and nice. We came after dinner to watch the Cubs / Sox game. I tried their homemade root beer which is really good. I also ate a salad (being a server, I order stuff even when I don't really want it just to not be an asshole taking up seats). It was amazing. I ended up eating the whole thing. I didn't find it pricey, but all we had was the build your own salad and a few beers.
(4)
Kimberly R.

I honestly can't comment on the food because the service I received BEFORE I even had a chance to go to Roots was horrendous. So I should tell you that I'm reviewing them based on their service. My friend loves this place and is always talking about it, so I decided to host my birthday part here since it sounded like a cute, fun place for a group of girls. I sent them a message via their website (about a month before my birthday) and received an email a few hours later saying my message didn't go through, so I called the next day and told them about the issue. The girl who answered the phone gave me the name of Christine and an email for her - I was told Christine could help me with my birthday plans. I wrote her an email right away and still hadn't heard from her a week later. I decided to email again and another week later... I had yet to receive a reply from her. At this point, I was a little annoyed, but still wanted to try this place. So I called Roots again, told some girl about what was going on, and she said she'd tell her manager, Adam, about me and that he'd call me back. I, once again, gave them another week and I STILL had not received an email or phone call from a single soul. When I called them for the last time, I was set on giving them a piece of my mind because I was beyond irritated, but the manager on duty, Ryan, was so nice that I decided to still have my party there. Ryan told me that with a group of 15 (a detail I mentioned in my original, second, and third message) I really only needed a simple reservation. So he set that up for me, took down my phone number and email, and told me that he would email me a few days before my dinner to confirm the reservation. Surprise, surprise!! I did not receive an email. So my friends and I just didn't show up. We refused to give them our business! This is BY FAR the worst service I've ever received... because there was NO service. I did everything. I did all the emailing and calling, and they didn't have the decency to get back to me. Roots, your staff SUCKS! Sure, you're probably successful right now because you're pretty new, but how exactly do you expect to stick around if your staff is made up of assholes? Oh, and your cupcakes next door are just dreadful.
(1)
Benjamin K R.

Their menu advertised delivery but when I called to place an order I was told that not only was delivery NOT available, bit takeout would not be an option for 3 to 4 weeks. I understand that there are kinks to be worked out with any new business but a) any pizza place should be able to handle take outs on day one and b) their website and menu should not advertise delivery until it is available. I will consider changing their rating when and if they can can provide me a pizza I can enjoy in the comfort of my home.
(1)
Sarah M.

Roots has great service, especially if you're dining with kids. I ate there today with 2 toddlers and an infant. The servers were very friendly with the kids and didn't mind their high energy! They brought us crayons, coloring pages, and pizza dough for the kids to play with. The dough was a great way to keep them occupied while they waited. The food came quickly and the quality was great (kids menu options are usually kind of gross at most restaurants). Good portions too! Personally, it's not my favorite pizza in Chicago, but I love their salads!
(4)
Ross A.

Pizza is the only ok thing on the menu, but think twice about even bothering. First attempt: ordered specialty lamb sausage on pizza - for $3 extra, talk about sparse. Good crust, but not worth the "dough" ($$). Second Attempt: Party of two @ 2:00 on Sunday Baked Artichoke - good stuffing; flavorless, dried-out artichokes. 1/5 stars. Fried Ravioli - completely unremarkable, barely worth 2/5 stars. "Milwaukee's Best" Brat - much like the beer, terrible. Stale bun, dry sausage, overpowering mustard taste (and I love mustard) and the most bland "caramelized" onions I've consumed. 1/5 stars. $3 Home Brewed root beer is indistinguishable from the Pepsi and Coke equivalents, Mug and Barq's. No free refills on this 12 oz. bottle. Indifferent, disorganized service. We ordered artichoke as an appetizer, but all three dishes arrived within 2 minutes of each other. Other than these significant shortfalls, if you like beer, this place has an okay selection.
(1)
Gunner F.

Well, this 5 star review makes just about as much sense as Laurel P. who gave the place 1 star because she didn't like what the bar tender said about the restaurant she worked at (which probably was 100% true if you're anything close to what your place represents).
(5)
diane c.

greek salad = too creamy mozzarella sticks = too big w/ too much cheese pizza = too thick and clumpy - like someone just took a bag of cheese from the grocery store and poured it all over the vegetables, which were cut way too big. It was like there was a carpet of cheese and then water, from the boiling vegetables. The crust was all right, but too sweet for my taste. service = not very attentive. had to ask several wait staff to get the check.
(2)
Gary R.

I tried it again. It was equally bad, loud, and expensive. Still no Dio. Too much Jameroquai. It is now on the banned list. I am deeply sorry.
(2)
Abbey J.

The pizza I've had here twice has not lived up to the hype. And my friend got a salad that was bland but she ate it anyway AND it got her sick later. Granted this could be a one time thing- but the service was bad enough to not return. The second chance I gave this place ended up waiting over an hour for a PICK UP order. There's no reason it should have taken longer than the estimated time. At one point I just stood there waiting for the kitchen to bring my finished pizza out. Service gets a one star. Pizza gets a nothing special star.
(1)
Manja C.

I had such high expectations for this place only to have them come wafting (not falling or crumbling down.) Here's why: The Good: -ordering online and pickup was a breeze! Pizza was ready in 25 mins. on a Saturday (West Fest night.) You may just want to call and confirm they received it. -hostess was friendly when I went in to pick it up even though the music was blaring in her ears. -the crust had a good (malt) flavor. -gooey, well cooked cheese The Bad: -sauce was completely FLAVORLESS. Seriously tasted & looked like tomato paste. -the crust was thick on the edges and ubber-thin in the middle=soggy. -all the ingredients were plopped in the middle; terrible disbursement. -the price $2.00-$3.00 for EACH additional ingredient on a small pizza. For that much money--I would expect waaaay more topping. I would have expected much better and higher quality food given that its the 50/50 owners. Come on guys--your trying to feed a city known for it's pizza. If you're going to overcharge; give us a product that at least justifies coming back.
(2)
Brandon W.

While the world of "West Town pizzerias" is second only to "bars with cheap Jameson shots" in terms of competition, I think I may have found pizza worthy of being crowned king. Appetizers - 4/5 The mozzarella sticks were nearly universally praised on Yelp but we went with a lighter fare - spinach & artichoke dip ($10). The dip was good, not great, but the complimenting pita chips made up for it with their warmth and fluffiness. Drinks - 4/5 Roots is a solid choice if you want to show off your craft beer knowledge; you won't find any Buds or Millers here. There's a healthy selection of Midwest microbreweries both on tap and bottles. Personally, I went with a Bell's Best Brown because it was $2. It was a solid beer and a good compliment to the pizza. There were a number of cocktails that caught my eye that I hope to sample during their next Thursday special. Being 16 left a bad taste for vodka in a lot of people's mouths but with downright delightful names like "Big League Chew" (bubble gum + whipped cream vodka, berry lemonade) and "Sour Patch Kid" (cherry vodka, sour mix, Red Bull) you have to imagine they are nothing but fantastic. Pizza - 5/5 Our main course was a 16" Lillie's Q BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza ($27). While it was absolutely delicious through and through, it wasn't quite perfect. I actually found the pork to be a bit dry, and the famous BBQ was conservatively spread through the pizza. While I'm not the biggest fan, a light dressing of coleslaw added some needed texture and did a good job tying it all together. The flavor could have been enhanced with something like diced onions but I don't own a pizza place so I guess I will trust the professionals. The crust was a bit charred but not beyond recognition, with more than a hint of cinnamon that gave the pie a definitively delicious taste. While pools of grease are always a concern, the crust wasn't soggy in the slightest; my Tide Pen could stay safely tucked in my pocket. It had a texture unto its own and truly comes across as its own unique ingredient (my friend compared it to an Auntie Annes Pretzels from the mall). No pizza is perfect, and if I had to find something to complain about (this IS a blog) it would be the cheese. It was liberally applied but I found it to be a bit bland to be added in such great quantities. I'm not a pizza expert by any means, but less cheese and a bit more emphasis on the BBQ would have made for a better pie. The pizza was cut into strips/squares, because this is Chicago and we don't eat our pizza like weirdos. Vibe - 4/5 Mood has never really struck me as too important of a quality for a restaurant (you're there for the food, after all) but Roots was pleasant enough, about what you'd expect from a moderately expensive pizza joint. The music was a nice mix of '90s alt rock and 2000s indie rock (think Fiona Apple and MGMT) to the point where I found myself humming along to more often than not. It was dim, not dark, and each table felt like its own island. We had people sitting on either side of us the entire meal but I never noticed them. Like so many joints in the area, a former garage door was wide open, allowing the ambiance of Chicago Avenue to filter into the restaurant. On one of countless gorgeous May nights in Chicago, I couldn't complain. Service - 3/5 Service was slow but not crushingly so. We didn't have to wait for a table and I can't imagine most people do; this place is deceptively too. The first round of drinks came quickly enough but we found ourselves waiting to both ask for and then receive round two. We did end up waiting a bit for the check. I never mind hanging out if I'm in good company but my company apparently didn't feel the same way. In Conclusion If the idea of a Lillie's Q pulled pork pizza doesn't sell you, ya might as well head somewhere else. Between something called a "taco pizza" and sausage made in-house, there are probably other good options on the menu, but it was the BBQ that brought me here and I'm glad it did.
(4)
Chris G.

Great Pizza!! I love all of the special pizzas; ie taco pizza, garden, and BLT. Good stuff! The Lollipop Wings weren't what I was expecting. I never had wings where you dipped the wing into the buffalo sause. Not bad
(4)
David I.

I've really warmed up to this place over the last several months. Wife and I have been a frequent customer. They've fixed a lot of their early on issues. With Bleeding Heart next door, hope these two businesses are foundations for years to come on this block.
(4)
Kris R.

my good friend and i came here on a saturday night at 730 - wasn't packed actually, which was sort of suprising. lots of families here. we ordered the mozzarella sticks which were GREAT! soft, cheesy, mozzarella-y. if youre a fan of totino's party pizza, you'll love their sausage pizza. crumbly sausage, cheesy goodness, with fennel seeds - just like the $1 kind. i think that's why im giving this place 4 stars. i wasn't a fan of the sweet crust though. you can't really taste the dough while you're in the midst of the eating the pizza - only when you get to the edge. i usually eat my crust, but not this time. the bar area is huge, still, not crowded. might be a good place to go if you want something low-key.
(4)
donnie d.

I cannot understand the negative reviews. They are just simply wrong, or making things up. I went on the second night they were open and it felt like they had been there for years. Our waitress, Sophia, knew about each item and made great recommendations and asked us if we were familiar with the style of pizza rather than just go into a speech about what it was. She spoke with us as if we were both customers and people, and not just a means to receive a large tip, which we did give based on how she balanced professionalism with a friendly attitude. We felt at home right away. The pizza was outstanding!! We had the Big Mick, I think it was called, and the Taco Pizza. Both were simply amazing. The crust is perfect and holds up to the bold flavors without overwhelming or stifling them. The sauce has the perfect amount of spice to compliment the ample, but not excessive amount of cheese (I hate when pizza has too much cheese. I feel like the places that do that think it will make up for a lack of flavor or quality ingredients) And the cheese is delicious. The toppings were obviously of the highest quality and clearly treated with respect by the kitchen staff. I particularly liked the crunchy pickles on the Big Mick (I seriously hope I am remembering the name correctly) It is like having an Iowa Maid Rite on pizza. I am from Marshalltown Iowa, home of Taylor's Maid Rite, which is the first and still the best maid rite in all of America, and not just according to me. The Food network rightly picked it as one of the top 10 sandwiches in America, and Roots took me home with this pizza. They nailed it. The atmosphere is just right and though I didn't recognize the back room as seating for people with children, but I can see why they would use it for that. When I was a kid I loved watching pizzas being made at the kids window in Happy Joe's and I'm sure kids would love seeing that in the visible kitchen. There were kids seated in the front room as well, though, so if you don't want to sit near the kitchen (it is an amazing room, btw) just ask. They are clearly people who want to please the customer and will be accommodating. Lots of wood and attention to detail even in the bathrooms. The only reason I did not give a five star review is the price. It is a little high for the portions and for the neighborhood and if you consider the economy we are in. I realize the yuppies are stealing this area of the city from the working class as they always do, but I would encourage this business to try to appeal the the real neighborhood as well as those who are destroying it.
(4)
Jen w.

so the bf and i came here because i wanted pizza and beer and outside and it's just down the street from my apartment. our waitress, kylie? kaylie? whatever, she was super cute and friendly and helpful! she gave us great recommendations (the mozzarella sticks are AMAZING!!!)(I'm a mozzarella stick connoisseur) we didn't end up getting pizza because we were loving the appetizers. but the one other time i went there i had the pizza and it was good, despite the fact that it's quad city and not chicago style (i'm a firm believe that all other city's foods should GTFO, i like my food chicago style) but i'll make the exception for Roots. so the service is good, the food is good, and yes it's a bit expensive but for the atmosphere and service i'll pay a little extra for special homemade touches.
(4)
Carl H.

This review is more for the MANAGEMENT and a head's up for future customers. Below I'll talk about the food, which was actually really good. Let me first get to the service. Roots is a newer restaurant and is struggling with a lot of common issues they need to work on. So first of all, it was an hour wait and they don't take reservations or your name over the phone. We arrived, put our name on, and got a single seat at the bar to wait it out, the host said they would find us at the bar when a table was ready. After 45 minutes of seeing some people that had arrived after us being sat we asked the host when we would be seated and they said it would be another 10-15minutes. 15 minutes later we noticed that 2 tables had been open for about 10 minutes. I went up and asked the host again, saying there were tables open and we were seated immediately. The host explained that he had been trying to call my wife's phone - but my wife had never been asked for her phone number so he was simply covering himself. Service was friendly, but a bit harried. They weren't quite as attentive as they should have been, again because they still seem to be adapting to the busyness. The food came and we had ordered a pizza. They don't have the inexpensive wire frames that hold the pizza up off the table, so it was a fight to find space for the food, our glasses of water, our 1 beer each, and our plates. A simple investment in these frames would make it go a lot more smoothly. Finally, management seemed to be working more "in" the restaurant instead of "on" the restaurant. The management should have been making sure the tables were being served quickly and attentively, then making sure the tables were getting bussed quickly, and then getting those tables filled back up again. Instead the management was assisting in clearing the tables and other basic tasks. While I give them (him in this case) credit for assuming all of the tasks that needed done, he should have been working on ensuring the smooth overall operations of the restaurant and maximizing turn - managing the tasks he was instead trying to supplement himself. To the food. Everything else about the restaurant can be changed, but its hard to correct a bad menu or food. Roots had both great food and a great menu. Their beer list was very complete and they had a wide selection of menu options outside of pizza that I look forward to coming back and trying. We ordered the taco pizza and it was one of the best I've had. The sausage was flavorful without being too greasy. I will say it was also the most expensive taco pizza I've ever had though. So once they correct the service issues, they'll be getting a 4-star recommendation in my review.
(1)
Molly G.

The food here is amazing. The pizza is so good! They do say the large pizza feeds 4, but that would be 4 not hungry people! The place is huge and really good decor, and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Its great to go and watch sports games as the bar is surrounded by huge tvs. Its not too loud and the atmosphere is always very chill!
(5)
Kevin D.

Wings = great! Moz sticks = great! Pizza = good. Taco pizza = great. Root Beer = epic. Overall = great
(5)
William R.

Roots has a great beer list of select beers from mid-west breweries. The appetizers we had were amazing and HUGE. Homemade mozzarella sticks are very large and delicious. The stuffed artichoke was also very good! Looking forward to going back for pizza because it looked awesome too. Our server, Kylie, was super friendly and had great recommendations! *UPDATE* Lowered my rating to 2 stars. Tried to make a reservation for a party of 20. They told me there would be a $25 fee. Not a deposit or a fee if we didn't show up. It's actually a fee just for making the reservation....... I don't get it. Called another place in the neighborhood who had no problem accommodating a party of 20. Won't be going back to Roots anytime soon.
(2)
john e.

Had the artichoke dip for an appetizer and it was very good. We ordered the monkey bread but they forgot about it and we didn't get to taste it. They have a good beer list. Unfortunately, the pizza is not good. We had a pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza and it was a big greasy cheese mess. The crust is pretty good but the sausage was more like ground beef spread across the whole pizza and the cheese was too heavy. The crust was soggy and greasy in the middle. I think if you like Domino's or Sarapino's then you may like Roots. Otherwise, i wouldn't go back, it was a real gut bomb. The customer service was good though.
(2)
Stacey H.

the regular taco pizza is super yummy. try the antique taco pizza too; that was so delicious. i've only eaten the taco pizzas here because they are so good, why try anything else? give me a taco pizza. hell yeah!
(4)
Brie Y.

I went last week had the monkey bread, which was just OK, it also took a very long time to come out. The beer list was nice. we ended up with a taco pizza just like Happy Joe's (went to college in the QCA) It was good, but didn't leave me feeling great. Also has the sweet potato tater tot fries, served with ketchup? Strange, tried a lot of different sauces with it and nothing really went, advice make up a whipped creamy something with cinnamon. Over all very nice place, loved the open windows, will be back for drinks but will skip the food!
(2)
Jet L.

Comfortable large booths, good service, great food and tons of tvs. The garlic pizza is yummy and the mozzarella sticks are the best I've had! Chill place that I like going to even though I don't live close to it. Yum.
(5)
Charlie B.

The food is so overpriced, 100 bucks for 4 people with a 16" and 12" pizza and some beers. Crazy. The pizza wasn't bad, but their homemade sausage is the consistency of dust which was gross, and the cheese is so think it drowns out the other toppings. But the absolute worst part was that I got super ill latter that night. Like so super ill the whole next day was spent running to the toilet. I will not be back. Also the sign out front is so tacky.
(1)
Grant N.

Just had a great dinner, then it was ruined by horrible service.
(1)
Lesley S.

you can't fancy up an italian beef. i should have known better than to try an italian beef at a pizza place that someone tried to dress up on garlic french bread. the beef makes me want to make some vulgar joke about it because it was so old and dried up, it was that bad. my bf got a chicago dog, and both meals came with curly fries like you can make in the oven from the grocery store. we ordered the cheesy garlic pizza bread, and it was basically a pizza without sauce, and it was decent. i wish we had just ordered a pizza there and called it a night. it took about 30 minutes for the garlic bread app/pizza to come out, and about 32 minutes for our food to come out. that's one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves. you want to eat your app, but you don't want your food to get cold, fail roots. on a plus note, they do have good drinks, they had a beer that my bf loves and is hard to find and i had the adult cream soda, which was a little pricey at $12, but pretty good. they had a pretty awesome beer list with all kinds of beer from il, in, mi and oh. i think that might have been the best part of the visit. there's def way better pizza places right in the neighborhood, i don't think we'll be back unless its to enjoy just the bar.
(2)
Jessica M.

I really wanted to like this place, but it just didn't impress me. I was surprised when the bill came and it was $50 for a pizza, pop, and some mozzarella sticks. Prices for toppings are a bit outrageous and the food was blah. I left disappointed and will not go out of my way to eat here again. There's much better pizza places in that area to give a try.
(1)
Neil R.

Stopped in on Memorial Day, found out it was their soft open. What a great space and a welcome new addition to the neighborhood. We didn't try the pizza but rather sampled a lot of odds and ends from the menu. The build your own salad was stellar. Some of the pricing seemed a bit on the high side. Maybe that's just me longing for the days when you could get a large pie for under $20. Great space, cool vibe and a VERY solid beer list. I'll be back.
(4)
Leslie B.

I must confess, I went to this place thinking I would hate it. But, I was SOOO wrong. We arrived and were seated right away in the large outdoor space. The waitress was super friendly and welcoming! The other folks eating did make it kinda feel like a fraternity reunion, but I was there to try the pizza not talk to people at the other tables. The pizza arrives (ham and onion) and it was exactly as the waitress described it. Sauce was a little spicy, but was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the crust. YUM! The house brew was great too! Although we ate outside I did stroll through the inside to visit the restroom before dinner and it is great. It is a huge and comfy sports bar. Before our food came I commented to my boyfriend that I hoped the food was good so that we could come back and eat inside during indoor eating season! To those who ate non pizza items and didn't like this place I would encourage you to come back and try the pizza. You wouldn't rate Giordano's on it's sausage so why rate this place that way? For a different style pizza visit Roots! Visit Bleeding Heart next door for dessert if you still have room!
(4)
Lupe D.

Just to add my two cents, I really liked the pizza. We got a 12" with pepperoni and mushrooms. The pepperoni was deeelish, as were the mushrooms. So, I've seen some complaints regarding the 1.50 per ingredient. Yes, if you are not careful, it will be one expensive pizza. On the other hand, they do NOT skimp on the toppings - we got a ton of pep/mush on the entire pizza - making for a really good hearty slice. As a matter of fact, they were so generous with the toppings I could only finish 2 slices. We had the rest for dinner later that day - it reheated nicely on a griddle. I saw the mozzarella sticks - I may return one day with a friend just to share an order of those with a beer - they are huge and look yummy! Everyone who helped us was very nice - no complaints there. The restaurant was very clean and I love the outdoor seating - and also like that we never felt rushed.
(4)
Anne K.

The boyfriend is from the quad cities so he introduced me to roots. I love love pizza! I actually don't think I eat enough of it! I've been here a handful of times and usually they are very busy. You usually have to wait for a table if you don't want to sit down at the bar. They have plenty of TVs so if you're trying to catch a bulls game and enjoy good food, this is your place! They have the best mozzarella sticks ever! They make their cheese there so it's really fresh and gooey. I've also tried their lollipop wings with the Asian sauce and it was good as well. Kind of the pricy side but a good appetizer. Their cheese bread appetizer is another good choice. OK onto their pizza, my personal favorite would be the antique taco one. It comes with pickled onions, jalapeÃ±os and this yummy green sauce! Another favorite would be their regular taco pizza. The toppings are fresh and ask for the sour cream on the side!
(4)
Dustin H.

We popped in early to beat the dinner rush. With the garage doors open, and sitting near the sidewalk, it felt like we were ALMOST outside. Which was nice... very nice actually. I apologize in advance to the two families sitting near our rowdy table. There was a lot of swearing and discussions of horrible things happening, but the funny thing was... it didn't feel off. The neighborhood is such a mix of demographics, cursing next to some toddlers totally felt acceptable at Roots. Service was friendly, but pretty hands off which is fine by me. The mozzarella sticks were some of the biggest I've ever encountered and generally pretty tasty. I mean... mozzarella sticks in general are always pretty good. The bigger the better though right? I ordered the 12" "Rick Ortiz Antique Taco Chili Cheese Curd Pizza" which sounded way weirder than it tasted. Toppings included chorizo chili, cheddar cheese curds, chihuahua cheese, mozz, pickled jalapenos, pickled onions, avocado cream, tortilla strips, black olives and scallions. Long story short, it basically tasted like a tangy taco. Nothing crazy. The different pickled veggies all sort of neutralized each other, and the tortilla strips kind of ruined the otherwise delicate thin crust. It was good, but I grew increasingly jealous of my friends traditional cheese pizza as the meal went on. The Rick Ortiz was just a bit too much and ended up being not much of anything My only real complaint was the pacing of the food. Pizza came out first, then my friend's salad, then... at least five minutes later, my other friend's sandwich. Of course 1/2 of the pizza had been devoured by then and I felt a little sorry for my hungry buddy. I'm sure we'll be back. Atmosphere was great, as was the food. Next time I'm just going to put my foodie card in my pocket and try something a little more simple.
(4)
Cedric A.

I'll keep it simple: - pizza: good sauce (tiny kick) and good crust and overall texture/flavor - mozzerella sticks: OMG awesome; careful, they come out hot - beer: good selection Haven't had a bad server experience, and it's always been busy but not too crowded. We even went there for dinner on New Year's Eve and when we were almost done, our bartender/server handed us a couple of champagne flutes on the house to help the place celebrate (they were closing early for an employee NYE celebration). p.s. - I hope the Lincoln Square location actually opens up as the sign has been up for months now.
(5)
Edith s.

The mozzarella sticks and artichoke dip were very good. The pizza.. Not so much. Very bland, even they must of known their sauce sucked b/c they hardly put any in our pizza! The water was good though. Sorry don't know what the hype is, maybe just the cool garage doors. Btw servers and busser you each get a star, very nice, friendly and attentive
(2)
Mark C.

Wow... Ignore the one star if this were just about food because we only had drinks here. The one star is far one of the worst possible service experiences ever imagined. We came here from WestFest to escape the heat and take a break and we were "blessed" to have Mandy serve us. My sister made the mistake of asking about recommendations for beers and Mandy had the hardest time even forming a sentance let alone give anyone recommendations. As we were conversing, I couldn't help but notice her head laying down on the counter... thought it was just a bad hangover, but she later just claimed she was "dizzy from the heat"... OK, I get it, you are sick.. then go home. Why subject all your tables to this dark cloud of doom. If you fear your manager will fire you, then this restaurant has no business being in business. Instead, we had a painful and sometimes unintentionally hilarious time watching as Mandy moped around and attempted to form a sentence... Sorry, whoever was manager in charge of this place, but you failed. Why you didn't notice this was going on in your establishment is a travesty. There is no way we could even consider a return visit after this experience.
(1)
Shauna D.

Service was a complete joke here. Our server told my husband my drink order (Onion Brewery's Hop Slayer) was "gross" and laughed about it right in front of me when I didn't even ask her for her opinion and this is a beer I personally know and love. Trying to get her attention when our drinks were empty was impossible even when she was right next to us at the table beside us. We had to get another server to get her to come back not once but twice. If she was busy that would be one thing, but we were sitting there watching her just standing outside talking to her friends and waiting for friends to come by during West Fest. Awful awful not coming back.
(1)
Sarah S.

I'll admit it, I'm a Chicagoan who doesn't love pizza. There I said. Please don't come after me with pitchforks. I think my main issue is the tomato sauce...why would I want a horrible fruitvegetablenonspecificcategory item smashed up and put all over my carbs?! Do I look like a kale & spinach smoothie drinking girl!? Nu uh. You're barking up the wrong tree with me, pizza. You're way too healthy. Well Roots makes me almost want to change my stance on pizza. Almost. I've tried a couple different types and both were excellent. They have some really interesting pre-picked combinations or you can choose to make your own. You really can't go wrong. Roots has the best mozzarella sticks ($9) I've ever had. The girth on those bad boys is astonishing, filled with ooey gooey goodness....they're just perfection. Garlic monkey bread ($6) is soft and packed full of flavor. It comes with a delicious garlic parmesan sauce for dipping. Great craft beer list. Watch for special events! I went on a night they were tapping some harder to find brews and finally got to try KBS. Yesssssh. Roots is a bit more pricey than your normal pizzeria but I think it actually warrants the extra dollar bills.
(5)
Angie R.

Pizza was interesting, first off the crust was more on the sweeter side made with a malt grain. I have to say it was pretty good. We ordered the short rib pizza with fresh ricotta totally out of character for me to order such an unusual pizza but boy was it good. Ingredients are made all from scratch very fresh tasting. A bit pricey but will come back.
(4)
Stacey L.

Way deep West Town, where we took the train It's the Quad City pizza and yes it's off the chain Sorry/not sorry for the rewording of that 90s classic but I don't know how anyone sees the phrase "Quad City" and doesn't immediately follow it up with "DJs." Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to advise you to chugga-chugga-choo-choo your way down to Roots and order a pizza, preferably a split between the Antique Taco and Lillie's Q Specialty Series offerings. I preferred the Antique Taco pie but it was nice to have something sweet to break up the spice. If you're feeling gluttonous, definitely try the mozzarella sticks. They are unlike any deep-fried cheese stick I've ever encountered. The house-made cheese makes all the difference. You can also snag a bottle of their house-made root beer - not my favorite in the world but definitely tasty and a good match for their pizza.
(4)
Nicholaus H.

The only pizza this east coast pizza nut will order anymore. I know they call it quad cities style....whatever this is PIZZA! Properly hand stretched dough, cooked to chewy crunchy perfection, not too thick, not cracker thin. Great balanced sauce with top notch cheese and real quality toppings. When this GM/Chef is too tired, too hungry and really wants a moment of bliss I get Roots. Pizza Zen. Don't ask about the mozz sticks. I can't in good conscience recommend them. They are way too good and likely to become an addiction.
(5)
Damian C.

I am going to start out by saying that Roots completely stole my idea of putting tortilla chips on pizza. Not joking. I have been doing this for years. Literally, since high school. I am a texture person. I love crunch. Crunch on everything. My friends always thought I was CrAzY that I found enjoyment in a pepperoni/sausage/tortilla chip pizza. My, what webs we weave. So while I cannot give them credit for being totally original, I can give them credit for one heck of a creation they call their taco pizza. Guys, this is fantastic. Their malt crust, something they tout, is excellent and well-worth the bragging. It's soft and chewy, thick enough to support an intense amount of toppings but thin enough to not fill up on bread. The intense amount of toppings includes crumbled sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses and what I believe to be an pound bag of taco tortilla chips. Picture of health? No. Picture of yummy? Yes. A 12" pizza can EASILY feed 3-4, maybe even more, people, so order wisely. We ended up over-ordering and had leftovers; lettuce on pizza just does not hold up well when refrigerated! Per recommendation of the waitress we added an order of mozzarella sticks to the meal. They were certainly some of the best I have ever had. Don't let the $9 price tag deter you! I really like the interior of this place. Huge booths, lots of windows, and great natural lighting. It's large, too, so a great place for groups, parties, moms and pops. I am glad we made the trek over here but now that they are opening one (soon) in Ravenswood, I will probably start patronizing that location. For an interesting take on pizza, stop in Roots, but just remember that Damian C. was the original creator of tortilla chips on pizza ;)
(4)
Stoo P.

We were in Chicago for our honeymoon (well part of it) and decided that we needed to try a pizza in Chicago (you just have to) and this place was round the corner from where we were staying through AirBnB. Located in a nice trendy part of Chicago we were really looking forward to it. The waitress was really friendly and chatted to us quite a bit even though she was training another member of staff too. She advised us that they were famous for a couple of unusual recipes and showed those too us on the menu. We decided to go with unusual as myself and my wife are adventurous in that respect. We tried the salad that had White Chocolate Sauce in it and the Taco Pizza. They were brilliant and really good fun to try too. The Taco Pizza is exactly what you might expect it to be. A sausage based pizza, covered in Taco Chips. We had it between 2 of us and we struggled to finish it, it is really good though. If you do go to Roots we strongly recommend you try this if you are after something a bit different. They have some great beers on tap here too, I really enjoyed trying a few different ones. I have to say I really enjoyed the back ground music too which is something of a rarity for me as I have quite an eclectic taste. Roots gets a good thumbs up from us both.
(4)
Angela S.

Just a quick short update, but today I spent my birthday here with family and a dear friend. My experience was wonderful, yet again! The portions are beyond generous and you can expect to take food home with you. It was super crowded, but our server was quick, patient and helpful with making substitutions for our table of picky eaters. Great kids menu, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed their food. The way to go if you're a kid is to get the chicken meal. Mac n cheese is A-OK and the grilled cheese is good! Tried the sweet potato tots, which were a fun upgrade to your usual standard. I ordered the Caprese sandwich like the last time, and it was amazing yet again. Loaded with fresh tomato and mozzarella, and the homemade waffle chips that came on the side with a special basil dipping sauce were supreme. Crispy and crunchy and not overly salted. Highly recommend this place for any day... not just birthdays. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
Alex J.

I love Chicago, but not Chicago style pizza.. Quad Cities style pizza from Roots is awesome. I didn't thin it was possible for a pizza to have too much cheese. I prefer to delivery over dine-in (tried it once).
(5)
A M.

Great Family Restaurant by day and Bar/Date spot at night. The food is yummy, we especially love the Beat Salad and Mozz. sticks. The Build your Own options for salads and pizza give so many options. Service has always been consistently good and we've been there on some pretty crazy nights.
(4)
Jen B.

Great experience with this place! Stopped in after walking the neighborhood for a drink that turned into a pizza break too! Be forewarned that their Bloody Mary's are SPICY! They have the tastiest skewer of a marinated cheese cube and salami slice ever though so that made the burn more tolerable. They also had an impressive beer and cider list, most were never before heard of so the friendly bartender helped recommend a delicious choice! After a few drinks, we decided we needed a bite too. The bartender, Sabra, recommended their taco pizza, we couldn't decide if we wanted the traditional or the antique taco so she offered to make it a half and half! Sold! We ended up really loving the antique version, it was a lot lighter with no chips and very little lettuce. But the pickled onions and jalapenos just made it so unique and delicious! Don't think we didn't still eat all the regular taco side though, we demolished that baby! We sat at the bar and had great service, she was super knowledgeable about both food and the beers. It was a great place to pass the afternoon while taking in a Cubs game on the tvs that line the bar.
(5)
Craig P.

Fantastic pizza / bar atmosphere in the West / Ukrainian Village community of Chicago. Server was friendly and knowledgeable; she knew menu A-Z and the beer & cocktail list was extensive. We enjoyed wonderful mozzarella cheese sticks - a potential candidate for a bucket list appetizer for sure.
(5)
Nora B.

Tonight we had to leave the restaurant about a minute after sitting down because the place was like a day care center!! Am I missing that this is a children's restaurant? It was 7:45pm in a Friday night. Ugh. We will not be returning. Nothing like screaming kids waiting an hour for pizza.
(1)
Cristie F.

Wait. Quad Cities has their own style of pizza? I thought Chicago and New York were the only big dogs around town when it came to styles of pizza. Boy was I wrong. Quad Cities style pizza has it GOING.ON. Roots serves up some of the best (well the only) Quad Cities style pizza I've had. Granted, I haven't tried this unique style elsewhere, but I'm inclined to say that RHP is the best. It's handmade. Right there, we have a big win. No frozen pre-made dough here! I fell in love with the malty, doughy crust. This is some pizza I can get down with. Our friends were already chowing down when we arrived so we went with what they recommended. The BLT pizza. Good lord. It's a good thing I had previously eaten quit a bit because there was potential for me to kill the entire pizza. I had to restrain myself for eating more than two slices. The menu is extensive...pizza, salads, appetizers for days, pasta, foldovers, and even gluten free options. If you're a beer drinker, the bar menu is equally extensive. The atmosphere was a bit loud, but Roots also serves as a bar so there's typically some drinking and some sort of sports being watched. Overall, I love Roots and I love the Quad Cities style pizza. Would I take it over a buttery thin crust?! Or a huge slice of deep dish? Ummm. Not sure. After all, I am a Chicago girl at heart.
(4)
Ashley C.

3.5 stars. The food is solid. The mozzarella sticks are really good and taste fresh. You can tell that they make the mozzarella. It was probably my favorite thing. We also tried the pizza which is the Quad Cities style with the toppings underneath the cheese. (We did a half and half - half sausage and half the BLT. They were good but I wasn't blown away. While they are a pizza place, they have a big menu with plenty of options. (They also have a gluten free pizza which I will keep in mind when visitors are in town). We also love coming in to hang out at the bar. The cocktails are wonderful and reasonably priced. Raheel, one of the bartenders, is fantastic and very personable! He is one of the reasons we come around and I'd give the bar a solid 4-4.5 stars alone.
(3)
Ashley G.

I have never thought I'd leave a review but this pizza is terrible , barely any sauce , tastes bad, and the scissor strips always causes the toppings to fall off half of the slice....... Also found some hair in my pizza that looked like a pubic hair..... Do not recommend , stay away if you know what's good for you!!!!! P.S. Managers are also very rude.....
(1)
Davin L.

I was leery of this place give its affiliation with the Fifty/50 restaurant group and my lackluster experience at their place on Division, but as it turns out, this was a pretty great night out. Sat at the bar and was instantly attended to. Ordered the Fat Eddie, which consisted of salami, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara, French dressing, red onion, and romaine lettuce, all wrapped up in their signature dough, baked, then panini pressed, with a side of sweet potato tots. Took a little longer than I expected, but was delicious and very filling. The beer and cocktail selection is through the roof! I picked a nice hard pear cider from Michigan which really hit the spot. There's plenty of metered parking all along Chicago Avenue, so that's a plus. I'll come back to try the pizza sometime, but given the mixed reviews on it, I'm in no rush, especially with a delicious sandwich like the Fat Eddie
(4)
Patrick D.

I don't venture out to Ukrainian Village too often but after going to Roots twice I think I might make more of an effort to head over there. Also, I highly recommend this place to go to before an event at the United Center because it's pretty close but doesn't draw the crowd other places around the UC get. The pizza is awesome. They know what they're doing. I think their motto is "just some damn good pizza" which is very fitting. I had two of the three "chef specialty pizzas" and they were absolutely fire! Very unusual but the favors went well together. I would order both again next time. The ambiance is also pretty cool. It's a big place but the servers treat you well and check up on you just enough. They also have a great beer list and had a list on the chalkboard that were being featured that week which I thought was cool. Yay I'm a fan!
(4)
Melissa B.

I like that it wasn't greasy and it was cut where every slice had an end (crust). However....there's no real taste. Almost like cardboard. The crust was too doughy, chewy, and thick. This is an embarrassment to Chicago pizza.
(2)
Valarie L.

I love Roots, great pizza, awesome sides good cocktail list and an even longer beer list. I always get the Specialties pizza combo. Half Lily Q & half Antique Taco. It's always better the next day.
(5)
Kenny O.

Finally tried Roots after living less than a mile away for 3 years. We actually decided to come here after realizing we were not interested in the rooftop restaurant's menu above Roots AFTER we were seated... (Whoops) Garlic Monkey Bread is some of the best garlic bread I've ever had. Sausage/Green Pepper/Onion pizza was MUY BUENO. Bartender was extremely nice; no idea what his name was. $4 shot special isn't bad for the city, either. I like this place. Will come back soon!
(5)
Kevin M.

One of the best "non-Chicago-style" pizzas out there. The food is always good, and service is very good as well, especially considering how crowded this place usually is. It also has a great selection of midwest beers.
(5)
Jake C.

I've been here a few times through the years and every-time I regret it. I won't be returning after this last time. The food tasted like microwaved hot pockets. One time I called for delivery and they quoted at least a 1 hr 45 min delivery time. Wtf?
(1)
Chris C.

Live right around the corner and not really a fan to be honest. The pizza doesn't come close to Peace or Coalfire, which are also relatively close. It is a shame because I love West Town Bakery and Homestead... I would not rec roots for pizza. That said they have a decent beer list at the bar if u aren't eating.
(2)
McKenzie S.

Service started out so strong. Dan was the server. He had the greatest recommendations. We started with a mozzarella and avocado salad and some mozzarella sticks. Both were so good. Like really good. Then we got a pizza that was half BBQ and half taco. All of the sudden I felt that we were forgotten about. In their defense, it was after 10 pm on a Saturday and maybe they were sick of serving people. But, regardless, the pizza took forever and our drinks ran dry. I would probably go back again - especially if I had a large group. The space is HUGE and they have plenty of outdoor seating and lots of space for parties, etc.
(4)
Mx R.

Was there for dinner with my wife and 3yo daughter. It was a line to be sited out side- no problem we took a walk around the block and in 20 min received a text that our table is ready. After ONE HOUR!!! we got juice and beer, and some guy brought us pizza and chicken nuggets in another 20 min -had to go inside to pick up silver and napkins. Total: -Food and drinks- good as usually. -Very bad service!
(2)
Merrisa S.

My husband and I decided to finally try the "Quad-City Style Pizza". I will have to say the pizza was mediocre only because for my personal taste buds I realized I am a Napoleon thin crust/hand tossed pizza kinda gal. My husband and I both agreed, and felt more like we were eating a nutty upscale version of breadsticks with sauce and cheese. All in all if you love malty/nutty thicker pizza dough this is the place to go to. The cheese sticks were surprisingly a lot and good. Overall our appetizer's were good (cheese sticks and the soup of the day). Your probably wondering if I wasn't such a huge fan of the "Quad-City Style Pizza" why give them 3 stars. Here are my three must haves in any environment that I attend to review that I look at: 1. Table service 2. First impression at the door 3. Overall time spent Love this place, why; because Lindsey our server was amazing she new everything about the place, she was extremely informative, helpful and most importantly attentive but not pushy which I am a sucker for.!!!!!!
(3)
Amy H.

Choices, choices and more choices! This applies to their pizza toppings and beers. They offer all of the usual pizza toppings but also have some more "gourmet" options as well. This last time we had a pizza with sausage (theirs is a sausage crumble), roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts. It was quite good but the crust was a little tougher than I remember. They use really fresh ingredients though and scrumptious mozzarella cheese. Great place for a pizza and beer kind of night.
(4)
Jeffrey W.

Great pizza! Substantial beer list and friendly staff. Glad we found this West Town gem.
(4)
Joey F.

I could have Pizza for every meal and I think Roots makes it best. Probably the most underrated restaurant in Chicago. Even better then Piece. Not only is the pizza great, but they have excellent beer, salads and appetizers. I love getting pickles on my pizza. If I ever lived in Ukrainian Village I would be a regular. Just can't go wrong!
(5)
Adam F.

Pizza was just ok. Not a lot of flavor. Salads were good. Service sucked....had to ask for plates and silverware.... Twice . Sorry, I'll go to Piece next time.
(2)
Jorge A.

Roots is different from the normal pizza, dont expect a pizza cut into squares or triangles. They're cut into long rectangular slices. I love the veggie but i prefer building my own pizza. Mozzarella sticks are great, chicken wings wont knock your socks off, and i like the variety of beers they have. I really love the sweet potato tater tots Ive been here number of times and never had a problem. Ive even carried out and no problem has ever occurred.
(5)
Jeremy B.

Who knew the Quad Cities had their own style, albeit good pizza?? Then again, I'm from Detroit and we have our own amazing style pizza, too, which most people don't realize, so I can relate. I've been to Roots a handful of times and each one has been great. Everyone else mentions it but I'm going to repeat - you must get the mozzarella sticks. A-mazing! The monkey bread and breadsticks are good apps, too. For the pizza, I gotta recommend the taco one - that thing must have an entire bag of doritos on top of it. The plain old sausage hit the spot though as well. In addition to good food, Roots has a great beer selection and the service has always been top notch.
(5)
Mary B.

Celiacs beware!!!!! I have been sick for 3 days and lost 600.00 of my paycheck because I could not leave the bathroom long enough to get to work.... I lost an inch off my waist within the last two day due to constant vomiting and diarrhea. On Sunday 1/25, I ordered a gluten free pizza and asked what sauces (other than tomato_ were gluten free. The gal taking the order twice confirmed that their alfredo sauce is indeed gluten-free. Turns out...she was very wrong. After I had to call in sick on Monday, I called Roots and asked the order taker again if the alfredo sauce was gluten free...she said YES!! So, I decided to talk to a manager..... The manager said that the alfredo sauce is not in fact gluten free! The manager wasn't even apologetic to the situation and I had to ask what they were going to do about this to assure future celiacs wouldn't be affected. She claimed that there already are signs in the kitchen and she will retrain her order takers. Root's has the best gluten-free pizza crust in the city. It's a shame that I won't be having it ever again. Considering small claims court for lost wages and physica suffering....I cannot believe how little the manager cared. I have been here so many times and spent a lot of money at this establishment--no more!
(1)
Barry C.

Great food with a huge variety of beer. The pizza is great with a tasty crust that is all handmade on the premises, shrimp appetizers are lightly breaded and they use large shrimp. Family friendly, we will definitely be back.
(5)
Jenna S.

OK, I still think all of this "quad cities style" pizza crap is made up, but the flavor combinations these guys create are DELICIOUS. I don't care how pizza is cut when it tastes yummy. Apparently "quad cities style" is cut into strips instead of squares or triangles, but who gives a shit. It's dumb, regardless, because their pizza is actually tasty. Just ignore the menu and get the Antique Taco Pizza. Don't even bother getting anything else. This pizza is so worth the order, so just do it. So yummy I couldn't stop eating it. It was the kind of pizza that made me want to keep eating it even though I felt like exploding. Other than that one pizza (OK, others were tasty and we ordered a few as a large group), everything else here is just OK. As others have mentioned, beer is served in not-quite-pint glasses, so you're getting gyped a few ounces each time and the pitchers are super overpriced. This place gets incredibly crowded in the evenings and especially weekends, so if you're coming in with a group call ahead. Beware: if you have a large-ish group, they'll seat you in the back room which is usually where they condemn the parties with babies and children to eat. If you don't mind being surrounded by groups with tons of yelling toddlers, then go with your large group.
(4)
Emma T.

Roots is down the street from my apartment. It has a beautiful patio and a pretty decent menu. I really, REALLY, want to like this place. I've been 4 times and have been careful to try new things. Every time I have been unimpressed by the flavor of the food as well as the service. Servers are unattentive- never refilling glasses or taking our orders. Then tonight I went to grab takeout at 9:00 PM. The place was pretty slow. They told me a sandwich would take 25 minutes and instead when I went to pick it up, it ended up taking a total of 40 minutes. I really want to like you Roots. But I give up.
(2)
Tiffany K.

Was disappointed when I saw hair in my pizza and refunded our pizza. I always appreciate great customer service. Thanks, Roots!
(4)
Pari P.

Having been born and raised in the Chicagoland area, I'll admit that I've grown up to be a pizza snob. Whether it's think or thin, not all pizza is created equal. Roots Handmade Pizza supposedly won awards for their Quad Cities malt dough pizza but as expected, I wasn't that impressed. After the first bite, the crust stood out the most due to its chewy texture but after a while, the crust started to dry out and all the chewing got annoying. There simply wasn't enough sauce to keep it moist and the sausage was bland. I've had better frozen pizza than this. On the other hand, this might be good pizza to you if you're from the Quad Cities or not originally from Chicago. Otherwise, the service was fine and even our waitress was from Davenport. Come here for the drinks and spacious venue but the pizza isn't memorable. You'll remember the price though since they charge around $26-$28 for a large of their specialty pizzas.
(3)
A G.

I've eaten at Roots multiple times now. Having hailed from the great QC, I miss PIZZA. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Giordano's, or even Home Run Inn. But, sometimes, you want a little taste of home. Enter, Roots. It is DELICIOUS. The crust is AMAZING. Crunchy perfection. Try the taco. Definitely get the sausage. Prices are pretty much standard. ONE COMPLAINT!! Every time I have ordered my pizza ,"well done", it comes out EXACTLY like every other time. Definitely NOT well done. Now, were I to ask Harris Pizza, Field of Greens, or the late, great, Yankee Doodle Pizza for "well done", that cheese would be the PERFECT golden brown, with just a hint of darker spots. All in all, it would inevitably PERFECT. Roots, why CAN'T YOU???? Therefore, as much as it hurts me, you lose a star. :-(
(4)
Davis P.

Server was clueless. Just OK pizza. Don't come here unless you only want pizza and beer. Excellent bromosas. (Bromosa is OJ and weiss beer)
(2)
Evan F.

I love this place and would eat here 2-3x per week if calories weren't real. Though, I did hit a temporary low point a few months back and wound up here 4x in a 7 day period. With that being said, I've tried a number of items on the menu but a plain cheese pizza and an order of mozzarella sticks is definitely my go to. I haven't tried any of their specialty pizzas other than the taco pizza, which wasn't my cup of tea, but I've found that the addition of toppings (which are hidden underneath the cheese) takes away from the uniqueness of their style. From my understanding, the cheese blend varies depending on the type of pizza you order, and I've found the blend they use on the plain cheese to be the most pleasing to my impeccable palate. As others have mentioned, Roots offers Quad Cities style pizza, which is a tad doughier and sweeter than what I imagine most are used to throughout the Chicago area. And not to beat a dead horse, but their mozzarella sticks are unreal. I would come here for an order of those and more than a few cans of Stroh's alone. I suggest stopping by on a Tuesday night for half-priced bottles of wine and smaller crowds, as it can be a bit packed on weekends. However, I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes, and they have a bar and extensive beer list to soak up the time while you wait.
(4)
Ambrosia H.

Two words. CHEESE STICKS. They are the best I have ever had. Their salads are phenomenal, and the big mic is hands down the best pizza I have ever had. Service is over the top friendly. A great place to eat.
(5)
F V.

Service was excellent. Taco pizza is great but should probably go little easier on the chips topping. Atmosphere has a great vibe.
(5)
Brent A.

Charles (Chaz?) was the bartender that night. Great guy, took care of everything we needed. Quickly and with a smile. Introduced himself with a hand shake and asked out names. Not many bartenders take the time to do that anymore. Just one more reason why roots is so great. Excellent selection of craft beers both in tap and by the bottle. Have something different almost every time I go. We LOVE the pizza. I get sausage and mushroom an every single bite is load with crumbled sausage and chopped up mushrooms. It is so so delicious and their crust made with beer is very unique. If you haven't been here yet you need to stop in
(5)
Heather D.

So the most valuable lesson I feel can impart on anyone thinking of trying roots is: do not order delivery! Go in, sit down, and enjoy your pizza! They have amazing specialty pizzas that just DO NOT TRAVEL WELL! Seriously, they don't! They are also a decent bit pricey to order delivery anyway as well. We ordered a half taco and half garden which was very good! My favorite part was that they topped the taco with like Doritos tasting chips. Also their garlic monkey bread is a MUST ORDER! So yummy! Final Verdict: Their pizzas are good, service is great, decent beer section as well. They are a bit pricey for my personal pizza taste but I think not ridiculously so. They are definitely worth a try!
(3)
Joanne G.

Pizza was OK, but too cheese-heavy. Plus, the thick crust and specialty "taco pizza" seemed like something you'd expect more from California Pizza Kitchen. Toppings on our second veggie pizza were sparse. Monkey bread was a table-pleaser, as was the house-made root beer. Greek-ish salad was decent. Ordered a bloody mary on special and what I got was full of curry without much other flavor. Had the table tent advertising a bloody mary special actually indicated it was a curry bloody mary, I would've steered clear. Undrinkable. Service was indifferent at best. So many other good pizza places in and around the city.
(2)
Andrew D.

Before this 'Craft Pizza' on Damen opened there was my original craft pizza, Roots. They truly put a lot of ingenuity and thought into their pies, which they call "Quad Cities Style." I didn't realize the Quad Cities were deserving of their own style of anything, but here we go. The German, Eh (canadian bacon and sauerkraut), Antique Taco collab, & Lillie's Q collab are all excellent, and most certainly worth their high price tag. Another plus for Roots is their family friendliness. My grandmother, bless her soul, can barely speak any English (Ukrainian immigrant, very selfish) and hates loud music. Not to mention her picky eating habits. Her favorite neighborhood restaurant has been Roots since they openened and it's one of the few places we can take her out! Even more praise for impressive beer list! 1 star off solely due to the fact that every time I walk in here, I am given a male server, instead of one of the cute chics, and it's happened like 5 times now!
(4)
Ajahnae H.

Pizza was flavorless. Every time I go here I regret it, and it's been twice in 2 years. I swear it tastes like sodium free pizza.
(2)
Niki I.

Went on a Friday evening and the wait for 4 was supposed to be 45 to 60 minutes, however our table was ready in around 30. We have tried almost all the "top pizza" restaurants and this was by far the best pizza we have had. The crust was the best part! 12" pizza was enough for 2 people. We had the homestead pizza, if you can't handle spicy food ask for no giardiniera. They also had an extensive craft beer list.
(5)
Chyanne C.

First time exsperience: Made us want to Pull our Hair out! Satutday night we called ahead and placed an order for pickup. The girl told us it would take about 30-40 35minutes later we get there. She doesn't know where our order is, noone remembers taking our order.. Takes 15 more minutes until they try to convince us we must've ordered from someone else.... Totally feasable right, cus everywhere sells cheese curd pizza? She was rude and not willing to help us. We show her the # on caller id... So we've finally convinced her that we did infact order with them. She says the name must've been mixed up. We are given a pizza under the name Dan. Totally sounda like "james" right? No.. We get home to open up a box with soggy fritos (tortillas?), red onions,jalapenos, and mystery meat puree (chorizo?).. Definitley not what we ordered. I have never felt the need to leave such a negative review, but terrible service, long wait, wrong order, and disappointing food was enough to top it off.
(1)
Mandi P.

BEST salad EVER!!! OK, I've never actually eaten inside of the restaurant, but I have gotten taken out and delivery. The place is always hopping inside when I have gone in to pick up my order and the staff is always friendly. However, we predominately get delivery and the delivery is super fast and friendly. I have tried a couple of things on the menu and am not a ginormous fan of their thin crust pizza. It's not bad, it just sort of reminded me more of breadsticks than pizza. However, that is partially our fault because we order our pizza super strange. Just never had it tast quite like it did here. No biggies, though because there are other great things on the menu. My super duper favorite is the Greek-ish salad with grilled chicken. OH EM GEE!!! I get cravings for this sometimes and HAVE to have it. Everything about it is delicious!!! I would definitely recommend this place for a quick and delicious bite!!!
(4)
Mark H.

Roots is a good example of two local guys moving up the corporate ladder to building a dream. When I checked the spot, the interior space is renovated with comfy step up booths, garage style windows, brick interior walls and a nice bar servicing both sides. Plus, a small DJ corner to boot. An interesting 2nd floor with a smaller separate enclosure perfect for a private bar/ party on the north side. To the south or Chicago Ave facing space is an outdoor patio/ beer gated spot. Summer for friends! 3 Floyd's. It's all about Robert the Bruce. Hard to find this local Munster Indy brew. Plus! As a pizza aficionado, the pizza is OK. Trademark cuts to resemble more a malted breadstick pie. Clever. The KEY is the barbecue sauce w/ a kick to dip the crust. X Factor. Service was OK. Repeat place for a game or a lazy summer to crowd up on their upper deck. All that's needed is good music here to get lost during the summer season. Nice job.
(4)
Casey R.

The best mozzarella sticks known to man. Seriously, if you come just for the mozz sticks, you'll be happy. I used to think the pizza was only so-so, but they've either improved their recipe, or it's grown on me. I like it. Cocktails are a little too cheap club for me, but they have decent specials, including half priced wine on Tuesdays. It's a family place, but they do a good job of keeping families in one spot. Not everyone likes kids, and they get that. Even when I'm there with my kid, I'm appreciative of their approach. The staff isn't unfriendly, but they're also not exactly friendly. They could all just have heartburn from the pizza sauce, but a few pleasantries wouldn't hurt.
(4)
Erika R.

BEWARE gluten free customers!!! When they get busy they lose track of their pizzas and send out gluten pizzas when they should be gluten free. Make sure you understand how to tell the difference in crusts between the two (gluten free crust is more of a thin crust with less of a raised Neapolitan look). Plus they didn't seem to care when I told them I had eaten part of the pizza before realizing it wasn't gluten free. Their apology was to send me a cold, smashed up pizza UPDATE1: the sous chef called me and apologized for mixing up my order. Although I was upset about my experience I can understand how mistakes happen. UPDATE2: I hate myself for saying this but the gluten free pizza was DELICIOUS - in my opinion it's better then the gluten pizza!
(3)
Evil M.

This place is great. The cheese sticks (I know) are awesome. So is everything else. The service is great too! Just do it.
(5)
Stu S.

Walked right in on a Saturday night though it was hopping. Good service and ambiance. We got mozzarella sticks, gyros sausage-on-a-stick, and a large pizza with half Lillie's q and half antique taco. It's cool you can split any of these great pizzas in half. The house beer was good, too. Cannot wait for these guys to open in Lakeview!
(5)
Olivia J.

Great atmosphere, great people, awesome staff, good vibes and dont forget to try their matzeralla sticks...to die for!!!so good!
(5)
Mike P.

This is my go-to spot before every Bulls game. Everything on the menu is great. The wings are unreal (although they only give you five), and the cheese sticks are homemade and, without question, the best I've ever had. I'm a pizza snob and NEVER thought I'd like this "Quad Cities" pizza. I loved it! As for the beer list (menu), I would put it up against any in Chicago. I've always felt they should highlight that more. The bartenders are not only friendly, but knowledgeable. Ashley and Elyse are the best. I really can't say enough about this place. Can't wait for the Lincoln Square/Lawrence Ave location to open is hopefully March.
(5)
Justin B.

The space, service and world-famous mozzarella sticks (more like "logs") are all legit. It's the pizza that has me down on my Roots experience last night...frankly, the pizza just isn't very good. The crust is quite good, and given how good the mozzarella logs are, the cheese on the pizza is also pretty solid. But we tried a 12" sausage pie and the sausage was literally flavorless. That, and there was almost no sauce on the pizza, which was weird because our server indicated that the crust is sweet and the sauce is spicy (something about how most Quad Cities pizzas are made, right?). So I was left in a strange place...why does a thin crust pizza with ungood toppings and no sauce cost $16? However, I will give Roots this much--the pizza was served very warm, not blazing hot, so I could eat it right away and not end up a burn victim this morning as a result. Seriously, thank you Roots...I eat pizza out quite a bit and I'm amazed how infrequently this is done. My wife and I decided that we'll go to Phil's Last Stand for dinner next time and then stop by Roots for a mozzarella log dessert. It's fair to say that the five-star logs mixed with the two-star pizza got us to the three-star rating. Also, thanks to A La Card Chicago 2014 for putting a Roots card in the deck so that I could get $10 off our meal.
(3)
Jeffrey C.

We've eaten here one way or another 10+ times. dine in 3+ times takeout 7+ times Dine-in experience is fair to good. Dine-in Cheese Sticks are great. Dine-in pizza always made me sick shortly thereafter its consumption... I tried though. I also always seemed to pick their 'daily special' beer that they just ran out of. Takeout for which the reason this review exists, is simply abysmal and insulting. Frankly I'm embarrassed by my own actions and lack of judgement. Multiple times I return for the injury of having my order mangled like a championship wrestler insuring cauliflower-ear to their opponent. Try as I may to re-phrase, re-word, reconfigure the order, re-explain it, request that someone check it before I pick it up- without any doubt, the order gets fucked up 65 ways from Sunday. Yep- I'm dumb for thinking that 'the next time will be better' or 'I'm not going to go there for a while' will fix this terminal problem. Nope- not once has my takeout order been correct... And phenomenally it has been wrong in an different and interestingly new way, nearly every time. One star for innovation exhibited by the moron putting the same salad together differently every time. Thank you and never again (- there I said it.) PS- this place is not inexpensive and has way too many TVs
(1)
Saba A.

My two girlfriends and I came in for a early dinner around 5 p.m. We didn't have reservations but got a wonderful booth seating towards the back of the restaurant. Our waitress came and explained the drink and food menu. She was right about the mozzarella sticks. So fresh, and you can taste the cream of the cheese and perfectly breaded. They are the hugest mozzarella sticks I have ever seen, and if you are hungry- it's the perfect way to start and share! Then we ordered two specialities in a large, split in half. The best pizza in the world. The ingredients all on top looked a bit overwhelming but it was delicious. This is a great restaurant in the hood- tons of families and child friendly. They also have a private party room towards the back of the restaurant. The prices are great and it was a wonderful time. So happy we went!
(5)
Amy S.

This place is a Ukrainian Village gem! The mozzarella sticks are HUGE. There are 5 of them, but they count as 10. I was literally full after just having one. The pizzas are creative and also huge. We tried the garden, which is always my favorite, full of veggies as expected. The crust is thin and crispy. The toppings sort of made it hard to pick up and eat with my hand, so I had to use a knife and fork. We also tried the McDowell, which was interesting - it came with ground beef, lettuce, pickles, cheddar cheese, and a special sauce. It sort of tasted like a Mexican pizza but not really? The only thing is that we had a lot of leftovers and I am sure that would be hard to eat the next day unless eaten cold. They have a great beer selection, including some homemade brew - which I found to be delicious. All in all, I would definitely come back here with a group of friends since they have large booths that cater to big groups.
(4)
Jessica S.

I have to admit, I had never heard of Quad Cities style pizza (where the toppings are hidden under the cheese) but it sure was pretty tasty... and VERY cheesy. Decent and affordable beer selection. I took my family there last weekend while they were in town visiting and my only qualm is how cold it was. There are large, retractable windows which I'm sure is amazing in the summer, but they need to find a way to better insulate during the winter months.
(3)
Amy Z.

Have been here several times and the build your own salad is great. Last few times the pizza was overcooked and chewy, so much so that my 8 year-old wouldn't eat it. That's saying something. He couldn't chew it - it was tough and kind of cardboardy. The server was not too friendly - I get the whole - I'm cooler than you because I work in Ukrainian Village/West Town thing, but come on. The chicken for the salad is cooked with Rosemary, so if you are like me, and think Rosemary tastes like soap - get the garlic shrimp for the salad - delicious. Nice touch with the dough for the kids to play with. Like the place, just a little disappointed with the pizza and the non-happy service at the last visit.
(4)
Yvette H.

I went with my best friend tonight and the pizza was phenomenal. We got a standard pepperoni and sausuage pizza, I like dipping mine in Marinara and asked for some on the side to dip. Even though I spilled my water all over the table the staff laughed with us and fixed it right away. They were attentive and pretty easy going, it was quite appreciated! Good job Serena on the recommendation to split the pizza between two different toppings. Both pepperoni and sausuage were darn good.
(5)
Bill M.

Roots Handmade Pizza is noted for Quad Cities-style pizza, cut into strips rather than the more common slices or squares. We ordered a taco pizza, which was prominently featured on a show so we had to go with this. The 12-inch pizza seemed enormous for two persons, and there is a heaping pile of loose tortilla chips blanketing the top of the pizza. The strips of pizza can be a bit awkward to eat as you pick up a piece of pizza while simultaneously dislodging some chips, along with the ingredients such as sausage, cheese, tomato and lettuce. You also get packets of taco sauce that you can squirt onto your pizza, but the pizza itself tasted very good so the taco sauce is strictly optional in my mind. For the most part, the tortilla chips maintained their crunch and had a good flavor too, though I don't think I would want to eat this every week! We also had an order of mozzarella sticks, which were sort of like jumbo mozzarella logs with some tasty marinara dip. There were five pieces in the order so after the first one it can be a bit much, but I would recommend them if you split an order amongst a few people. The beer and wine selection at Roots was very good too. Chicago is fortunate to have such a variety of places with different kinds of great pizza, so cheers to the pizza at Roots.
(4)
Lina M.

Absolutely delicious!!! The food, service, and environment is amazing! My new favorite spot.
(5)
Brian L.

I haven't yet dined in here, but my friend raves about this place and got take away one night so I could try it. What he got was the BLT pizza. Interesting concept, basically a pizza with a bucket of bacon on it (who doesn't love bacon, but even I thought this was excessive) and then lettuce and tomato to put on the pizza afterwards with mayo (even though they forgot to include the mayo) This is one of those unique types of pizzas that ends up not really being a "pizza" as most of us are used to. I've heard its more quad city style or something? I dunno. I thought the flavors were good and it was well made... expensive for a weekly thing. I do want to try another variety at some point. After eating here a few times, I think there's something in the pizza that my stomach disagrees with. Either it's horrible gas or... something worse.
(3)
Jenna C.

I love Roots pizza. I feel like this restaurant is an oasis compared to a lot of the pizza joints on the west side where my husband and I live. We happily trek 15-20 minutes east to eat here. The topping choices are top notch, and we love coming up with a new creation every time we visit. The mozzarella sticks are a must! I crave them on the regular. I've never had to wait for a table, or should I say comfortable booth. :) Love the decor and garage style windows as well. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants.
(5)
Magda M.

Awesome Salads! Avocado Mozzarella Salad is amazing! Oh and of course the mozzarella cheese sticks are da bomb! Really great place for lunch or dinner!
(5)
Carolyn L.

Stopped in here last Friday after work. It was a beautiful day so all of the doors were open and the tables outside were full. It gave the place a nice vibe and everyone was in good spirits. I ordered the cheesy garlic monkey bread. I loved the flavor of it and ate the whole thing. I kept thinking that it was a LITTLE dry, though. I would have preferred the bread to be more moist/fresh. I'm not sure if it's always like that but it didn't seem to have that just-made taste. It wasn't bad by any means, just not as fresh as I would have liked. I also ordered the beet salad, which was delicious. I would have loved to try the pizza but I was there all by myself and they don't sell pizza by the slice. Pity. The salad was full of fresh summery ingredients so that was nice. I was pretty full by the time I left. I just wish I could have tried some pie! Great beer and cocktail list. The place is a little pricey. I paid $30 for the monkey bread, salad, and a beer. But it's unique in its location so they can charge more for their stuff. Nothing around it really compares. I would go back with a group of people to try the pizza!
(3)
Christina G.

I came here for a wedding rehearsal on a Friday night. We had the whole back room to ourselves. First thing I wondered when I walked in: what is Quad City style pizza? Well, all I can say is the crust tasted sweeter and the slices were cut into long pieces instead of squares. That's all I saw. To start, we had the salad, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks. All was really good, especially the candied walnuts in the salad. Yum! There were 2 different kinds of pizza - cheese and what seemed to be some sort of burger-type pizza. Both were quite tasty, and I was surprised at how much the burger pizza tasted like a big Mac. What blew me away (and was the reason for the 4-star review) was their beer list! They focus on local brews (local including Michigan, Iowa, etc.) and the list was extensive. I started wit ha raspberry wheat beer and ordered a java brew before the night was over. I definitely enjoyed both. The waitresses were also very familiar with the beer list, and quickly offered suggestions when I was trying to decide what to order. The only negative was that the back room was so incredibly loud. I could barely hear the people at my table to have a conversation. Overall, we had a fun night, and I will be back for more pizza and beer.
(4)
Jon K.

Huge fan of this place. The pizza is really good with tons of variety, as is their salad and appetizers. The atmosphere is even better. Tons of TVs, great beer selection, and awesome staff. We had a private party (engagement) in a back room and they were more than accommodating for our party and we all had a great time. Whether its a casual night out for some "za", grabbing some good beers and grub for a game, or a private (fairly casual) party for a special occasion, this is a great place.
(5)
Kit A.

Why can the customer service here not be as great as the amazing beer list and delicious pizza?! Why? I hate to give a low rating for the awful customer service, but honestly, this place needs Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue needs to come here and teach the staff how to give better service! I'd be surprise if this place wasn't losing money with the amount of free alcohol I saw being given away to friends of the bartenders and the shots being consumed by the staff. Just being here for 2 hours, I saw one bartender take 2 shots with friends, another hand out free beers to her friends. It's one thing to be friendly and have your friends come visit, but it's another thing to ignore the paying customers and hang out with your friends! On the other hand, I loved the pizza. I would love to stop in for a slice next time I'm in the area.
(2)
Luke S.

Quad City Pizza? I didn't know the Quad Cities had anything named after them, but apparently there is some pretty good pizza out there! I had to try this place out after hearing coworkers and friends rave about it. I was told that you must try the mozzarella sticks and the pizza. I was with three guys and we split a large sausage pizza and the mozzarella sticks. I stuck with water, but the other two in our group got a couple of their craft beers. The beer list was huge and somewhat overwhelming. The prices weren't gouging, but it certainly wasn't bargain priced either. Once the mozzarella sticks came out it suddenly made sense to me why they were $9. These are mozzarella sticks on HGH. Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds would be proud of these things. Not only were they huge, but they were awesome! The pizza came fresh out of the oven and did not let us down. I wasn't sure that it would be enough food, but it seemed to expand in our stomach. I would like to come back and try some of the other pizzas. The only downside is that I felt somewhat out of place in my work clothes. Most of the crowd was hipster looking young adults, but overall a solid spot.
(4)
Rachel M.

I love this place! Ever since my first experience at Roots last summer (2013), it has been true love. I am crazy about your pizza crust, your topping selection, making my own salad and your honey lemon vinaigrette. Thank you for being dependable and delicious! Check this place out! You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Joseph S.

Kid friendly Ukrainian Village gem. Indoor and outdoor seating. Fast service and they text you if there is a wait for seating. The manager always seems to be involved in ensuring service is consistent.
(5)
Ven S.

Watched the Hawks win the Championship here. The space is great, the TVs are stupid...and when I say stupid, I mean stupid good. Huge TVs and they are everywhere. I'd recommend going to the backroom to watch a game, plus you can watch them make pizzas in the back through the large glass there. Staff was great and friendly. Service is quick and the bar has a crazy amount of craft beers. It's more of a restaurant than a bar during the day and outside of games. It's more of a bar than restaurant when there's a game on or it's Thurs - Sat night.
(4)
Megan B.

1. Too expensive, especially the pizza. I don't understand how with the salad you can put basically everything on it for no extra charge but if you want anything else on your pizza it's over a dollar ($1.50 I think?) per topping. There's less of it on the pizza vs salad too and it's all the same toppings. That doesn't make sense to me. If people are gonna build their own pizza, they should be allowed to put a few (1-2) things on there no charge. Right now a single pizza I would want for just me would end up being like $25. That's nuts. 2. 'Build your own pizza' but not really. You can make your pizza cheesIER (for extra charge of course) but not choose the cheese initially on it, you can get extra sauce on the side (for more money, again) but not choose the sauce on the pizza. 3. They should have a menu insert for building your own salad and pizza. Rattling off all the stuff you want on them takes forever, I felt bad for the waitress. 4. The salad menu doesn't make sense. They're all 9-13 dollars but you can build your own with all the exact same stuff for 8. 5. It seems like instead of being more generous about pizza and non build your own salads they would raise the build your own salad price/make everything cost extra. If that happened I would definitely not come back. Other than the menu being confusing/complicated/expensive... The food was good. Salad was perfect, fresh, delicious. Service was good. Honestly I think they have more going with the salads than the pizza. I'd love to work by here, it'd be the perfect healthy lunch stop.
(3)
Lauren E.

Great atmosphere, amazing beer selection, and food was fresh and tasty. Especially liked the Lillie's Q pizza and tomato avocado salad. Service was very friendly and efficient... Hostess, bartender, and waiter. I definitely recommend.
(5)
Daniela C.

For the breadsticks and they were amazing! We also got the taco pizza and it was to die for! Ashley helped us and was so great and knowledgeable! Will definetly be coming back...
(5)
Joey H.

Went here with a girlfriend on what would have been a disaster at any other bar on St Patrick's day. Our server Lindsey and her busboy Angel were on point! So happy, upbeat and enthusiastic. Tipsy and happy:) Taco pie was amazaballs
(5)
Salena D.

Absolutely love this place. By far one of my favorite pizza places. The bartenders are great, attentive and very friendly. Food is delicious, crust is perfect and their make your own salads are amazing! They have a great beer selection too. I use to live walking distance from here & would frequent at least once a week. I moved to the loop but still try to go as often as possible. Great place to watch a Hawks game too.
(5)
Scott F.

Mozzarella sticks, that should have been the entire order. The pizza was flavored terribly or the lack of fresh ingredients made it that way, I don't know. Such good reviews make me wonder, but maybe you had a bad night or a blind chef, either way disappointing for a $42 pizza delivery with mozzarella sticks.
(1)
Nicole W.

While it's a bit strange that the best item on Roots' menu is *not* the pizza, I'm still a fan. A few buddies and I rolled in one very hungry Saturday afternoon and indulged in an array of goodness. Here's how it went down... Mozzarella Sticks: 4.5/5: Honkin' chunks of mozzarella cheese, breaded with a fine golden brown crisp and served with a rockin' marinara. These are what cheesy dreams are made of. Tomato Avocado Mozzarella Salad: 5/5: A total rockstar of a salad. Not only are the portions gargantuan, but this salad is full of love. And by love I mean hunks of avocado, split cherry tomatoes, generous pieces of mozzarella, bits of corn and topped with a damn tasty dressing. Get it. Northerner Salad: 3/5: Another generous sized salad filled with greens, slivers of apples, spiced cherries, candied nuts and a maple vinaigrette. The ingredients were fresh and bright but the salad overall was too sweet for my tastes. Ups for the Door County, cherries though, I'd like to eat those by the jar full. Pizza (with pepperoni and green pepper): 2/5: The crust is great but the pizza is meh. As others have said there is so.much.cheese. And I like cheese, but this was a wet blanket of cheese smothering the tasty crust. Service: 4/5: Our server was on top of her game and quite efficient even though the rest of her tables were full, too. Ambiance: 4/5: There's an impressive beer list and plenty of places to sit, including a nice sized private room near the front. Comfy seats, spacious tables and plenty of TV's...it's a nice place to catch the game while you fill your belly.
(4)
Ben S.

We were by yesterday for lunch. Our party of 8 was pretty undemanding (a couple of kids, and we weren't in any particular rush). It took a while for our waiter to show up, and when he did, he said that service was going to be a little slow, because he was covering the whole restaurant (inside and outside seating). OK, fine, warning shot fired, but that doesn't really mean you now don't need to come back again... It took a long time to get our server back to place our order, and food was delivered very piecemeal - kids first, but it was a full half hour from when their food got to the table until the last of our diners finally got their meal. Food itself was fine. My wife said her salad was good, and my sandwich was just so-so. My dad and brother both had pizzas, and they reported them to be good, but nothing special. We ended up bussing our own plates to another table, after sitting and staring at them forever, and bill also took forever to get. If you've got a lot of time on your hands, arent' fussy about attentive waitstaff, and are looking for just good food, Roots is fine. Otherwise, pick one of the multiple other great restaurants around who've got the service and food bit more together.
(2)
Katie K.

Roots has the best pizza and rootbeer. It is the most unique pizza in the Chicago area. If not pizza; order any item off the menu and I promise you will leave satisfied. If you don't know what to start out with then, order the mozzarella sticks. Their mozzarella sticks are made in house & are so fresh and gigantic! Definitely take advantage of their outdoor patio it is a must.
(5)
Weston M.

I love this place! I live close by, and it became one of my go-to's when it comes to take out. The homemade fried mozzarella is some of the e best I've ever had, and I like a sweet tomato sauce, so theirs is right where I like it to be. Definitely one of my faves
(5)
Mike H.

I've had a couple good experiences at this place. Pretty cool atmosphere in the front of the restaurant, I'd recommend trying to grab a booth up front as opposed to being stuck in the back room, just my preference though. Service was just ok. First time we went, we ordered the garlic monkey bread as an appetizer, which was really good, but I'm starting to think that I don't have high standards when it comes to any kind of cheesy bread... We ordered some build your own salads...which are huge. There are so many options and ingredients you can add to these that this could be your whole meal. You can also turn your healthy salad idea into something not so healthy very easily, but it'll be really good, so whatever. We created our own pizza, with chicken, spinach, and roasted red peppers. It was very good. They are known for using dark roasted malt to make their crust, to which I have no idea what that means. I used to frequently drink some malt liquors though, so it's a-ok with me.
(4)
Amanda W.

LOVE this place. Their pizza's are awesome. Fresh, made from scratch. So many options...and the beer...OH THE BEER!!!! Tons on tap and a lot from the midwest. So many choices I keep coming back to try something new. The staff is very knowledgeable which is a plus when it comes to knowing beers.
(4)
Nicole G.

The food here is really good, but I was deceived by the taco pizza. You see they had it highlighted on the menu so we decided it must be a fail safe option, but it was disappointing. First, it might be better with ground beef vs sausage. Second, it was piled high with too much chip toppings. They say it's for 1-2 people and well I was with 3 and we couldn't get through the thing. And it's not ideal for left overs because the chips get soggy and the lettuce gets wilt-y and slimy. Other than that the garlic monkey bread was awesome, the salads were fantastic, and they have an incredible beer selection. The staff was pleasant without being overbearing. And the outdoor patio is perfect in the summer.
(4)
Jim K.

Roots advertises "Quad Cities" style pizza, something I've never had, so I can not make any comparison. The service was good. I tried the pizza, which was decent, but ultimately made me ill. I couldn't tell you why (maybe the sauce?). I doubt I'll return.
(2)
Kliment V.

We came here to watch the World Cup and the place was quite full at the time although there where some tables available. The waitress/hostess told us that we can sit anywhere we would like. After some time I found a free table and had a seat. The waitress came and told me that the table had been reserved. There was no sign on it saying so and I explained this to her clearly. Nevertheless she demanded that we get up. There where no seats available so we ended up having to leave. The staff was incredibly rude. I won't be coming here again.
(1)
Brett F.

Eh. Meh. Feh. I'm feeling totally average, and it's all Roots fault. Quad City style pizza. That's the rub at Roots. It has something to do with a malt crust, toppings beneath the cheese (think deep dish on this one), a chunk-free sauce and being cut with scissors. Not the kind of scissor action I was hoping for. Just sayin'. Anywho... the mod quad squad pizza was just fine. It didn't disappoint, it didn't mind blow, it didn't do anything exceptional except provide a nice vehicle for cheese-to-mouth insertion. Do I still prefer either a *thin* thin crust or smushy pan pizza to what's going on here? I do. But that's why they say different strokes for different folks, apparently. I'm sure somebody out there (go ahead Quaddies, raise your hand) surely loves this 'zzah best. And, for the sake of argument, let's hope they like paying out the arse for said pizza as well. Because while Roots does have reasonably priced and lovely apps, salads and sammies - the goat cheese and baby beet salad was my favorite - their pizza, unless you go with one of the 5 'signature pies', is a nickle and dime session of the worst variety. You pay for every little thing and a decently dressed pizza will set you back the cost of a nice ribeye. I don't know about you, I'd rather have the steak. No scissors needed.
(3)
Scott P.

Best motz sticks in the city and incredible local beer list. Our bartender, Madi, was too nice. Great spot
(5)
Brent H.

Chicago's known for their deep pies, and I'm not one to argue the obvious point. However, being a recent transplant I long for taste from home in the form of the perfect thin crust. I would have thought one could find it on every corner given the reputation. Almost a year later, my search is over! Root's you nailed it. Cheese, sauce, crust/sausage I thought was impossible to duplicate. If you want a thin crust that blows away anything else Chicago has to offer you owe yourself a dining experience. Ultimate!
(5)
Jared J.

Been going to Roots for a while now and it is the best hang out spot with Friends on a Saturday or Sunday. Its Craft Beer, Pizza, Moz. Sticks, Sports and a great Staff! Great place to get toasty or bring the family. Ordering Fireballs never gets old! Go Roots!
(5)
Erin B.

I'm not a pizza person at all. It's weird that I live in Chicago and don't have a pizza craving like everyone else. Well, that's not true. REAL Chicagoans don't rave about the pizza here. It's just a way of life. Much like it is in New York, but anyway. I'm a fan of their crust and their Big Mick pizza. Love it. Super good. Staff is friendly, and helpful. Also, when you pick it up for delivery, by the time you get it home (for me, about a 15 minute drive) it's still warm AND your whole car smells of awesome. :-)
(4)
Martin N.

Roots pizza is different than other pizza places since their pizzas are Quad Cities style, which means the cheese goes on after the toppings. Their pizzas are on the thinner side but they have a thick crust. One thing I noticed about their crust is that it has a distinct sweet taste. This is not a bad thing, but it is definitely what makes them unique. One more thing... I know a lot of people try to compare Roots with Piece, but they're different styles of pizza. If you live in Chicago you should try a Roots pizza at least once.
(4)
John U.

Fantastic pizza, the malt crust makes the pizza what it is. Great beer selection. Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota brews. Open area is never too loud. Bartenders are always friendly, never had bad service and I go monthly at least. Build a salad is fantastic. Points system is inconsistently rewarded and no way to track online but they DO offer rewards for frequent fliers, so that's a step above everybody else.
(5)
Bella D.

I've enjoyed the drink specials here along with a huge choice of pizza combinations. Clean comfy large friendly pizza sports bar with a nice staff, good service and nice vibe of people. Check it out for your pizza sports fix.
(4)
Alan R.

Roots definitely lived up to its name of handmade Pizza. Its that for the last decade or so, out of town pizzerias (and I use that term loosely) have tried to break into the Chicago Market. Piece, Jet, Roots, NY Slices, etc. have either come from elsewhere or used a style from somewhere else. Roots is self promoted as Iowa Pizza on the menu. We ordered a green pepper and sausage pizza and plum chicken wings. I added a home brewed root beer to wash everything down. The crust was amazing. Perfectly crispy. The sauce and cheese were good and I Loved that they crumble the sausage instead of serving in patty style like deep dish or in little balls like most thin crust pizzas in the area. The root beer was also one of the best I have ever had. It isn't sweet like most traditional root beers. It's similar to barqs. Roots is definitely a welcome addition to chicago food and I love their different approach.
(4)
Elena M.

Roots pizza is on my top list of best pizzas in Chicago and tonight I experienced the best service here so far. Anthony, our server, was very attentive and made our experience great. I was in a bad mood when i walked in, he suggested the Old Fashion from the drink menu, & I am very happy to say that I love watching the Hawks game here! I will be back.
(5)
Steph U.

I think this place deserves about 3.5 stars, but since you can't do that on Yelp, I decided to round up. I came here with some co-workers because the other place we wanted to go to didn't have what we wanted. We ended up ordering the taco pizza. One of my co-workers doesn't eat pork, so we initially asked to change the pork to ground beef. Sadly, they said that this would cause be an extra fee, which I thought was totally bogus. We even told our waiter that she doesn't eat pork, and he said he couldn't do anything about it, because they're "preset" and whatever. We ended up getting half the pizza without sausage so we wouldn't be charged an extra fee. The pizza literally tasted like Taco Bell, but in pizza form. It was good for the first slice, but from there it was kind of downhill. Honestly, I feel like this place is alright, especially compared to all the amazing pizza places in this city. I don't think I'll be back.
(4)
Marian W.

I was seduced by the robust salad selection and the mention of a unique crust using malt for a more distinctive flavor. So we ordered a sausage, onion, green pepper pizza and the green goddess salad. Sadly, the pizza was pretty boring - not enough seasoning and the cheese mix seemed to lack flavor. I also had a hard time finding much sauce on my slices. The goddess salad dressing was also a little too mild, it needs more zing.
(2)
Magen R.

I had my birthday dinner at Roots last night and really enjoyed it. We had a table of 14 people and our waitress was very attentive and took great care of us, no easy feat for such a large group. I was also really impressed when we were planning on ordering five pizzas and she told us that would be too many for our group (she was right). I have never had a waitress advise me against spending more than I had planned on. We ordered two large veggie pizzas, a large pepperoni and onion pizza and a small pulled pork pizza. I tried the pepperoni and pulled pork pizzas. They were both delicious, especially the pulled pork pizza! The barbecue sauce was very different and had a great spicy flavor flavor to it. They also had a great beer selection which was pretty affordable. All in all I was very satisfied with Roots. It has a great ambiance, quality service and an awesome food! PS: I really want to go back on a Wednesday after 10 when they have free pizza - whatta deal!
(4)
Irene G.

I've been meaning to try this place ever since they opened and since I live so close it's amazing how I waited this long. The pizza is nothing to rave about-it's a bit overpriced, but the only reason why I'm a fan of this place is due to the good bar service I received and it's a good place to hang and grab a few drinks, especially on the patio on a nice summer day.
(4)
Nichole H.

Revisited Roots a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I have no desire to ever step foot in this place again. The food is meh, the prices are ridiculous, the service is lackluster at best and the music was so loud in there the night we went that any hope for a returning business is now gone. Since that visit I've met friends out and they always ask about Roots, I tell them Cleo's across the street has better pizza. Not only in taste but price. I honestly can't think of anything that would make me want to give Roots another try.
(2)
Amanda S.

Just moved to the area and this was my first delivery experience in my new city home :). Not that I'm particularly a pizza person but I needed something to eat while I un packed. Upon googling "pizza near me", I came across Roots. I called them up and ordered a large half cheese half sausage pizza. It came rather quickly for it being 5:30 on a Friday night. The delivery man was very nice and had no problem finding my apartment which. I have had problems with the cable company, ups deliveries, etc... I opened the box and noticed how weird the pizza was cut, only across, not into slices or squares as with the normal pizza. This was midly problematic since I hadn't found my silverware in the boxes yet :), but okay none the less. So happy when I bit into it though!! So good. Pizza in the suburbs really needs to step their game up. I will say that their sausage tasted kind of weird, but the cheese side was great. Sauce tatsed great. Crust was awesome. Overalll the seasonings blended well. Even tatsed good when I nuked it later. Hope to come in and visit some time soon. Will update my experience when I do.
(3)
Lisa R.

Great staff and bartenders!! Quality food. Quality service. What more can you ask for?
(5)
Bill S.

We had a house guest who was a first-time visitor to Chicago. Naturally, one of the items on the to-do list was Chicago pizza... but a little tricky because it had to be gluten free. It was amazing what some places promote as "gluten free pizza" but Roots delivered the real deal. It was excellent and our friend went home happy. We also had a couple of regular pizzas, both of which were excellent. Also tried the sweet potato tots (wow) and enjoyed a great caesar salad. What impressed me more than the food, though, was the staff. They were outstanding - friendly, attentive without being annoying, and fast. Once we told our server that a member of our party had a gluten allergy, every item that arrived at our table - regardless of who brought it, was identified as whether or not it was a dairy- or gluten-free dish. It was done without any trace of annoyance or resentment. Seemed like they generally cared about our experience on every level. All that being said, it's a great atmosphere and we really enjoyed everything about the meal. We're definitely going back, and unless the next visit is a disaster I'm going have to put Roots Handmade Pizza in our top 5 Chicago pizzarias.
(4)
Erin W.

I love this pizza joint, and love that it's very local to me, (5 minute walk). Pros: the fresh mozzarella sticks: they are to die for. The dipping sauce is also very delish. You can't not order these as an app when you go. The salads: I make my own with the huge list of ingredients they offer, which are all very fresh. My fav dressing is the maple syrup vinaigrette, which if you like "sweet" with your salads, you shouldn't go without. My only complaint is when they've forgotten my candied walnuts on a couple to-go orders I made, and didn't find out till I got home (total salad bummer). My boyfriend orders the rock island arsenal: its huuuuge, even for a guy with a huge appetite, it's a lot of food (plan on renting a storage unit for your left overs, cause you'll definitely have them). The curly fries, or the sweet potato tots are a perfect side...for any dish you decide to get. Oh and guess what they use to top that sandwich? Their house made mozzarella sticks, the sausage is really there as a garnish. Definitely check this place out if you like fresh homemade italian, and a good selection of craft beers on rotation. Our service here, whether it be take out, or dine in, has also always been very good. (My only reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars are from my missing candied walnuts....where are they???)
(4)
Ha V.

I tried Roots' pizza for the first time this Sunday when my roommates suddenly had a craving for it. I had no idea what it was, but they were excited about it so naturally I was too. =) Although it isn't far from us, we decided to get it delivered (Sunday lounging). It took about 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering they warn you it may take up to an hour. I waited a couple hours to grab my first piece since I had just eaten too much at Pot Pan down the road in hopes of curing my hangover. My first piece was great - although I felt it was too thin for what isn't supposed to be 'thin crust', something about the cheese really stood out. I'm not sure how many types of cheese were on there but there were seasonings and herbs that I just couldn't get enough of. By my second piece, however, I realized that there just wasn't enough sauce on the pizza, which is absolute baloney. And by my third piece reheated the next day, it just wasn't impressive, which I found to be really sad since reheated pizza is usually the best. I'm glad I tried it, but I think Chicago offers a ton of better pizza places.
(2)
Nicolas C.

The gluten free pizza here is the bomb, and their salads are incredible. Came here to watch March Madness and the food ended up being a huge distraction. If you're looking for gluten free pizza in Chicago, this is the place to go.
(5)
Heather L.

The pizzas are laden with cheese - so, so SO much cheese. If this isn't your thing, maybe try another style of pie. But, personally, we loved every melted string of the homemade mozzarella. The taco pizza is a must try quad-city favorite. Staff was warm and the beer on tap is a selection of Chicago's finest - especially if you're into IPA.
(3)
Ariel L.

Go the grocery store and buy a Tombstone or Home Run Pizza, because you will enjoy those better. This is some of the worst pizza I have ever had in Chicago. The website and menu calls it Quad City Pizza. Well, there is a reason Quad City pizza is in the Quad Cities and not Chicago. The reason is that people in Chicago know what good pizza is, and this ain't it. I don't eat Pizza that often anymore, so when i waste my once a month pizza binge on a place like this its even more upsetting. I'm renaming this place "Roots Handmade Garbage Pizza".
(1)
George N.

I have never written a Yelp review but I was so disappointed in Roots...I was motivated to do so. The best thing about a pizza place shouldn't be the salad. However this was the case. We ordered the specialty Lillie Q BBQ pizza which was a whopping $20+ for a 12 inch size. A good concept pizza but they failed because the pulled pork was almost completely absent. I counted a total of 3 "strips" that had a sliver of pork. We also ordered a pepperoni pizza which wasn't anything to write home about either. Step up your game Roots. This is Chicago.
(1)
Greg R.

Food ok Service is almost as bad as it can get.
(2)
Jeff C.

Decent pizza. Flavorful crust. Personally not a fan of the gimmick pizzas they have. The standard pizza is pretty good. Space is nice and it's good for large groups and parties.
(3)
Morgan N.

Went to Roots last night and had a great time. The pizza was good. My date and I got a custom pizza with pepperoni, giardiniera and green peppers. The crust was thick and had a good flavor, the cheese was gooey, and the ingredients tasted fresh. We also had a few beers and I was very impressed with their selection, which is organized by state. Love! Also, the waiter we had was very friendly and we chatted about comedians for a few minutes. I would go there again.
(4)
Fred H.

Update: My opinion has changed here: I still like the neighborhood joint w/local brews idea, but after a couple of visits, I found myself wishing for some different selections, esp. on tap. I was excited to try the house-made pasta, but it ended up on my plate well beyond al-dente. That was the Fettuccini. When I ordered the Lasagne, my dining companion described the consistency as "tofu-like"; noodles were WAY overdone. I'd still come in for beer, or free pizza when they have it, but for me, it's not a food destination. (Their Michelin recommendation makes me wonder what the criteria are to get their endorsement.)
(3)
Digital M.

Tasty and really fresh ingredients. Great beer selection. What more can you want. An appetizer and a 12 inch fills up 2 people. Because you also have the beer or course.
(4)
Jenn G.

I stopped by Roots for lunch yesterday and was surprised by what a great experience I had. I'm always in that area because I LOVE the West Town Bakery but today was the first time I gave Roots a try. I was on my lunch break and alone so I just sat at the bar. The bartender, Chaz, immediately introduced himself to me and was very friendly (but not in a creepy/stalker way). After a few minutes, I placed my order and Chaz quickly obliged in bringing me an Orange Fizz drink and the Mozzarella, Tomato, Avocado salad. Whilst we waited for the food, we had a nice little chit chat. The salad I got was amazing. Very, very flavorful and a big portion. The restaurant itself has outdoor seating and the outer walls roll up to have open air seating inside which was perfect for a lovely summer day like yesterday. Everything was super clean and the service was fast (though there were only five or six people there). The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I thought it was a little pricey. A salad and a drink cost $25 with tip which is more than I typically like to spend on lunch. I'd definitely go back for dinner and/or to try the pizza though. PS... their beer list was pretty extensive so if you're into that it's a great spot.
(4)
Marie B.

Went here after the Empty Bottle. Good go to neighborhood place. Great beer selection. Their pizza is different then your normal Chicago Pizza, but a nice alternative. We tried their specialty pizza (Big Mick & Taco) which were unique. However, I liked the basic sausage and cheese the best. A must try if you like exploring different pizza joints. Not a place to go out of your way though.
(3)
Brian S.

I like this spot. The mozzarella sticks are giant! and very filling. We had their homemade sausage pizza. The cheese is really good! The crust and sauce to top is amazing aswell. I was very impressed. I will definitely be back to try some of the other varieties on their menu. Highly Recommended!
(5)
Katy H.

Pizza- okay. Beer- good. Service- meh. A friend and I visited on a week night in August. We arrived around 8:30 and were seated outside. We each had a Roots House Brew and split the garlic monkey bread and a pizza. -The beer was pretty good (done by Two Brothers just for Roots) and went well with the pizza crust and the bread -The monkey bread was absolutely the best part of the meal! So garlicy and warm! I will go back just for that -The pizza, well, it was alright. But I don't think that cuts it in Chicago- we are a pizza town! Come on people, don't open a pizza place without good pizza! I don't even remember what it tasted like, only that I was bored with it and didn't eat much. On top of that, our waitress played favorites and pretty much ignored us the entire time we were there. And it was a slow night. I liked the restaurant and I'll give it another try, but I'm not optimistic. But try the monkey bread. Really, try it!
(3)
George V.

Atmosphere -- four stars! Food -- two stars. I really WANT to like Roots. Set foot in the door and it's a nice mix of slightly hip and laid back, something I'm not quite sure how they pulled off. Built out of an old firehouse, lots of exposed brick and the obligator two oversized roll-up doors complete the decor. Unfortunately it's the actual pizza that lets the establishment down. It's thoroughly TASTELESS. The dough that Roots goes on about is completely devoid of seasoning and tastes exactly like what you'd expect flour, water, and a bare minimum of sugar to taste like. The pizza sauce has, of all things, fennel in it. Really, fennel? I can understand fennel in sausage where it belongs, but just thrown into regular pizza sauce? Besides the fennel the sauce is otherwise devoid of both seasoning and spice. Worse, somehow their pepperoni is also completely devoid of spice! I actually had to check underneath the cheese to make sure that I wasn't eating a plain cheese! The taste of the pizza didn't get better as leftovers (when you can really sit it on your tongue, move it around, and genuinely take your time tasting every last thing without burning your tongue). The fennel taste had mostly dissipated (to be expected), which left the rest of the pizza, which unfortunately bore a striking resemblance to taking a bite out of a magazine. Again I had to check to make sure there actually was pepperoni on the slice due to the complete absence of flavor. Crust was slightly better texture-wise as a leftover since it soaked up a little moisture, but again without seasoning or spices it's a strictly utilitarian affair delivering the flavorless toppings and sauce. Such high hopes. Please hire a chef with a working palette; I enjoy food with flavor. Right now the decor and atmosphere is the only thing saving Roots from a one star, as the food certainly isn't capable.
(3)
Kyle H.

Pizza is good. Beer is good. Pizza and beer together, even better! So why is Roots so intent on ruining this classic combination by trying to nickel and dime their customers into hating having to pay an arm and a leg for a few beers and a 'za? Oh, the beer seems to be "normal price", but the cute glasses hide the fact that you're not getting a full pint, so Roots is being chintzy on a few ounces with each glass they sell. We decided to try their homemade sausage, which reminded me of the crappy crumbly beef that I used to have to put on pizzas when I worked at Pizza Hut in high school. Quad Cities' pizza is slightly thicker than thin crust, which was nice, and the buttery crust was tasty, but the pizza was not worth what they're charging, and with each ingredient adding $2, you're quickly paying over $20 for a pizza for two that's nothing special. I will come back to give them another shot, but if the poorly done sausage pizza is being billed as your strong suit, what does that say about the rest of the menu?
(2)
Nastia P.

Music was horrible and too loud! Pizza crust was burned and didn't taste good, extremely oily. Very limited choses too. Like 5 pizzas .. Waitress wasn't too friendly either! throw the check on the table , no "Thanks", no "How was it", no "see you soon".. Felt like we wasn't welcome there. Won't ever go back and definitely won't recommend it!!! Frozen pizza will taste much better btw. PS: we were polite at all the time, left her big tips too, even she didn't show that she appreciates anything .
(1)
Tim S.

Delicious and fun. Craft Pizza's are overplayed these days but they do a fine job of elevating the cheese sauce and bread idea. We ordered a large pepperoni, red pepper, goat cheese, bacon pizza and a tray of mozzarella stick. Lets start with the sticks... HUGE, almost to big if you ask me and I love cheese. Pizza arrived a little later and was delicious. Perfect way to end a weekend with some gooey, cheesy goodness. A large pizza was the ideal size for 4 of us. Washing it down was almost as hard as deciding on the pizza toppings with a great selection of 70 beers from the midwest it was down to the server to help me make a decision. She did a phenomenal of choosing a great compliment to the pizza. Wish I could remember what it was called as I nicknamed it "Snitchy Bitch" and that took over for the real name. oops. Service was great to boot. Will come back for sure.
(4)
Mike P.

BEST THING TO COME FROM THE QUAD CITIES SINCE ACIE EARL. PRE: My girl and I were in Chicago doing some sight seeing and decided to drive up Chicago Avenue in search of some lunch. We used the Yelp app but way too many choices. We stopped two young ladies walking down the sidewalk and they raved about Roots. Deal sealed. ORDERED: Garlic Monkey Bread, 12" Pizza (hamburger, mushroom, roasted corn), Roots Root Beer, Coffee TASTED: The garlic sauce for the monkey bread is amazing! A nice appetizer for two people. The 12" pizza was thick and a few slices would leave anyone not named Joey Chestnut full. The Roots Root Beer that they make themselves is fantastic, think Virgil's but not as sweet. The coffee...(see below). COFFEE: I'm in Chicago, home of Intelligentsia and Metropolis, so I ask which roaster they use for their coffee. Our waitress looked at me like I had just asked for her SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. I said "so it is foodservice?" I order the coffee anyway. I get charged $4 on my receipt and didn't even get offered a warmup or refill. SERVICE: Our water filler/busboy was more personable than our waitress. She was like every crappy hipster server I encountered in Portland. NUTSHELL: The space is great. The food is really good. The service is below average.
(4)
Austin G.

I've ordered from here twice through Grubhub. The first order I had I got the BLT pizza. The pizza was really good, but it was kind of strange. The lettuce, tomato, and mayo all came on the side and I had to add it myself to the pizza. It would have been nice to just have it on there. I also order the Roots Root Beer. Here is where I found inconsistency. The first time I got a 6-pack of root beer for $3.00 when I was just expecting a large fountain drink or something similar. The second time I ordered I was expecting a 6-pack, but just got a 20oz bottle. That was a bit pricey for $3.00. Overall the pizza was good, but the inconsistency will probably prevent me from ordering there again.
(3)
Chan K.

I came and ordered some soup to go. A bowl was $6! I don't mind paying that much for a bowl of broccoli cheedar, but the cheese was not particular sharp and flavorful and almost seemed processed. I've had their pizza once before - good but not extraordinary. The bartender on Saturday night was rather unattentive.
(1)
Angie M.

I'm not a cheapskate by any means. I happily shell out dough for a pricey meal here and there and have no qualms about it. However, pizza and salads are generally fairly cheap, so when Brett D. and I had a bill that was hovering around $70, something seemed off. Let's break it down and see how 2 salads, 3 beers and a small pizza got us to an astonishingly high bill. 3 Goose Island beers - $24 1 Proco Joe Salad - $9 1 Goat Cheese & Baby Beet Salad - $12 1 12 inch pizza (serves 1-2 people) - $14 Toppings: $2 - basil $2- garlic $2 - tomato $3 - mozzarella cheese (yes, you get charged for cheese) Total without tax & tip: $68 SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS. For a meal without protein. I mean, come on. That's just ridiculous. I'm also shocked that I paid $14 for basically crust and tomato sauce. Paying for your cheese? On a pizza? Insanity. Moving on. Despite the fact that everything at Roots seems way overpriced, it was pretty tasty. I highly recommend the Proco Joe salad. The mint vinaigrette is top notch and the roasted veggies are delicious. However, again... $9 for a regular sized salad with NO protein is kind of ridiculous. The pizza is, if I'm being honest, good, but not spectacular. The St. Louis pizza style includes malt in the crust, which adds a unique flavor, but aside from that, it's a standard crust, standard sauce and well, pretty standard toppings. I mean, it's good, but far from the best pizza out there and DEFINITELY not worth the price tag. So while I think Roots is great for the neighborhood and the Proco Joe salad is ridiculously tasty, I'm not sure the value is there.
(3)
M G.

This place looks good and the salads are great but took way too long for two salads. Seriously almost 40 minutes for two salads? Are they growing the lettuce in the back? That was a bit long for a salad.
(2)
Mark A.

Given that this place is 2 blocks from home for me, I really wanted to like it. The space looks cool, and they have lots of outdoor seating which is something that Chicagoans treasure during the precious summer months, but the food is just not good. The menu looks like something from an Applebee's or a TGIFridays. Those places are fine when you're in the middle of Nebraska on a roadtrip and need a salad or bbq chicken, but they have no business being in the middle of Chicago where the restaurant scene is highly competitive. I had the gyro sausage sandwich and it was just blah. They do not make the sausage on-site, the bread was not fresh, and the sweet potato tots were coated in a generic batter. It's clear the food is all prepared ahead of time and all they simply do is warm things up. Gordon Ramsey would [crap] a brick. The beer list does deserve an honorable mention, and I suppose I might go here to sample a different brew from time to time while sitting outside because it *is* so close to home. I did, however, order a beer flight and the pours were not very cold, so that was disappointing.
(1)
Russ B.

They make their own root beer, and the Sausage and onion pizza is amaze - zing, the the mozz sticks are the biggest I've seen, the Marn, sauce served with is made fresh too!!
(5)
Michael H.

What can I say except that I can't find a flaw! I'm not exaggerating when I saw it is some of the best pizza I've ever had as well as some of the best cheese sticks i've ever had. The beer selection is fantastic and they have super-knowledgable bar tenders. It is also ideal for watching a game with their many TVs.
(5)
Becky P.

Pizza was good, cheese sticks were better, and service was poop. Like seriously, if the cheese sticks weren't the BEST I've ever had, this place would have gotten a 1. Our waiter was a complete dodo, barely came by our table, and when we tried to wave him down, he would literally MAKE EYE CONTACT and then walk away!!! WHAT!? I saw you, you saw me, we're trying to spend more money would you just come by the table!? I see others have had similar experience with the service, so I'd say to come prepared with time to spare and enjoy a cheese stick!
(3)
Keith A.

I was out doing a crawl on a sunday afternoon and was in need of sustenance. I also needed more beer and saw roots while driving on chicago ave. I sat down at the bar as I just wanted to see the futility that is the bears right now. I liked the draft list and settled on a goose sofie. There were a good amount of selections From there it was onto the pizza. My friend and I got a 12 inch with mozzarella, blue cheese, pepperoni and prosciutto. The sauce was pretty good, but the mozzarella covered up the blue cheese a bit. The pepperoni were very good, but the prosciutto didn't really seem like prosciutto, it was too thick and more like capicola. Not really a complaint as it was tasty, but not what I expected. The service was pretty good. There were a good amount of people here for the game, but I never had a problem getting a beer. I'm not down here too often, but roots is most certainly on my radar now
(3)
Diana R.

I'm quite a regular here these days. The service is always good and my Monday day drinking affair started here and the waitress even gave my table a round of shots on the house... I guess they heard of our day plans. I've never had a bad experience here which keeps me coming back.
(5)
Tom C.

I would give 5 stars for the taco pizza, 3 for the sausage. If you are looking for a great taco pizza, and want one that tastes exactly like Iowa taco pizza. THIS is the place.
(4)
Rob J.

A great bar where you don't feel weird bringing kids- what more can you ask for? Great beer selection, good drinks. Love the make your own salad option...
(4)
Tim C.

Ok Roots, I'm done with you. I used to really like your pizza, as it is good pizza. But your employees and customer service are downright one of the worst I've ever come across. My roommate ordered a six pack of pop. It came with a shard of glass. I once ordered a Dr. Pepper, I expected to get a can of it not a flat fountain drink. Once sat at the bar and waited for a table on a Saturday night. Closed the tab and then moved to a table, twenty minutes later bar tender came over and stated she rang my order up on some other person's credit card. And gave me that person's credit card, pulled out my wallet and there was that person's credit card. Seriously, get your shit together.
(2)
L M.

I hate giving bad reviews. I really do. But this place was such a disappointment! Went one afternoon with my friend and her toddler for a relaxing lunch outside. It wasn't very crowded and we were the only ones sitting in the patio. We ordered two margaritas..they were yummy if I'd wanted a lemonade. All I tasted was juice. We are moms, we would've gotten buzzed if there had been at least an ounce of tequila in that sucker. Maybe the bartender forgot to add it? We paid $8 for sour mix I guess. Our waitress was blah, not really on top of things. Thought it was just her but think it was the whole staff. The pizza was super hot but her son was starved so my friend gave him a piece she thought had cooled off enough, it hadn't. The cheese slid to his knee and this little boy was screaming in pain with a red knee! I couldn't find my waitress, I ran up to the hostess and a busboy and asked for ice. They both just looked at me. Thankfully we had some first aid spray that calmed him down. It took the waitress over five minutes to come by us and it didn't look like she knew we needed anything, we had to still ask her for ice as well. As for the food itself, that was yummy. I loved the salad, and loved that you have the option to build your own. The pizza was good and we got the sweet potato tots for the baby. The servings were great. We shared a salad and a 12" pizza and we had leftovers. It is a bit pricey in my opinion and I wasn't a huge fan of the pizza itself but I am really picky about my pizza. I may try it again for the salads. I just wish the service was a bit more attentive. My friend has been here before and said that is the only drawback for her. Now that they basically just stood back while her kid screamed for 10 minutes I don't know if she will want to go back. We aren't blaming them for the burn, accidents happen. Pizza is hot. We just wish they'd acted like they cared a bit. And gave you at least an ounce of booze in your cocktail.
(2)
Beth W.

I've been ordering the "build you own salad" from Roots about once a week on days when my at-home produce supply has dwindled and I haven't been to the store yet...always so happy with what I get. I love that I have so many options. Today I ordered a salad and it arrived quickly and then about an hour later ANOTHER salad arrived. lol I told the driver I'd be happy to take it (and have lunch for tomorrow) I wish I had some cash on me so I could have given him a tip for driving over. Needless to say I will continue to order from Roots. PS: their mini-calzones are yummers
(4)
Mark D.

I have had two different experiences here and, of course, I am going to tell you about them. Dining in: The mozzarella sticks are gigantic and probably the best I have ever had in my entire life....that means a lot because I have eaten A LOT of mozzarella sticks. The pizza was delicious....you must get the sausage. I normally don't like sausage on a pizza, but Roots sausage is DE-LICIOUS. Get it. The food is hot, the service is good, and the margaritas are fantastic. Delivery: Meh....my mozzarella sticks weren't crunchy, they were soft and deflated. The pizza was halfway between hot and barely warm. I have ordered thousands of pizzas in Chicago so I should expect this by now, but I had high hopes for Roots delivery because I love dining in so much. Whatever..... To fall in love with Roots pizza you must dine in. Only order delivery if you are nearly blacked out drunk.
(4)
Kimberly C.

My husband brought their taco pizza home tonight for dinner. They pack the cold toppings (lettuce, tomato, chips & sour cream) up separately for you to assemble at home to keep things fresh. They are super generous with the taco chips...I couldn't put my finger on the taco chip flavor, I know I've had them before, but they added a lot of good flavor to the pizza. I've had taco pizza before (Little Sicily Pizza in Washburn, IL) and Roots did it well...the lightly flavored meat and the 2 cheeses were the perfect match to the fresh toppings. The crust was good, not too thick, but not thin either. All-in-all, for a take-out option, This was good, and I'm curious to try more.
(4)
Jeremy N.

Growing up in the Quad Cities, I'm familiar with the type of pizza they are going for. There are many pizza joints around Davenport (Harris, Uncle Bills, Wise Guys, etc) that all have this same kind of texture and look and taste. I wasn't aware, however, that it was a 'thing', which is somewhat amusing. To whoever said it was a gimmick and that the history is fabricated, I have to disagree. This is just a type of pizza that happens to be very prevalent in the QC area. Strips of pizza with crumbled sausage. Personally, I had no idea about Malt in the dough or whatever else, I just know that it had a spice to it, and is cut in strips. And yes, there really are Taco pizza's. I can't stand them though. Maybe I'll try it here one time to see if it's any different than how I remember.....I do agree, though, that the scripts make it appear gimmicky, but I have a feeling that will tone down as time progresses. Now on to the food. We got the artichoke appetizer which was good. It was somewhat awkward to eat due to the layers of the artichoke and my not knowing how to attack an artichoke. But the flavor of the sauce was on point. I think it was a horseradish sauce. It went well with the artichokes. The pizza. We ordered a sausage pizza, because this is what I am most familiar with and wanted to see how it stacked up to what I know of this type of pizza. I have to say, they did a good job of recreating this pizza. It tastes pretty much exactly like what they are going for. There is a large blanket of sausage on the pizza, and the mozzarella cheese tastes delicious. They also have a huge selection of beers, shots and wine. The house brew is pretty good and goes well with the food. I don't think that you should go to Roots expecting some kind of ethereal gastronomic experience in pizza form. It's a pizza place that specializes in a particular kind of pizza that's unique in very subtle ways. A good place to go for some pizza and beer.
(4)
Grennan K.

Came here for a company meet. The Motz sticks are AMAZING. Just gushing with cheese. Of course there was a big party so we went all out with 3 large pies. Taco pizza tastes like a cheesey gordita crunch. Since I've discovered this & it's close to my office i'll meet clients there. Not a bad place. Although, lou malnati's will always have a place in my heart.
(3)
Gail C.

Meh! Came here last weekend with my kids. Heard alot about it. Although I did not hear that it was good for detoxing. The only thing I enjoyed here was the garlic monkey bread. I had the caprese sandwich which was tasteless. The pizza, aka detox, was good initially, then after about an hour not so much. Plus parking is a real ummmm roots pizza
(2)
Mimi C.

Although I've always hesitated about reviewing a spot with more than 50 reviews, I'll bend that rule for places deserving a 1- star or a 5-star rating. Roots falls into the latter category for their SALADS alone. I'd been looking for Chicago's best salad for the 9+ years I've been back in town. Corner Bakery's Harvest salad (sans chicken, since I'm not a flesh-eater) came close, but the salad's gotten smaller and their balsamic vinaigrette is VERY oily, so I'd always have to switch to Caesar dressing and ditch the Granny Smith apples (which I never liked). I'm eternally on the lookout for places that serve Green Goddess dressing, and when my buddy Ryan told me about Roots, I happened to notice that they had this dressing on their extensive list. Hell, they even have a Green Goddess salad! Their Louis, mint vinaigrette and Caesar dressings are equally yummy. The part that most impresses me about Roots is their Build-Your-Own-Salad option for $8. Unfortunately, two of my faves - avocados and beets - involve a $1 upcharge that I usually have to take. They've got a bevy of crunchy options for salads, too, including pistachios (with NO upcharge). The only downside? I wish the service was a little faster (and the male bartender wasn't a dickwad), but that's a sacrifice I'll have to make for those outstanding salads.
(5)
Victoria P.

Service bad. Food mediocre. There are so many other choices, I wouldn't go back. Too bad - this place is in my neighborhood, so I was rooting for them, but they have to work out the kinks. After being seated, we waited 10 minutes for someone to come over and take a drink order. Our salads were drenched in dressing. Almost like salad soup. When we brought this up to the server, she said "Yeah, we hear that a lot - most people just order dressing on the side instead." Are you kidding me? She forgot our appetizer and then brought it out after our meal. It definitely has a college town chain vibe and feels sort of out of place in West Town.
(2)
Mike L.

The service, food, and atmosphere were all enjoyable during my visit. We had the taco pizza and a few appetizers. Chris, the bartender, also made some great manhattans.
(5)
Edith s.

The mozzarella sticks and artichoke dip were very good. The pizza.. Not so much. Very bland, even they must of known their sauce sucked b/c they hardly put any in our pizza! The water was good though. Sorry don't know what the hype is, maybe just the cool garage doors. Btw servers and busser you each get a star, very nice, friendly and attentive
(2)
F V.

Service was excellent. Taco pizza is great but should probably go little easier on the chips topping. Atmosphere has a great vibe.
(5)
Heather D.

So the most valuable lesson I feel can impart on anyone thinking of trying roots is: do not order delivery! Go in, sit down, and enjoy your pizza! They have amazing specialty pizzas that just DO NOT TRAVEL WELL! Seriously, they don't! They are also a decent bit pricey to order delivery anyway as well. We ordered a half taco and half garden which was very good! My favorite part was that they topped the taco with like Doritos tasting chips. Also their garlic monkey bread is a MUST ORDER! So yummy! Final Verdict: Their pizzas are good, service is great, decent beer section as well. They are a bit pricey for my personal pizza taste but I think not ridiculously so. They are definitely worth a try!
(3)
Joey H.

Went here with a girlfriend on what would have been a disaster at any other bar on St Patrick's day. Our server Lindsey and her busboy Angel were on point! So happy, upbeat and enthusiastic. Tipsy and happy:) Taco pie was amazaballs
(5)
Salena D.

Absolutely love this place. By far one of my favorite pizza places. The bartenders are great, attentive and very friendly. Food is delicious, crust is perfect and their make your own salads are amazing! They have a great beer selection too. I use to live walking distance from here & would frequent at least once a week. I moved to the loop but still try to go as often as possible. Great place to watch a Hawks game too.
(5)
Scott F.

Mozzarella sticks, that should have been the entire order. The pizza was flavored terribly or the lack of fresh ingredients made it that way, I don't know. Such good reviews make me wonder, but maybe you had a bad night or a blind chef, either way disappointing for a $42 pizza delivery with mozzarella sticks.
(1)
Jeff C.

Decent pizza. Flavorful crust. Personally not a fan of the gimmick pizzas they have. The standard pizza is pretty good. Space is nice and it's good for large groups and parties.
(3)
Beth W.

I've been ordering the "build you own salad" from Roots about once a week on days when my at-home produce supply has dwindled and I haven't been to the store yet...always so happy with what I get. I love that I have so many options. Today I ordered a salad and it arrived quickly and then about an hour later ANOTHER salad arrived. lol I told the driver I'd be happy to take it (and have lunch for tomorrow) I wish I had some cash on me so I could have given him a tip for driving over. Needless to say I will continue to order from Roots. PS: their mini-calzones are yummers
(4)
Michael G.

The pizza's not bad but nothing special, but the service is BRUTAL TERRIBLE. It took over two hours to make it through a dinner consisting of stuffed artichokes and a BLT pizza. Not even a special order. The waiter would often disappear for 20-30 minutes at a time. Then to add insult to injury, I'd ordered a bourbon on the rocks for a drink. I got charged $8 for the bourbon (Ok, fine) and $1 for the rocks. This place had the gall to charge $1 to water down my drink despite the liberally sized glasses of ice water that were free. Will not be returning.
(1)
Adam K.

This place has interesting pizza. I say that because a lot of the elements alone I would fund repulsive but as a whole package they work well together. The sauce: sweet and tangy. Which I would find repulsive normally but with; The crust: It rocks. Wow, some kind of beer or something in this crust? I love it. The Cheese: for sure will slap back against your lips and cause them to blister and burn, but whatever man, I am from the streets. Wings: Real nice and meaty, lots of flavor. Baked Ravioli w Marinara: Marinara = not so good. Baked ravioli was sub par also, kinda bland. All in all, a solid joint. I will be back.
(4)
Kelsey K.

Roots kicks so much ass! Ryan the manager is awesome and he makes us feel so welcome! We had Carissa the first time and I'm pretty sure that she made us laugh uncontrollably the whole time. Keep rockin it, you crazy Rican! We had Rachel the second time and she's probably our new best friend. She even went out of her way to come hang out with us for a while on the next visit which is fantastich!!
(5)
Ry W.

WAY overpriced for pizza. We ordered a large pizza and 2 appetizers.... $46! We are not cheap and we don't mind spending money on good food, but $46 for pizza??!! The food was just ok. We had the monkey bread, dry, and the stuffed artichoke, which was soggy and not very good. The pizza was ok, but not for the price. I don't think we will be back. We really wanted this place to be great.
(2)
David S.

Great outdoor patio... It just took them 20 minutes to sit us when there were 2 empty tables for that long. Service? They do not know about it. Our waitress was aloof, forgot half of the order ( a pizza, mozzarella sticks and 4 beers) and didn't even apologize for screwing up. Lots of better pizza joints in the hood. Avoid this one.
(1)
Shannon F.

I would have given it five stars accept for it was a little expensive for a delivery pizza. Excellent pizza and great mozzarella sticks.
(4)
Christy S.

I really wanted to love this place, but sadly, that is not the case. I think the pizza was good, but just not my style of pizza. Ambiance was fine. Could def do without the tv screens. Wish them the best, but probs won't be back myself.
(3)
Drew H.

Spent a Sunday watching football at Roots not too long ago. Pizza was terrific and a great beer selection. Staff was very friendly.
(4)
jeff f.

Ok.. The pizza is great! But last night when I went after waiting 35 min for the Delicious Pizza, it wasn't what we ordered. The manager came out and apologized. Great! He then said the next round of drink were on the house! awesome! So we ate our salad and waited another 30 min for the Delicious Chicken, mushroom and spinach pizza! In all I was I little disappointed because we didn't get the next round for free $23 but we did get the $8 salad for free. When I asked the server he said oh that's all the manager could do. What?!? But the pizza is delicious. But the service isn't.
(3)
TONI B.

What a great place. So big and warm on the inside and the layout accommodates everyone. I noticed a family with children, a girls night out, a small birthday get together and then the people coming in to sit at the bar for Monday night football. The service was great ( Anthony) was so informative with everything from the beer to the salads and apps to the pizza. We had the pear salad !!!, it was excellent as was the pizza and the mozzarella sticks We will be back to work our way through the menu. .
(5)
Noomi J.

Average, especially at those prices. My group had the cheese pizza, mozz sticks, lollipop chicken, and shrimp. Mozz sticks were huge, which I liked haha. The pizza didn't wow me. I've had better.
(3)
Sarah E.

I haven't been this disappointed since I saw the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Every time I have passed by Roots I have noticed a fairly large crowd dinning there so I assumed that the pizza must be great. I was wrong. Even the mozzarella sticks were lackluster. The first order were cold in the middle and our replacement order was lukewarm. I was relieved when the pizza had arrived but after consuming two pieces I had realized that the pizza at Roots was nearly identical to Digiorno pizza. Why did I pay twenty three dollars for something I could have picked up at Dominicks?
(1)
Chris D.

Love the bar and love the layout of the place. Service is usually top notch as well. I believe the food will get better and better over time. You either love or hate their pizza. It's unique. It does me just just fine as I am not a big fan of Chicago pizza anyway, especially Lou Malnatis, which makes me puke just from smelling it. LOL! The only free pizza I will pass on is Lou's. Seriously stop by Roots, grab a beer or two or three....
(3)
Hatidza Z.

This place is pretty awesome! It's so large that I feel you'd get seated no matter when you go. I think the pizza is pretty fantastic, but it can be better. The monkey bread is yummy too! Plenty of beers to choose from and good service. It definitely a great place to go with friends and watch a game or just hang out. Also it's next door to Bleeding Heart Bakery, so in my book that's a huge plus!
(4)
Laura B.

I really enjoy the pepperoni pizza here. The crust is a great combination of soft and crunchy. The sauce on the pizza is a kind of spicy, but a nice change. Ive been there twice. Once I went in the winter and I felt the restaurant was very cozy and a great atmosphere. I recently visited on a somewhat chilly day this summer for lunch. The server nicely closed the windows but the AC was still blasting and it was FREEZING. It totally ruined the experience for me. Service was also pretty slow.
(3)
CK K.

Went in with the family. The mac and cheese and chicken fingers were a big hit with the kids. I had a bite of the chicken finger and it seemed to be a thin breaded cutlet of chicken breast with an italian seasoned bread crumb coating. It was good as afar as chicken fingers go. The adults had a salad excellent! and split a sausage mushroom pizza (16" $22). It was just ok. Kind of a heavy crust with a small amount of sauce and a load of mozzarella. The place is very nice inside and a huge choice of craft beers. If I go back I would stay away from the pizza and head straight for the beer and maybe a chicken finger.
(3)
McKenzie S.

Service started out so strong. Dan was the server. He had the greatest recommendations. We started with a mozzarella and avocado salad and some mozzarella sticks. Both were so good. Like really good. Then we got a pizza that was half BBQ and half taco. All of the sudden I felt that we were forgotten about. In their defense, it was after 10 pm on a Saturday and maybe they were sick of serving people. But, regardless, the pizza took forever and our drinks ran dry. I would probably go back again - especially if I had a large group. The space is HUGE and they have plenty of outdoor seating and lots of space for parties, etc.
(4)
Mx R.

Was there for dinner with my wife and 3yo daughter. It was a line to be sited out side- no problem we took a walk around the block and in 20 min received a text that our table is ready. After ONE HOUR!!! we got juice and beer, and some guy brought us pizza and chicken nuggets in another 20 min -had to go inside to pick up silver and napkins. Total: -Food and drinks- good as usually. -Very bad service!
(2)
Niki I.

Went on a Friday evening and the wait for 4 was supposed to be 45 to 60 minutes, however our table was ready in around 30. We have tried almost all the "top pizza" restaurants and this was by far the best pizza we have had. The crust was the best part! 12" pizza was enough for 2 people. We had the homestead pizza, if you can't handle spicy food ask for no giardiniera. They also had an extensive craft beer list.
(5)
Bella D.

I've enjoyed the drink specials here along with a huge choice of pizza combinations. Clean comfy large friendly pizza sports bar with a nice staff, good service and nice vibe of people. Check it out for your pizza sports fix.
(4)
Fred H.

Update: My opinion has changed here: I still like the neighborhood joint w/local brews idea, but after a couple of visits, I found myself wishing for some different selections, esp. on tap. I was excited to try the house-made pasta, but it ended up on my plate well beyond al-dente. That was the Fettuccini. When I ordered the Lasagne, my dining companion described the consistency as "tofu-like"; noodles were WAY overdone. I'd still come in for beer, or free pizza when they have it, but for me, it's not a food destination. (Their Michelin recommendation makes me wonder what the criteria are to get their endorsement.)
(3)
Grennan K.

Came here for a company meet. The Motz sticks are AMAZING. Just gushing with cheese. Of course there was a big party so we went all out with 3 large pies. Taco pizza tastes like a cheesey gordita crunch. Since I've discovered this & it's close to my office i'll meet clients there. Not a bad place. Although, lou malnati's will always have a place in my heart.
(3)
J. Chuck K.

My second trip here was a vast improvement from the first. Whereas last time the waitress had a a hard time serving just my friend and me, our waitress this time was on top of everything, even with our group of 8. The food did not disappoint either. Our appetizers were just as good if not better than my first visit. The BLT and BBQ pulled pork pizzas were delicious, light years better than the "The Mic". Finally getting a chance to try their house beer only enhanced my experience. I definitely plan on coming back.
(4)
Anna P.

I like their vegetarian pizza, its amazing. I also like that they cut the pizza in strips - its fun to eat, and tastes great.
(4)
Bob D.

Driving by on a regular basis I am amazed at how many people are hanging out here. There are choices. This pizza is even worse the second day, the cheese forms back into what looks and tastes like a bottle of Elmer's glue spilled on a giant piece of dough. Filling the middle one inch thick and half set. As you chew the cheese begins to soften up releasing its unfortunate flavor. I guess the people that hang here are more interested in finding that someone special than putting something good in their mouth.
(1)
Fariha N.

I went with a few of my friends for some dinner. The service was alright but we were a big party. I am a HUGE fan of the spinach artechoke dip, it might be the best I have ever had. I would highly recommend trying it out!
(4)
Madee M.

This is my go to pizza delivery. They are quick and the food is delicious. I have heard mixed things about the environment of the restaurant but their food is so tasty. I usually order the baby beet salad and a pizza (with cheese curds, it may seem redundant but its delicious). They are always 30 minutes earlier than they say they will be which is awesome (except when you are in the shower). I order from here regularly and highly recommend it.
(5)
Sarah B.

Best cheese sticks I've ever had! I love that the beer selection is so massive. The food is a little pricey, three beers, a 12" pizza, and cheese sticks for $52. Service was a-ok. Extensive list of toppings including various cheeses. They also have gluten free pizza.
(3)
Bobby D.

A rather unusual pizzeria, But good. The malt crust is worth trying.
(4)
Jackie L.

Thank you for the best delivery service I've received in Chicago!! Easy online order through Roots website, arrived 20 minutes early, super-friendly delivery driver, food was perfect (thanks for automatically putting dressing on the side) - and yes, the lasagna serves 3. I dine-in every couple months and have also had a great experience. Thanks Roots - you've remained consistent since opening!
(5)
S A.

Pizza is ok, mozzarella sticks were the best thing on the menu. Ordered the chicken tenders off the kids menu and these were nothing like I have ever seen before. It was more of a pounded chicken breast (not sure if there was any chicken involved) fried or something with odd italian seasoning for the coating. I don't know a single child who would eat this. I would consider changing the menu or having a better description as these are not chicken tenders and again my child will eat anything but not this dish.
(2)
Laura j.

I personally love the pizza here. I can see why it may not be some peoples favorite, but it is great quad city style pizza. They have really great drink specials during the week, and FREE pizza on Wednesday nights. Finally, the worlds best f*cking mozz sticks. Seriously, housemade mozzarella and they are huge. You must try them. Try an adult soda too!
(5)
Tammy J.

Had the build your own pizza and build your own salad yesterday. The food is pretty good, but the service was so-so and the food took a long time to come out. If the service improved a bit, it could be a top pizza place
(3)
Joanne G.

Pizza was OK, but too cheese-heavy. Plus, the thick crust and specialty "taco pizza" seemed like something you'd expect more from California Pizza Kitchen. Toppings on our second veggie pizza were sparse. Monkey bread was a table-pleaser, as was the house-made root beer. Greek-ish salad was decent. Ordered a bloody mary on special and what I got was full of curry without much other flavor. Had the table tent advertising a bloody mary special actually indicated it was a curry bloody mary, I would've steered clear. Undrinkable. Service was indifferent at best. So many other good pizza places in and around the city.
(2)
John U.

Fantastic pizza, the malt crust makes the pizza what it is. Great beer selection. Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota brews. Open area is never too loud. Bartenders are always friendly, never had bad service and I go monthly at least. Build a salad is fantastic. Points system is inconsistently rewarded and no way to track online but they DO offer rewards for frequent fliers, so that's a step above everybody else.
(5)
Morgan N.

Went to Roots last night and had a great time. The pizza was good. My date and I got a custom pizza with pepperoni, giardiniera and green peppers. The crust was thick and had a good flavor, the cheese was gooey, and the ingredients tasted fresh. We also had a few beers and I was very impressed with their selection, which is organized by state. Love! Also, the waiter we had was very friendly and we chatted about comedians for a few minutes. I would go there again.
(4)
Kelley C.

Maybe I don't like this place because i never developed a taste for cafeteria pizza in high school. Who knows. The rest of the place is fine, and I love this restaurant group...but Chicago has enough mediocre pizza....it doesn't need more.
(3)
Nelson B.

Great place for kids! Staff is extremely accommodating and friendly to children. In addition to the standard coloring menu/place mat with crayons, they offer up pieces of pizza dough that they can play with while waiting for the food (brilliant idea). They also have actual kids sippy cups with handles for drinks (not just the cheapo disposable kind). Overall a great experience, and of course the food is outstanding as usual... So, if you're looking for a place to dine with the kids where everyone can enjoy themselves, I'd highly recommend you check this place out.
(5)
Ryan N.

First taste of Chicago pizza. Best I've ever had! Mozzarella sticks were amazing. Guaranteed to come back next time I'm in Chicago.
(5)
Jerry M.

The Taco Pizza was surprisingly good! The toppings were just right and the crust was particularly noteworthy. I want to go back & have more of their pizzas. Service was quite good and our server was very friendly & helpful. Hard to believe that the place has only been open for two weeks!! Members of my party ordered a sandwich and a salad and reported them to be bland but all enjoyed the mozzarella sticks. We will go back but will probably focus on the pizzas. One more think, the beer list was impressive.
(4)
Dustin M.

One of my new favorite spots. Awesome Salads (you build it off the menu). I've had the pizza two times and it was perfect both times. Good Music, awesome staff, and great service. I will be back soon! This place was done right.
(5)
Tim W.

Their sausage pizza is awesome. Thick doughy crust and cheesy. I also had a build your own salad one afternoon for lunch. Good size and fresh ingredients. I ate out on the patio which was very sunny in the afternoon but lots of seating. Ate with the dog and there was plenty of room for her to lay down.
(4)
Patrick S.

Good Fresh Food Great service from Molly,our waitress A bit pricey, but for me well worth it. Get the cheese sticks for sure, and my girlfriend loved the taco pizza. The make your own salad was huge and delicious (definitely enough to share). The $3 calzones were amazing and a great price. We will be back soon!! Patrick Stern 6ringsent.com
(4)
Jennifer L.

Great service and great food! I had the sausage pizza and garlic cheese monkey bread. I had a krankshaft kolsch with my food - their beer menu is extensive! A bit pricey though...
(4)
sandra j.

Really wanted to like this place since it's close to home. Unfortunately we weren't impressed and the fact that it's overpriced means it probably won't get a second chance. I guess you either like their style of pizza or you don't. We didnt. The sausage appetizer came wrapped in almost raw pastry dough. And they brought the wrong one, to boot. I liked the corn and avocado salad but it was DRENCHED in dressing. I like my dressing--I am not a dressing on the side girl but this was even too much for me. With a couple beers our bill was $80+ and I don't know...that's just too much for a mediocre pizza place on a Tuesday night, right?
(2)
Little R.

Came here a few weeks ago on a Sunday. While I wasn't blown away by the pizza, the Green Goddess salad and cheesy monkey bread were pretty good. I'll definitely come back, if only for a place to hang out and drink from a nice selection of beers.
(4)
Alexa H.

Let me preface this by saying I have never eaten Quad Cities style pizza before. I have never been to the Quad Cities so if you know and love this style of pizza, maybe you will like Roots better than I did. Let me say, the beer list is great if a little pricey. Also awesome: the adult spiked sodas. One of my dining companions had one and it made me want to come back to try a different kind and eat more of the mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks are as amazing as you've heard and if you haven't heard, take it from me: these are so far from those icky frozen, tasteless, floppy mozzarella sticks they serve at places like TGIFridays. These are worth every penny of the $9 they charge. The pizza was underwhelming, though I did like the flavor of the crust. Very malty. Unfortunately, the special cheese blend had very little flavor. If this is the point of this style of pizza, I will pass. Probably forever. We did have a mild service issue that colored our experience. We were a large party and they offered us a table in the private dining room. Being hungry, we said okay. They led us to a private dining room which was filled with...noisy kids. I love kids, I work with them but this was like being trapped in a very loud children's party with no warning. We did complain after being seated, and the kids did go home early (it must have been past their bedtime) but I really would have liked a warning. We would have waited for a grown-up table.
(2)
Claire R.

Since this place opened I have been curious to try it out. So, i suggested it for my boyfriends birthday dinner last night. 15 minutes went by and the only person to approach the table was the bus boy to drop off water. It wasn't busy, we were in very plain sight and girls that were working in the section walked by a million times without any regard to say as much as "hello" or "be with you guys in a sec". Our party ended up heading over to High Dive and getting drinks, dinner and great service. Not to mention the music was awesome. I've worked in the Chicago service industry for nearly 10 years. Service like that is pretty unforgivable if you ask me. As far as the food and beer... wouldn't know. Maybe they should try training their staff...
(1)
Rasmus P.

Good Pizza - yes! Best pizza - no! Over prized - probably! Good Beer list - absolutely! Over prized beers - yes! Try it - well you have to try everything once, so go ahead and try it and be reassured that Piece is still the best pizza / beer combo in Chicago...
(3)
Nikki Y.

Since the opening of Roots, this side of Ukrainian Village has gotten busier. Every night I pass this place, it seems to be packed; so, my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try. We gave them a call to place an order for pick up. First try, the girl at the front desk put us on hold. Six minutes later, we realized she had forgotten we'd called. A bit annoyed, we hung up and tried again. A different girl placed our order immediately and told us it would take about 25-30 minutes. No big deal. Then we get to the restaurant to pick up our food. "That'll be $44, please." Wait, what? $44 for a 12-inch pizza, a spinach and baby beet salad, and the garlic monkey bread!? Are they serious? At this point, we were crossing our fingers hard that the food would be so good that it would be worth the $44. Boy, were we wrong. Here's the rundown: 12" pizza with chicken, roasted corn, carrots, and jalapeÃ±os - Bland. I known what you're thinking. How can a pizza with so many flavors be bland? It really was. The jalapeÃ±os had no heat (and honestly tasted more like standard green peppers), the chicken was eh, and the other vegetables added nothing but texture. As far as the famous "quad cities" style crust, it was really nothing special. Certainly not anything to shout about. Garlic monkey bread - Yet another famous item on the menu. First of all, it was a little larger than a hockey puck and looked like a big, dry corn muffin. Except, it wasn't even as good as a big, dry corn muffin. The exterior was dry and the interior was decent, but there was no real garlic taste. Instead, they had a garlic sauce and marinara sauce on the side. The marinara was decent, but the garlic sauce was way too garlicky and salty. Now, the spinach and beet salad. How about we just call it a chopped beet salad with extremely watery dressing (that was a little sweet, to be honest) and browning pears (along with goat cheese and pistachios) all served on a bed of uncut spinach leaves. Enough said. I really hate writing such a terrible review on a local business, but I was extremely disappointed on three different levels--service, price, and quality of food. Though the restaurant seems to have a great atmosphere to hang out and drink at on a nice summer day, I will likely not be returning in the near future, not for eating anyways (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for their drinks).
(1)
Gen L.

It makes me super sad to read some of these reviews about Roots, as I've never experienced half of these issues and I'm madly in love with this place. Seriously. In love with it. That's why I'm there twice a week, the entire staff knows my son, some of the servers know my order by heart and I talk about it all of the time. Yes, we've been to Roots on a night and at a time when the kitchen couldn't handle how busy they were. No, it wasn't fun to deal with our toddler while waiting over an hour for our pizza. But that's nothing compared to all of the good stuff. First off, the build your own salads are fabulous. The options seem relatively endless, you'll most likely not know what to put on there and it might overwhelm you. I'll give you a few pointers - the beets are delicious as are the roasted corn, red peppers and pita chips. Secondly, the roasted red pepper and spinach dip as an appetizer is worth ordering. Combine that with a salad? You've got an entree if you don't want pizza. And thirdly? Roots is the only place in the Chicago area to serve crumbled sausage pizza. If you've never had it, you want it. Someone said that the pizza here tastes like Papa Johns and I have to respectfully disagree. I mean, I'm not Papa John's aficionado but I had it a few times while obliterated in collage and I don't remember it being like Roots... It's not expensive, the beer list is wonderful (local - YUM), the atmosphere is pretty fly and for a new restaurant, they're doing a great job.
(5)
Brent W.

Roots is taking on a phenomenon that's becoming all too common of late with the "burger/pizza" joints I've been dining at. OVER-PRICED! One way they accomplish this is by capitalizing on revenues in only giving you TWO pizza size options, yes Tee Double You Oh!...so if you are solo, you're screwed...the bare minimum you'll pay is $16 for a pizza (ONE topping, 12")! Each topping alone is $2 and above, so start at $16 and go up. Also, with regard to revenues, they're quite clever with their take$ on alcohol...I'm pretty sure the glasses they use for draft beer are in fact 12 oz and not a Pint and they start at 5$.....the minimum you will pay for a glass of Red is 8$ for a meager pour of Malbec (served in a small white wine style glass), the only one at that price point. The other Red's available (Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cab, etc) are $9 -$10 and above. Again, I just feel that they are nickle and diming you at every turn, no customer wants to feel that way and makes you not want to spend your money there. All righty then, now that that's out of the way. The pizza. It's pretty good and suffice to say pretty unique. The only comparison I can make is Pizza Metro, and not bc of the buttery crust. More bc the topping I chose which was sausage, was EXACTLY like that of Pizza Metro (and that one NY style pizza joint on Clark street)...that is to say, finely diced, which I happen to really like. Even though the crust wasn't the buttery type of Metro, it did taste very similar to it and the thickness of said crust was in line with Metro too....ok, enough of the Metro comparisons. I also did something that I've never ever done with pizza and very rarely do with any type of food...and that is send it back. This was for a simple fix though...the cheese was *just* barely melted through and white as white will allow....I happen to like a nice caramelized cheese on my pizza, SOZ. However, they sorted it out it quick fashion no questions asked. The Beer: the list is fairly extensive, their house brew a Two Brother's version specifically brewed for Roots, was excellent. The Verdict. I'll be back. Not often but will at some point.
(3)
Kelly S.

Great beer list and I really liked the interior of the bar/restaurant. My husband is from the QCA and thinks the pizza is better than what they have back home. I thought it was good, but realize its not typical Chicago pizza. If your gold standard is Lou Malnati's or Gino's, this is not your place. The crust is sweeter and I thought it was finished to perfection. Our order came out of the kitchen slow. Without any prompting, Ryan (a manager) apologized and offered to comp us the entire meal (including drinks). We told him that we were not looking for a free meal and said it wasn't necessary, but he insisted that we not pay because of their delay. I think that this is a great place to drink and people watch. I also really enjoyed the pizza.
(5)
Mark K.

I've never taken a strong stance in the "Pizza Wars", but a new challenger has emerged. From the quad cities? A WORTHY OPPONENT! It takes a LOT to impress me when it comes to pizza, no matter which geographic region it hails from or how thick or thin it may be. A good pizza, one that stands out, is a rarity in my world. Roots' sausage pizza has entered the upper echelon. I just couldn't stop eating it! The crust really rises above all else (pun very much intended). It has the perfect texture with an amazing balance of crunch and chewiness. And the malt amplifies the bread-y flavor to the next level. Sausage is normally my least favorite ingredient but this version satiates with a pleasant flavor and how fine it's chopped. The house beer also compliments the malty crust extremely well; refreshes and intrigues the palette. The sweet potato tater tot side is plenty for 2 people and so crunchy and perfect. The inside bar booths are big and super comfortable. It's really spacious inside and service was quite adequate (and attractive) on a sparse Tuesday night. NOM'd: Sausage Pizza + Sweet Potato Tater Tots + Roots House Brew
(5)
Shannon C.

Big bar with a lot of comfy booths, good beer list, the taco pizza and monkey bread are great. Good outdoor space. Kid friendly. A neighborhood go to spot.
(4)
Andrew V.

Checked out Roots after helping a friend move. Our server Danielle was great, and she convinced us to get the mozzarella sticks (more like mozzarella pillars of awesome). The 16" pizza was perfect for the 4 of us, and the crust had just the right amount of chew. Danielle told us about fun-sounding grown-up sodas with a candy theme: Adult Root Beer, Big League Chew, Sour Patch Kids? But I don't drink, so I went with the "kid root beer", in a bottle, and it was the perfect beverage for enjoying the summer evening in Roots' outdoor seating. Roots, I shall return with more frands.
(4)
Sarah L.

When I moved to Chicago from New England, I knew it would be challenging to find actual pizza. And, for two years, I was sort of right. Sure, Piece Pizza and Spacca Napoli are fabulous places for actual thin crust pizza, but Roots blew my mind. My husband and I went to Roots last night with my bro-in-law, all of us praying we were going to have good pizza. Since my bar is set low for Chicago, I was expecting a good pie. I did NOT expect one of the best pizza crusts I have ever had. EVER. The sauce is homemade and fabulous. Not too spicy, not too sugary or bland. It is what pizza sauces all around the world wish they could be. The crust is epic. Really, there is no other way to describe it. Pizza crust should be able to stand on its own, and Roots has accomplished that. It holds up with toppings and is crusty yet soft on the inside. Appropriately, pillowy soft, and perfectly cooked, with the malt that gives it such depth that you just want to keep eating it. We all tried different pizzas. I went with Italian beef (yes, Italian beef on pizza!), my husband chose pepperoni and pepperoncini, and my bro-in-law went with the taco pizza. We all fell in love. I am now convinced that Italian beef is the ONLY meat topping for pizza. We also tried their mozzarella sticks for an appetizer. I was nervous because they make their own mozz in house so I was concerned that it would hold up. Again, I was happily wrong. They were not greasy, like most mozzarella sticks can be, and the cheese was creamy and perfect. The breading was very light and didn't overwhelm the cheese, which is another flaw usually in getting mozzarella sticks in restaurants. We sat indoors, so I can't speak for outside seating, but I appreciated sitting in the back room near the kitchen. I loved watching the kitchen, and so did most of the other patrons we were seated near. So, in the end, Roots has ended my quest for pizza in Chicago. This is it for me. I don't need to go anywhere else, and more importantly, I don't want to. I just wished we lived closer. I just can't wait to take out-of-town visitors so they can appreciate this new Chicago gem.
(5)
Sebastian W.

What can i say!!! Pizza from roots is amazing as well as the beers on tabs. Nice clean spot. The server was nice as well. Deff would come back for more pizza.
(5)
Rachele R.

Good pizza! GREAT BEER!! It was a little bit pricey but worth it. I have to say it was just a tad loud...I didn't realize there was a DJ spinning tracks on the 1's and 2's...in a pizza joint. Different, but cool! Just a tad loud.
(4)
Steven B.

I am a huuuge fan of Quad City DJ's. And not just their 1996 breakout single "C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train)"-- I celebrate their entire catalog! For my money, when they spit the lyric: "graduated from Boone's, up to Alize," it just doesn't get any better than that. So if Bettendorf pizza joints are "Boone's [farm]" then Root's pizza is Alize. If you don't like Alize, perhaps you'll like Matilda...ON TAP! Bam, girly girl!!! At $8, you can't afford not to. The craft beer selection is outstanding. The pizza is good. Despite how fat and drunk you are, a 16" pizza is just too big for the two of you. Go for the 12" Fine yelp, filter this review. I don't even care, cuz I found a new joint in my hood. And also, I'm drunk.
(5)
Mollie H.

This review is for our delivery order. I'd been looking forward to trying this place for awhile now. After a long day we decided we wanted to order a pizza in. Unfortunately the ONLY thing the West Loop is lacking is good pizza that delivers. We are one block out of the Piece delivery area and that is absolutely heartbreaking. Therefore I was excited that Roots delivered to us. I ordered the smallest pizza (12 inch which said it fed 2-3) with half sausage. I wanted to add an app but it seemed like $8.00 was a bit too much for a fried ravioli app when I've had outstanding ones in the area for much less. I wanted to keep my pizza delivery order under $30 and that wasn't going to happen if I added that on. When I ordered online I was sort of unsure if I was choosing the right "extra" options by clicking LT SAUSAGE to make my pizza 1/2 sausage so I called. The guy explained that I did but that my order hadn't been released yet and wouldn't be for another 10 minutes or so. He wanted to know if I wanted to go ahead and release it right then.... uh, yeah. Usually when I place an order I don't want it to linger in space for about 10-15 minutes before the people acknowledge it. Anyways...... An hour or so later the pizza came. Supposedly the guy had been waiting by our door. We asked why he didnt call... he didnt have a cell phone... okay.... The pizza was cold. The pizza was 3/4 sausage - my cheese half was non-existent. I was not pleased as I dislike sausage. Also.. this pizza would maybe feed 2-3 not hungry 4 year olds. Not 2-3 normal people. We weren't full and with the $3.00 delivery charge (then $3.00 tip bc I have to tip) and tax... our 12 inch cold pizza was about $25.00 total. I felt quite ripped off. Maybe I'd go there and try something else, but this pizza is way overpriced. I still have a bitter taste in my mouth over it. Piece.. come one more block ... please?! I'll even pay Roots overpriced prices.
(2)
Colleen R.

Since it opened a few months ago, Roots has joined our rotation of a small but select group of nearby restaurants that we consider when we're looking for a consistently reliable place for dinner on our occasional lazy no-cooking nights. The pizza may have some detractors. First, it's definitely pricey. Unless you want one of their few predetermined combination pizzas (like Taco or BLT), each topping for a build-your-own will run you $1.50 apiece. As for the crust, I can understand why it's so polarizing, but I'm a fan of its almost sweet taste. Same with the Northerner's Salad that's topped with cherries and candied walnuts -- you can set them aside and eat them for dessert. The drink menu definitely needs improvement -- if you don't want beer, you can choose from a few wines by the glass or "adult sodas" -- full-sized plastic glasses of flavors like Big League Chew or Sour Patch Kid that set you back 12 bucks. Seriously, can we get some grown-up drinks, please? I'll stop my whining, though, because when ordered right, Roots really hits the spot. Also rounding up to 4 stars for having rehabbed an abandoned storefront and for helping to bring Bleeding Heart Bakery (right next door) to the 'hood.
(4)
Bree S.

Sorry, Roots, you've been demoted. The first time I went (see below), I was in love with this place. They could do no wrong. The next couple times, the service was slow, drinks took awhile to be delivered, but they still had my full support (and my five star review). Today, we ordered delivery. Shortly after our phone call, they called back and were confused about our address. (We live less than a mile away.) After sorting everything out, we started to worry that our hangover cure might be delayed. 30 minutes later, we got another call...they were apologetic but admitted that the order wasn't prepared because of the confusion. "It will be there in ten minutes." Twenty minutes later, we called again. We got *another* apology and were told "twenty minutes." Thirty minutes later, we had our pizza. The reason I'm still giving them three stars is because the order was comped and I do still LOVE the pizza. But TWO HOURS for a pizza to be delivered is insanity. Beware. ****************************************** I'm a Quad Cities girl. I served taco pizza at my wedding. I was ready to judge this place harshly. Not gonna happen. My husband and I stopped in around 4 PM on a Sunday. Nice crowd, but not too crazy. Our waitress was sweet, the space was fun, we were huuuungry. Started off with the avocado, tomato, mozzarella salad. My husband claimed it was the best salad he's ever eaten. Pretty sure I agree. When the taco pizza was delivered to our table, I felt like I was home. This is Harris pizza, people. I was always more of a Happy Joe's fan, but Roots might change that. From the ambiance, to the waitstaff, to the food...I'm hooked. addicted. in love. I will be back, often.
(3)
David K.

What a great place. They have a bar that is gorgeous and bigger than the dining room. A separate dining room was super kid friendly. If your little ones get bored they can watch them make pizza in the kitchen. They make their own root beer which I believe is how they got the name. They also have a huge selection of beers including local varieties on tap. Check out the complete list of food and drinks on the menu at their web site.
(4)
Brittany B.

I feel like I'm betraying my native Chicago roots by saying this....but I think I have found my favorite kind of pizza ever - Quad Cities style! I'm ADDICTED to Roots' pizza. I can't get enough of the delicious, slightly sweet crust, the deep rich sauce and plentiful cheese. This place is NOT CHEAP, but if you want for-sure-delicious pizza and lots of other good options, this is the perfect place! Glad to have them in our neighborhood! To make up for the sligh priciness, they've implemented a new "rewards" program for us addicts, so now I can afford to keep up my weekly Roots habit!
(4)
Heather G.

GREAT beer list! All sort of local beers with lengthy descriptions. GREAT pizza!! The pizza is super yummy. The one downfall is the high price and the lack of "special pizzas" Nothing compared to a supreme, just veggie and BLT and stuff like that. I don't like having to build my own pizza very much. Good service GREAT SALAD!!!!! had something with nuts and pears and was delicious LOTS of outdoor seating or seating next to a window is a plus. Big screen tvs :) Good for dates, families, or large groups!
(4)
Oscar G.

Good food but bad service outdoors. Never got refills with water and I never received my second beer.
(1)
Lou L.

I realize it's not very fair to give a rating to a place thts been open for a week, but as I sit here rolling around in pain emanating from my roots pizza filled stomach I can't help but to rate the establishment which will likely lead to my demise tonight. The sausage pizza was just plain gross. Not enough sauce and the sausage was so crumbly and strange that I actually took it off- meaning I mostly ate just saucy bread. Service was bad. They've got 20 servers/bussers just standing around the bar, yet nobody to bring you the hot sauce you asked for twice or to let you know your pizza will likely take 45 minutes to reach your table. As I mentioned before, I'm pretty sure I have food poisoning from this place. And if this isn't food poisoning, its still a horrible reaction for my body to be having. My stomach sounds like an aquarium. So go to roots, if you want to spend at least $20 on a 16 inch pizza and if you don't value your bowels.
(1)
Adrian A.

At $30 for a pizza, you'd expect something AMAZING. Instead, I just felt stupid for ordering it. Maybe if I had some kind of quad-cities nostalgia thing going on, I'd get it and love it, but since I'm a transplant to Chicago from Southeast Michigan and had no clue what the hell the waitress meant when she said, "We're a quad-cities pizza place!" with expectant eyes as though that meant something to me, I guess I just can't appreciate it. When I went during their opening week, it was full of people gushing quad-cities memories and trying to out quad-city each other by naming obscure small colleges or restaurants. We ordered the taco pizza, which I'm told is important or significant in some way to the quad-city crowd, but it needed some serious doctoring with taco sauce and sour cream to be tasty. Half a star: The garlic cheese monkey bread was pretty good, but still, not worth the price. Half a star: The beer list is a good Midwest selection (OMG, did I mention quad-cities!) but their featured mixed drinks were weak and over-priced. One star: The service was good and cheery and acknowledged/adjusted for the wind blowing the crushed Doritos off our pizza, although the chef kept visiting the tables of aforementioned quad-cities lovers and ignoring us because we weren't declaring our love for the quad-cities loudly enough. It all finally made sense when I noticed the chef had his Fifty/50 chef's coat on. Unless a hugely-devoted and upwardly-mobile fan base of quad-city douchebags relocates quickly to replace the hipsters, Eastern Europeans, and working-class people here, I don't see Roots lasting too long in Ukrainian Village.
(2)
Justin L.

What a disappointment! I ordered pizza with sausage and extra cheese. Not only was the sausage cooked under the cheese (why?), thereby causing the cheese to fall right off the slice, but it was ground sausage. This was a fork and knife pizza because there was no way to possible pick up the slice. In total, low-quality, flavorless meat, unappetizing cheese, an insufficient amount of sauce, razor sharp crust, and an all around poor excuse for pizza. Sure, it's a nice bar, but I came here for pizza and will doubtfully ever return. Better off going to Piece on North Ave. or BYOB at Paul & Monica's on Chicago Ave.
(1)
Stef C.

Other than the place being really nice its not that great. Irony I ate a hot dog not pizza and it wasn't good. I enjoy the hot dogs more at 7-Eleven than I did here. I will be going back for their $3 Cazadores Tequila shots on Wednesdays :P
(2)
Eric V.

Let me preface this review with the following: -Pizza is very particular to it's consumer and what one person thinks is awesome another would trade in for Tombstone. With that in mind let me say that what they've created here is very unique to the area. Being able to watch the kitchen staff hand toss and finish each pizza is a nice touch. It certainly helps calm the children as you wait. Great idea putting the children / family room near the kitchen window as well. The pizzas while very creative in design was mediocre at best. You can certainly tell that they are trying to pull off unique pizza recipes such as buffalo chicken and taco but in the end it's just not what I'd order when looking for pizza. The ambiance and beer selection on the other hand is exactly what I've come to expect from a pizza / bar joint. While my review here isn't impressive I must honestly say I hope that their menu gets adjusted a bit as I'd love to come here again when it has something I'd really like sinking my teeth into.
(2)
Linda S.

Hosted a birthday party here for 40 people. Spinach Artichoke dip and lollipop wings were a huge hit along with the Greek ish salad and pizza - Lilli's Q ( bbq topping ), mushroom / green pepper and cheese. The buffet table was attractive and never short on food! Wait staff was outstanding - don't know how they kept track of everyone's drink order with all of us milling around! Catering staff was great to work with and had some good suggestions. Best part was getting the birthday cake and cupcakes delivered and set up from their bakery ( West Town ) next door.
(4)
Katie W.

Great place for group dinners! A bunch of girlfriends and I went to Roots Friday night for a girls night dinner. They were great and took reservations, which I always appreciate on a Friday night. We got there and were shocked at how big it is, and a great atmosphere. This would be a perfect Sunday funday bar for football games :) The manager was awesome and brought us a round of shots right as we sat down for "being attractive"... a litlte cheesy yes, but was very sweet. Later we got to talking and told him one of the girls was getting married in a week, so he sent over another round of shots. Whatever the pear shot was - DELICIOUS! We ordered a varity of pizzas and all were great, but were a little bummed that they were out of the garlic monkey bread we heard so much about :( Will definitely go back!
(4)
Natalie R.

HORRIBLE service! After our group of 7 asked to move to a bigger table, the menus were literally thrown at us on the table. The waitresses all gave us dirty looks and whispered to each other. And after we finally received our food, it took forever for the waitress to check in with us. At one point we had all waited such a long time for drinks that we had to waive down another waitress to go look for ours. Overall, mediocre food, horrible service, not a place I'll be coming back to.
(2)
Katie N.

I have to say I'm really shocked at all the negative reviews of this place! A friend and I went on a Sunday evening around 7:30. The hosts were busy filling 2 carryout orders, and this is my one complaint about our experience... We stood directly in front of them (the hosts) for several minutes before anyone acknowledged us. I'd wager it was at least 10 minutes we stood there, before one said anything to us. We mentioned we'd been standing there for several minutes, to which some jerk host/manager (I don't know what he was) said in a very exasperated tone "We are REALLY sorry about that, but as you can see we're VERY busy with takeout orders right now!" As if its my fault you can't take the 14 seconds to say 'Hi, I'll be right with you...' That being said, everything else about this place rocked... There was about a 15 - 20 minute wait, but there was some space at the bar, so we checked out the beer/drink list. Pretty great list of beers, and their speciality cocktails were fun and delish! The bartender that served us was uber great and friendly. She gave us some shots on the house for no apparent reason, other than to be nice. When my friend was trying to decide on a beer, the bartender just gave her a sample of one to try. Not many bartenders do that in this city - She was awesome!! The food we ordered was quite good. I'd absolutely order everything again. We had the fried ravioli, a pizza, and the chocolate cake (Not exactly the healthiest meal of our lives...). Our fab server, Leslie, told us they make their own cheese & sausage in house. Pretty cool. We loved the food! The big oversized cushy booths were awesome. The light fixtures were fun. Drinks were very strong. Great beer list. Service was fantastic (minus the hosts). No reason not to at least try it! I'll def be back!
(5)
Tu'ens N.

I just personally didn't like the pizza. It's really cheesy with cheese that is just like a uniform white across the top; the crust isn't very flavorful. The sauce -- this is not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation -- tastes a lot like I remember Pizza Hut's sauce to taste. I kind of liked that last time I was at Pizza Hut 10 years ago to be honest. Anyways, then the toppings aren't very good. The "chicken chorizo" was terrible. It tasted very similar to that Old El Paso taco seasoning mix. The sausage that they were all hyping was boring and was that sort of ground-beef style sausage covering the whole pizza that I think is gross. The veg one was not great. The all cheese was gross cause its a lot of cheese that is just barely melted. I did not factor service into my one star because if I had, we would have been deep in negative star territory, and I am chalking it up to growing pains. That said, when I ate there, they apparently hadn't numbered the outdoor tables, because literally every single time the runners came out from the kitchen they stood there and had no idea where to take the food. This is over the course of the two-plus hours we were there. They took guesses and gave us the wrong stuff and gave ours to someone else. Ultimately we got what we ordered and got someone else's for free to compensate, but they need to get that part of the act together. Unfortunately I think it's a little bit expensive for pizza, even if it were good, so we are down to just one lonely star. Good beer list.
(1)
Matt S.

I have been here a bunch of times and every time was great. The pizza is unlike anything in Chicago. It's not "chicago style" but it sure is delicious. I suggest building your own or the Taco Pizza. The cheese sticks are the best I've ever had. But if you get them, order a salad after...they fill you up! Or just order them and then decide what else you want. The beer selection is also great. Our bartender, Kevin, did a great job giving us suggestions on what to drink. Tons of craft brews and local options. The atmosphere is so friendly and welcoming as well. Good for families, young adults and just about anyone. I love sitting at the bar when the Hawks or Bulls are on. Overall, great place with good food. Some of the best pizza in town!!
(5)
Jennifer P.

On visit #2, we tried more of the menu and found out how much the food really sucks. The mini calzones were gross. I ordered 3 and were surprised by the size, but they might as well have been small because I only had a few bites. The crust wasn't cooked all the way and the fillings were accompanied by a tomato juice. Crumbly sausage is too mealy. And the spinach artichoke one was just the dip inside an undercooked crust. The worst part was the sauce they want you to dip it in. A spicy ketchup Turns out it is also their pizza sauce which explains a few things. Husband had an Italian sandwich. Shoulda gone to Fiore's. It would have been better and not $11. I would have given them less stars but the mozzarella sticks were awesome and the waitress was great.
(2)
Patrick C.

I recently ordered pickup here to try it out. I ordered online. When ordering you select a time for pickup that are listed in half hour increments. I placed my order at 8:40, and the soonest I would be allowed to pickup my order was 9:30, almost an hour later. Not quick, but hey, not unreasonable I supposed. Until I got to the place. I was (not) greeted by a hostess who was too disinterested in life to even hold her head up. She mumbled something and had me sign to pay for my order. She then went to check on my food. She came back about 5 minutes later (the kitchen is nowhere near the front) saying it would be ready soon. She then sank back into here chair and resumed her crippling depression. I was not offered a place to sit and there was no clear waiting area other than the bar and some dirty tables. By this time it was 9:40. Fast forward 15 minutes. The hostess with the mostess sits a couple who walked in, and apparently decided it would be a good time to check on my food. She comes back and presents me with my pizza. It is now 9:58, Almost 30 minutes after my order was scheduled to be ready, and 1 hour and 18 minutes since my order was placed. At least I could count on a fresh hot pizza. I took the pizza home (5 minutes away) and oh man, what a surprise. I wouldn't say it was cold, but it had clearly spent some time under a heat lamp. The exposed sauce and crust were basically half dried out. Either Roots has developed a new way to make fresh pizza taste old, or I waited a half hour for no apparent reason other than the hostess had no clue and there is no clear line of communication from the kitchen to the front. And by the way, the pizza itself, even considering it was not fresh, was mediocre. Cutting it "quad city style" apparently doesn't make it taste better, and "malt crust" probably is less awesome when heated/re-heated to stone. Avoid the place.
(1)
Su S.

I usually don't travel outside of a 2 block radius for pizza. I have a pizza place on the corner and I'm not too good for the frozen section at the grocery store. I do not regret travelling more than 2 blocks for this pizza. We got toasted raviolis as our appetizer. Why don't more pizza places have toasted raviolis on the menu? They're delicious. I like crumbled sausage rather than big chunks of sausage on pizza. The crust is pretty tasty and there was so much cheese. I got a couple of their speciality cocktails. Also good but a bit overpriced. I like the big booths. I'm not sure if the benches on the ends of the booths are for big groups or if they go somewhere else when its crowded. They're also right next to Bleeding Heart Bakery. They have a couple Bleeding Heart items on their dessert menu or you can do what we did, which is stop in for a to go dessert since we were stuffed with pizza.
(4)
Mariah C.

I'm from the Quad Cities originally, so when we headed to this Ukranian Village spot for my boyfriend's birthday, I was prepared to be critical. I grew up with Harris Pizza back home, and I've had my fair share of the Wise Guys and Uncle Bill's that are its descendants. But QC pizza in Chicago? It was great-- it tastes just like the home grown original. We had the Taco (a nod to QC's taco inventor Happy Joe), BLT, Sausage and Pepperoni. I have to say that the pepperoni was my favorite-- a delicious classic. My boyfriend even contends that the crust at Roots is better than what we get back home-- slightly firmer and maltier, which allows is to hold up better as you sling it toward your face for a bite. Another member of our party found it to be slightly less greasy than the original QC pizza. I was also impressed by their huge selection of Midwestern beers. The place itself is pretty great-- a huge, open space with lots of room to dine, drink or both-- and the service was friendly. I'd definitely go back.
(4)
Tony D.

The pizza here is awesome. I prefer it over Piece for pizza. It's probably the best in the neighborhood and they have a great variety of beer on top. The place is the spot and there is usually a wait on the weekends and it's worth it.
(4)
Atul J.

There's a reason no one has ever heard of "Quad-city pizza." After reading about this place in the latest issue of Chicago magazine I browsed the website for Roots Handmade Pizza and hungrily added it to my list of places to try out. I decided to force my friend in joining me for some take out: one large "Garden" pizza (hold the olives and add onions) and one tomato, avocado, and mozzarella salad. We were told that the order would be ready in 20 minutes. 25 minutes later we arrived at the restaurant and ended up having to wait over 10 minutes for what turned out to be a pizza well on it's way to room temperature. At least I had an interesting conversation with the woman at the door. She gave me a thorough lecture on the background of the "Quad-city pizza." Back at home, starving, we eagerly opened the box to reveal: a large pizza, overloaded with toppings and a mountain of cheese, and a disgusting crust that was as soggy as wet one-ply toilet paper. I'm serious- picking up a slice led to an avalanche of slimy toppings and cheese sliding right off the tepid and thin crust.The cheese was bland and while the olives were left off as requested, they forgot to add the onions. As my friend described it, it was "like four-day old cafeteria pizza." The salad, on the other hand, was delicious yet over priced at $12. I will never eat at this place or order from there again. Too bad because they seem to have a great beer list.
(1)
Alana G.

I really enjoy Roots as an overall package. An unpretentious environment where you can catch a game on TV or sit and talk with friends. The food is great and the prices are reasonable. I love their make-your-own-salads! The list is so extensive, I can't think of any additional toppings I would even want on my salad! Their sweet potato tots are AMAZING. Their homemade sausages are delicious, try one with a corn dog wrap too. Their pizza is pretty darn good. Not my favorite (and I have never been to the Quad-Cities so can't discuss with experience) but still pretty good! My husband loves their Italian Beef Sandwich. Their beer list is fantastic, and I have been enjoying systematically trying all of them! Oh, and you must try their homemade Root Beer - YUM! Overall, this is one of my favorite places to go for a good salad and a beer, or to share a pizza with friends.
(4)
Aaron L.

5* Mozzarella Sticks 1.5* Wings 3.5* Pizza with diced tomatoes, mushrooms, lamb sausage 3.5* Crust
(3)
Ariane S.

Not from the Quad-City, so no I don't understand any of the jokes going on in the place but I did understand the build your own salad and loved it. You are able to put basically anything you want into the salad for only $8 which clearly makes me a fan. Plus the Cilantro Vinaigrette is to die for. The pizza is nothing to write home about. It honestly tasted pretty similar to a frozen pizza which was a little upsetting since we paid $1.50 for every topping we put on the freaking thing (absurd). But I would go back for the salad definitely. Especially since I have a friend who likes to control every aspect of her salad and not get dressing. (Looks like we won't be fighting about where to eat anymore!)
(3)
Imran A.

updating my rating with a caveat. they make awesome salad's (our go to place for a quick week night dinner) and the bartenders great. Still not sure about the pizza though.
(4)
Nathan F.

I loved this place. I would give Roots a 5 star review, but my first experience was during the soft opening, so I don't know how that will compare with future experiences. If they continue to churn out such high quality, I will re-visit this review to give it the 5 stars it merits. Food: The homemade mozzarella is the key to all their best dishes, from the mozzarella sticks to the pizza. Roots has clearly invested a ton of time into perfecting very basic recipes with high quality ingredients. Simple, but superb. My fiance and I tried the Lollipop Wings and Mozzarella Sticks for appetizers and we were thoroughly impressed. The Mozzarella Sticks are HUGE, but they are prepared from scratch and suprisingly well-seasoned -- not greasy or bland like most restaurants. For dinner, we tried a pizza with half of regular sausage and half chicken chorizo sausage. Looking back, we should have just stuck with a full sausage pizza -- the original and Roots' specialty. I have never had "Quad City Style" pizza, but if Roots' pizza is representative -- I AM HOOKED. The crust is malty, doughy, and crispy in a perfect balance. The sauce is spicy without overwhelming the other subtle flavors, like the oregano smoothly integrated into the mouth-watering homemade mozzarella. Even the sausage is remarkable -- crumbled spicy and savory sausage pieces are sprinkled throughout the entire pizza, instead of the huge globs of amorphous sausage found on most pizza. 5 stars are well-deserved here. Along the lines of the meal, the beer selection is truly jaw-dropping -- 10+ Midwest Regional Microbrews on tap (Point Belgian White from WI was my favorite) and around 50 bottle selections. I will be back just for the beer selection. 5+ stars. Love it. Service: I would probably have given the service a 3 if it hadn't been for the manager and owner stopping by to say hello. Our waitress was a space-cadet and remarkably awkward in a manner that bordered on pushy. To be honest, if you told me she was stoned, I wouldn't have been suprised. On the other hand, they did just open, so it may just be a hiccup. The fact that the owners and manager stopped by our table was very nice and they even noted that we should stop in the kitchen to say hello next time. Overall, this is probably 3 or 4 stars. Ambiance: Think of a loud, lively gastropub experience without it being overwhelming. The open window booths, garage doors, and re-purposed original wood-paneling (salvaged/restored from original 100 year old building) gives the restaurant an authentic gritty feel, but still maintains a very classy vibe. This also has potential as a late-night bar scene, since it's open until 2 am. The rooftop opens in 5 weeks. I'm a fan -- 5 stars. Overall, I loved my experience at Roots and I can't wait to see what they do with the opening of Bleeding Heart Bakery next door. This is a pizza place with so much more -- definitely give it a shot the next time you're in the mood for a great microbrew and handmade pizza.
(4)
Kelly K.

To be honest.. The food is ok at best, the service is slow, the acoustics are terrible so it is extremely loud, and it is overpriced. Simple as.
(2)
Samuel W.

We showed up at this place because it was on the route for the "Chiditarod Race" expecting to find exactly what we found, a bunch of young singles in silly costumes drinking beer and over flowing onto the sidewalks. What we didn't expect was that we were sat right down at a comfortable table and given warm friendly and very quick service despite the malay! Then the best part.....The food that comes out of this kitchen is exactly what they promise, Home made, from scratch, Chef driven, delicious comfort food at a VERY reasonable price. To boot, the bloody mary I ordered to wash it all down that was garnished with some fresh pulled mozzarella cheese and dried smoky sausage of some sort was the best I've had in a LONG time! I should have just started by saying that!! Yup, we'll be back and we are the toughest and snobiest critics around....... -GOTC
(4)
J O.

Went with the stuffed artichoke app and it was a mess to eat so we were glad that we got the order to go. Flavors were great but as with most artichokes, it was tuff to find much 'meat' and just a vehicle for the breadcrumbs filling. The taco pizza was very good with a nice chewy crust but our favorite was the tomato, mozzarella, avocado salad. The cilantro dressing was superb but did have a tendency to overwhelm the veggies,so go easy with it. In the end, it is a bit pricey for pizza and salad, so we probably won't frequent the place but it is only a short stroll away.....
(4)
Casey F.

My husband and I have been here twice so far and we really like it. We've even dared to say we prefer it to Piece, and that is a bold statement. Neither one of us had ever heard of Quad City pizza before, but whatever it is I love it. The malted crust has a distinctive taste that is delicious. The beer menu is awesome, service has always been good, and the food was consistently good. We've only had the pizza so far, and the monkey bread, but Roots has definitely made the list to throw into our rotation of regular spots.
(4)
chris c.

The wings and the beer list are the winners here. But the owners are the same as 50-50 so the wings better be good. We also had the gyro sausage with sweet potatoe tots and the beet salad. The sausage was very meh and nothing special. Neither bad nor good. The tots were really dissappointing. The beet salad was very unbalanced. The beets were good but the balance with the cheese was way out of wack and the dressing was very bland. It was an example of some good ingredients making a very average dish due to lack of attention in the kitchen. All this and a price point that is abou 20 percent too high for what it is. This place is the definition of a place I would go to if a friend wanted to go but would not return on my own.
(2)
Natalie K.

Being a Quad City transplant into Chicago, it's nice to see a place open up that can satisfy my craving for a taste of home. Their taco pizza, while not EXACTLY like what I grew up on, is pretty on-point. They also have a massive beer selection, which is always great. I would give this place 5 stars but I had to take one away for one simple reason, they only deliver to a certain area. While I understand the reasoning; my heart was just broken after I moved from Wicker Park to Bucktown, only to discover that delivering into my new 'hood wasn't even an option. Fingers crossed that they decide to follow in the footsteps of Piece and deliver anywhere in the city, I would definitely pay the extra $$ to have it brought to my doorstep.
(4)
Matt L.

As a former TV news reporter in the Quad Cities, when a place opened in Chicago that sold Quad Cities pizza, I'd have to check it out to see how it held against the stuff I ate for three years. We came here for lunch on a weekday when the place wasn't busy. Service was fantastic, our waitress was attentive without being pushy. As for the pizza itself, much, much better than I expected. I ordered the classic sausage pizza and it was as good as, if not better, than the pies I enjoyed in the Quads. The crust was perfectly malty, there was more than enough sausage on it, and the sauce was strong without being overpowering. The only reason this is a four-star review is because of the price ($18 w/ tax for a small pizza? Really, guys?) Will be back not just for the pizza but the impressive craft beer list.
(4)
Angelica M.

Something to livin' up the Chicago Ave. Ukie Village scene a little bit more! I couldn't miss this spot...the sign at 11pm on a Friday night illuminates the street! The patio was hoppin, the DJ was bumpin some oldies (90s) but goodies and I was hungry.... Pizza: A large was WAYYY too large for 2 people, but was DELISH. (ate leftovers for the next 48 hrs) The crust is the "malt" crust so it has a bit of a sweetness to it. We ordered the mushroom, onion, green pepper combo and it was cheese-pully and yumz. THE MOZZARELLA STICKS: ...are a meal in themselves. think mozzarella LOGS. seriously the best mozzarella sticks i've ever had. and apparently the mozzarella is made in house!! gotta love the cheese. Service: Friendly Drinks: Had the JALAPENO tequila shot....sweet and tequila with a nice spicy aftertaste. Try it out!
(4)
Samantha M.

I went to Roots last week with my friends and I thought it was great. I am from Iowa and have always loved Happy Joe's taco pizza but could never find and equivalent in Chicago. I now have one! We got the taco pizza and it was great. My friends liked it so much that they went back there this weekend to get it again. I was out of town so I didn't get to go with them. :( We also got the following: - Stuffed artichokes- delicious, especially the creamy mustard sauce which we kept to dip pizza crust in. - Cheesy garlic monkey bread- good but not what I expected, I probably would try something else next time. - Caprese stacks with bacon- why isn't bacon always on this salad, yum- my. They also have a solid beer list. There were 5 of us with the food listed above and a few beers each at like $35 a piece. I didn't think the prices were bad at all like other Yelpers did. I will definitely be back and super happy that Roots is not far from my hood.
(4)
Carol K.

The portions are big, the pizza has tons of cheese (too much really), vodka on tap, and incompetent servers. We sat outside, starved excited to try a new place, server comes over maybe 5-7 minutes later in a panic, she apologized for being late (it wasn't a big deal, we had time to look at the menu), we put the order in. Artichoke dip app and a garden pizza. My friend ordered a beer that took another 5 plus minutes to get over to the table and then maybe 10-15 minutes later our appetizer. It was good, super rich, lots of cheese, with deep fried pita chips. I stopped on the appetizer to save my appetite for the pizza, we waited about 35-40 minutes (it had gotten pretty busy, we were busy talking) and then I realized a table that got sat next to us 20 minutes prior just got their pizza... the server totally forgot to put our order in... she apologized profusely and then said she would take care of the pizza. 15 minutes later the pizza comes out, it's decent, again too much cheese, not the best sauce or crust, but we were ready to eat. She came over several more times offering excuses, over explaining, and offering more free stuff. She brought us a round of shots, and said she would take care of the drinks as well. We get the bill, pizza was still on the tab so were most of the drinks. We asked what the deal was, she explained that she comped the price of the pizza... we asked her why she said she was going to comp both the pizza and drinks if she wasn't able to, she again profusely apologized and then reluctantly comped the drinks. We did leave her a generous tip because we knew she had a bad night. Serving tip 101, don't offer shit you can deliver. Probably won't go back and if I were the owner I would train my servers- how to serve. Good. Luck.
(2)
Michelle F.

Double check your take out orders. Good food but they get the orders wrong often. Forgetting dressing or substituting things they are out of in the kitchen... Now twice in a row!
(3)
John R.

When I heard Quad-city style pizza, I wasn't quite sure what to think. My hometown is very close to the Quad cities, so pizza joints there are similar. Roots' specialty pizza menu has the staples from that area, mainly the Taco and to a lesser extent the BLT. Roots does the Taco pizza justice. It's the by far the best I've had in this area. The crumbled sausage under the crust also seemed more like pizzas back home. Roots has one thin style crust. It's a little thicker, but flavorful. Ingredients are fresh. They also have guest chef's make pizzas and no slouches either. When I was there Girl and the Goat and Chicago Q chefs were on the menu. They have a pretty good micro-brew menu-- definitely above average. Their house root beer wasn't bad. Their non Pizza menu has the usually Bar or Pizza Joint findings, but certain things that are a little more unique, like the huge Mozzarella sticks and monkey bread, the sausage section. I definitely want to come back.
(4)
Deanna W.

Great salads! Had the taco pizza and pulled pork pizza it was a lot of food! The mozzarella sticks are great too. Service was ok...the servers were not very friendly.
(3)
suzi w.

my new favortie is spinach and tomato pizza. but i think it's still pricey, and no pizza on the kids menu makes some difficult choices. But so delicious, I just love it. The only reason I give 4 stars is because of the price, but the atmosphere is just wonderful.
(4)
Maura M.

I finally made it to Roots and was very pleasantly surprised. My boyfriend and I stopped in around 8:00 pm on a Saturday night and were seated outside without any wait (that scored huge points in my book). We had a great server who was very attentive and got our food and drinks in a very timely manner. The mozzarella sticks were recommended so we ordered those and a small pizza. I was a little shocked when the mozzarella sticks came out and they were each the size of a Twinkie. Eating just one of them made me pretty full so I think I would stay away from those next time (even though they tasted great). We decided to create our own pizza with sausage, onions, jalapeÃ±os, and tomato and it was delicious! I was so full from the mozzarella stick though that I didn't eat as much pizza as I wanted (made from great leftovers though). In terms of price, it was a little expensive but not over the top. For three beers, an app, and a pizza, our total was just under $50 (without tip). It does get more pricey if you create your own pizza. I'm looking forward to making another trip to Roots - it's a great addition to the pizza scene in Chicago (especially for those of us who are sick of deep-dish and ultra-thin crust pizza!).
(4)
Karl B.

This place is incredible. Top notch ingredients, super fast delivery (even late at night), great service. Highly recommended.
(5)
Brendan H.

Bourbon = $9.00, bourbon on the rocks = $9.00 + $1.00. WTF. Who charges an extra dollar to put 2 ice cubes in my glass? Is this a common practice anywhere? Service is also pretty meh, a lot of people standing around taking their sweet time to serve customers.
(2)
Paul C.

I was a little leery of whatever Quad City pizza is, but decided to swallow my reservations and hit up Roots for lunch. The beer list alone made the visit worthwhile. The pizza isn't the best in Chicago, but it's surprisingly good. The crust really separates it from the herd. Plus they have a Two Brothers house brew. What more do you need? My only complaint was that the service was quite lackadaisical upon our arrival. It took what felt like 15 minutes before someone came by to take our order, and they weren't exactly busy. After our waitress came to take our initial drink order she was attentive for the rest of our visit, and the pizza was good enough that I'll give Roots another try, but they need to do a little better job at making you feel welcome if they want to keep customers coming back. I don't understand all the complaints about price. After eating a large pizza and having a few brews we spent about as much as you would at comparable "trendy" pizza/bars like Piece (which is most likely the business model Roots is trying to model itself on). Maybe the neighborhood isn't accustomed to higher priced establishments, so if you're expecting Domino's or Papa Johns prices go there instead. If you want good pizza and craft brews you'll be happy at Roots.
(4)
Christian B.

Great pizza! Their taco pizza was outstanding and their salads are must try.
(5)
Heather K.

5 stars. I seriously have dreams about this food.
(5)
Carly G.

The food out shone the service for sure. So for service 1 star and food 3. Went here for date night last night. Got there about 8pm, good crowd. Mixed age, some professional some hipster scene. Love the atmosphere, very clean and fresh, airy and booths are a great size. Love the fact that they have garage windows to open in the summer. We sat at the bar, beer was great. I had the wheat pale ale from Stevens Point. So smooth and yummy. Food we had the artichoke with was so yummy served with a great mustard. As for service, we should have gotten a table; the bartender seemed overwhelmed and that we were inconveniencing him when asking for another beer or even to order food. Pizza was excellent, crust is great and airy not so doughy. We ordered the BLT pizza, and it was so fresh, came with two kinds of bacon. I think the only thing missing was a side of ranch. Will be back, especially with a group of people. Hopefully they will have more beer specials with better prices, and we will certainly sit at a table.
(4)
A. S.

Been here twice...cheesesticks were great both times and the pizza was really good but tried the monkey bread this last visit and it was AWFUL...had this funky taste that my friend kept saying was just garlic but it was just nasty to me...I would go back cause of the pizza and the atmosphere but I never wanna taste that nastiness of that bread ever again!
(3)
Matthew B.

In Chicago for work - went here for the first time. Great open area, huge restaurant with inside and outside seating options. If the weather is nice, they open the sliding doors to restaurant. Pizza was very good, its a bit thicker than traditional thin crust, has a slightly sweet taste (dough) given the malt used in process from what I understand. Lots of options with respect to toppings. Also, avocado salad we had was top notch. Would go back albeit my go to is deep dish when in Chicago.
(4)
Mara N.

Love this place quad city style pizza, they make fresh mozarella the sauce has kick to it and the crust is the best that I could of eaten by itself, Great neighborhood atmosphere.
(5)
First L.

I am pre-reviewing this place in advance after reading nearly 40 1 star blasts on (1) the horrible service; (2) the over-priced food; and (3) the Quad City pizza. Fortunately, I know Harris Pizza, which is truly IN the Quad Cities. I will offer my studied opinion shortly. But for all of you Pizza War fans, know that Quad City pizza is very different....just as Coal Fire is New Haven style and Pizanno's is the best pizza ever. Ever. But for the true pizza fan, we love ALL pizza in the same way that a parent loves all of their children (we love some facets more than others, but the amount and quality of love is equal). I plan to order an appetizer, perhaps the sweet potato tater tots, a salad (although probably not the spinach beet salad unless they've really improved it), and a pizza. I'll let you know how it goes...
(5)
Salil G.

Beer selection is very good. So why the 2 stars? Their pizza dough tastes like Chef boy r dee pizza crust mix out of the box. Also, their monkey bread was undercooked and raw. Only come to this place to drink. Their pizza is overpriced and not very good. If this is what Quad Cities pizza is supposed to be, it's pizza only a QC mother could love. Pass.
(2)
Larissa B.

OK, this review will consist of two parts: the food, and the service. I'll start with the food. I went with two girlfriends and we ordered the mozzarella cheese sticks, the tomato and avocado salad, and a small pepperoni pizza. Cheese sticks- amazing. I am still thinking about them. Definitely order these. Tomato and avocado salad- sounded good, but was kind of bland- seemed to be missing something. Could take it or leave it. Pizza- good, not great, but a solid addition to the neighborhood. Part 2: The service. Me, my two friends, and a baby were at our table. The baby is adorably dressed in a polo shirt and seersucker pants. Along comes our waitress who notes that 'Our baby is one sharp dresser'. Awesome, thanks. Then she continues.... 'He is such a snazzy dresser it is hard to say who he will be attracted to someday... definitely not the ladies!' Umm... We stare at each other. Did she just say that our baby (3 months old!!!) is gay?! Nothing against gay people at all...but awkward, um yes. Management- maybe a quick refresher course on table chit chat.
(3)
Martin S.

Pizza is simple but delicious - sandwiches are great - but mostly try the mozzarella sticks, which are hand made and not from some giant brown bag like most places. Good atmosphere for a long conversation with friends.
(4)
Jace C.

Just as I thought, good pizza in the Quad Cities is only mediocre pizza by Chicago standards.
(2)
Klo J.

unique recipes n' satisfying tastes - isn't that all you need in a food joint? if they just lowered the price of that 'za, i'd be swallowin' that yummy crust daily!
(5)
polymorphyc g.

Very disappointed. They place is great and family friendly and huge, awesome wait staff, ect... but the pizza sucks. It's a real shame they would load up a pizza with that much cheese. It was a grease pit, terrible, we think HRI frozen is better I mean who the hell trains these people to cook a pizza. We did not even take it home.
(1)
Ban S.

Quad Cities pizza, give me a break. I'll bet Quad cities pizza is nothing but Domino's and Papa John's every other corn field. Trying to hang the shingle of your business on something as insignificant as Iowa is like trying to make a root canal sound sexy. The waitstaff was completely friendly and attentive and that's why it gets two stars. The beer list...yeah, everyone has one these days and while there were some decent choices, do I really need to work so hard to figure out what kind of beers you have? I mean give me a break, making me flip through 30 pages because you want to be unique about presenting your beers is a total turnoff. KISS isn't just a band, it's a moniker you should very well understand. Keep It Simple Stupid(KISS). Prices are what kills you. I'm willing to bet you there isn't a place in all of Iowa serving overpriced food. I mean $9 for fried ravioli and $10 for fried cheese? Is there a happy ending involved or something? $12 for a salad that has cheese and beets? How bout you beat it back to Iowa? $7 for a Vienna Beef Hot Dog...are you friggin high? You don't get charge $7 for that same dog at an overpriced sporting event. Is there gonna be a stripper serving the hot dog or something? Give me a break. $10 for an Italian Beef sandwich? Have you ever been to a Chicago beef stand? I could get two for what you charge...WITH FRIES! For those of you playing the home game, just think if the mediocre food is this overpriced wait two years until they raise their prices...or better yet, order anything for delivery and you're gonna need an ATM at home to pay the bill. The sausage pizza we ordered was very bland. It was like someone crumbled cat food on my sausage pizza. How can you screw up a sausage pizza in the pizza capital of the world? I can't wait for the first Irish guy to sue the place because they have a pizza called the Big Mick. Of course that may not happen because JJ isn't Irish. Folks, for you keeping score, score your pizza and sandwiches elsewhere because even if you don't like salami, anytime you see a $10 salami sandwich, you should run. I've never been to the Quad Cities....thank god, but I'm certain you won't find a $10 salami sandwich there. You could buy 3 pounds of salami for $10.
(2)
Adam E.

The service was slow. But the pizza was ah-mazing! I am from the QC, so I'm biased. I did not realize how much I love the crust and sausage until I ate here. Highly recommended for something different!
(4)
Mike B.

I'll Always give a good rating to a place who supports local brew. They have Two Brothers Domaine Dupage as their staple brew. They also have a solid beer list and cool homemade shots. I didn't have time to try the pizza so I will be returning to check that out.. and eat it.
(4)
Larry S.

The menu tells me that this is true "Quad Cities Pizza". And, the folks at the next table (who recently moved to Chicago from Moline) could attest to the concept that there really is such a thing. (I had my doubts.) Service was good and the ingredients were certainly fresh but, if this is one of the highlights of living in the Quad Cities, it's now clear to me why people move away. I mean really, did you ever meet anyone that wanted to move to Davenport for the pizza?!? Like I said, service was quite good, everyone there is very friendly but, the pizza is nothing special. (Apparently, the "real" Quad Cities thing to order is the Taco Pizza, covered with Doritos. Looked more like something invented to cure a freakish case of the munchies late one night. I'll pass.)
(2)
Jeff R.

We're never upset about trying new pizza places in Chicago, especially when they pop up in our neighborhood. Roots is differentiating itself by calling their style "quad city" style. It's not deep dish but has a large and doughy crust made with malt. Yes, malt like the good stuff in beer. The concept is interesting and the place is well furnished in a large corner of the block with a huge patio and a garage door in front. There's a large bar in the middle with access on both sides. The tables are on the outside walls, two steps up stadium style with great leather padding. The scene is definitely set for good times for a hip and family Ukrainian Village crowd. The other great aspect of Roots is the beer list. There are over 70 drafts plus bottles, and the best part is that all of them come from local breweries in the midwest. The list is organized by state, with each brewery located on the map. Unfortunately, the patio, decor, and beer list are the best qualities. The pizza isn't bad, and I actually enjoyed their specialty taco pizza - served with taco meat, tortilla chips and lettuce. We also ordered a plain cheese and mushroom pizza, which was disappointing compared to the taco. The outer crust is nice but there was too much cheese and not enough sauce or crust in the middle. For an appetizer we ordered the lollipop wings with buffalo sauce, where the sauce wasn't spicy or buffalo and the meat was very ordinary. I like that the menu is not overly complicated for a pizza spot - a good list of starters, salads (with a build your own option) and sandwiches. The specialty pizzas looked interesting, and the taco was surprisingly good. The pricing was a little surprising with $20 and $25 for 12'' and 16'' pies respectively. Our entire bill for four people was $30 each including tip and tax - and we didn't over order or over drink by any means. Since Roots is within walking distance and boasts a 90 seat patio with a great beer list, the chances or returning are almost 100%. I appreciate the new take on a Chicago culinary staple but feel it comes up a bit short. For those prices I might stick with Lou Malnati, but will return for beer, outdoor drinking with the occasional snack.
(3)
John M.

My girlfriend and I probably visit Roots once every other week. We split a salad and pizza. Fantastic place. Food is always great and the vibe here is fantastic. Can wait to shuffle over in the wintertime.
(5)
David A.

I like the concept, but come on, a $20 12" pizza? If I need a good pizza, I would rather go with a pizza place that has been been around and has a reputation for the pizza. Maybe in time the prices will go down, but who knows. As far as their beer selection, and you really telling me I cannot get a Stella? instead I need to get one of the midwest microbrews? For someone who is not a huge fan of the IPAs out there. This place will need to make some changes to make it. I see this place as more of a bar in a maybe up and coming area.
(2)
Tim H.

I'm shocked to see the reviews for this place aren't that great because my experience was awesome. The service was friendly the pizza and home-made mozzarella sticks were amazing. Plus they have all these special adult sodas and root beer in a bottle. I definitely found my new fav pizza joint on the west side.
(4)
Rebecca P.

This place is awesome! How does it have so few stars?? The food is super delicious, pizza crust was awesome, home made mozzarella sticks: best I've ever had, the "adult sodas" are such an original idea...which is hard to do with cocktails these days, plus they are HUGE (lot of bang for your buck). If you aren't into Pizza there's plenty of sandwich and app options, AND they have tons of yummy interesting salads with a "make your own" option.... which is a draw in and of itself since Chicago restaurants usually don't have a ton of salad options going on. Decor always contributes to a dining experience of course and Roots does that beautifully as well. The indoor/outdoor feel to the restaurant created by garage-like pull up walls is really unique, and the other decor elements are generally just urban and cool. I will for sure be back, great place to have in the neighborhood.
(5)
Mel A.

I went there on Tuesday, their grand opening. The mozzaralla sticks and stuffed artichokes were awesome, and I got a pizza there too, which was decent. We ordered way too much food, but we were really hungry and everything on the menu sounded great. The pizza didn't seem all that special from pizza you can get around here, though. Their menu is pretty large and I'm excited to try everything there though, so I'll be back! They have a large beer menu from a bunch of Midwest brewerys and specialty cocktails that honestly didn't appeal to me (I guess they were going for candy-type vibes from your childhood -- a good n' plenty flavored one, and one with pop rocks at the bottom of it, if that's your thing - $12 each though) Our waitress was nice but I felt like she was more hellbent on telling us all about the background of the place and all that, rather than asking us what our order was, but I guess that goes without saying since it was the grand opening. I agree with another reviewer that it was pretty much a script, as she said the same exact things to the customers next to us. She was nice and it was her first day working there so I can't fault her for doing what was apparently their job of trying to sell the place. But I felt like saying "Okay, I get it, just take my order already!" But the food is good. Like I said, I'll be going back!
(4)
Therese O.

YUM! And Tuesday is 1/2 priced wine night. I really enjoyed going here and thought the pizza was delish and the salads were amazing. The sweet potato Tots are amazing. We were almost fighting over them. The artichoke appetizer was meh. Overall I will be back. A nice alternative to the overcrowded and super annoying Piece.
(4)
stu y.

Place cool, waitress super cute, pizza terrible. Too bad
(1)
Phil W.

Too expensive. I usually don't like be bready pizza dough, but this crust was very good. Bottom with crispy, inside was chewy and flavorful. Lots of topping. Beautiful look inside the restaurant.
(3)
B W.

I'm a QC guy and grew up on Pizza Joynt Pizza from Milan,IL. Pizza Joynt or Harris this is not. Why? #1 Where's the potatoes? How you gonna run a Harris style joint and not serve the staple: sausage and potato. C'mon man! #2 Service is total crap. Rachel our waitress was inattentive and apathetic- even when my girl spilled her drink we had to clean it up ourselves! #3 Wheres the down home QC vibe? Nothing about this place reminds me of back home. All in all the food is good and the pizza nearly legit minus the lack of potato. I'd maybe get it to go sometime but then again maybe I should just visit my dad and get the real thing. One last thing: you dudes promised Whitey's and there was none to be found. Meh.
(2)
Cindy M.

We got two pizzas, taco and sausage. They were excellent. Service was also great. We were just there on Saturday and I am already craving the pizza. We will be back.
(5)
GABRIEL M.

This is the best pizza crust I've tasted in a long time. They are brand new to the city, so I am willing to give them patience and time to get things perfect. I've ordered carryout twice, and can't wait until the next time!
(5)
Beth R.

This place was so good! Taco pizza is a must have. Huge restaurant and a great place for groups. I will definitely return for more.
(5)
John F.

Pizza was good but I've had far better elsewhere. The beer was good if you can get one. Sat 20 min. with empty beer glasses while the waitress looked at us from a few tables away taking shots. Eventually had to get up and get my own refills. Once she saw this she didn't return to the table except to drop off the check and said nothing. Probably the worst service ever recieved at a Chicago restaurant.
(1)
Heather H.

Went on Sunday & had the worst experience the bartender "Eric" was lacking in a personality & was more concerned about the people next to us who were his friends & worked there! Too busy ignoring us & making them shots the whole time! (and we are all in the restaurant biz) Had to flag someone down to order our food who I think was the manager! It took over almost 2 hrs total for drinks, 2 apps & a small pizza & when we asked where are pizza is his response " I have no clue" we are busy! Didn't seem that busy more like short staffed! Too many places to spend my money elsewhere! Never going back!! Also emailed them and never heard anything back!! Don't waste your money!!
(1)
Cameron F.

Great experience overall. Good selection of draft beers that are reasonably priced. The salads and giant mozzarella sticks were great. Pizza was very good too. Had a sausage and pepperoni pizza. Tasty, medium crust, correct amount of sauce and loaded with cheese (I'm usually an easy on the cheese type, but I couldn't complain in this case). They do a thin layer of sausage, which was delicious and did not make the pizza greasy even with the pepperoni. Service was also great, our server was attentive and on the ball with everything. This is a good pizza and beer place.
(4)
Kristy R.

Meh. I lived in the Quad Cities for a brief time and never understood the hype about the pizza there, but it's something very special to the natives. So I somewhat begrudgingly tagged along to Roots with two Quad Citians. For those familiar with "Quad Cities style pizza," Roots comes close but doesn't quite hit the mark. First of all, the prices. $27 for a taco pizza? Happy Joe would be rolling in his grave! The sausage, or "Harris" style, doesn't have nearly enough sausage, too much cheese, and a very bland sauce. The crust however, is great. We ordered the mozzarella sticks and monkey bread and while good (c'mon, its deep fried cheese) was nothing spectacular. The beer list was good, but nothing the neighborhood doesn't already offer. Service was...weird. The hostess was very nice and promised us a table in a couple of minutes, we took a seat at the bar and she came and got us when our table was ready. Then we waited. And waited. A bus boy brought us some appetizers, only we hadn't ordered them. Finally a waitress noticed us and apologized, promising our waitress would be out soon. Apparently there is mass confusion about table numbers, because we were brought food we hadn't ordered several times during our visit, and then the staff would look confused and consult each other, pointing to different tables. In summary: They just opened, so I'm going to give them a break on the service, everyone was nice, just confused. Work it out. The food is okay, but I can get a better pizza for less at Piece. I'm glad they've opened, it's another option in the neighborhood, and bringing more life to the block. Stick around Roots, but reconsider your pricing, don't be shy with the toppings and get your table numbers straight!
(3)
Samantha M.

Loved the amount of beers that they had to choose from and the mozzarella stix and sweet potato tots were great! Service was very slow...from initial drink order to paying the bill. The bus boy helped us out more than the waitress. The pizza was good (crust, sauce) but the mushrooms were canned! For claiming to use such great ingredients, this is a tragedy for a vegetarian. Also, I don't think that the price tag is worth it. $9 for mozzarella stix and $22 for a "16 pizza seems a bit high.
(3)
Kathy N.

I love the pizza here. If you're the slightest bit choosy about pizza, you won't be disappointed, If you eat Domino's pizza and consider it even slightly palatable, this place isn't for you. The one drawback to dining at Roots is that it is a bit pricey. I don't mind paying more for good pizza but they could come down on their salad prices.
(5)
Brad G.

Hands down the best mozzarella sticks I have ever had and there adult rootbeer is amazing
(5)
Sarah R.

The build-your-own salad is really the best thing this place has going for it. Pizza is just okay.
(3)
J H.

Pizza was mediocre. Creative but lacking in execution. Use a LOT of cheese. Service was very slow and poor. Prices were on the high side.
(2)
Tricia G.

Let me start by saying, yes there are mixed reviews..... Give them a break! It's only their first week of being open. They are still working out their kinks. Yes, the wait is long and seemed like they were all over the place but this will happen. I'm sure after a week they will have it all down pat. One recommendation I will make is, they need those strong wire pizza holders. The space for the table (even for two) is very limited. Atmosphere is nice. I can see it being the new trendy place for a while. They are the owners of 50/50 and have something to do with Bleeding Heart Bakery. They were in the old spot that Chick Pea is now in. They left and are back! (well soon). I have to say it's not "Chicago style" pizza, which is nice for a change. The pizza is good. HUGE may I add. They were out of monkey bread when we were there so they recommened the mozeralla sticks. They were good! We will go again! It's worth the wait! I'm glad they opened in the area. First larger bar in this area, which is great to see. Only more will come. Beer list is great! One of the managers got wind of us waiting a bit longer than they had said. (It was only their 4th day of opening). He apologized up and down and sideways. He not only checked on us twice, but four times and a fifth to say goodbye! He took care of us! Let's just say because of a little misshaps, we were very pleasantly surprised when we had received our bill! They even have organic beer! You'll LOVE it all!
(5)
mike s.

Pizza is nothing special, service is terrible, beer is warm, wine tastes like its been sitting open for 10 days.
(1)
jenni k.

I like to go to Roots for their build-a-salad. The portions for their salads are huge and they offer a variety of fixin's. However, it always takes forever to get our food in front of us. - like 40 min for a couple of salads. I understand that these are custom-made salads, but usually we go there when it's not busy. Wait staff is very friendly tho. And the decor and set-up of the restaurant is really nice, especially with the windows/walls open to the outside.
(3)
Nikki L.

A few great things right off the bat. First, they are open till 2am Monday-Friday which I think is great, especially for the neighborhood. Second, I love the menu variety, I was hesitant to eat pizza so late at night, but got really exited to see they had so much more to offer! After reviewing the delicious looking salads, I saw I could just make my own, they literally have almost any kind of lettuce, topping, cheese, dressing and protein you could ever want to put on a salad. I built a chopped salad with slivered green apples, cucumber, carrots, candied walnuts, goat cheese and blackened shrimp with a honey lemon dressing. Did you just drool? I know, right? My hubs ordered a pizza with Italian beef and mushrooms, I thought it was just OK...then again, if I had it my way, I would have chosen different ingredients. Either way, I can't wait to come back again, our server was really nice, friendly and welcoming. I definitely recommend Roots!
(4)
simona s.

Still not sure if the amount of stars i gave is appropriate for the review I'm about to give because i keep going back and forth between 1 and 2. First thing: we came in with our almost 2 year old daughter, we were immediately sat at a "crazy toddlers lounge" in the back of the restaurant, AKA parents with kids room, which i wasn't happy with at first. I was looking around and saw all these parents just as confused and baffled as we were. However, knowing my child and how she acts at the restaurants, I was eventually *glad* I was in this room where I knew other people(other parents) would understand all the crazy loud noises coming out of our "party of three" table. That being said, I didn't appreciate the fact that the "family room" didn't have any child related activities and we weren't really asked if we wanted to be seated in that area at the host stand. I am a parent, but i don't like people assuming I'm an "outsider" and should be put away to another room because I have a kid. I drink beer, I eat pizza and my daughter is as loud as some of those rowdy customers up front. I appreciated the manager(i think it was a manager, he didn't really introduce who he was) coming and talking to us and asking how our meal was(standard procedure of a new restaurant) and he was saying they were thinking of turning this into an official family room, but really, before you stock it with parents and kids ONLY, please, make sure there's things for all those kids to do, so they don't run around in an empty boring room. As the restaurant got busy, the hostesses were bringing all these couples to this family room and i felt so sorry for all of them. They looked horrified! Definitely not your first or second date material: a room full of screeching kids! Awesome! NOT! Second: pizza- mehhhh. We got a sausage and mushroom pizza and i really liked the flavor of sausage, but was it 18$ worth pizza? Not a chance! It wasn't anything special I would be coming back for! As other people have commented, even though it's all home made, blah blah... it didn't make it any better because it didn't taste any better than any other pizza in the neighborhood. Actually, i could name more than 3 places that have a better pizza, but I won't do this on yelp. The crust is very, very average and mushrooms are still to be discovered. Third: beer list. Not bad. they have daisycutter on tap and it's 5$, which my husband loves, so he was happy about that! There's a lot of good beer on the menu, and having this place so close to our house made me really excited, however, there's just not enough ambience and charm to this place for me to come back again.
(2)
Van D.

Came here on a Sat night and don't think that I am coming back. Waited for about 30 minutes for table. Probably would have been shorter but hostess seemed to be in her own world. It took a server to tell her that 4 tables were available for her to start seating anyone. Once we sat down, we waited forever to see our waitress. Other waitress and bus boy had to tell her that we were waiting. Again waited awhile for pizza to arrive (see a pattern?). Once we received it, it was a pretty good pizza but a little on the pricey side (one topping pizza for $23). I did like the malt in the crust. They say large pizza feeds 3-5 but its really closer to the 3. The troubling part about this place is that I don't think the hostess or the waitress even had a clue as to the slow service that they were providing. Plenty of other pizza places in chicago with better service and price. And like the other reviews said, the music in the place is way too loud. Only positive things to say about this place is that pizza is above average and water/bus boys were very nice and attentive.
(1)
Bethany P.

My husband and I went there last night with good expectations. We live two blocks away, so we've seen it bustling since day one, and the promise of "handmade" pizza was definitely appealing. Everything was fine until I looked at the menu. I had to flip all the way to the back of the menu before I found the pizza page. Appetizers, two pages of salad, sandwiches, pasta, and finally pizza. There were more salad options than pizza options. I felt deceived. The pizza options they did have did not appeal to me at all, and neither did anything else in the menu. My husband decided he wanted to try the special, the Taco Pizza. I have had worse tasting pizza, but the over-all experience of this "pizza" was, well, stupid. The pizza was baked with pizza sauce, taco meat and cheese, with lettuce, diced tomatoes and fake Doritos piled on. Every time we tried to pull a slice from the pizza, almost all of the lettuce and Doritos fell off. I don't know what frustrated me more, all the toppings falling off, or the fact that this didn't even meet up with the most Americanized definition of taco - no onion or pepper of any kind, no beans, no salsa, no cilantro, no avocado. I guess they lowered the bar on Americanized Mexican food. I can make a better taco pizza, and I probably will. We also ordered the cheesy monkey bread for an appetizer. It didn't quite meet up to my definition of monkey bread (a solid spongy loaf in a ramekin covered in cheese), but it was still pretty tasty. Anyway, you can check it out if you want, but don't go expecting to get pizza.
(2)
A E.

This place has pretty good pizza, but I always go for the awesome beer menu. I don't think it's as good as Piece, but it's good. I like the atmosphere inside - I have had a lot of fun at Roots.
(4)
Mia P.

I have only had delivery from them and I had the Caprese Salad and let me tell you, I dream about it. It was beyond delicious and the mozzarella was mouth watering! Definitely looking forward to dining in next time!
(5)
Jim F.

This place seems like a "Breastrant" in progress. Women in tight tank tops is not a good sign for family fun. Way overpriced for a pizza joint. $51.00 for pizza, mozzarella sticks salad and 1 pop plus tip. Seriously overpriced. Pizza is "meh" and Asian salad was a bit bitter. Service sucks and I think this place is trying too hard to find itself. Have been here 3 times due to friends demanding to try it and against my advice we went. Last time for me. Each time I have gone the staff boasts about their beer selection and how they must "sample" each beer. Each server seemed a bit inebriated from most likely too much sampling. Our server kept forgetting things and at one point, dropped off a "to go" package at our table. We had to get her attention via the busboy to let her know about the left overs that belonged to someone else. Our server was very slow and the wait for food was too long. Three strikes on this place. If you are looking for a good pizza, you can find it much cheaper and with more flavor at a local pizza joint. I recommend this place for drinks before heading out for some serious food at realistic prices elsewhere.
(2)
Ted o.

I was looking forward to trying this place out since the website was up, teasing me with promises of a truly midwest style pizza experience....and I was not misled!!!.The week it opened i was determined to eat there....After a 1 minute sales presentation for my family, it was off to Roots!....Parking was a breeze and as we walked in we were warmly greeted and seated promptly, even though it was very busy.. booths near the bar are nice and comfy, the whole room was rocking and that set the tone for the evening....our server was sweet and helpful with the menu...excellent beers on tap...which is very important to me...they had many different styles on tap and kn bottles, so there is truly a beer for any beer lover....and THE FOOD!..............perfectly golden Mozzarella sticks started us off, followed by a well dressed caesar salad...followed by a sausage and musroom pizza that just was so tasty that I could not stop eating it..even after my stomach told me to stop..my heart told me to keep on eating!...there was one minor hiccup at the end of the evening, which, honestly, given the fact that the place was crazy busy and just opened up, I allowed to just shrug off : At the end of the meal, we had a few strips of pizza left and asked for it to be wrapped up to go....when our server returned, we asked for the pizza and ....She threw it out on accident....maybe she didint hear me over the crowd of hungry people, maybe she was a bit overwhelmed...either way, I understand things happen and Im not going to let a few lost strips of pizza undermine a really great experience....If you want to have a great time with some excellent food and beer...go to Roots!....
(5)
Jaela M.

Roots is also owned by 50/50 in Wicker Park, another awesome restaurant/bar. *Tons of tv's, great for watching any sporting events. *Extensive menu, something for everyone. I had the Build Your Own Salad, which is awesome, mini vienna beef corn dog, and the mini calzone with spinach, artichoke hearts and roasted pepper. Everything was yummy, salad was a good portion. Menu has appetizers yum, salads, build your own salads, specialty sausage's (add corndog if you want), pizza, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. *Craft beer selection is pretty extensive. Mainly local brewerys. *Seating arrangement is cool, they have large, comfy booths that run along the walls throughout the restaurant. Large u shaped bar with plenty of seating. *Host was really nice. Service I was a bit disappointed with. I ordered a Dynamo craft beer, she finally came back to the table 10 minutes later and told me they were out of that one, so I ordered another Pere Jacques, that took another 5 minutes. Besides the beginning not going so well, the rest of the time was good. Haven't had the pizza, but I've heard it's good. Oh yea, I'll be back :)
(4)
Jolana F.

Fell in LOVE with their special "antique taco pizza" I could probably eat it everyday. I love the atmosphere, however sometimes (not all the time, but sometimes) you get a crappy lazy waiter/waitress. This has happened a few times. But I go back because the kitchen is doing something right!
(4)
s. m.

This is a dr.jekyll and mr. hyde review because thats how im feeling about roots right now. my mom and i stopped in on a thurs. afternoon for lunch @ 3ish just trying out a place in the neighborhood we hadn't been to(trying to support the local biz) great service everyone(hostess,waitress,buser,bartender) we encountered was was very friendly,service oriented.the pizza was good but i was amused by some of the specialty drinks they had listed so i was def planning to go back and try those and other items on the menu.also love the decor/layout.so i grab a friend and popped in there fri night just before midnight(it wasn't crowded tables were all empty,there was space @ the bar and on the patio) not being acknowledged by anyone(2-3 employees made eye contact as we were deciding where to sit and no one said anything) so we grab a booth,sit for a minute still not acknowleded then a server comes by to let the windows down and i ask if they were still serving food ,he says yes so i ask for menus(had to ask for beer/drink menu because he didn't bring 1 aren't they big on how many beers they have?),he says he has to check but it may only be pizza being served now(i understand they are a pizza place says so in the name but unless i missed it no where on the menu did i see it say from blah blah time it's only pizza available) so we decide against eating there and move over to the bar to try the specialty drinks i'd seen.after moving to the bar,the female bartender took our order,we both had the big leauge chew,was yummi has a lil sneak up on you effect .so of course we're sitting chatting she never stops and says doing ok can i get you anything else etc... but we notice she's cheesey and smiles with other customers.i understand having regulars,i'm somebodys regular @ another spot ,but you don't get regulars by having crap service skills.so we finished our drinks sat with empty glasses and no check in from her and again this wasn't a fri night where the bar was jumping and packed.so we scrapped having another $ 12 drink or trying any of the cool shots listed and had to flag her down to get the check.we went on with our night.the friendliest person we encountered was the d.j. my experience with roots was a bit dr.jekyll and mr. hyde because during the lunch hour everyone is friendly,service oriented and the late night staff we encounterd was not, seemed like a totally diff place.i'll go back during lunch hours.
(3)
Jason W.

It's got a great atmosphere. The food is pretty good, but as others have said, it is really pricey. Too much money for the quality. The pizza is good, but nothing special. Here's a hint, if you advertise your out of town pizza in a city that is world renown for piazza, yours had better be damn good. The beer list is pretty good. I like that they have $6 samplers of beer. They had 3 flights when I went, 5 or 6 beers a piece. I had all three. That's a lot of different beers for $18!
(4)
Susan N.

It's amazing that six months ago I had never been to Roots, and now I've eaten there five times. It's terrific. I agree with the world that the mozzarella sticks are the best anywhere. There are many more appetizers that are great. There is a great variety of saiads, and they are all fabulous. The pizzas are great too. I loved the taco pizza. Roots is in a great location, and everyone there is very accomodating. I will keep going back forever!
(5)
Burr B.

Went to Roots last night with Stephie. We sat down and each had a shot of $3 Honey Jack Daniels (which I guess that is an especially good price? on Thursdays) and a beer. Then we ordered taco pizza on my friend's recommendation. I liked, Steph loved. I think at $22 for the smaller version it's overpriced, but because our waitress who we loved and who kept goofing up in cute ways gave us free cheese sticks for one of her missteps, we ended up feeling alright about dropping around 50 bucks for pizza/ round of booze/tip.They were super good about fixing their mistake on our order, and had manager even come over and check in with us to much sure we weren't upset, which we thought was above and beyond. Reason I think this place is *** instead of **** is it's just too much scratch for what you're actually getting: if your drinks on special are $9 instead of $12, you may wanna remember you are launching a pizza place-ish place. Place was full though, so on the other hand I'm probably just cheap.
(3)
Alexander A.

Worst restaurant in Chicago! The host was rude, the waitress was awful, and this was during West Fest where they should have been trying to shine. Sad.
(1)
M R.

I went with a vegetarian friend and we split the caprese stack salad (with the bacon on the side for me), and the veggie pizza. Good beer list, some interesting and unusual selections, and the pizza was very tasty. $20 for a small seemed a little pricey, but then again we did have leftovers. The clientele seemed very Division Street, kinda douchey. It makes me kind of sad that this place is a harbinger of change coming to my neighborhood. But the food is definitely good, and the patio, not being right on Chicago Ave, is nice.
(4)
Adam G.

Great beer selection, great service, great pizza! Plus, got to watch the Heat lose to Dallas. What more do you want? They clearly spent a ton of money turning this place into a great bar/pizzeria. It is a massive place with outside seating and garage type windows that open when the weather is nice. All of the staff were continually asking us how we liked the pizza and other things. I will definitely be back!!
(4)
Rian S.

The cheesy monkey bread was amazing, and i held on to the garlic sauce they served with it to dip my crust in. Our pizza was delicious. the server was totally friendly and nice. the space both indoors and al fresco is great. The beer list is awesome, although yes a bit overpriced - $8 for a matilda that was not even 12 oz. But overall, definitely excited to have Roots as an addition to my neighborhood!
(4)
Rachael C.

I really wish I could like this place more. If it weren't for the best mozzarella sticks on the planet, I wouldn't keep returning. The rest of the food is just blah but the service...smh. Each server or bartender we've ever had has been rude and seemed to hate their job. Not very welcoming at all. Damn you mozzarella sticks.
(2)
Nicholas G.

Growing up in the QC, I'm familiar with QC style pizza. When I tried this place a week after it opened I was pleasantly surprised how well it matched up to the QC "Harris, Pizza Joynt, Wise guys" pizza style. However $25 for a large one topping is a bit expensive. But I tried it again and it still held up. UNTIL, I got a pizza there a few days ago and it seemed like their whole mantra changed. The cheese wasn't that "QC mozzarella mix" they were claiming, the sausage wasn't the crumble style, and it seemed more like cuts up Italian sausage. And the pizza seemed to weigh about half what it did when I first ordered. This is a typical Chicago trick, load up on everything the first few weeks, then skimp on the topics and ingredients from there on out. And Oh yeah (and this was the straw that broke the camel's back), apparently they "don't do change" because my bill was $24 and change, I gave the waitress $25 and she handed me my receipt and I put out my hand for the change and she "sorry we don't do change, we just round up." ADVICE: You should probably let the patronage know that in advance. Lastly the raspy voiced, teenage wait staff stood around for almost 10 minutes gossiping before I had to ask them where my pizza and I got the old "Oh, I'm sorry". So I'll probably never order there again, even though that is the closest place to my apartment. I would definitely never eat in, because the place gives me the creeps with its plastic wait staff and unfriendly environment. So for a QC replica, I give it a 3 star and everything else I give it a 1. Overall score 2. I'd rather order from Piece and pay more for a better product.
(2)
Tyler W.

this place is terrible. if it wasn't for the decor and atmosphere i don't think you would ever see anyone in there. the service is slow and dumb and the food has zero taste. you can tell that whoever runs that place has never tasted the food they serve their customers. i dare you to order the alfredo pasta. i was excited for this place since it's right around the corner from my house. the beer list is pretty original though.
(1)
Tanya Z.

i like their pizza. been there only once in the summer, i had fun. they have a lot of beer variety, not the usual stuff u can find in every bar. loved it.
(4)
Mike J.

I have gone here a few times and kind of had the same impressions a lot of others seem to have had - Great space and build-out, huge beer selection, ok pizza, but overpriced everything. I had lunch there and only got a sub and a fountain drink and my bill came to $16.46. I thought I was in downtown Chicago to pay $19 for a simple lunch with tip? The most interesting part was when the waitress only gave me three singles in change from the $20 bill I paid with. When I asked what the story was, she nonchalantly replied (with a truly straight face I might add) that they don't do change and that was the norm nowadays whenever she went out and thus they simply round to the nearest dollar????? I of course gave her the deer-in-the-headlights look and told her that I eat out 95% of my meals (for the last 10 years) and have yet to encounter a restaurant in America that assumes no one cares about 50 cents anymore. She obviously realized my reaction meant that I didn't get the memo about the Roots no-change program and she decided to give me another single to shut me up. Which I promptly gave back to her as a tip..... Just when I thought I had seen everything..... :-)... maybe I am the last person still using cash in Chicago?
(2)
Nicole M.

I am not sure why there are so many negative reviews! I really enjoyed this place. This is a fun place to go with a group of friends which we did. It is very big and open. I was a little confused as to what was so special about Quad City pizza ... really, it's not too much different than traditional medium crust pizza. Our server told us the Quad City crust is a bit nuttier and is more wheat-based. Regardless, the food was great. Everything is made in-house, even the cheese! I would highly recommend trying the specialty pizzas, instead of creating your own. Our favorites were the taco pizza and the BLT pizza. Try them! Our server was fantastic and very helpful, as the menu is a bit overwhelming. There are a ton of local beer ... great selection. Added bonus, all of the desserts are from Bleeding Heart Bakery (each piece of cake is huge!). I will certainly be going back again!
(4)
Sarah T.

New to the neighborhood and stopped in while out shopping, We're glad we did! Great pizza, even better service. Will be back!
(5)
Priscilla S.

Best pizza I'ver ever had. Their crust drives me crazy! It really hits the spot.
(5)
Mike S.

I see several negative reviews on this page and I am disappointed. If you don't like rockstar bartenders like Ashlea and John then you shouldn't come here. Not to mention the beers are great, mozzarella sticks are out of this world and the world class bartending of these two.
(5)
Isa B.

I am sad to say I found this place too late and now I move away from it in two months. I LOVED their pizzas more than any other I've had in the city. I am a pizza connoisseur and this, to me, is the best one so far. I've gone to at least 18 other places and this one won my respect the three times I've been in a month. Pickup twice and once eating in. Good service, good beers, good times, good atmosphere, delicious pizzas.
(5)
kevin C.

pizza is good. thus far i had the taco pizza and the girl and the goat pizza. both were a-ok. the crust is awesome. service is great. bartender is legit, remembers your name and your drink even though i was only in there once before. the reason i took them down 2 stars is the cost. went there with a total of 3 people. order consisted of 4 craft beers. 2 schlits, 6shots of jamo, and a large pizza. total 101.xx i get it your a business and provide a very nice atmosphere, but dayum 7 dollar jamos! ill be back but ill save the shots for cleo's across the street where you got a jamo and pbr tall boy for 6 bucks.
(3)
Nicolas C.

The gluten free pizza here is the bomb, and their salads are incredible. Came here to watch March Madness and the food ended up being a huge distraction. If you're looking for gluten free pizza in Chicago, this is the place to go.
(5)
Heather L.

The pizzas are laden with cheese - so, so SO much cheese. If this isn't your thing, maybe try another style of pie. But, personally, we loved every melted string of the homemade mozzarella. The taco pizza is a must try quad-city favorite. Staff was warm and the beer on tap is a selection of Chicago's finest - especially if you're into IPA.
(3)
Cedric A.

I'll keep it simple: - pizza: good sauce (tiny kick) and good crust and overall texture/flavor - mozzerella sticks: OMG awesome; careful, they come out hot - beer: good selection Haven't had a bad server experience, and it's always been busy but not too crowded. We even went there for dinner on New Year's Eve and when we were almost done, our bartender/server handed us a couple of champagne flutes on the house to help the place celebrate (they were closing early for an employee NYE celebration). p.s. - I hope the Lincoln Square location actually opens up as the sign has been up for months now.
(5)
Mark C.

Wow... Ignore the one star if this were just about food because we only had drinks here. The one star is far one of the worst possible service experiences ever imagined. We came here from WestFest to escape the heat and take a break and we were "blessed" to have Mandy serve us. My sister made the mistake of asking about recommendations for beers and Mandy had the hardest time even forming a sentance let alone give anyone recommendations. As we were conversing, I couldn't help but notice her head laying down on the counter... thought it was just a bad hangover, but she later just claimed she was "dizzy from the heat"... OK, I get it, you are sick.. then go home. Why subject all your tables to this dark cloud of doom. If you fear your manager will fire you, then this restaurant has no business being in business. Instead, we had a painful and sometimes unintentionally hilarious time watching as Mandy moped around and attempted to form a sentence... Sorry, whoever was manager in charge of this place, but you failed. Why you didn't notice this was going on in your establishment is a travesty. There is no way we could even consider a return visit after this experience.
(1)
Sarah S.

I'll admit it, I'm a Chicagoan who doesn't love pizza. There I said. Please don't come after me with pitchforks. I think my main issue is the tomato sauce...why would I want a horrible fruitvegetablenonspecificcategory item smashed up and put all over my carbs?! Do I look like a kale & spinach smoothie drinking girl!? Nu uh. You're barking up the wrong tree with me, pizza. You're way too healthy. Well Roots makes me almost want to change my stance on pizza. Almost. I've tried a couple different types and both were excellent. They have some really interesting pre-picked combinations or you can choose to make your own. You really can't go wrong. Roots has the best mozzarella sticks ($9) I've ever had. The girth on those bad boys is astonishing, filled with ooey gooey goodness....they're just perfection. Garlic monkey bread ($6) is soft and packed full of flavor. It comes with a delicious garlic parmesan sauce for dipping. Great craft beer list. Watch for special events! I went on a night they were tapping some harder to find brews and finally got to try KBS. Yesssssh. Roots is a bit more pricey than your normal pizzeria but I think it actually warrants the extra dollar bills.
(5)
Angie R.

Pizza was interesting, first off the crust was more on the sweeter side made with a malt grain. I have to say it was pretty good. We ordered the short rib pizza with fresh ricotta totally out of character for me to order such an unusual pizza but boy was it good. Ingredients are made all from scratch very fresh tasting. A bit pricey but will come back.
(4)
Tiffany K.

Was disappointed when I saw hair in my pizza and refunded our pizza. I always appreciate great customer service. Thanks, Roots!
(4)
Stacey L.

Way deep West Town, where we took the train It's the Quad City pizza and yes it's off the chain Sorry/not sorry for the rewording of that 90s classic but I don't know how anyone sees the phrase "Quad City" and doesn't immediately follow it up with "DJs." Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to advise you to chugga-chugga-choo-choo your way down to Roots and order a pizza, preferably a split between the Antique Taco and Lillie's Q Specialty Series offerings. I preferred the Antique Taco pie but it was nice to have something sweet to break up the spice. If you're feeling gluttonous, definitely try the mozzarella sticks. They are unlike any deep-fried cheese stick I've ever encountered. The house-made cheese makes all the difference. You can also snag a bottle of their house-made root beer - not my favorite in the world but definitely tasty and a good match for their pizza.
(4)
Nicholaus H.

The only pizza this east coast pizza nut will order anymore. I know they call it quad cities style....whatever this is PIZZA! Properly hand stretched dough, cooked to chewy crunchy perfection, not too thick, not cracker thin. Great balanced sauce with top notch cheese and real quality toppings. When this GM/Chef is too tired, too hungry and really wants a moment of bliss I get Roots. Pizza Zen. Don't ask about the mozz sticks. I can't in good conscience recommend them. They are way too good and likely to become an addiction.
(5)
Damian C.

I am going to start out by saying that Roots completely stole my idea of putting tortilla chips on pizza. Not joking. I have been doing this for years. Literally, since high school. I am a texture person. I love crunch. Crunch on everything. My friends always thought I was CrAzY that I found enjoyment in a pepperoni/sausage/tortilla chip pizza. My, what webs we weave. So while I cannot give them credit for being totally original, I can give them credit for one heck of a creation they call their taco pizza. Guys, this is fantastic. Their malt crust, something they tout, is excellent and well-worth the bragging. It's soft and chewy, thick enough to support an intense amount of toppings but thin enough to not fill up on bread. The intense amount of toppings includes crumbled sausage, lettuce, tomatoes, cheeses and what I believe to be an pound bag of taco tortilla chips. Picture of health? No. Picture of yummy? Yes. A 12" pizza can EASILY feed 3-4, maybe even more, people, so order wisely. We ended up over-ordering and had leftovers; lettuce on pizza just does not hold up well when refrigerated! Per recommendation of the waitress we added an order of mozzarella sticks to the meal. They were certainly some of the best I have ever had. Don't let the $9 price tag deter you! I really like the interior of this place. Huge booths, lots of windows, and great natural lighting. It's large, too, so a great place for groups, parties, moms and pops. I am glad we made the trek over here but now that they are opening one (soon) in Ravenswood, I will probably start patronizing that location. For an interesting take on pizza, stop in Roots, but just remember that Damian C. was the original creator of tortilla chips on pizza ;)
(4)
Stoo P.

We were in Chicago for our honeymoon (well part of it) and decided that we needed to try a pizza in Chicago (you just have to) and this place was round the corner from where we were staying through AirBnB. Located in a nice trendy part of Chicago we were really looking forward to it. The waitress was really friendly and chatted to us quite a bit even though she was training another member of staff too. She advised us that they were famous for a couple of unusual recipes and showed those too us on the menu. We decided to go with unusual as myself and my wife are adventurous in that respect. We tried the salad that had White Chocolate Sauce in it and the Taco Pizza. They were brilliant and really good fun to try too. The Taco Pizza is exactly what you might expect it to be. A sausage based pizza, covered in Taco Chips. We had it between 2 of us and we struggled to finish it, it is really good though. If you do go to Roots we strongly recommend you try this if you are after something a bit different. They have some great beers on tap here too, I really enjoyed trying a few different ones. I have to say I really enjoyed the back ground music too which is something of a rarity for me as I have quite an eclectic taste. Roots gets a good thumbs up from us both.
(4)
Angela S.

Just a quick short update, but today I spent my birthday here with family and a dear friend. My experience was wonderful, yet again! The portions are beyond generous and you can expect to take food home with you. It was super crowded, but our server was quick, patient and helpful with making substitutions for our table of picky eaters. Great kids menu, and the boys thoroughly enjoyed their food. The way to go if you're a kid is to get the chicken meal. Mac n cheese is A-OK and the grilled cheese is good! Tried the sweet potato tots, which were a fun upgrade to your usual standard. I ordered the Caprese sandwich like the last time, and it was amazing yet again. Loaded with fresh tomato and mozzarella, and the homemade waffle chips that came on the side with a special basil dipping sauce were supreme. Crispy and crunchy and not overly salted. Highly recommend this place for any day... not just birthdays. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
Alex J.

I love Chicago, but not Chicago style pizza.. Quad Cities style pizza from Roots is awesome. I didn't thin it was possible for a pizza to have too much cheese. I prefer to delivery over dine-in (tried it once).
(5)
A M.

Great Family Restaurant by day and Bar/Date spot at night. The food is yummy, we especially love the Beat Salad and Mozz. sticks. The Build your Own options for salads and pizza give so many options. Service has always been consistently good and we've been there on some pretty crazy nights.
(4)
Jen B.

Great experience with this place! Stopped in after walking the neighborhood for a drink that turned into a pizza break too! Be forewarned that their Bloody Mary's are SPICY! They have the tastiest skewer of a marinated cheese cube and salami slice ever though so that made the burn more tolerable. They also had an impressive beer and cider list, most were never before heard of so the friendly bartender helped recommend a delicious choice! After a few drinks, we decided we needed a bite too. The bartender, Sabra, recommended their taco pizza, we couldn't decide if we wanted the traditional or the antique taco so she offered to make it a half and half! Sold! We ended up really loving the antique version, it was a lot lighter with no chips and very little lettuce. But the pickled onions and jalapenos just made it so unique and delicious! Don't think we didn't still eat all the regular taco side though, we demolished that baby! We sat at the bar and had great service, she was super knowledgeable about both food and the beers. It was a great place to pass the afternoon while taking in a Cubs game on the tvs that line the bar.
(5)
Craig P.

Fantastic pizza / bar atmosphere in the West / Ukrainian Village community of Chicago. Server was friendly and knowledgeable; she knew menu A-Z and the beer & cocktail list was extensive. We enjoyed wonderful mozzarella cheese sticks - a potential candidate for a bucket list appetizer for sure.
(5)
Shauna D.

Service was a complete joke here. Our server told my husband my drink order (Onion Brewery's Hop Slayer) was "gross" and laughed about it right in front of me when I didn't even ask her for her opinion and this is a beer I personally know and love. Trying to get her attention when our drinks were empty was impossible even when she was right next to us at the table beside us. We had to get another server to get her to come back not once but twice. If she was busy that would be one thing, but we were sitting there watching her just standing outside talking to her friends and waiting for friends to come by during West Fest. Awful awful not coming back.
(1)
Nora B.

Tonight we had to leave the restaurant about a minute after sitting down because the place was like a day care center!! Am I missing that this is a children's restaurant? It was 7:45pm in a Friday night. Ugh. We will not be returning. Nothing like screaming kids waiting an hour for pizza.
(1)
Mike P.

This is my go-to spot before every Bulls game. Everything on the menu is great. The wings are unreal (although they only give you five), and the cheese sticks are homemade and, without question, the best I've ever had. I'm a pizza snob and NEVER thought I'd like this "Quad Cities" pizza. I loved it! As for the beer list (menu), I would put it up against any in Chicago. I've always felt they should highlight that more. The bartenders are not only friendly, but knowledgeable. Ashley and Elyse are the best. I really can't say enough about this place. Can't wait for the Lincoln Square/Lawrence Ave location to open is hopefully March.
(5)
Cristie F.

Wait. Quad Cities has their own style of pizza? I thought Chicago and New York were the only big dogs around town when it came to styles of pizza. Boy was I wrong. Quad Cities style pizza has it GOING.ON. Roots serves up some of the best (well the only) Quad Cities style pizza I've had. Granted, I haven't tried this unique style elsewhere, but I'm inclined to say that RHP is the best. It's handmade. Right there, we have a big win. No frozen pre-made dough here! I fell in love with the malty, doughy crust. This is some pizza I can get down with. Our friends were already chowing down when we arrived so we went with what they recommended. The BLT pizza. Good lord. It's a good thing I had previously eaten quit a bit because there was potential for me to kill the entire pizza. I had to restrain myself for eating more than two slices. The menu is extensive...pizza, salads, appetizers for days, pasta, foldovers, and even gluten free options. If you're a beer drinker, the bar menu is equally extensive. The atmosphere was a bit loud, but Roots also serves as a bar so there's typically some drinking and some sort of sports being watched. Overall, I love Roots and I love the Quad Cities style pizza. Would I take it over a buttery thin crust?! Or a huge slice of deep dish? Ummm. Not sure. After all, I am a Chicago girl at heart.
(4)
Ashley C.

3.5 stars. The food is solid. The mozzarella sticks are really good and taste fresh. You can tell that they make the mozzarella. It was probably my favorite thing. We also tried the pizza which is the Quad Cities style with the toppings underneath the cheese. (We did a half and half - half sausage and half the BLT. They were good but I wasn't blown away. While they are a pizza place, they have a big menu with plenty of options. (They also have a gluten free pizza which I will keep in mind when visitors are in town). We also love coming in to hang out at the bar. The cocktails are wonderful and reasonably priced. Raheel, one of the bartenders, is fantastic and very personable! He is one of the reasons we come around and I'd give the bar a solid 4-4.5 stars alone.
(3)
Ashley G.

I have never thought I'd leave a review but this pizza is terrible , barely any sauce , tastes bad, and the scissor strips always causes the toppings to fall off half of the slice....... Also found some hair in my pizza that looked like a pubic hair..... Do not recommend , stay away if you know what's good for you!!!!! P.S. Managers are also very rude.....
(1)
Davin L.

I was leery of this place give its affiliation with the Fifty/50 restaurant group and my lackluster experience at their place on Division, but as it turns out, this was a pretty great night out. Sat at the bar and was instantly attended to. Ordered the Fat Eddie, which consisted of salami, Canadian bacon, mozzarella, parmesan, marinara, French dressing, red onion, and romaine lettuce, all wrapped up in their signature dough, baked, then panini pressed, with a side of sweet potato tots. Took a little longer than I expected, but was delicious and very filling. The beer and cocktail selection is through the roof! I picked a nice hard pear cider from Michigan which really hit the spot. There's plenty of metered parking all along Chicago Avenue, so that's a plus. I'll come back to try the pizza sometime, but given the mixed reviews on it, I'm in no rush, especially with a delicious sandwich like the Fat Eddie
(4)
Patrick D.

I don't venture out to Ukrainian Village too often but after going to Roots twice I think I might make more of an effort to head over there. Also, I highly recommend this place to go to before an event at the United Center because it's pretty close but doesn't draw the crowd other places around the UC get. The pizza is awesome. They know what they're doing. I think their motto is "just some damn good pizza" which is very fitting. I had two of the three "chef specialty pizzas" and they were absolutely fire! Very unusual but the favors went well together. I would order both again next time. The ambiance is also pretty cool. It's a big place but the servers treat you well and check up on you just enough. They also have a great beer list and had a list on the chalkboard that were being featured that week which I thought was cool. Yay I'm a fan!
(4)
Melissa B.

I like that it wasn't greasy and it was cut where every slice had an end (crust). However....there's no real taste. Almost like cardboard. The crust was too doughy, chewy, and thick. This is an embarrassment to Chicago pizza.
(2)
Valarie L.

I love Roots, great pizza, awesome sides good cocktail list and an even longer beer list. I always get the Specialties pizza combo. Half Lily Q & half Antique Taco. It's always better the next day.
(5)
Kenny O.

Finally tried Roots after living less than a mile away for 3 years. We actually decided to come here after realizing we were not interested in the rooftop restaurant's menu above Roots AFTER we were seated... (Whoops) Garlic Monkey Bread is some of the best garlic bread I've ever had. Sausage/Green Pepper/Onion pizza was MUY BUENO. Bartender was extremely nice; no idea what his name was. $4 shot special isn't bad for the city, either. I like this place. Will come back soon!
(5)
Kevin M.

One of the best "non-Chicago-style" pizzas out there. The food is always good, and service is very good as well, especially considering how crowded this place usually is. It also has a great selection of midwest beers.
(5)
Jake C.

I've been here a few times through the years and every-time I regret it. I won't be returning after this last time. The food tasted like microwaved hot pockets. One time I called for delivery and they quoted at least a 1 hr 45 min delivery time. Wtf?
(1)
Chris C.

Live right around the corner and not really a fan to be honest. The pizza doesn't come close to Peace or Coalfire, which are also relatively close. It is a shame because I love West Town Bakery and Homestead... I would not rec roots for pizza. That said they have a decent beer list at the bar if u aren't eating.
(2)
Merrisa S.

My husband and I decided to finally try the "Quad-City Style Pizza". I will have to say the pizza was mediocre only because for my personal taste buds I realized I am a Napoleon thin crust/hand tossed pizza kinda gal. My husband and I both agreed, and felt more like we were eating a nutty upscale version of breadsticks with sauce and cheese. All in all if you love malty/nutty thicker pizza dough this is the place to go to. The cheese sticks were surprisingly a lot and good. Overall our appetizer's were good (cheese sticks and the soup of the day). Your probably wondering if I wasn't such a huge fan of the "Quad-City Style Pizza" why give them 3 stars. Here are my three must haves in any environment that I attend to review that I look at: 1. Table service 2. First impression at the door 3. Overall time spent Love this place, why; because Lindsey our server was amazing she new everything about the place, she was extremely informative, helpful and most importantly attentive but not pushy which I am a sucker for.!!!!!!
(3)
Amy H.

Choices, choices and more choices! This applies to their pizza toppings and beers. They offer all of the usual pizza toppings but also have some more "gourmet" options as well. This last time we had a pizza with sausage (theirs is a sausage crumble), roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts. It was quite good but the crust was a little tougher than I remember. They use really fresh ingredients though and scrumptious mozzarella cheese. Great place for a pizza and beer kind of night.
(4)
Jeffrey W.

Great pizza! Substantial beer list and friendly staff. Glad we found this West Town gem.
(4)
Joey F.

I could have Pizza for every meal and I think Roots makes it best. Probably the most underrated restaurant in Chicago. Even better then Piece. Not only is the pizza great, but they have excellent beer, salads and appetizers. I love getting pickles on my pizza. If I ever lived in Ukrainian Village I would be a regular. Just can't go wrong!
(5)
Adam F.

Pizza was just ok. Not a lot of flavor. Salads were good. Service sucked....had to ask for plates and silverware.... Twice . Sorry, I'll go to Piece next time.
(2)
Jorge A.

Roots is different from the normal pizza, dont expect a pizza cut into squares or triangles. They're cut into long rectangular slices. I love the veggie but i prefer building my own pizza. Mozzarella sticks are great, chicken wings wont knock your socks off, and i like the variety of beers they have. I really love the sweet potato tater tots Ive been here number of times and never had a problem. Ive even carried out and no problem has ever occurred.
(5)
Mary B.

Celiacs beware!!!!! I have been sick for 3 days and lost 600.00 of my paycheck because I could not leave the bathroom long enough to get to work.... I lost an inch off my waist within the last two day due to constant vomiting and diarrhea. On Sunday 1/25, I ordered a gluten free pizza and asked what sauces (other than tomato_ were gluten free. The gal taking the order twice confirmed that their alfredo sauce is indeed gluten-free. Turns out...she was very wrong. After I had to call in sick on Monday, I called Roots and asked the order taker again if the alfredo sauce was gluten free...she said YES!! So, I decided to talk to a manager..... The manager said that the alfredo sauce is not in fact gluten free! The manager wasn't even apologetic to the situation and I had to ask what they were going to do about this to assure future celiacs wouldn't be affected. She claimed that there already are signs in the kitchen and she will retrain her order takers. Root's has the best gluten-free pizza crust in the city. It's a shame that I won't be having it ever again. Considering small claims court for lost wages and physica suffering....I cannot believe how little the manager cared. I have been here so many times and spent a lot of money at this establishment--no more!
(1)
Barry C.

Great food with a huge variety of beer. The pizza is great with a tasty crust that is all handmade on the premises, shrimp appetizers are lightly breaded and they use large shrimp. Family friendly, we will definitely be back.
(5)
Jenna S.

OK, I still think all of this "quad cities style" pizza crap is made up, but the flavor combinations these guys create are DELICIOUS. I don't care how pizza is cut when it tastes yummy. Apparently "quad cities style" is cut into strips instead of squares or triangles, but who gives a shit. It's dumb, regardless, because their pizza is actually tasty. Just ignore the menu and get the Antique Taco Pizza. Don't even bother getting anything else. This pizza is so worth the order, so just do it. So yummy I couldn't stop eating it. It was the kind of pizza that made me want to keep eating it even though I felt like exploding. Other than that one pizza (OK, others were tasty and we ordered a few as a large group), everything else here is just OK. As others have mentioned, beer is served in not-quite-pint glasses, so you're getting gyped a few ounces each time and the pitchers are super overpriced. This place gets incredibly crowded in the evenings and especially weekends, so if you're coming in with a group call ahead. Beware: if you have a large-ish group, they'll seat you in the back room which is usually where they condemn the parties with babies and children to eat. If you don't mind being surrounded by groups with tons of yelling toddlers, then go with your large group.
(4)
Emma T.

Roots is down the street from my apartment. It has a beautiful patio and a pretty decent menu. I really, REALLY, want to like this place. I've been 4 times and have been careful to try new things. Every time I have been unimpressed by the flavor of the food as well as the service. Servers are unattentive- never refilling glasses or taking our orders. Then tonight I went to grab takeout at 9:00 PM. The place was pretty slow. They told me a sandwich would take 25 minutes and instead when I went to pick it up, it ended up taking a total of 40 minutes. I really want to like you Roots. But I give up.
(2)
Pari P.

Having been born and raised in the Chicagoland area, I'll admit that I've grown up to be a pizza snob. Whether it's think or thin, not all pizza is created equal. Roots Handmade Pizza supposedly won awards for their Quad Cities malt dough pizza but as expected, I wasn't that impressed. After the first bite, the crust stood out the most due to its chewy texture but after a while, the crust started to dry out and all the chewing got annoying. There simply wasn't enough sauce to keep it moist and the sausage was bland. I've had better frozen pizza than this. On the other hand, this might be good pizza to you if you're from the Quad Cities or not originally from Chicago. Otherwise, the service was fine and even our waitress was from Davenport. Come here for the drinks and spacious venue but the pizza isn't memorable. You'll remember the price though since they charge around $26-$28 for a large of their specialty pizzas.
(3)
A G.

I've eaten at Roots multiple times now. Having hailed from the great QC, I miss PIZZA. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Giordano's, or even Home Run Inn. But, sometimes, you want a little taste of home. Enter, Roots. It is DELICIOUS. The crust is AMAZING. Crunchy perfection. Try the taco. Definitely get the sausage. Prices are pretty much standard. ONE COMPLAINT!! Every time I have ordered my pizza ,"well done", it comes out EXACTLY like every other time. Definitely NOT well done. Now, were I to ask Harris Pizza, Field of Greens, or the late, great, Yankee Doodle Pizza for "well done", that cheese would be the PERFECT golden brown, with just a hint of darker spots. All in all, it would inevitably PERFECT. Roots, why CAN'T YOU???? Therefore, as much as it hurts me, you lose a star. :-(
(4)
Davis P.

Server was clueless. Just OK pizza. Don't come here unless you only want pizza and beer. Excellent bromosas. (Bromosa is OJ and weiss beer)
(2)
Evan F.

I love this place and would eat here 2-3x per week if calories weren't real. Though, I did hit a temporary low point a few months back and wound up here 4x in a 7 day period. With that being said, I've tried a number of items on the menu but a plain cheese pizza and an order of mozzarella sticks is definitely my go to. I haven't tried any of their specialty pizzas other than the taco pizza, which wasn't my cup of tea, but I've found that the addition of toppings (which are hidden underneath the cheese) takes away from the uniqueness of their style. From my understanding, the cheese blend varies depending on the type of pizza you order, and I've found the blend they use on the plain cheese to be the most pleasing to my impeccable palate. As others have mentioned, Roots offers Quad Cities style pizza, which is a tad doughier and sweeter than what I imagine most are used to throughout the Chicago area. And not to beat a dead horse, but their mozzarella sticks are unreal. I would come here for an order of those and more than a few cans of Stroh's alone. I suggest stopping by on a Tuesday night for half-priced bottles of wine and smaller crowds, as it can be a bit packed on weekends. However, I've never had to wait more than 15 minutes, and they have a bar and extensive beer list to soak up the time while you wait.
(4)
Ambrosia H.

Two words. CHEESE STICKS. They are the best I have ever had. Their salads are phenomenal, and the big mic is hands down the best pizza I have ever had. Service is over the top friendly. A great place to eat.
(5)
Andrew D.

Before this 'Craft Pizza' on Damen opened there was my original craft pizza, Roots. They truly put a lot of ingenuity and thought into their pies, which they call "Quad Cities Style." I didn't realize the Quad Cities were deserving of their own style of anything, but here we go. The German, Eh (canadian bacon and sauerkraut), Antique Taco collab, & Lillie's Q collab are all excellent, and most certainly worth their high price tag. Another plus for Roots is their family friendliness. My grandmother, bless her soul, can barely speak any English (Ukrainian immigrant, very selfish) and hates loud music. Not to mention her picky eating habits. Her favorite neighborhood restaurant has been Roots since they openened and it's one of the few places we can take her out! Even more praise for impressive beer list! 1 star off solely due to the fact that every time I walk in here, I am given a male server, instead of one of the cute chics, and it's happened like 5 times now!
(4)
Ajahnae H.

Pizza was flavorless. Every time I go here I regret it, and it's been twice in 2 years. I swear it tastes like sodium free pizza.
(2)
Chyanne C.

First time exsperience: Made us want to Pull our Hair out! Satutday night we called ahead and placed an order for pickup. The girl told us it would take about 30-40 35minutes later we get there. She doesn't know where our order is, noone remembers taking our order.. Takes 15 more minutes until they try to convince us we must've ordered from someone else.... Totally feasable right, cus everywhere sells cheese curd pizza? She was rude and not willing to help us. We show her the # on caller id... So we've finally convinced her that we did infact order with them. She says the name must've been mixed up. We are given a pizza under the name Dan. Totally sounda like "james" right? No.. We get home to open up a box with soggy fritos (tortillas?), red onions,jalapenos, and mystery meat puree (chorizo?).. Definitley not what we ordered. I have never felt the need to leave such a negative review, but terrible service, long wait, wrong order, and disappointing food was enough to top it off.
(1)
Mandi P.

BEST salad EVER!!! OK, I've never actually eaten inside of the restaurant, but I have gotten taken out and delivery. The place is always hopping inside when I have gone in to pick up my order and the staff is always friendly. However, we predominately get delivery and the delivery is super fast and friendly. I have tried a couple of things on the menu and am not a ginormous fan of their thin crust pizza. It's not bad, it just sort of reminded me more of breadsticks than pizza. However, that is partially our fault because we order our pizza super strange. Just never had it tast quite like it did here. No biggies, though because there are other great things on the menu. My super duper favorite is the Greek-ish salad with grilled chicken. OH EM GEE!!! I get cravings for this sometimes and HAVE to have it. Everything about it is delicious!!! I would definitely recommend this place for a quick and delicious bite!!!
(4)
Mark H.

Roots is a good example of two local guys moving up the corporate ladder to building a dream. When I checked the spot, the interior space is renovated with comfy step up booths, garage style windows, brick interior walls and a nice bar servicing both sides. Plus, a small DJ corner to boot. An interesting 2nd floor with a smaller separate enclosure perfect for a private bar/ party on the north side. To the south or Chicago Ave facing space is an outdoor patio/ beer gated spot. Summer for friends! 3 Floyd's. It's all about Robert the Bruce. Hard to find this local Munster Indy brew. Plus! As a pizza aficionado, the pizza is OK. Trademark cuts to resemble more a malted breadstick pie. Clever. The KEY is the barbecue sauce w/ a kick to dip the crust. X Factor. Service was OK. Repeat place for a game or a lazy summer to crowd up on their upper deck. All that's needed is good music here to get lost during the summer season. Nice job.
(4)
Casey R.

The best mozzarella sticks known to man. Seriously, if you come just for the mozz sticks, you'll be happy. I used to think the pizza was only so-so, but they've either improved their recipe, or it's grown on me. I like it. Cocktails are a little too cheap club for me, but they have decent specials, including half priced wine on Tuesdays. It's a family place, but they do a good job of keeping families in one spot. Not everyone likes kids, and they get that. Even when I'm there with my kid, I'm appreciative of their approach. The staff isn't unfriendly, but they're also not exactly friendly. They could all just have heartburn from the pizza sauce, but a few pleasantries wouldn't hurt.
(4)
Erika R.

BEWARE gluten free customers!!! When they get busy they lose track of their pizzas and send out gluten pizzas when they should be gluten free. Make sure you understand how to tell the difference in crusts between the two (gluten free crust is more of a thin crust with less of a raised Neapolitan look). Plus they didn't seem to care when I told them I had eaten part of the pizza before realizing it wasn't gluten free. Their apology was to send me a cold, smashed up pizza UPDATE1: the sous chef called me and apologized for mixing up my order. Although I was upset about my experience I can understand how mistakes happen. UPDATE2: I hate myself for saying this but the gluten free pizza was DELICIOUS - in my opinion it's better then the gluten pizza!
(3)
Evil M.

This place is great. The cheese sticks (I know) are awesome. So is everything else. The service is great too! Just do it.
(5)
Stu S.

Walked right in on a Saturday night though it was hopping. Good service and ambiance. We got mozzarella sticks, gyros sausage-on-a-stick, and a large pizza with half Lillie's q and half antique taco. It's cool you can split any of these great pizzas in half. The house beer was good, too. Cannot wait for these guys to open in Lakeview!
(5)
Olivia J.

Great atmosphere, great people, awesome staff, good vibes and dont forget to try their matzeralla sticks...to die for!!!so good!
(5)
Justin B.

The space, service and world-famous mozzarella sticks (more like "logs") are all legit. It's the pizza that has me down on my Roots experience last night...frankly, the pizza just isn't very good. The crust is quite good, and given how good the mozzarella logs are, the cheese on the pizza is also pretty solid. But we tried a 12" sausage pie and the sausage was literally flavorless. That, and there was almost no sauce on the pizza, which was weird because our server indicated that the crust is sweet and the sauce is spicy (something about how most Quad Cities pizzas are made, right?). So I was left in a strange place...why does a thin crust pizza with ungood toppings and no sauce cost $16? However, I will give Roots this much--the pizza was served very warm, not blazing hot, so I could eat it right away and not end up a burn victim this morning as a result. Seriously, thank you Roots...I eat pizza out quite a bit and I'm amazed how infrequently this is done. My wife and I decided that we'll go to Phil's Last Stand for dinner next time and then stop by Roots for a mozzarella log dessert. It's fair to say that the five-star logs mixed with the two-star pizza got us to the three-star rating. Also, thanks to A La Card Chicago 2014 for putting a Roots card in the deck so that I could get $10 off our meal.
(3)
Jeffrey C.

We've eaten here one way or another 10+ times. dine in 3+ times takeout 7+ times Dine-in experience is fair to good. Dine-in Cheese Sticks are great. Dine-in pizza always made me sick shortly thereafter its consumption... I tried though. I also always seemed to pick their 'daily special' beer that they just ran out of. Takeout for which the reason this review exists, is simply abysmal and insulting. Frankly I'm embarrassed by my own actions and lack of judgement. Multiple times I return for the injury of having my order mangled like a championship wrestler insuring cauliflower-ear to their opponent. Try as I may to re-phrase, re-word, reconfigure the order, re-explain it, request that someone check it before I pick it up- without any doubt, the order gets fucked up 65 ways from Sunday. Yep- I'm dumb for thinking that 'the next time will be better' or 'I'm not going to go there for a while' will fix this terminal problem. Nope- not once has my takeout order been correct... And phenomenally it has been wrong in an different and interestingly new way, nearly every time. One star for innovation exhibited by the moron putting the same salad together differently every time. Thank you and never again (- there I said it.) PS- this place is not inexpensive and has way too many TVs
(1)
Saba A.

My two girlfriends and I came in for a early dinner around 5 p.m. We didn't have reservations but got a wonderful booth seating towards the back of the restaurant. Our waitress came and explained the drink and food menu. She was right about the mozzarella sticks. So fresh, and you can taste the cream of the cheese and perfectly breaded. They are the hugest mozzarella sticks I have ever seen, and if you are hungry- it's the perfect way to start and share! Then we ordered two specialities in a large, split in half. The best pizza in the world. The ingredients all on top looked a bit overwhelming but it was delicious. This is a great restaurant in the hood- tons of families and child friendly. They also have a private party room towards the back of the restaurant. The prices are great and it was a wonderful time. So happy we went!
(5)
Amy S.

This place is a Ukrainian Village gem! The mozzarella sticks are HUGE. There are 5 of them, but they count as 10. I was literally full after just having one. The pizzas are creative and also huge. We tried the garden, which is always my favorite, full of veggies as expected. The crust is thin and crispy. The toppings sort of made it hard to pick up and eat with my hand, so I had to use a knife and fork. We also tried the McDowell, which was interesting - it came with ground beef, lettuce, pickles, cheddar cheese, and a special sauce. It sort of tasted like a Mexican pizza but not really? The only thing is that we had a lot of leftovers and I am sure that would be hard to eat the next day unless eaten cold. They have a great beer selection, including some homemade brew - which I found to be delicious. All in all, I would definitely come back here with a group of friends since they have large booths that cater to big groups.
(4)
Jessica S.

I have to admit, I had never heard of Quad Cities style pizza (where the toppings are hidden under the cheese) but it sure was pretty tasty... and VERY cheesy. Decent and affordable beer selection. I took my family there last weekend while they were in town visiting and my only qualm is how cold it was. There are large, retractable windows which I'm sure is amazing in the summer, but they need to find a way to better insulate during the winter months.
(3)
Amy Z.

Have been here several times and the build your own salad is great. Last few times the pizza was overcooked and chewy, so much so that my 8 year-old wouldn't eat it. That's saying something. He couldn't chew it - it was tough and kind of cardboardy. The server was not too friendly - I get the whole - I'm cooler than you because I work in Ukrainian Village/West Town thing, but come on. The chicken for the salad is cooked with Rosemary, so if you are like me, and think Rosemary tastes like soap - get the garlic shrimp for the salad - delicious. Nice touch with the dough for the kids to play with. Like the place, just a little disappointed with the pizza and the non-happy service at the last visit.
(4)
Lupe D.

Just to add my two cents, I really liked the pizza. We got a 12" with pepperoni and mushrooms. The pepperoni was deeelish, as were the mushrooms. So, I've seen some complaints regarding the 1.50 per ingredient. Yes, if you are not careful, it will be one expensive pizza. On the other hand, they do NOT skimp on the toppings - we got a ton of pep/mush on the entire pizza - making for a really good hearty slice. As a matter of fact, they were so generous with the toppings I could only finish 2 slices. We had the rest for dinner later that day - it reheated nicely on a griddle. I saw the mozzarella sticks - I may return one day with a friend just to share an order of those with a beer - they are huge and look yummy! Everyone who helped us was very nice - no complaints there. The restaurant was very clean and I love the outdoor seating - and also like that we never felt rushed.
(4)
Anne K.

The boyfriend is from the quad cities so he introduced me to roots. I love love pizza! I actually don't think I eat enough of it! I've been here a handful of times and usually they are very busy. You usually have to wait for a table if you don't want to sit down at the bar. They have plenty of TVs so if you're trying to catch a bulls game and enjoy good food, this is your place! They have the best mozzarella sticks ever! They make their cheese there so it's really fresh and gooey. I've also tried their lollipop wings with the Asian sauce and it was good as well. Kind of the pricy side but a good appetizer. Their cheese bread appetizer is another good choice. OK onto their pizza, my personal favorite would be the antique taco one. It comes with pickled onions, jalapeÃ±os and this yummy green sauce! Another favorite would be their regular taco pizza. The toppings are fresh and ask for the sour cream on the side!
(4)
Dustin H.

We popped in early to beat the dinner rush. With the garage doors open, and sitting near the sidewalk, it felt like we were ALMOST outside. Which was nice... very nice actually. I apologize in advance to the two families sitting near our rowdy table. There was a lot of swearing and discussions of horrible things happening, but the funny thing was... it didn't feel off. The neighborhood is such a mix of demographics, cursing next to some toddlers totally felt acceptable at Roots. Service was friendly, but pretty hands off which is fine by me. The mozzarella sticks were some of the biggest I've ever encountered and generally pretty tasty. I mean... mozzarella sticks in general are always pretty good. The bigger the better though right? I ordered the 12" "Rick Ortiz Antique Taco Chili Cheese Curd Pizza" which sounded way weirder than it tasted. Toppings included chorizo chili, cheddar cheese curds, chihuahua cheese, mozz, pickled jalapenos, pickled onions, avocado cream, tortilla strips, black olives and scallions. Long story short, it basically tasted like a tangy taco. Nothing crazy. The different pickled veggies all sort of neutralized each other, and the tortilla strips kind of ruined the otherwise delicate thin crust. It was good, but I grew increasingly jealous of my friends traditional cheese pizza as the meal went on. The Rick Ortiz was just a bit too much and ended up being not much of anything My only real complaint was the pacing of the food. Pizza came out first, then my friend's salad, then... at least five minutes later, my other friend's sandwich. Of course 1/2 of the pizza had been devoured by then and I felt a little sorry for my hungry buddy. I'm sure we'll be back. Atmosphere was great, as was the food. Next time I'm just going to put my foodie card in my pocket and try something a little more simple.
(4)
Yvette H.

I went with my best friend tonight and the pizza was phenomenal. We got a standard pepperoni and sausuage pizza, I like dipping mine in Marinara and asked for some on the side to dip. Even though I spilled my water all over the table the staff laughed with us and fixed it right away. They were attentive and pretty easy going, it was quite appreciated! Good job Serena on the recommendation to split the pizza between two different toppings. Both pepperoni and sausuage were darn good.
(5)
Bill M.

Roots Handmade Pizza is noted for Quad Cities-style pizza, cut into strips rather than the more common slices or squares. We ordered a taco pizza, which was prominently featured on a show so we had to go with this. The 12-inch pizza seemed enormous for two persons, and there is a heaping pile of loose tortilla chips blanketing the top of the pizza. The strips of pizza can be a bit awkward to eat as you pick up a piece of pizza while simultaneously dislodging some chips, along with the ingredients such as sausage, cheese, tomato and lettuce. You also get packets of taco sauce that you can squirt onto your pizza, but the pizza itself tasted very good so the taco sauce is strictly optional in my mind. For the most part, the tortilla chips maintained their crunch and had a good flavor too, though I don't think I would want to eat this every week! We also had an order of mozzarella sticks, which were sort of like jumbo mozzarella logs with some tasty marinara dip. There were five pieces in the order so after the first one it can be a bit much, but I would recommend them if you split an order amongst a few people. The beer and wine selection at Roots was very good too. Chicago is fortunate to have such a variety of places with different kinds of great pizza, so cheers to the pizza at Roots.
(4)
Lina M.

Absolutely delicious!!! The food, service, and environment is amazing! My new favorite spot.
(5)
Brian L.

I haven't yet dined in here, but my friend raves about this place and got take away one night so I could try it. What he got was the BLT pizza. Interesting concept, basically a pizza with a bucket of bacon on it (who doesn't love bacon, but even I thought this was excessive) and then lettuce and tomato to put on the pizza afterwards with mayo (even though they forgot to include the mayo) This is one of those unique types of pizzas that ends up not really being a "pizza" as most of us are used to. I've heard its more quad city style or something? I dunno. I thought the flavors were good and it was well made... expensive for a weekly thing. I do want to try another variety at some point. After eating here a few times, I think there's something in the pizza that my stomach disagrees with. Either it's horrible gas or... something worse.
(3)
Jenna C.

I love Roots pizza. I feel like this restaurant is an oasis compared to a lot of the pizza joints on the west side where my husband and I live. We happily trek 15-20 minutes east to eat here. The topping choices are top notch, and we love coming up with a new creation every time we visit. The mozzarella sticks are a must! I crave them on the regular. I've never had to wait for a table, or should I say comfortable booth. :) Love the decor and garage style windows as well. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants.
(5)
Magda M.

Awesome Salads! Avocado Mozzarella Salad is amazing! Oh and of course the mozzarella cheese sticks are da bomb! Really great place for lunch or dinner!
(5)
Carolyn L.

Stopped in here last Friday after work. It was a beautiful day so all of the doors were open and the tables outside were full. It gave the place a nice vibe and everyone was in good spirits. I ordered the cheesy garlic monkey bread. I loved the flavor of it and ate the whole thing. I kept thinking that it was a LITTLE dry, though. I would have preferred the bread to be more moist/fresh. I'm not sure if it's always like that but it didn't seem to have that just-made taste. It wasn't bad by any means, just not as fresh as I would have liked. I also ordered the beet salad, which was delicious. I would have loved to try the pizza but I was there all by myself and they don't sell pizza by the slice. Pity. The salad was full of fresh summery ingredients so that was nice. I was pretty full by the time I left. I just wish I could have tried some pie! Great beer and cocktail list. The place is a little pricey. I paid $30 for the monkey bread, salad, and a beer. But it's unique in its location so they can charge more for their stuff. Nothing around it really compares. I would go back with a group of people to try the pizza!
(3)
Christina G.

I came here for a wedding rehearsal on a Friday night. We had the whole back room to ourselves. First thing I wondered when I walked in: what is Quad City style pizza? Well, all I can say is the crust tasted sweeter and the slices were cut into long pieces instead of squares. That's all I saw. To start, we had the salad, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks. All was really good, especially the candied walnuts in the salad. Yum! There were 2 different kinds of pizza - cheese and what seemed to be some sort of burger-type pizza. Both were quite tasty, and I was surprised at how much the burger pizza tasted like a big Mac. What blew me away (and was the reason for the 4-star review) was their beer list! They focus on local brews (local including Michigan, Iowa, etc.) and the list was extensive. I started wit ha raspberry wheat beer and ordered a java brew before the night was over. I definitely enjoyed both. The waitresses were also very familiar with the beer list, and quickly offered suggestions when I was trying to decide what to order. The only negative was that the back room was so incredibly loud. I could barely hear the people at my table to have a conversation. Overall, we had a fun night, and I will be back for more pizza and beer.
(4)
Jon K.

Huge fan of this place. The pizza is really good with tons of variety, as is their salad and appetizers. The atmosphere is even better. Tons of TVs, great beer selection, and awesome staff. We had a private party (engagement) in a back room and they were more than accommodating for our party and we all had a great time. Whether its a casual night out for some "za", grabbing some good beers and grub for a game, or a private (fairly casual) party for a special occasion, this is a great place.
(5)
Kit A.

Why can the customer service here not be as great as the amazing beer list and delicious pizza?! Why? I hate to give a low rating for the awful customer service, but honestly, this place needs Jon Taffer from Bar Rescue needs to come here and teach the staff how to give better service! I'd be surprise if this place wasn't losing money with the amount of free alcohol I saw being given away to friends of the bartenders and the shots being consumed by the staff. Just being here for 2 hours, I saw one bartender take 2 shots with friends, another hand out free beers to her friends. It's one thing to be friendly and have your friends come visit, but it's another thing to ignore the paying customers and hang out with your friends! On the other hand, I loved the pizza. I would love to stop in for a slice next time I'm in the area.
(2)
Luke S.

Quad City Pizza? I didn't know the Quad Cities had anything named after them, but apparently there is some pretty good pizza out there! I had to try this place out after hearing coworkers and friends rave about it. I was told that you must try the mozzarella sticks and the pizza. I was with three guys and we split a large sausage pizza and the mozzarella sticks. I stuck with water, but the other two in our group got a couple of their craft beers. The beer list was huge and somewhat overwhelming. The prices weren't gouging, but it certainly wasn't bargain priced either. Once the mozzarella sticks came out it suddenly made sense to me why they were $9. These are mozzarella sticks on HGH. Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds would be proud of these things. Not only were they huge, but they were awesome! The pizza came fresh out of the oven and did not let us down. I wasn't sure that it would be enough food, but it seemed to expand in our stomach. I would like to come back and try some of the other pizzas. The only downside is that I felt somewhat out of place in my work clothes. Most of the crowd was hipster looking young adults, but overall a solid spot.
(4)
Rachel M.

I love this place! Ever since my first experience at Roots last summer (2013), it has been true love. I am crazy about your pizza crust, your topping selection, making my own salad and your honey lemon vinaigrette. Thank you for being dependable and delicious! Check this place out! You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Joseph S.

Kid friendly Ukrainian Village gem. Indoor and outdoor seating. Fast service and they text you if there is a wait for seating. The manager always seems to be involved in ensuring service is consistent.
(5)
Ven S.

Watched the Hawks win the Championship here. The space is great, the TVs are stupid...and when I say stupid, I mean stupid good. Huge TVs and they are everywhere. I'd recommend going to the backroom to watch a game, plus you can watch them make pizzas in the back through the large glass there. Staff was great and friendly. Service is quick and the bar has a crazy amount of craft beers. It's more of a restaurant than a bar during the day and outside of games. It's more of a bar than restaurant when there's a game on or it's Thurs - Sat night.
(4)
Megan B.

1. Too expensive, especially the pizza. I don't understand how with the salad you can put basically everything on it for no extra charge but if you want anything else on your pizza it's over a dollar ($1.50 I think?) per topping. There's less of it on the pizza vs salad too and it's all the same toppings. That doesn't make sense to me. If people are gonna build their own pizza, they should be allowed to put a few (1-2) things on there no charge. Right now a single pizza I would want for just me would end up being like $25. That's nuts. 2. 'Build your own pizza' but not really. You can make your pizza cheesIER (for extra charge of course) but not choose the cheese initially on it, you can get extra sauce on the side (for more money, again) but not choose the sauce on the pizza. 3. They should have a menu insert for building your own salad and pizza. Rattling off all the stuff you want on them takes forever, I felt bad for the waitress. 4. The salad menu doesn't make sense. They're all 9-13 dollars but you can build your own with all the exact same stuff for 8. 5. It seems like instead of being more generous about pizza and non build your own salads they would raise the build your own salad price/make everything cost extra. If that happened I would definitely not come back. Other than the menu being confusing/complicated/expensive... The food was good. Salad was perfect, fresh, delicious. Service was good. Honestly I think they have more going with the salads than the pizza. I'd love to work by here, it'd be the perfect healthy lunch stop.
(3)
Lauren E.

Great atmosphere, amazing beer selection, and food was fresh and tasty. Especially liked the Lillie's Q pizza and tomato avocado salad. Service was very friendly and efficient... Hostess, bartender, and waiter. I definitely recommend.
(5)
Daniela C.

For the breadsticks and they were amazing! We also got the taco pizza and it was to die for! Ashley helped us and was so great and knowledgeable! Will definetly be coming back...
(5)
Ariel L.

Go the grocery store and buy a Tombstone or Home Run Pizza, because you will enjoy those better. This is some of the worst pizza I have ever had in Chicago. The website and menu calls it Quad City Pizza. Well, there is a reason Quad City pizza is in the Quad Cities and not Chicago. The reason is that people in Chicago know what good pizza is, and this ain't it. I don't eat Pizza that often anymore, so when i waste my once a month pizza binge on a place like this its even more upsetting. I'm renaming this place "Roots Handmade Garbage Pizza".
(1)
George N.

I have never written a Yelp review but I was so disappointed in Roots...I was motivated to do so. The best thing about a pizza place shouldn't be the salad. However this was the case. We ordered the specialty Lillie Q BBQ pizza which was a whopping $20+ for a 12 inch size. A good concept pizza but they failed because the pulled pork was almost completely absent. I counted a total of 3 "strips" that had a sliver of pork. We also ordered a pepperoni pizza which wasn't anything to write home about either. Step up your game Roots. This is Chicago.
(1)
Greg R.

Food ok Service is almost as bad as it can get.
(2)
Nicole W.

While it's a bit strange that the best item on Roots' menu is *not* the pizza, I'm still a fan. A few buddies and I rolled in one very hungry Saturday afternoon and indulged in an array of goodness. Here's how it went down... Mozzarella Sticks: 4.5/5: Honkin' chunks of mozzarella cheese, breaded with a fine golden brown crisp and served with a rockin' marinara. These are what cheesy dreams are made of. Tomato Avocado Mozzarella Salad: 5/5: A total rockstar of a salad. Not only are the portions gargantuan, but this salad is full of love. And by love I mean hunks of avocado, split cherry tomatoes, generous pieces of mozzarella, bits of corn and topped with a damn tasty dressing. Get it. Northerner Salad: 3/5: Another generous sized salad filled with greens, slivers of apples, spiced cherries, candied nuts and a maple vinaigrette. The ingredients were fresh and bright but the salad overall was too sweet for my tastes. Ups for the Door County, cherries though, I'd like to eat those by the jar full. Pizza (with pepperoni and green pepper): 2/5: The crust is great but the pizza is meh. As others have said there is so.much.cheese. And I like cheese, but this was a wet blanket of cheese smothering the tasty crust. Service: 4/5: Our server was on top of her game and quite efficient even though the rest of her tables were full, too. Ambiance: 4/5: There's an impressive beer list and plenty of places to sit, including a nice sized private room near the front. Comfy seats, spacious tables and plenty of TV's...it's a nice place to catch the game while you fill your belly.
(4)
Ben S.

We were by yesterday for lunch. Our party of 8 was pretty undemanding (a couple of kids, and we weren't in any particular rush). It took a while for our waiter to show up, and when he did, he said that service was going to be a little slow, because he was covering the whole restaurant (inside and outside seating). OK, fine, warning shot fired, but that doesn't really mean you now don't need to come back again... It took a long time to get our server back to place our order, and food was delivered very piecemeal - kids first, but it was a full half hour from when their food got to the table until the last of our diners finally got their meal. Food itself was fine. My wife said her salad was good, and my sandwich was just so-so. My dad and brother both had pizzas, and they reported them to be good, but nothing special. We ended up bussing our own plates to another table, after sitting and staring at them forever, and bill also took forever to get. If you've got a lot of time on your hands, arent' fussy about attentive waitstaff, and are looking for just good food, Roots is fine. Otherwise, pick one of the multiple other great restaurants around who've got the service and food bit more together.
(2)
Katie K.

Roots has the best pizza and rootbeer. It is the most unique pizza in the Chicago area. If not pizza; order any item off the menu and I promise you will leave satisfied. If you don't know what to start out with then, order the mozzarella sticks. Their mozzarella sticks are made in house & are so fresh and gigantic! Definitely take advantage of their outdoor patio it is a must.
(5)
Weston M.

I love this place! I live close by, and it became one of my go-to's when it comes to take out. The homemade fried mozzarella is some of the e best I've ever had, and I like a sweet tomato sauce, so theirs is right where I like it to be. Definitely one of my faves
(5)
Mike H.

I've had a couple good experiences at this place. Pretty cool atmosphere in the front of the restaurant, I'd recommend trying to grab a booth up front as opposed to being stuck in the back room, just my preference though. Service was just ok. First time we went, we ordered the garlic monkey bread as an appetizer, which was really good, but I'm starting to think that I don't have high standards when it comes to any kind of cheesy bread... We ordered some build your own salads...which are huge. There are so many options and ingredients you can add to these that this could be your whole meal. You can also turn your healthy salad idea into something not so healthy very easily, but it'll be really good, so whatever. We created our own pizza, with chicken, spinach, and roasted red peppers. It was very good. They are known for using dark roasted malt to make their crust, to which I have no idea what that means. I used to frequently drink some malt liquors though, so it's a-ok with me.
(4)
Amanda W.

LOVE this place. Their pizza's are awesome. Fresh, made from scratch. So many options...and the beer...OH THE BEER!!!! Tons on tap and a lot from the midwest. So many choices I keep coming back to try something new. The staff is very knowledgeable which is a plus when it comes to knowing beers.
(4)
Nicole G.

The food here is really good, but I was deceived by the taco pizza. You see they had it highlighted on the menu so we decided it must be a fail safe option, but it was disappointing. First, it might be better with ground beef vs sausage. Second, it was piled high with too much chip toppings. They say it's for 1-2 people and well I was with 3 and we couldn't get through the thing. And it's not ideal for left overs because the chips get soggy and the lettuce gets wilt-y and slimy. Other than that the garlic monkey bread was awesome, the salads were fantastic, and they have an incredible beer selection. The staff was pleasant without being overbearing. And the outdoor patio is perfect in the summer.
(4)
Jim K.

Roots advertises "Quad Cities" style pizza, something I've never had, so I can not make any comparison. The service was good. I tried the pizza, which was decent, but ultimately made me ill. I couldn't tell you why (maybe the sauce?). I doubt I'll return.
(2)
Kliment V.

We came here to watch the World Cup and the place was quite full at the time although there where some tables available. The waitress/hostess told us that we can sit anywhere we would like. After some time I found a free table and had a seat. The waitress came and told me that the table had been reserved. There was no sign on it saying so and I explained this to her clearly. Nevertheless she demanded that we get up. There where no seats available so we ended up having to leave. The staff was incredibly rude. I won't be coming here again.
(1)
Brett F.

Eh. Meh. Feh. I'm feeling totally average, and it's all Roots fault. Quad City style pizza. That's the rub at Roots. It has something to do with a malt crust, toppings beneath the cheese (think deep dish on this one), a chunk-free sauce and being cut with scissors. Not the kind of scissor action I was hoping for. Just sayin'. Anywho... the mod quad squad pizza was just fine. It didn't disappoint, it didn't mind blow, it didn't do anything exceptional except provide a nice vehicle for cheese-to-mouth insertion. Do I still prefer either a *thin* thin crust or smushy pan pizza to what's going on here? I do. But that's why they say different strokes for different folks, apparently. I'm sure somebody out there (go ahead Quaddies, raise your hand) surely loves this 'zzah best. And, for the sake of argument, let's hope they like paying out the arse for said pizza as well. Because while Roots does have reasonably priced and lovely apps, salads and sammies - the goat cheese and baby beet salad was my favorite - their pizza, unless you go with one of the 5 'signature pies', is a nickle and dime session of the worst variety. You pay for every little thing and a decently dressed pizza will set you back the cost of a nice ribeye. I don't know about you, I'd rather have the steak. No scissors needed.
(3)
Scott P.

Best motz sticks in the city and incredible local beer list. Our bartender, Madi, was too nice. Great spot
(5)
Brent H.

Chicago's known for their deep pies, and I'm not one to argue the obvious point. However, being a recent transplant I long for taste from home in the form of the perfect thin crust. I would have thought one could find it on every corner given the reputation. Almost a year later, my search is over! Root's you nailed it. Cheese, sauce, crust/sausage I thought was impossible to duplicate. If you want a thin crust that blows away anything else Chicago has to offer you owe yourself a dining experience. Ultimate!
(5)
Jared J.

Been going to Roots for a while now and it is the best hang out spot with Friends on a Saturday or Sunday. Its Craft Beer, Pizza, Moz. Sticks, Sports and a great Staff! Great place to get toasty or bring the family. Ordering Fireballs never gets old! Go Roots!
(5)
Erin B.

I'm not a pizza person at all. It's weird that I live in Chicago and don't have a pizza craving like everyone else. Well, that's not true. REAL Chicagoans don't rave about the pizza here. It's just a way of life. Much like it is in New York, but anyway. I'm a fan of their crust and their Big Mick pizza. Love it. Super good. Staff is friendly, and helpful. Also, when you pick it up for delivery, by the time you get it home (for me, about a 15 minute drive) it's still warm AND your whole car smells of awesome. :-)
(4)
Martin N.

Roots pizza is different than other pizza places since their pizzas are Quad Cities style, which means the cheese goes on after the toppings. Their pizzas are on the thinner side but they have a thick crust. One thing I noticed about their crust is that it has a distinct sweet taste. This is not a bad thing, but it is definitely what makes them unique. One more thing... I know a lot of people try to compare Roots with Piece, but they're different styles of pizza. If you live in Chicago you should try a Roots pizza at least once.
(4)
Alan R.

Roots definitely lived up to its name of handmade Pizza. Its that for the last decade or so, out of town pizzerias (and I use that term loosely) have tried to break into the Chicago Market. Piece, Jet, Roots, NY Slices, etc. have either come from elsewhere or used a style from somewhere else. Roots is self promoted as Iowa Pizza on the menu. We ordered a green pepper and sausage pizza and plum chicken wings. I added a home brewed root beer to wash everything down. The crust was amazing. Perfectly crispy. The sauce and cheese were good and I Loved that they crumble the sausage instead of serving in patty style like deep dish or in little balls like most thin crust pizzas in the area. The root beer was also one of the best I have ever had. It isn't sweet like most traditional root beers. It's similar to barqs. Roots is definitely a welcome addition to chicago food and I love their different approach.
(4)
Elena M.

Roots pizza is on my top list of best pizzas in Chicago and tonight I experienced the best service here so far. Anthony, our server, was very attentive and made our experience great. I was in a bad mood when i walked in, he suggested the Old Fashion from the drink menu, & I am very happy to say that I love watching the Hawks game here! I will be back.
(5)
Steph U.

I think this place deserves about 3.5 stars, but since you can't do that on Yelp, I decided to round up. I came here with some co-workers because the other place we wanted to go to didn't have what we wanted. We ended up ordering the taco pizza. One of my co-workers doesn't eat pork, so we initially asked to change the pork to ground beef. Sadly, they said that this would cause be an extra fee, which I thought was totally bogus. We even told our waiter that she doesn't eat pork, and he said he couldn't do anything about it, because they're "preset" and whatever. We ended up getting half the pizza without sausage so we wouldn't be charged an extra fee. The pizza literally tasted like Taco Bell, but in pizza form. It was good for the first slice, but from there it was kind of downhill. Honestly, I feel like this place is alright, especially compared to all the amazing pizza places in this city. I don't think I'll be back.
(4)
Marian W.

I was seduced by the robust salad selection and the mention of a unique crust using malt for a more distinctive flavor. So we ordered a sausage, onion, green pepper pizza and the green goddess salad. Sadly, the pizza was pretty boring - not enough seasoning and the cheese mix seemed to lack flavor. I also had a hard time finding much sauce on my slices. The goddess salad dressing was also a little too mild, it needs more zing.
(2)
Becky P.

Pizza was good, cheese sticks were better, and service was poop. Like seriously, if the cheese sticks weren't the BEST I've ever had, this place would have gotten a 1. Our waiter was a complete dodo, barely came by our table, and when we tried to wave him down, he would literally MAKE EYE CONTACT and then walk away!!! WHAT!? I saw you, you saw me, we're trying to spend more money would you just come by the table!? I see others have had similar experience with the service, so I'd say to come prepared with time to spare and enjoy a cheese stick!
(3)
Magen R.

I had my birthday dinner at Roots last night and really enjoyed it. We had a table of 14 people and our waitress was very attentive and took great care of us, no easy feat for such a large group. I was also really impressed when we were planning on ordering five pizzas and she told us that would be too many for our group (she was right). I have never had a waitress advise me against spending more than I had planned on. We ordered two large veggie pizzas, a large pepperoni and onion pizza and a small pulled pork pizza. I tried the pepperoni and pulled pork pizzas. They were both delicious, especially the pulled pork pizza! The barbecue sauce was very different and had a great spicy flavor flavor to it. They also had a great beer selection which was pretty affordable. All in all I was very satisfied with Roots. It has a great ambiance, quality service and an awesome food! PS: I really want to go back on a Wednesday after 10 when they have free pizza - whatta deal!
(4)
Irene G.

I've been meaning to try this place ever since they opened and since I live so close it's amazing how I waited this long. The pizza is nothing to rave about-it's a bit overpriced, but the only reason why I'm a fan of this place is due to the good bar service I received and it's a good place to hang and grab a few drinks, especially on the patio on a nice summer day.
(4)
Nichole H.

Revisited Roots a couple weeks ago and I have to say, I have no desire to ever step foot in this place again. The food is meh, the prices are ridiculous, the service is lackluster at best and the music was so loud in there the night we went that any hope for a returning business is now gone. Since that visit I've met friends out and they always ask about Roots, I tell them Cleo's across the street has better pizza. Not only in taste but price. I honestly can't think of anything that would make me want to give Roots another try.
(2)
Amanda S.

Just moved to the area and this was my first delivery experience in my new city home :). Not that I'm particularly a pizza person but I needed something to eat while I un packed. Upon googling "pizza near me", I came across Roots. I called them up and ordered a large half cheese half sausage pizza. It came rather quickly for it being 5:30 on a Friday night. The delivery man was very nice and had no problem finding my apartment which. I have had problems with the cable company, ups deliveries, etc... I opened the box and noticed how weird the pizza was cut, only across, not into slices or squares as with the normal pizza. This was midly problematic since I hadn't found my silverware in the boxes yet :), but okay none the less. So happy when I bit into it though!! So good. Pizza in the suburbs really needs to step their game up. I will say that their sausage tasted kind of weird, but the cheese side was great. Sauce tatsed great. Crust was awesome. Overalll the seasonings blended well. Even tatsed good when I nuked it later. Hope to come in and visit some time soon. Will update my experience when I do.
(3)
Lisa R.

Great staff and bartenders!! Quality food. Quality service. What more can you ask for?
(5)
Bill S.

We had a house guest who was a first-time visitor to Chicago. Naturally, one of the items on the to-do list was Chicago pizza... but a little tricky because it had to be gluten free. It was amazing what some places promote as "gluten free pizza" but Roots delivered the real deal. It was excellent and our friend went home happy. We also had a couple of regular pizzas, both of which were excellent. Also tried the sweet potato tots (wow) and enjoyed a great caesar salad. What impressed me more than the food, though, was the staff. They were outstanding - friendly, attentive without being annoying, and fast. Once we told our server that a member of our party had a gluten allergy, every item that arrived at our table - regardless of who brought it, was identified as whether or not it was a dairy- or gluten-free dish. It was done without any trace of annoyance or resentment. Seemed like they generally cared about our experience on every level. All that being said, it's a great atmosphere and we really enjoyed everything about the meal. We're definitely going back, and unless the next visit is a disaster I'm going have to put Roots Handmade Pizza in our top 5 Chicago pizzarias.
(4)
Erin W.

I love this pizza joint, and love that it's very local to me, (5 minute walk). Pros: the fresh mozzarella sticks: they are to die for. The dipping sauce is also very delish. You can't not order these as an app when you go. The salads: I make my own with the huge list of ingredients they offer, which are all very fresh. My fav dressing is the maple syrup vinaigrette, which if you like "sweet" with your salads, you shouldn't go without. My only complaint is when they've forgotten my candied walnuts on a couple to-go orders I made, and didn't find out till I got home (total salad bummer). My boyfriend orders the rock island arsenal: its huuuuge, even for a guy with a huge appetite, it's a lot of food (plan on renting a storage unit for your left overs, cause you'll definitely have them). The curly fries, or the sweet potato tots are a perfect side...for any dish you decide to get. Oh and guess what they use to top that sandwich? Their house made mozzarella sticks, the sausage is really there as a garnish. Definitely check this place out if you like fresh homemade italian, and a good selection of craft beers on rotation. Our service here, whether it be take out, or dine in, has also always been very good. (My only reason for the 4 instead of 5 stars are from my missing candied walnuts....where are they???)
(4)
Ha V.

I tried Roots' pizza for the first time this Sunday when my roommates suddenly had a craving for it. I had no idea what it was, but they were excited about it so naturally I was too. =) Although it isn't far from us, we decided to get it delivered (Sunday lounging). It took about 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering they warn you it may take up to an hour. I waited a couple hours to grab my first piece since I had just eaten too much at Pot Pan down the road in hopes of curing my hangover. My first piece was great - although I felt it was too thin for what isn't supposed to be 'thin crust', something about the cheese really stood out. I'm not sure how many types of cheese were on there but there were seasonings and herbs that I just couldn't get enough of. By my second piece, however, I realized that there just wasn't enough sauce on the pizza, which is absolute baloney. And by my third piece reheated the next day, it just wasn't impressive, which I found to be really sad since reheated pizza is usually the best. I'm glad I tried it, but I think Chicago offers a ton of better pizza places.
(2)
Jenn G.

I stopped by Roots for lunch yesterday and was surprised by what a great experience I had. I'm always in that area because I LOVE the West Town Bakery but today was the first time I gave Roots a try. I was on my lunch break and alone so I just sat at the bar. The bartender, Chaz, immediately introduced himself to me and was very friendly (but not in a creepy/stalker way). After a few minutes, I placed my order and Chaz quickly obliged in bringing me an Orange Fizz drink and the Mozzarella, Tomato, Avocado salad. Whilst we waited for the food, we had a nice little chit chat. The salad I got was amazing. Very, very flavorful and a big portion. The restaurant itself has outdoor seating and the outer walls roll up to have open air seating inside which was perfect for a lovely summer day like yesterday. Everything was super clean and the service was fast (though there were only five or six people there). The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I thought it was a little pricey. A salad and a drink cost $25 with tip which is more than I typically like to spend on lunch. I'd definitely go back for dinner and/or to try the pizza though. PS... their beer list was pretty extensive so if you're into that it's a great spot.
(4)
Marie B.

Went here after the Empty Bottle. Good go to neighborhood place. Great beer selection. Their pizza is different then your normal Chicago Pizza, but a nice alternative. We tried their specialty pizza (Big Mick & Taco) which were unique. However, I liked the basic sausage and cheese the best. A must try if you like exploring different pizza joints. Not a place to go out of your way though.
(3)
Brian S.

I like this spot. The mozzarella sticks are giant! and very filling. We had their homemade sausage pizza. The cheese is really good! The crust and sauce to top is amazing aswell. I was very impressed. I will definitely be back to try some of the other varieties on their menu. Highly Recommended!
(5)
Katy H.

Pizza- okay. Beer- good. Service- meh. A friend and I visited on a week night in August. We arrived around 8:30 and were seated outside. We each had a Roots House Brew and split the garlic monkey bread and a pizza. -The beer was pretty good (done by Two Brothers just for Roots) and went well with the pizza crust and the bread -The monkey bread was absolutely the best part of the meal! So garlicy and warm! I will go back just for that -The pizza, well, it was alright. But I don't think that cuts it in Chicago- we are a pizza town! Come on people, don't open a pizza place without good pizza! I don't even remember what it tasted like, only that I was bored with it and didn't eat much. On top of that, our waitress played favorites and pretty much ignored us the entire time we were there. And it was a slow night. I liked the restaurant and I'll give it another try, but I'm not optimistic. But try the monkey bread. Really, try it!
(3)
George V.

Atmosphere -- four stars! Food -- two stars. I really WANT to like Roots. Set foot in the door and it's a nice mix of slightly hip and laid back, something I'm not quite sure how they pulled off. Built out of an old firehouse, lots of exposed brick and the obligator two oversized roll-up doors complete the decor. Unfortunately it's the actual pizza that lets the establishment down. It's thoroughly TASTELESS. The dough that Roots goes on about is completely devoid of seasoning and tastes exactly like what you'd expect flour, water, and a bare minimum of sugar to taste like. The pizza sauce has, of all things, fennel in it. Really, fennel? I can understand fennel in sausage where it belongs, but just thrown into regular pizza sauce? Besides the fennel the sauce is otherwise devoid of both seasoning and spice. Worse, somehow their pepperoni is also completely devoid of spice! I actually had to check underneath the cheese to make sure that I wasn't eating a plain cheese! The taste of the pizza didn't get better as leftovers (when you can really sit it on your tongue, move it around, and genuinely take your time tasting every last thing without burning your tongue). The fennel taste had mostly dissipated (to be expected), which left the rest of the pizza, which unfortunately bore a striking resemblance to taking a bite out of a magazine. Again I had to check to make sure there actually was pepperoni on the slice due to the complete absence of flavor. Crust was slightly better texture-wise as a leftover since it soaked up a little moisture, but again without seasoning or spices it's a strictly utilitarian affair delivering the flavorless toppings and sauce. Such high hopes. Please hire a chef with a working palette; I enjoy food with flavor. Right now the decor and atmosphere is the only thing saving Roots from a one star, as the food certainly isn't capable.
(3)
Kyle H.

Pizza is good. Beer is good. Pizza and beer together, even better! So why is Roots so intent on ruining this classic combination by trying to nickel and dime their customers into hating having to pay an arm and a leg for a few beers and a 'za? Oh, the beer seems to be "normal price", but the cute glasses hide the fact that you're not getting a full pint, so Roots is being chintzy on a few ounces with each glass they sell. We decided to try their homemade sausage, which reminded me of the crappy crumbly beef that I used to have to put on pizzas when I worked at Pizza Hut in high school. Quad Cities' pizza is slightly thicker than thin crust, which was nice, and the buttery crust was tasty, but the pizza was not worth what they're charging, and with each ingredient adding $2, you're quickly paying over $20 for a pizza for two that's nothing special. I will come back to give them another shot, but if the poorly done sausage pizza is being billed as your strong suit, what does that say about the rest of the menu?
(2)
Nastia P.

Music was horrible and too loud! Pizza crust was burned and didn't taste good, extremely oily. Very limited choses too. Like 5 pizzas .. Waitress wasn't too friendly either! throw the check on the table , no "Thanks", no "How was it", no "see you soon".. Felt like we wasn't welcome there. Won't ever go back and definitely won't recommend it!!! Frozen pizza will taste much better btw. PS: we were polite at all the time, left her big tips too, even she didn't show that she appreciates anything .
(1)
Tim S.

Delicious and fun. Craft Pizza's are overplayed these days but they do a fine job of elevating the cheese sauce and bread idea. We ordered a large pepperoni, red pepper, goat cheese, bacon pizza and a tray of mozzarella stick. Lets start with the sticks... HUGE, almost to big if you ask me and I love cheese. Pizza arrived a little later and was delicious. Perfect way to end a weekend with some gooey, cheesy goodness. A large pizza was the ideal size for 4 of us. Washing it down was almost as hard as deciding on the pizza toppings with a great selection of 70 beers from the midwest it was down to the server to help me make a decision. She did a phenomenal of choosing a great compliment to the pizza. Wish I could remember what it was called as I nicknamed it "Snitchy Bitch" and that took over for the real name. oops. Service was great to boot. Will come back for sure.
(4)
Mike P.

BEST THING TO COME FROM THE QUAD CITIES SINCE ACIE EARL. PRE: My girl and I were in Chicago doing some sight seeing and decided to drive up Chicago Avenue in search of some lunch. We used the Yelp app but way too many choices. We stopped two young ladies walking down the sidewalk and they raved about Roots. Deal sealed. ORDERED: Garlic Monkey Bread, 12" Pizza (hamburger, mushroom, roasted corn), Roots Root Beer, Coffee TASTED: The garlic sauce for the monkey bread is amazing! A nice appetizer for two people. The 12" pizza was thick and a few slices would leave anyone not named Joey Chestnut full. The Roots Root Beer that they make themselves is fantastic, think Virgil's but not as sweet. The coffee...(see below). COFFEE: I'm in Chicago, home of Intelligentsia and Metropolis, so I ask which roaster they use for their coffee. Our waitress looked at me like I had just asked for her SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. I said "so it is foodservice?" I order the coffee anyway. I get charged $4 on my receipt and didn't even get offered a warmup or refill. SERVICE: Our water filler/busboy was more personable than our waitress. She was like every crappy hipster server I encountered in Portland. NUTSHELL: The space is great. The food is really good. The service is below average.
(4)
Austin G.

I've ordered from here twice through Grubhub. The first order I had I got the BLT pizza. The pizza was really good, but it was kind of strange. The lettuce, tomato, and mayo all came on the side and I had to add it myself to the pizza. It would have been nice to just have it on there. I also order the Roots Root Beer. Here is where I found inconsistency. The first time I got a 6-pack of root beer for $3.00 when I was just expecting a large fountain drink or something similar. The second time I ordered I was expecting a 6-pack, but just got a 20oz bottle. That was a bit pricey for $3.00. Overall the pizza was good, but the inconsistency will probably prevent me from ordering there again.
(3)
Chan K.

I came and ordered some soup to go. A bowl was $6! I don't mind paying that much for a bowl of broccoli cheedar, but the cheese was not particular sharp and flavorful and almost seemed processed. I've had their pizza once before - good but not extraordinary. The bartender on Saturday night was rather unattentive.
(1)
Angie M.

I'm not a cheapskate by any means. I happily shell out dough for a pricey meal here and there and have no qualms about it. However, pizza and salads are generally fairly cheap, so when Brett D. and I had a bill that was hovering around $70, something seemed off. Let's break it down and see how 2 salads, 3 beers and a small pizza got us to an astonishingly high bill. 3 Goose Island beers - $24 1 Proco Joe Salad - $9 1 Goat Cheese & Baby Beet Salad - $12 1 12 inch pizza (serves 1-2 people) - $14 Toppings: $2 - basil $2- garlic $2 - tomato $3 - mozzarella cheese (yes, you get charged for cheese) Total without tax & tip: $68 SIXTY EIGHT DOLLARS. For a meal without protein. I mean, come on. That's just ridiculous. I'm also shocked that I paid $14 for basically crust and tomato sauce. Paying for your cheese? On a pizza? Insanity. Moving on. Despite the fact that everything at Roots seems way overpriced, it was pretty tasty. I highly recommend the Proco Joe salad. The mint vinaigrette is top notch and the roasted veggies are delicious. However, again... $9 for a regular sized salad with NO protein is kind of ridiculous. The pizza is, if I'm being honest, good, but not spectacular. The St. Louis pizza style includes malt in the crust, which adds a unique flavor, but aside from that, it's a standard crust, standard sauce and well, pretty standard toppings. I mean, it's good, but far from the best pizza out there and DEFINITELY not worth the price tag. So while I think Roots is great for the neighborhood and the Proco Joe salad is ridiculously tasty, I'm not sure the value is there.
(3)
M G.

This place looks good and the salads are great but took way too long for two salads. Seriously almost 40 minutes for two salads? Are they growing the lettuce in the back? That was a bit long for a salad.
(2)
Mark A.

Given that this place is 2 blocks from home for me, I really wanted to like it. The space looks cool, and they have lots of outdoor seating which is something that Chicagoans treasure during the precious summer months, but the food is just not good. The menu looks like something from an Applebee's or a TGIFridays. Those places are fine when you're in the middle of Nebraska on a roadtrip and need a salad or bbq chicken, but they have no business being in the middle of Chicago where the restaurant scene is highly competitive. I had the gyro sausage sandwich and it was just blah. They do not make the sausage on-site, the bread was not fresh, and the sweet potato tots were coated in a generic batter. It's clear the food is all prepared ahead of time and all they simply do is warm things up. Gordon Ramsey would [crap] a brick. The beer list does deserve an honorable mention, and I suppose I might go here to sample a different brew from time to time while sitting outside because it *is* so close to home. I did, however, order a beer flight and the pours were not very cold, so that was disappointing.
(1)
Russ B.

They make their own root beer, and the Sausage and onion pizza is amaze - zing, the the mozz sticks are the biggest I've seen, the Marn, sauce served with is made fresh too!!
(5)
Michael H.

What can I say except that I can't find a flaw! I'm not exaggerating when I saw it is some of the best pizza I've ever had as well as some of the best cheese sticks i've ever had. The beer selection is fantastic and they have super-knowledgable bar tenders. It is also ideal for watching a game with their many TVs.
(5)
Keith A.

I was out doing a crawl on a sunday afternoon and was in need of sustenance. I also needed more beer and saw roots while driving on chicago ave. I sat down at the bar as I just wanted to see the futility that is the bears right now. I liked the draft list and settled on a goose sofie. There were a good amount of selections From there it was onto the pizza. My friend and I got a 12 inch with mozzarella, blue cheese, pepperoni and prosciutto. The sauce was pretty good, but the mozzarella covered up the blue cheese a bit. The pepperoni were very good, but the prosciutto didn't really seem like prosciutto, it was too thick and more like capicola. Not really a complaint as it was tasty, but not what I expected. The service was pretty good. There were a good amount of people here for the game, but I never had a problem getting a beer. I'm not down here too often, but roots is most certainly on my radar now
(3)
Diana R.

I'm quite a regular here these days. The service is always good and my Monday day drinking affair started here and the waitress even gave my table a round of shots on the house... I guess they heard of our day plans. I've never had a bad experience here which keeps me coming back.
(5)
Tom C.

I would give 5 stars for the taco pizza, 3 for the sausage. If you are looking for a great taco pizza, and want one that tastes exactly like Iowa taco pizza. THIS is the place.
(4)
L M.

I hate giving bad reviews. I really do. But this place was such a disappointment! Went one afternoon with my friend and her toddler for a relaxing lunch outside. It wasn't very crowded and we were the only ones sitting in the patio. We ordered two margaritas..they were yummy if I'd wanted a lemonade. All I tasted was juice. We are moms, we would've gotten buzzed if there had been at least an ounce of tequila in that sucker. Maybe the bartender forgot to add it? We paid $8 for sour mix I guess. Our waitress was blah, not really on top of things. Thought it was just her but think it was the whole staff. The pizza was super hot but her son was starved so my friend gave him a piece she thought had cooled off enough, it hadn't. The cheese slid to his knee and this little boy was screaming in pain with a red knee! I couldn't find my waitress, I ran up to the hostess and a busboy and asked for ice. They both just looked at me. Thankfully we had some first aid spray that calmed him down. It took the waitress over five minutes to come by us and it didn't look like she knew we needed anything, we had to still ask her for ice as well. As for the food itself, that was yummy. I loved the salad, and loved that you have the option to build your own. The pizza was good and we got the sweet potato tots for the baby. The servings were great. We shared a salad and a 12" pizza and we had leftovers. It is a bit pricey in my opinion and I wasn't a huge fan of the pizza itself but I am really picky about my pizza. I may try it again for the salads. I just wish the service was a bit more attentive. My friend has been here before and said that is the only drawback for her. Now that they basically just stood back while her kid screamed for 10 minutes I don't know if she will want to go back. We aren't blaming them for the burn, accidents happen. Pizza is hot. We just wish they'd acted like they cared a bit. And gave you at least an ounce of booze in your cocktail.
(2)
Mark D.

I have had two different experiences here and, of course, I am going to tell you about them. Dining in: The mozzarella sticks are gigantic and probably the best I have ever had in my entire life....that means a lot because I have eaten A LOT of mozzarella sticks. The pizza was delicious....you must get the sausage. I normally don't like sausage on a pizza, but Roots sausage is DE-LICIOUS. Get it. The food is hot, the service is good, and the margaritas are fantastic. Delivery: Meh....my mozzarella sticks weren't crunchy, they were soft and deflated. The pizza was halfway between hot and barely warm. I have ordered thousands of pizzas in Chicago so I should expect this by now, but I had high hopes for Roots delivery because I love dining in so much. Whatever..... To fall in love with Roots pizza you must dine in. Only order delivery if you are nearly blacked out drunk.
(4)
Rob J.

A great bar where you don't feel weird bringing kids- what more can you ask for? Great beer selection, good drinks. Love the make your own salad option...
(4)
Tim C.

Ok Roots, I'm done with you. I used to really like your pizza, as it is good pizza. But your employees and customer service are downright one of the worst I've ever come across. My roommate ordered a six pack of pop. It came with a shard of glass. I once ordered a Dr. Pepper, I expected to get a can of it not a flat fountain drink. Once sat at the bar and waited for a table on a Saturday night. Closed the tab and then moved to a table, twenty minutes later bar tender came over and stated she rang my order up on some other person's credit card. And gave me that person's credit card, pulled out my wallet and there was that person's credit card. Seriously, get your shit together.
(2)
Kimberly C.

My husband brought their taco pizza home tonight for dinner. They pack the cold toppings (lettuce, tomato, chips & sour cream) up separately for you to assemble at home to keep things fresh. They are super generous with the taco chips...I couldn't put my finger on the taco chip flavor, I know I've had them before, but they added a lot of good flavor to the pizza. I've had taco pizza before (Little Sicily Pizza in Washburn, IL) and Roots did it well...the lightly flavored meat and the 2 cheeses were the perfect match to the fresh toppings. The crust was good, not too thick, but not thin either. All-in-all, for a take-out option, This was good, and I'm curious to try more.
(4)
Lois A.

I avoided this place for a long time because televisions in restaurants turn me off. But when Crust closed up shop I came here and discovered that I love this pizza. The sweetness of the sauce and the chewy crust...yum. Plus, the awesome amount of things they have to adorn salads with won me over in a hurry. I've had the make-your-own with corn, avocado, pistachios and green goddess dressing...it was so good I had to have it again and again. Tonight I picked up the Girl and the Goat special pizza they have with goat sausage ragu, sharp cheddar and yuzu maple drizzle. Get it while you can...it is seriously wonderful.
(4)
Jeremy N.

Growing up in the Quad Cities, I'm familiar with the type of pizza they are going for. There are many pizza joints around Davenport (Harris, Uncle Bills, Wise Guys, etc) that all have this same kind of texture and look and taste. I wasn't aware, however, that it was a 'thing', which is somewhat amusing. To whoever said it was a gimmick and that the history is fabricated, I have to disagree. This is just a type of pizza that happens to be very prevalent in the QC area. Strips of pizza with crumbled sausage. Personally, I had no idea about Malt in the dough or whatever else, I just know that it had a spice to it, and is cut in strips. And yes, there really are Taco pizza's. I can't stand them though. Maybe I'll try it here one time to see if it's any different than how I remember.....I do agree, though, that the scripts make it appear gimmicky, but I have a feeling that will tone down as time progresses. Now on to the food. We got the artichoke appetizer which was good. It was somewhat awkward to eat due to the layers of the artichoke and my not knowing how to attack an artichoke. But the flavor of the sauce was on point. I think it was a horseradish sauce. It went well with the artichokes. The pizza. We ordered a sausage pizza, because this is what I am most familiar with and wanted to see how it stacked up to what I know of this type of pizza. I have to say, they did a good job of recreating this pizza. It tastes pretty much exactly like what they are going for. There is a large blanket of sausage on the pizza, and the mozzarella cheese tastes delicious. They also have a huge selection of beers, shots and wine. The house brew is pretty good and goes well with the food. I don't think that you should go to Roots expecting some kind of ethereal gastronomic experience in pizza form. It's a pizza place that specializes in a particular kind of pizza that's unique in very subtle ways. A good place to go for some pizza and beer.
(4)
Mimi C.

Although I've always hesitated about reviewing a spot with more than 50 reviews, I'll bend that rule for places deserving a 1- star or a 5-star rating. Roots falls into the latter category for their SALADS alone. I'd been looking for Chicago's best salad for the 9+ years I've been back in town. Corner Bakery's Harvest salad (sans chicken, since I'm not a flesh-eater) came close, but the salad's gotten smaller and their balsamic vinaigrette is VERY oily, so I'd always have to switch to Caesar dressing and ditch the Granny Smith apples (which I never liked). I'm eternally on the lookout for places that serve Green Goddess dressing, and when my buddy Ryan told me about Roots, I happened to notice that they had this dressing on their extensive list. Hell, they even have a Green Goddess salad! Their Louis, mint vinaigrette and Caesar dressings are equally yummy. The part that most impresses me about Roots is their Build-Your-Own-Salad option for $8. Unfortunately, two of my faves - avocados and beets - involve a $1 upcharge that I usually have to take. They've got a bevy of crunchy options for salads, too, including pistachios (with NO upcharge). The only downside? I wish the service was a little faster (and the male bartender wasn't a dickwad), but that's a sacrifice I'll have to make for those outstanding salads.
(5)
Diana R.

I was invited here by a friend and told it was the best pizza he's had in Chicago. Bar was set pretty high and the pizza did not disappoint! Medley of ingredients in the cheese and fact that cheese is sprinkled on last reminds me of pizza as a kid. It has a certain taste to it that gives it a hint of nostalgia. It's the way pizza used to taste...perhaps more real, made with better quality ingredients? We had half pepperoni and half sausage. Both were tasty, but the sausage is really somethin' special. Again, perhaps a blend of spices that makes the sausage stick out to me? But....the crust. So good. I specifically said before ordering the pizza that I did not want to eat a lot, but this crust was seriously delicious...a bit sweet, soft and irresistible. (According to their website, malt crust. om nom nom) Extensive drink menu includes a million and one craft beers from the midwest U.S. Not a beer connoisseur, but definitely like to try new ones when I can and stay away from Miller Lite. Server was full of info about the beers as well as suggestions. Long story short: I ate half of a large pizza. The only reason it's 4 stars is because the restaurant was SO COLD.
(4)
Eric S.

This place easily can become your home away from home if you're new to the neighborhood. Their build-a-salad is awesome. I find my way there weekly and usually more than once. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Big John is a real hoot. Ya, I said hoot. Only complaint is Jameson is $7 a shot I think....that's just robbery.
(5)
betsy b.

Wow, I'm actually really surprised at all the bad reviews on here. I was very hesitant to try this place....what the hell is quad cities pizza anyway!? But, it's awesome. It's different and I like that. It's sweeter and Roots has many topping options that most places don't. I love the roasted red peppers and creamed spinach...the sausage is great too...it's nice and crumbly instead of big honker pieces which I'm not a fan of. The mozz sticks are to die for. The first time I came here they had a special of fried jalapeno slices...I really wish they'd bring those back. The beer list is great too...it's all Midwestern brews and there's something for everyone. If you have kids this is easily one of the most kid friendly places I've been to since becoming a mom. They bring out pizza dough to play with, they have actual sippy cups, there's a window to watch the kitchen and the servers have all been super friendly and never annoyed that my kid throws obscene amounts of food on the floor. There's a back room where it seems most families sit on weekend nights and I'm ok with that. Doesn't hurt that you can get cake balls next door after dinner....yum!
(5)
Christopher P.

Love this place. I've become slightly addicted to their crust. The touch of malt makes it. The Green Goddess salad is great. Get a little extra dressing for your crust. You'll thank me. The lollipop wings are rockin' too. I've been ordering from here at least twice a month for the past 4 or 5 months and they never disappoint.
(4)
Sabrina F.

Hard, dry crust. Freezer-burn-tasting cheese. And sad, sad toppings that likely came out of a can. "Handmade" garbage if you ask me. Giving them 2 stars only because they had some decent beers.
(2)
Christopher F.

Some of the more disappointing and expensive calories I have consumed in awhile. My wife and I almost left when we saw the fairly lame menu but they have some decent craft brews and the better, cheaper, fresher and cleaner Barabari down the street was closed so we went for it. The menu says a small pizza serves 1-2 people which qualifies it as a personal pizza with a few pieces left over, but turns out it is oversized which means they are trying to win on portions but really don't deliver on the idea of what a handmade pizza should be. Unless if by "handmade" they mean that a pair of human hands took the dough out of a wrapper and poured on some freezer burned cheese on top then their pizza qualifies. The promise of a handmade pizza is a small, hand crafted, high quality dish with fresh toppings, not an engorged flavorless mound that I can get everywhere. If I was going for volume I would hit the McDonald's dollar menu. My wife and I ended up with two mostly uneaten pizzas and fairly disappointing salad drenched in dressing. The waiter saw we didn't like the pizza and didn't want the left overs to go and just said, "Oh." and walked away with our $70. The food isn't awful, it's just not good which makes it totally not worth the price. They do have nice seating outdoors and some very comfortable window seats but so not worth it. Anyway, back to the gym to win back those squandered calorie credits. Note: I feel like I am on a negative review streak so maybe Mercury is in retrograde and I am just being overly picky but I have been feeling pretty good over all so I am going to stand by this review.
(2)
Filiz T.

I looooove Roots!!! Their pizza is like no other pizza you've had before, seriously. First off, it's all handmade and fresh; the crust is so crispy; and the cheese is melted to perfection. Not only that but they have this salad called the Tomato, Avocado, and Mozzarella Salad that I swear is the best salad I have EVER eaten! The ingredients are so fresh, and the combination of everything together topped with the cilantro lime dressing is to die for!!! They also have a million craft beers to try if you're a beer person like myself. I could go on and on about this place, so take my word and go see for yourself! I hope your experience will be as good as mine!
(5)
Jen B.

A few friend had less that stellar experiences at Roots, so we were a little reluctant to eat here, but after stopping in for a beer last weekend and seeing that the food looked and smelled good, we went back this weekend for lunch and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is great, all the windows open on a beautiful day, olympics on TV, good tunes playing. We were delighted to find at all the beers are midwest. We ordered the mozzarella sticks to start, but asked what kind of oil they are fried in, as our little guys is allergic to peanut. The waitress double checked for us and said they are normally friend in peanut oil, but that they could make ours in vegetable oil. How nice is that?! They were delicious as well. I have to agree with the other reviews that the salad was probably the highlight of the meal. We had the northlander with blue cheese, candied walnuts and cranberries and it was excellent. We ordered a BLT pizza, and liked it. Definitely different that what you normally get in Chicago, but a change every once in a while is good. I look forward to going back and trying other dishes.
(4)
Michael F.

Most people know more about the four horses of the apocalypse, quad core processors or the game of four square (not the one where you check in on your phone) than they do about the Quad Cities. Upon eating at Roots, I learned that the Quad Cities are comprised of Rock Island, Davenport, Bettendorf, and East Moline. Though these four cities are celebrated at Roots, Wikipedia claims there are actually five, a claim that seems spurious until a further explanation is given, which is mostly that the Quint Cities sounds dumb. I guess Roots feels that Moline can be damned or they wish not to explain how five cities make a quad. I was also surprised that the Quint Cities have their own distinct type of pizza. The difference is the high amount of malt they add to the crust which makes it crispy, like a piece of toast on the outside, but more of a doughy texture on the inside. They also add an entire wheel of cheese to the top. I would say that their pizza is about 8% better than average. Perhaps my biggest disappointments is that their draft beer comes in glasses which are clearly less than 16 ounces and that I did not get to see Alex Haley. Still, there is comfortable seating and the restaurant is huge so it should always be pretty easy to find a table. It's not good enough to drive to Rock Island for, but it's worth the trip to Uke Village.
(3)
Megan G.

I can't believe I'm saying this about a pizza place, but my favorite thing on the menu would be the salads. Either the make your own or the designed ones are great. The pizza is so-so, though I'll admit that I'm an east coast style pizza girl myself, so I'm not as big of a fan of Quad City pizza. The drinks are fairly strong and the bartender is pretty good. Downfall is that the place is very loud and pretty expensive- I live five doors down, and I only tend to go there when I've got a giftcard.
(3)
Tom H.

The pizza is really good. However, their service is awful. Waitstaff is basically untrained. Calling in an order for carryout is a joke....they always put you on hold and the process ends up taking 6-7 minutes every time. C'mon man!
(3)
Brett S.

Pizza is good. Salads are really good. House made mozzarella is super tasty. Pesto dressing in by salad was great. Toppings aren't super fresh but not bad. A little pricey for what it is. Beer selection is vast
(3)
Krista J.

Went here to have their taco pizza after the Chicago's Best episode. I grew up around the Quad Cities and therefore grew up with taco pizza. I was very excited to try it again. The pizza was good. It was pretty much what I would expect a pizza to taste like. We also had the garlic monkey bread. The bread itself was not anything special but the marinara reminded me of home. It also had a great beer list. Although the pizza was enjoyable I would not say it will be a "go to" pizza place for me. I will go again but it does not compare to my two favorite pizza places in the city.
(3)
Ashlee S.

I've been to Roots a number of times and I love it. Generally my boyfriend and I eat here on Monday nights so he can enjoy football on a number of flat screen TVs, and I'm inclined for the Build A Salad option. As a strict herbivore it's nice to have options, like pistachios and beets, for a salad. Needless to say, it's a huge upgrade from the expected house salad other restaurants carry for their vegan/vegetarian customers. The sesame oil vinaigrette is delicious - if you're getting a salad it's a must-have. Roots has plenty of options for everyone, including a taco pizza with Doritos on top, which seems to capture the interest of the friends we bring here. I've also tried a variety of their appetizers (great for sharing) which never disappoint. Our servers at Roots have been friendly, quick to get our drinks, and generally seem like happy people. I appreciate this aspect as I work at a bar/restaurant myself. They have a decent craft beer list. My boyfriend raves about their decision to include Summit EPA in the craft bottle menu, as he is from MN and not many other Chicago bars carry any of Summit's beer. Additionally, Roots has a pleasant atmosphere and is great for bringing out-of-town friends for pizza and drinks. 5 stars!
(5)
Lincoln M.

Cool atmosphere, nice outdoor seating, good drink selection (lots of Midwestern beers). Atmosphere is 5 star, but their pizza is pretty average in my book. Non pizza food is pretty standard fare. Tasty, but nothing to write home about. Def will go back for the atmosphere. Service has always been good when I've been there
(4)
Anand A.

Not a bad place if you are in a pinch and need pizza. Not sure what makes a Quad City pizza, but I think if you have to define pizza by a small region, I think it's a derivative of pizza vs. true Pizza. I view this is puffy bread with toppings that all together resembles pizza but is a bit different. Also, pizza here is expensive. A large veggie pizza was $25 while a small taco Pizza was about 25 as well. Neither pizza was that impressive. I'd rather do Papa John's which is tastier and over 50% cheaper than this place. Mad props on the beer selection!
(2)
Holly O.

I agree that it's a tad pricey, and I will say our server didn't blow me away - but damn. That was a good pizza. Taco Pizza folks, that's where it's at. I Facebooked a photo of it and had friends drooling. Doritos on a pizza? AMAZING! And the yummyness underneath... and little taco sauce packets you could pour on? IN. Great sized space - I ate outdoors and loved it. I could see it being a great afterhours place... Just, like I said, a bit pricey. I would love to come back and have stellar service next time.
(4)
Haley S.

Went here after West Fest. Mainly just reviewing the Mozzarella Sticks, which my friend and I both had and were just as good as reported. I mean, fresh mozz as a mozzarella stick. Worth the hype. My boyfriend had a sausage which came with yummy garlic butter (that I ended up with), that he said was fine. Good beer selection. The pizza wasn't really my thing, but I'm a NYC pizza person, so I have a hard enough time with Chicago Style, let alone Quad City!
(3)
Bruce W.

First the food: It's decent. I've had the taco pizza twice (Sarpino's does it better) salads and hot dogs (both good). But I have to remove all stars, regardless of how the food tastes, because of terrible service. Long story short: You make my pizza, not me. That's why I ordered it. Don't deliver me hamburger pizza and tell me to add the lettuce, tomato, etc on my own to "preserve the integrity of the ingredients." This is crap, make it for me that's why I paid way too much for it ($30!!!). I want it the way it is in the store, when it comes to my door But fine, that's a my preference to have pizza taste and be made correctly when I pay for it. I complained and they graciously comped me another of the same I ordered last night to be made the way I want it. How long does it take to order a pizza at Roots? 29 minutes as I timed it....I'm only talking about the phone call. 16 minutes with a girl that put me on hold 4 times to find a manager and eventually hung up on me. The rest of the time was spent calling back to finish the order, looping back into their VM, putting on hold and hung up on, somebody literally picked up the phone TWICE and hung up on me. Forget this noise. I can order a pizza from 100's of other places in the hood that may cost more but at least they can take my order and work a phone in less than 10 mins. The worst delivery experience (twice over) that I've had in Chicago in the 8 years I've lived here.
(1)
Tim M.

I feel lucky to have this place in my neighborhood. It's nice to have something besides the typical Chicago deep dish pizza place next door. Roots pizza is ridiculously good. Also try their Monkey bread. You won't be disappointed. The beer selection makes me very happy.
(5)
G L.

I am quad cities born and raised. I grew up on this pizza and I know it well. Roots is on the right track, but still off. My main beef is with the taco pizza. It's done wrong as far as taco pizzas go.(see Happy Joes) I agree with the complaints about the cheese tasting sour, or freezer burned, this is true. I guess I'm going to be harder on it since I'm from the QC. Price is definitely a big problem. WAY overpriced. And with so many good pizza places around, roots is just making it harder to go there. I love all the QC stuff, names of pizzas and menu items. But like I said, it's still a bit off. If you ever find yourself in the quad cities ( 2 hours west) seriously, stop in to a sluggers, franks, Harris or happy joes to get a real taste of what QC pizza should be.
(3)
Danielle K.

Sausage pizza was really good. Sausage was small and crumbly in a good way. Had the monkey bread which was nothing special. Went during the afternoon so no problems with service or atmosphere. Would probably try delivery instead of dining in again.
(3)
Rachel F.

Our server Anthony was awesome. He guided my hubby to his favorite beer. I am not supposed to eat pizza (gluten allergy) and the gluten pie hit the spot! I also love that have local partnerships with other restaurants in the neighborhood. We loved the antique taco pie. Thanks Anthony - go hawks!
(4)
Mike L.

My son and I dropped in today just after opening time (just to beat any lunchtime rush) and ordered your basic small sausage and cheese sticks, with a coke (all I could afford). Service was friendly and helpful (thanks, Anthony, btw) and the food came out pronto. The sticks were huge, heck, almost like eggs rolls! And the dipping sauce was great too. We really liked the pizza too - the crust was crunchy and firm and you could taste the malt; super-cheesy too. A few small issues: I thought the pizza could use a little more sauce, to keep the cheese in place - we tried picking up a slice and everything started pulling off; we just cut each slice through before separating. The sauce was nice 'n spicy, just a little more of it please. And the sausage itself, I feel, doesn't need to be ground so fine. You could get away with a coarser ground. The cheesesticks were great but almost too big - I take one bite and I'm chasin' cheese 'til I realize I might pull all of it out of the breading. So I just cut 'em down in smaller pieces and dipped 'em with my fork. No biggie. All in all, a pleasant lunch experience and I'm sure I'll be back soon; I was eyeballing some of the apps that others had ordered - lookin' good! Anthony said a second location would open in Lincoln Square, in the summer. Which is good, since that would be closer to my neighborhood. Good job,guys - see you soon.
(4)
Leang E.

After finding out that neither Lou Malnati's would be able to deliver me food during lunch, I decided to try some place new - Roots! The story behind the place was interesting and I like the collaboration on some of the pizza specials with the owners of other restaurants. I wanted to try one, but really wanted something with their traditional sauce. My girlfriend and I opted for a healthier pizza with chicken and vegetables, and were very happy with our choice. The pizza was less greasy and we both really enjoyed the crust. It didn't feel as heavy in our stomachs either. It was a pleasant surprise. My only gripe is that it seemed pricey for the size that it was. There was only 2 pizza sizes and we got the larger one that was supposed to feed 3-5 people, and between the 2 of us there were only 4 pieces left. $30 seemed kind of expensive for pizza that fed 2 people. I think if we had a 3rd person they would have still been hungry. I guess it's one of those places that I will order from every once and a while.
(4)
Annabelle F.

This place is consistently great and delivers on everything it promises. It is not fine dining, it is a perfect low key spot to enjoy good food and company. Awesome patio, family and non-family friendly, great space, great service, great food. The pizza is good (not the best I have ever had), the beer list is impressive, they have other drink choices and the salads are AWESOME. Huge salad person - dressing are great, options are plentiful.
(5)
Gregory G.

Update: I have returned a few times since. Figured I'd up my review. Salads were pricey, but fantastic. Pizza... I've tried two of their more gimmicky ones (Big Mac and Antique Taco), and they were just that: gimmicky. Didn't love them. I'd like to try a more standard pizza next time... only I'll have to remember to hold the oregano. Original: They make their own mozzarella, sauces, and crust... all of which in themselves are fantastic. However, the way in which they put them together didn't do it for me. This is the first place I've been to that, dare I say, uses too much cheese on their pizza. There was a probably 3/4" thick blob of cheese on there. Good cheese, mind you... but that was about all you could taste. Well, that and the silly amounts of oregano sprinkled on top. It's a shame too, because their crust and sauce are delicious. The copious amounts of cheese also wasn't allowed to melt and get that delicious carmelization. Plus, all of the moisture made the middle downright soggy. I'm going to give it another shot, however I'm going to ask them to use half the amount of cheese and leave the oregano off (it should be in a shaker on the side, anyways). I'm convinced that with those changes, it'll be damn good pizza. Oh, and the mozzarella stick are fantastic. As is their house-brand root beer. Decent beer selection, too.
(4)
Brian P.

Have been here a few times. Always enjoy the food. Have founds it to be a good place to bring my kids. Easy, fun.
(4)
J R.

I would NOT RECOMMEND CARRY OUT from Roots Pizza. It was to be ready within 30 minutes, we arrived within 25 minutes, waited a few minutes for the pizza and drove home 1/2 mile (less than 5 minutes at 6:30PM on a Sunday). Once we opened the pizza, it was luke warm, almost cold and was not made with the level of ingredients that you expect at this price point. I'm sure they have warming lamps/warming ovens in store, but it is possible they were not used or are broken. I think the true mark of a great pizza spot, is that they can deliver a "dine in" experience at "home" @ $15.75 for a 12" cheese and sausage, I would drive over to "Piece Pizza" and have a consistently great pizza, at a better value, hot and fresh, at home or while dining in. They did remove this from the bill, so props for making it right.
(1)
Jon K.

There are two great things about Roots...the food and the customer relations! They really know how to take care of you and keep you coming back for more. The combination of the fresh ingredients and the malt that they put in the crust for a unique flavor will make this some of the best pizza that you will have tried.
(5)
Jason C.

Finally sat down at Roots for pizza and drinks. I have to say, I'm enjoying myself. Great food, atmosphere is lively and the crowd is easy on the eyes. Our bartender Lesley has been attentive and friendly and taken care of us like we're visiting family. I'll be back. Great craft beers too.
(4)
Scott K.

I'll keep this short and sweet. When I moved io Chicago it was in UK Village so naturally I had Roots a few times and really enjoyed it. I happened to be in the area the other day so I picked up a sausage pizza and lollipop wings. The pizza is delicious in my opinion. The crust is thin but not like New York style. It has a chewy and crispy crunch even after taking it home and out of the box. I love the cheese there. It's super chewy and flavorful. The fine ground sausage is nothing to slouch at either. As for the wings. Usually wings are wings but not these wings. They are called lollipop wings as they resemble a lollipop (hard to explain). They are super crispy on the outside and you dip them in the sauce which is very tasty. They almost remind me of a tiny piece of fried chicken. All in all, I think this place is getting better with time. If you are in the mood for a good pizza but burned out on the Chicago staples definitely give this place a try. The place is real nice on the inside, has a great beer list and a friendly staff to boot. So much for keeping this short but one more thing. I do feel that it is a bit pricey but I will gladly pay a premium for quality. Roots was recently in Timeout Chicago as a nomination for one of the best new pizza restaurants in Chicago and I would have to agree.
(4)
Chad S.

Let me start off by saying I was really excited about this place when I first ordered it. I saw that it is owned by the same people (or corp.) as The Fifty/50, which I enjoy semi-regularly. But this place was a huge let down on my both of my experiences. First order: Got the taco pizza delivered. It was basically a sausage pizza with some cheddar sprinkled on top and seemed slightly under-cooked. They gave me shredded lettuce and tomatoes in a separate container accompanied by taco sauce packets and what seemed to be some Taco flavored Doritos. I got sour cream with it which was like a dollar more. The first piece I attempted to build what I imagined the pizza was supposed to be served as, but after a few bites it was obvious I put way too much work into it, ate 2 more slices of the sausage pizza and was very unimpressed. Ended up eating more of the Doritos and threw the rest of the pizza away. Second encounter: Went to the restaurant and was shocked to see on the menu they listed the Taco pizza as there signature pizza. Anyways, got some buffalo "lollipop" wings and was again unimpressed. On top of that there was a bill dispute a few of my friends had with the bartender over the daily special drink. The guy seemed very uninterested and didn't seem to care that he told them a different price for the drink than what it actually was. So yea totally meh...will probably never go to or order from this place again.
(2)
Brittani M.

I have tried every type of pizza place that Chicago has to offer, and Roots will always be one of my favorites. The sauce is very unique, and the atmosphere is super comfortable. I always recommend this pizza place to anyone who comes to visit!
(5)
Hales L.

We wanted to try Roots because Silvy, from the Waddle and Silvy Show on ESPN radio, tweets about it all the time. They have a gigantic selection of brews from around the midwest area, which I thought was pretty cool. Try the Motz sticks, they are delightful. The monkey break is also very good (although it's pretty hard to mess up monkey bread). I love their build-your-own salads. The ingredients came out fresh and I love the different choices of dressings. Their pizza was good, but I didn't like the crust. It's hard and crunchy; not appetizing at all. I really the spin they have on the sausage. They use ground sausage and it tastes really good. Unlike some of the other patrons, I actually really enjoyed the cheese on the pizza as well. The service was really good every time I was here, so no complaints there. Even the hosts were nice! It is a little overpriced, but I like the ambience and the food, so I guess it's worth it?
(4)
Leslie W.

Roots is my go to on a Sunday morning when Saturday night was too much. I don't like bloody mary's typically, but I love their bloody mary. That coupled with a chaser of one of the many beers on tap and some sweet potato tats...I'm all better. The Rock Arsenal is the hangover cure sandwich, but lets say you go on a random Wednesday night...any of the salads are awesome, and many of the other sandwiches are great too. Roots is also very kid friendly, at least on the weekends when friends have brought their kids to brunch with us. The staff is super nice, and I like having the car atmosphere with the good food and the kid friendly areas...Roots, you make me happy!
(4)
A S.

The build your own salad thing was the best part about this place. generous on the things you picked, and the salad was good sized. Lots of options. Like that alot. The pizzas arent my style of pizza. i like a real wood fired italian pizza - but ... they do taste good. How bad can a dorito cheese bread combination be? not sure about quality - prob average. the moz sticks were tasty - but again, they are moz sticks so....can you really F those up? ricotta was good all the salads were good. I would go back for the salads alone that is for sure. but for pizza, i'd for sure go elsewhere. like great lake or crust.
(4)
Cindy A.

I've returned to this place and also gotten delivery more recently, and I had an even better experience. It doesn't get overly crowded on Friday nights like some places. The drink list and beer list are great, with a lot of selections. Service is fast and helpful.
(5)
Jerry F.

Nasty stuff. First pizza took 45 minutes to get and was wrong, so waited 30 more minutes for second pizza. That one arrived burned black in some spots and undercooked in others. Crust has a weird pretzel taste from the malt. Way too much cheese. Cheese and sausage slide right off each slice. Also had a Caesar salad drowning in too-garlicky dressing that took us a few days to recover from. Really pricey to top it all off. You can do better almost anywhere else in Chicago.
(1)
Carolyn E.

I know a couple Quad City natives who insisted that I try this place. I barely know where the Quad Cities are and I do know that the Quad City DJ's aren't even from Quad Cities, so I was skeptical. I went here a month ago and I'm still thinking about my pizza because it was so delicious. First off, I think the owner/managers are reading yelp, because our server was awesome and attentive. She asked us if we had been there before and then explained that our pizza was not going to be cut like other pizzas and that the crust is sweeter and goes better with beer. (Pizza AND beer, don't mind if I do!) We got a 3 topping large vegetarian pizza and 2 beers and our bill was about $35 with leftovers for lunch. Our pizza had adequate FRESH toppings and was super cheesy, also all of the toppings were UNDER the cheese. Like I said, delicious. The strip cut is novel and fine but it makes for floppy pizza slices that need to be eaten with a fork and knife until they are shorter. Is this what people in the Quad Cities do? Fork and knife? Really?! If you're in the neighborhood, you can't go wrong by trying out this place or ordering delivery.
(4)
L G.

I am honestly shocked with almost shocked that with almost 200 reviews, they average 3 stars. I didn't bother going through and looking what the negatives say, because my thoughts can't be wavered. I LOVE ROOTS. ALL of my friends love roots. I've gone 3-4 times, always had something different, and always was blown away by how good this pizza is. But not just the pizza, the salads and appetizers are amazing as well. I've done salads set on the menu and created my own, along with the pizza and really there is nothing bad. Even something like the taco pizza, which I normally steer clear of was so addicting and good. And their customer service is tops. When we showed up with a large group- they made room for us in a private area. When a group of us were just celebrating, they kept hooking us up with free new shots, and if they ran out of a beer we wanted- the next was free. And the bar area is super comfy and chill, I love the feel of it. Even better in the summer. But what it comes down to is the pizza, and seriously, it's one of the best in Chicagos. You have to try to it!
(5)
Ann M.

Stopped here after a concert at the United Center. The weather was beautiful out so they had all the doors/windows open. We had a very nice waitress who was really attentive. I was told to get an order of the mozzarella sticks because I have heard they are awesome. Holy crap they were good and HUGE. I will go back just for those. Overall I really enjoyed myself here and I can't wait to come back!
(4)
Katie C.

I called on a Thursday night to see if Roots would take a Saturday evening reservation for a large group of people (20+) post-bridal shower. Ryan, the General Manager, called me back the next day and confirmed it wouldn't be a problem to take our party. He was really accommodating, friendly, and willing to work with us. Everything was so great and I was extremely impressed with how Roots handled our group. Also our waitress couldn't have been better. I will definitely keep Roots in mind for big groups in the future!
(4)
Angela S.

I got sick. Enough said.
(2)
Kellisanth d.

I've seen this place quite a few times as I walked by it, living in the neighborhood. Three things I will say, I shouldn't have eaten several hours before coming here in the evening for dinner. For those who are tired of Coca-Cola products, they do serve Pepsi (which is a most terrific change). And "Za" is a valid Scrabble word, for those who wondered what to make use of a two letter word in a pinch. Coming in close to 7P, the place was nicely filled out. Roomy and not feeling so closed in or overly noisy. It wasn't packed, but give it time. I was seated near the kitchen area which gave me a nice view of the patio and the windowed cooking room. There were also two large widescreen on the wall, each were showing different sports at the time (in my case, it was hockey Vancouver vs Boston, and baseball) Kiristin was my lovely server that night, and she had some great suggestions. The choices of beer was quite extensive. No Guinness, so I opted for the "Cocoa Loco". Unfortunately, I was told they were out, but she did suggest the "Sprecher Dark (Black?) Bavarian" which itself was very tasty. One of the appetizers I had was the Vienna done corn dog style. Okay, granted it was a lil' pricy for the wee thing, but I do love corn dogs; although mustard would have been preferable to the ketchup. And I will admit, I will very likely eat more of them in the future. After I try out some of other appetizers (there was no soup that day, bummer). After much deliberation, and her suggestion, I tried "The Big Mick". For those who were curious, think of it as a McD's Big Mac done pizza style - only without the ketchup and mustard. At 12", it was rather hefty to work thru and I basically was only able to get thru half of it, taking the rest home. (note: the take home box is rather large for the 12" thus it will shift around a lot). I'm going to have to try the taco or sausage pizza next time around. Other than a lot of lettuce, the crust was very good to chew thru. I've plans to give some of the sandwiches or pasta a try, and perhaps the salad; although I will admit, I'm not a big salad person but you can customize your salad! The dessert choices seemed limited at the time, but the good thing is, at least one of them is chocolate! Overall, I say give them a try. There's enough of a variety to try something new each visit. Maybe not every day, but maybe as a weekly treat for the family. For those who complain about the prices, bugger off. It's not that bad. After all, it's Chicago. :D
(5)
Virginia T.

We ordered for take out. We were quoted 25min. I was running late and showed up at 35min and then was made to wait with NO explanation for nearly 20 MORE minutes. When I finally got my pizza, I complained AGAIN and was told all they could do was make me wait MORE now that I'd gotten the pie and talk to a manager. I left and called back. The manager said there were two large parties in the restaurant and the kitchen got backed up. But I had to ask him outright why I was made to wait so long. He also said that if I had waited he would have refunded my money (I paid cash). So now there is apparently a 'credit' on our take out account we can use again........if we decide to use it. We get it home and the pizza is hotter, but the monkey bread was cold. It was greasy and dry at the same time, totally not worth $8 and very small. I was not impressed. Monkey bread and small pizza $35, and double the quoted wait. Ugh.
(2)
Scott J.

Friendly service and a bright and welcoming atmosphere, but one of the worst tasting pizzas I have ever had. Salad wasn't much better. The kitchen needs to work on its recipes before I'll go back.
(1)
Matthew S.

Someone in the Quad Cities smoked a pound of grass and then they were like "lets put Doritos on top of a pizza!" Way to go Chong! It tastes amazing. My buddy purchased the Gilt City deal for $100 that included 5 bloody marys, two pitchers of beer, 3 Appetizers, 5 Sausages, two pizzas, and Rod Blagoevich for 5 (we had only 4). After what turned out to be 3 pitchers of beer and 5 Bloody Mary's I thought I was starting to see things when Governor Dumb Dumb comes walking through the door with his wife, and bodyguard that looks like Fabio. Enjoy that pizza big guy because pretty soon you are going to be knee deep in prison sex. Our waitress was amazing and the food was yum yums. The Bears won and it was a great time. Come on in for the food, relaxed atmosphere, awesome service, and the Celebrity fuck ups! We loved you on Apprentice Jack ass! I had such a great time I want to end this review with an inspirational quote" "We will meet our challenges head on and we will do it by rejecting the politics of mediocrity and corruption. You voted for change; I intend to deliver it. ... I will govern as a reformer."-Gov. Ding Dong
(5)
Rheeva F.

Was visiting a friend in the area and ordered a 16" Sausage, Pepperoni, Onion, and Mushroom pizza while watching the NBA Playoffs. This pizza really hit the spot! I went on Grub Hub and they delivered before the estimated time. The sausage is crumbled which was a nice difference. Will definitely eat them again when I'm in area and in the mood for some pizza.
(4)
Jamie R.

Great service and great food! Hands down the best mozzarella sticks, if you can call them sticks. They are more like mozzarella logs! The red sauce had great flavor. It was a bit spicy and the perfect amount of spices. The $8 build your own salad is a great deal and it is delicious! You get to pick from a ton of ingredients. The taco pizza was topped with doritos and really flavorful. The pepperoni pizza was just enough! :) The bloody mary special on Sunday is great and it's even better because the bloody was delicious!! :) The server was patient and informative. He told us all the specials verbally and made recommendations about the menu. Great place!!! :)
(5)
Julie A.

I am a big fan of hand tossed pizza. I do not like the deep dish Chicago style or the thin crust. They have a lot of topping choices. The build your salad also looked good, however I did not have that..maybe next time. I saw the mozzarella sticks.. they are the size of Twinkies!! It was worth blowing my gluten intolerance for this pizza. Who ever complained about fennel in the sauce is crazy. Everyone can make their own sauce. I liked it and honestly the fennel didn't stand out. Mine it wasn't in there. I have feta, pepperoni, and sautÃ©ed garlic spinach. I was very happy the didn't skimp on the feta. My niece had pineapple dress mozzarella and something else. We both loved our pizzas. Ohh they have a kids menu as well. This place is baby friendly!
(4)
Liz N.

Have always loved their Caesar Salad but noticed today that the dressing is different. Prior to this, quite possibly the best caesar dressing I've ever had. Today, not so much. :( Also the second time the caesar was delivered without croutons. The food here has always been consistent, we get it delivered often for lunch for our office. Might have to re-think the caesar next time.
(4)
Sean S.

I had been told by quite a few friends that this place was horrible... But Hey... Im a risk taker so my gf and I decided to try it. Not necessarily in the mood for pizza, we opted for the Gyro Sausage Sandwich and the Asian Pulled Chicken Salad. I honestly cannot not complain about the sandwich, but the $12 salad is a horror story in and of itself. The chicken had no seasoning at all... and Im not saying you could barely taste it.. I mean.. NO SEASONING AT ALL... The lettuce was browned and clearly from the night or day before. My GF, who a half hour before eating here would have settled for McDonalds, did not even eat half of her salad. We told and showed our server the salad and the browned lettuce. She very honestly apologized and told us that she would speak with her manager.. Well.. the manager was too busy on his cell phone to even acknowledge his own sever for almost 10 minutes while she stood right in front of him holding the salad we just complained about.. 5 minutes after that our server came back and told us it had been taken off of our bill. That was the best part about our visit... Id go back for the beer list. But then again... I can find a mid-west beer list like that anywhere around here.. so.. maybe I wont. P.S. This place is owned by the same people who own the 50/Fifty and claim to serve "Quad City Style Pizza". In my opinion, that's both strikes 2 & 3. This place is OUT!
(2)
Carly O.

Roots pizza, which is also affiliated with Bleeding Heart Bakery and The Fifty/50 was pretty great. First, the space is unexpectedly huge. I have no idea what was there before, but I loved how open and spread out it is. While the feeling of it is similar than The Fifty/50, it's much more comfortable. I had a Two Brother's Ebel Weiss (on draft) for $5. My friend and I chowed down on their speciality Taco Pizza. Wow. It's exactly what they describe on the menu, served with a heaping mound of nacho flavored tortilla chips (definitely not Doritos, but good in their own right) and a side of taco sauce packets. The crust is a perfect balance of not too thin/crispy, but not pan. Doughy with good texture. It says that size feeds 1-2 people. I SUPPOSE I could see a large man being able to POSSIBLY finish it, but it was the perfect amount for two hungry (and out day drinking earlier) girls. I will definitely be back to try the other pies. I like that Roots is doing their own thing and serving up something a little different in a very pizza centric city.
(4)
Ryan P.

Really good pizza, the mozzarella sticks are amazing. Must try. Cool atmosphere, little over priced.
(4)
Leslie P.

I grew up in the Quad Cities, and I get that it's a style of pizza that you either love or hate. But let's be honest here - not everyone loves Chicago pizza either. I went with a bunch of friends and ordered a variety of pizzas and beer. I was impressed with their beer selection, and I think the venue is great for an afternoon of watching sports, eating pizza, and drinking beer. The pizza was great, and service was fantastic. Everyone loved it! For the QC pizza virgins out there, I have two words: taco pizza.
(4)
Kristen R.

I've been here a few times and just recently ordered in, and while I am a traditional, Chicago-style, pizza lover, this place grows on me little each time. When I called in for delivery I was a little surprised and disappointed when they told me it would take an hour on a Thursday (no big games that night) and I live ubber close (a few too many blocks to walk in and grab it though). However, I was shocked when it arrived half an hour after my call. The pizza is cut in thick, long rectangular strips with scissors apparently this is part of "Quad City style." So you could fill up on just a slice or two. The sauce is light and zesty and there's great seasoning on the handmade crust. The extra ingredients are fresh. When I have dinned in the servers have all been great and I have really enjoyed salads and appetizers. I do have to say that it's not my first choice and I would prefer not to go on a Friday because you could be waiting for awhile and the music is too loud and it's a little too dark for pizza. On a Friday, the bar/club vibe is alive and well. It's a good place to go when you want a twist on one of your favorite staples
(3)
Eric B.

For being a pizza place the pizza was terrible. They were cheap on the toppings and everything slid off the crust the second I picked it up. If you want a mediocre experience and pay way to much for it, go to Roots.
(2)
Laura G.

Probably won't return. The good: The build your own salad. Amazing. Such a good idea, and so delicious! Lots of options and variations, you could never have the same salad twice, but I would actually like to have the same one we got again. Too bad the pizza was nothing to write home about, and the service was pretty lame, so I might never eat that salad again. I've definitely had better pizza. It was fine, but not amazing. Let's just say I would have preferred takeout from Papa John's. Three issues with the service: 1. I told the server I would order a beer when the pizza came. She came back asked me what beer I wanted because the pizza was on its way out. She served me the beer, and the pizza didn't come for another 20 minutes. Not a big deal, but still. I've been a server-- the two biggest parts of your job are timing and listening. Hello!!! I had a warm beer by the time the pizza came out. 2. Server never came over to check on us once the food runner brought us our pizza. BF had to track her down on foot for some red pepper and parm. WTF you're a pizza place!!! 3. Food runner/busser asked if I was done with my food and I said I was still working on the last few bites. He stood about two feet away watching us while I finished. Weird. Maybe I will order the salad to go in the future... but I'm not gonna go sit through dinner there again.
(2)
Dan R.

Great service helped us pick out the perfect beer. Great pizza.
(4)
Peter S.

We stumbled upon roots on the Tuesday of our staycation for lunch. Very attractive spot with complete bar. We ordered a basic sausage and mushroom pizza with extra sauce. The sausage is a ground sausage, not in chunks, probably a little too much. The mushrooms were roasted and very good but definitely too few. Either they are really skimpy with the sauce or they forgot the extra, once we ordered a bowl on the side it was much better. We will likely return but not in a great hurry.
(3)
Digital M.

Tasty and really fresh ingredients. Great beer selection. What more can you want. An appetizer and a 12 inch fills up 2 people. Because you also have the beer or course.
(4)
Sonny P.

Roots is located in Ukrainian Village and went there Thursday night with 5 of my friends. Based on the reviews, I felt that this place would be hit or miss. Walking in, the place is massive! They have a great selection of beer. However, the food is a different story. I was not "crazy" over the pizza and the "Quad-cities" pizza just seemed like a regular pizza. I would recommend Sono Wood Fired pizza over this place as the food was not up to par.
(2)
Kate P.

My husband and I went here for dinner last night. The service was lacking, thanks to a large party in the back room. Fortunately, the food made up for it. We had the Monkey Bread for an appetizer and Taco Pizza for the main course. The pizza was awesome! Very inventive and delicious. I would definitely go here again for the food, but bring your patience with you.
(4)
Gail C.

Meh! Came here last weekend with my kids. Heard alot about it. Although I did not hear that it was good for detoxing. The only thing I enjoyed here was the garlic monkey bread. I had the caprese sandwich which was tasteless. The pizza, aka detox, was good initially, then after about an hour not so much. Plus parking is a real ummmm roots pizza
(2)
Julie A.

Ok, first time was great timing, second time was lousy. It's crazy expensive and the service is severely lacking. And like many other people, we got seated in the kid's area. Which I'm happy they have, I'm glad I can bring my nephews there, but seriously, it was hella loud and I so wasn't in the mood for it. The service was SO SLOW, salad came after pizza, yada yada. And again, so so so expensive!
(3)
Amy C.

I really like this place! Great atmosphere, food and drinks. I go there often as its close to me and a great crowd. Try the Mozzarella sticks... holy yum. I would give it 5 stars... but I cant... its too expensive! I have a hard time spending $20+ on a pizza. It seems like this is a general sentiment.
(4)
Rod O.

This place has a really large beer selection and I really like the decor of the place. It had a lot of promise to it. I was in a big group so we had I believe mozzarella sticks and the fried ravioli to start which were both good. I liked the mozzarella sticks more than the ravioli. We had the taco pizza and didn't really enjoy it that much. In talking to my quad cities buddy, I need to get the taco pizza at another joint in the Quad cities, not here. I will maybe go back and try a more simple pizza but the taco pizza was not good.
(3)
Ali H.

I had been excited to try Roots for quite some time after moving into the neighborhood but was really very disappointed with the experience. We ordered food for pick-up. We had the fried ravioli (meat filling and garlic alfredo sauce), the calamari, and the antique taco chili cheese curd pizza. (Going out on a limb here, people). Anyway. The pizza was expensive (27 dollars I believe), and was certainly not remarkable in any way. If anything it was bland, I couldn't taste any of the "notable" ingredients, and seemed overloaded with toppings. It was a strange combination of "There is too much going on here" with "There is really nothing going on here." I've had better pizzas from the national delivery places, and for 1/3 the cost. :( The fried ravioli was a sad experience as well as both the ravioli and the sauce were super bland. We didn't even finish the dish. The calamari was ok, actually the best thing we had, but still not outstanding. It was a lot of money to spend very mediocre food.
(2)
Amy R.

Waitress says "we make quad city pizza", i'm like wah...ok? Ordered the cheesy breadsticks, which was essential their cheese pizza with the sauce on the side for dipping. It was actually really good! I'll have to try an actual pizza next time. The reason I gave so many stars is for their salad....seriously. They have a make your own salad menu with lots of different options and their portion is large! Seems simple, but afterward, you're still thinking about the amazing salad you ate a few days ago and want some more. Weird, right?! Maybe i'm just amazing at designing my own salad...
(5)
Paul S.

I wanted to like Roots. But, they failed oh so miserably on the first go around in multiple ways: - The cheese was globbed all in the middle of the pizza - The crust, while delicious and crispy on the outside, was soggy after 1 inch from the outside all the way to the middle. Crust should never be soggy. - We ordered 4 veggie toppings, and got the most meager amount of toppings they could legally charge us for. - Without adding the package of hot peppers, the pizza had no distinct flavor. Just bored me to tears. This is not how you make a good pizza. This is Chicago god dammit, and this is unacceptable.
(1)
Jessica H.

If you go here and you DON'T get the mozzarella sticks, you've done yourself an incredible injustice. The pizza was great, don't get me wrong, but the mozzarella sticks were the best I've ever had. Given that mozzarella sticks are among my all time favorite foods, I died and went to heaven. I live less than a block away from the front door so the dangers of binging on mozz sticks until I burst are real. Do yourself a favor...Go. Now.
(4)
KM Y.

I really love Roots. They have exceptional salads and pizza (love the taco pizza!). The gluten free crust is exceptional. The restaurant itself is a bit noisy, but the booths are super comfy.
(4)
Justin J.

Gluten free brethren rejoice! After getting diagnosed with celiac disease in late 2012 I've been on a mission to try and fill the Peqod's sized gap in my heart. At this point in time Root's had come closer than any other g free pie in town.
(5)
Carol K.

Hmmm . . . .without knowing what to expect from a pizza place that I have heard little about, I pulled open the door on a snowy night and found myself in a cool contemporary space that had a really good vibe going, I was warmly greeted at the door by the host but since I was late, I knew my gang was there somewhere so I chose just to walk around the space. Sure enough- seated in on of the spacious booths (big enough for 6) was my group already enjoying some appetizers and beers off of their extensive beer list. Within moments, our friendly server was there (wish I could remember her name as she deserves a shout out Jennifer maybe?), took my order for a martini and was back in a flash with a perfectly poured one. Score one for the bartender for often times a place that specializes in beer can't seem to get the basics right. We looked over the menu and ordered WAAAAY too much food but our eyes were clearly bigger than our stomachs. We had wings (just okay), bread sticks with cheese to dip into (quite good) a tomato, mozzarella, cilantro, avocado and sunflower seed salad that was so good we ordered another, and finally . . . THE PIZZA. Now this place prides itself on "Quad Cities style" pizza. I'm not totally sure what that means but the crust is more like what I used to get in Detroit- not thick crust crispy but not deep dish either. More like doughy with a good mouth pull and crispy crusts. The odd thing is that they cut it with scissors so it took us awhile to figure out the shape of the pieces which tended to be odd shaped triangles. But the craziest thing were the flavors. Oh sure- you can load up your pie with all the classics in a build your own version. But when in Rome . . .so we ordered two of their signature pies- the Taco Pizza and the McDowell. They come in two sizes a 12" or a 16" so know the large is plenty large. The Taco pizza came with Doritos crumbled on top and the flavored crumbled sausage was quite good. And that McDowell? Look out McDonald's! This is clearly a Big Mac on a pizza complete with special sauce, pickles lettuce and lots of cheese. This was the table favorite . . .all it needed was sesame seeds to make it a true Big Mac (oh and that center bun . . think they can make a double decker pizza?)! Good food, terrific service all in a contemporary environment that felt more like a corner bar gathering place than a a pizza joint. And if you drive- they even have valet out front for $10 but parking is usually plentiful in this area. Oh, and here's a tip. It was a perfect place to stop before an event at the United Center as it is a lot less congested to get to the Madhouse on Madison from this direction than from the W. Loop bars which are our normal gathering place. Still need to get under what makes this a "Quad Cities" style pizza . . .but until I do- just know that it's good stuff!
(4)
Katie S.

My dad is from the quad cities, so I grew up on Harris Pizza. So when I found out about roots, I was intrigued and wary. I brought my parents here And we were all just blown away by how much it compares to Harris. The sausage pizza- you would never know the difference. I think it says something when a Moliner thinks it compares. I'm also a big Antique Taco fan, so I ordered the Antique Taco pizza on another visit. It was awesome!!!! Definitely recommend!!
(5)
Dave G.

So difficult to short this establishment of the max star rating. The pizza is quite good and the mozzarella sticks are incredible. They have a great beer selection and the build your own salad is a reason to make this your destination when you want to eat a little more healthy. There are some shortfalls here, however. While the TV set up is conducive to the sports enthusiast, don't show up during baseball season on a Sunday. Even during halftime, the channels will remain on out of market football games while ignoring the local baseball teams here in Chicago. Management just doesn't get that Chicago has a major fan-base for their meager performing baseball teams. I mentioned the salad, which is really great and I order often. It's not exactly a bargain for the price, yet worth paying extra for the great ingredients available. They serve this enormous salad with a shot of dressing and asking for more will cost you an up-charge. Only place I have ever eaten on this planet where more dressing for your salad will cost you a buck. I find that to be so incredibly cheap on the part of the establishment. It's a salad. Give us enough dressing to cover the order. Don't nickle and dime us. Just a lack of class move on the ownership. Service overall is generally good, but call in your to-go order. It will take some time to get it to the hostess stand. Typically an hour for a pizza. Times for food are much diminished when dining in. Few tweaks and this place is a 5 star. Well, 4 1/2 at least!
(3)
Jon C.

This was the worst pizza that I have ever tasted. I have had it three times during office functions. The ingredients seem like they are cheap quality and it just is not good. I'm really not trying to be rude when I write this review, but there are many more pizza places in Chicago.
(1)
Parker K.

First time here and it was a pleasant experience. Sat at the bar and talked craft brews with "Rahill" (sp?). He was very, very articulate regarding the flavor profiles of all the craft beers Roots has. He also suggested the mozzarella sticks and they were really good! Rahul explained how the mozzarella is made in house. Can definitely taste to quality of the cheese. Great suggestion! Service here was very attentive, something in a stickler about from working in the industry. I will definitely be back and will be happy to suggest this place to friends. "Rahill" went above and beyond to make my first roots experience a great one.
(4)
Andrea K.

This place is awesome. We stumbled upon it while trying to kill time in the area before heading to an appointment. Decided it looked good so had an early dinner/late lunch there. Great drink menu, extensive beer list which we always love, food was amazing. They make their own cheese in house so the pizza and mozzarella sticks were delicious. The salads were awesome, super fresh and tasty...you can build your own too. Service was great - fast and very attentive. Can't wait to go back...this is a neighborhood gem for sure!
(4)
Izzy F.

Lollipop wings were great! The bartender was nice and friendly. They were having beer tasting from a new brewery and had the owners there to answer any questions and receive feedback. Great vibe. Amazing pizza!!
(5)
Marissa D.

Came here during west fest. Food was great service not so much. I understand it was a busy festival day but a few things happened that made me a little put out. The waitress comes to check on us and drops another customers credit card on the floor and quickly walks away. I freaked out and ran across the restaurant to make sure and give it back to her. A missing credit card i'm sure would cause big trouble! After eating and drinking service was a little slower and I was trying to get my check after being there for over an hour. I ordered buffalo shrimp and a $9 Moscow mule that was served in this tiny baby plastic cup. :- ( I wanted to catch a few bands so I was very ready to leave. Finally the waitress appears and I ask for my check. I quickly give her my cash (my bill was $23, I gave her $40) She then reappears 20 mins later asking me if I had already paid.... I was like ummmmmmm yeah I'm waiting on my change.... Yeah I get she was overwhelm but things could have ran a little smoother. Needles to say I left her a crappy tip which I usually don't do but after all that I was not about to wait for more change to come.
(3)
Laura C.

I got the lilies q pizza and am kind of in love. The crust on the pizza was also amazing, I usually don't eat my crust, but this was an exception. Not too loud. Waitress could've been more pleasant, but not bad. Good drinks. Would go back again for sure!
(4)
mar m.

Fresh fettuccine garlic Alfredo was bomb! I'm from Galesburg, so the taco pizza is mandatory. Looking forward to coming back and trying the Homestead and Lilly Q inspired pizzas (I'm kind of a lobster whore) A great spot to come on nice days because they have the big roll up garage doors.
(5)
Nicole K.

My friends and I decided to order delivery from Roots and try something new. We ordered mozzarella sticks, curly fries, and a pizza with various toppings and sauces (marinara, parmesan pesto, and garlic parmesan). The food arrived on time and did not take too long and they did get our order right. The mozzarella sticks were delicious but because of all the steam they were somewhat soggy. The pizza in my opinion was okay. The pizza was very bland and had very little sauce and a lot of cheese but no flavor. The prosciutto we got on the pizza seemed like it had been sitting out and just was not very flavorful. Even with the dipping sauces the pizza was mediocre. Nothing stood out about Roots and I don't think I would order pizza from them again. Appetizers maybe but probably not.
(2)
Steven N.

Really really good pizza. I shared the taco pizza and the margarita pizza. Two pizzas were enough to split between four of us. I would say the portions were great for the price. Around 15$ for each pizza. Both pizzas were the bomb - when I think good pizza I think of the taco one they offer. The ambiance and style of the restaurant was interesting - kind of a contemporary feel which isn't always expected when you think pizza. Great beer list, a lot of local and interesting craft beers I have never tried before, which of course, is perfect with pizza. Service was ok, nothing spectacular but nothing much to complain about either although it did take a while to get our check.
(4)
Will C.

Nothing about this restaurant is set up right to give you a good experience. The "Quad City Style Pizza" is actually ripped off from a place called "Harris" pizza in Moline that makes its own pizza seasoning and hasn't given anyone the recipe. It's a great attempt at mimicking their business and trying it in a new market but I think that's kinda wrong to do. They treat their staff horribly, and I've been there several times when it rained and saw grey water flooding back up the drains and they don't immediately close the store (like they're supposed to, so says health code). They literally grab balls of pizza dough and shove them on the drain to try to plug it up and keep the water from coming out. They're opening another in Ravenswood and I don't believe they've given a penny to Harris Pizza. Their staff is grumpy from having to work under 50/50 management and it's just not my cup of tea. Pizza and food is great. I'm sure they're hoping that's enough... but it isn't for me. Oh my god and way too many kids. Go here if you're a parent I guess because you'll fit right in, but stay away if you want a nice night out without screaming kids all around you.
(1)
Pam D.

Our 1st time dining at Roots and it was only "OK". It was a Monday lunch hour so there were not too many diners in the restaurant during our visit. We sat in one of their enormous U shaped booths and were quickly greeted by the waitress. Since it was our 1st time here, we needed some time to check out the menu. We all ordered water to go with our meal. We had read about the "amazing Monkey Bread" so, we ordered this as an appetizer. Honestly, it was only "OK". For $6, the portion was very small, maybe 6" round. Our bread top was close to a dark brown color (ie: burnt on top) along with a burnt taste, not good. The garlic parmesan sauce which came with it, really had no flavor. My 2 companions both had The Fat Eddie which consisted of Canadian Bacon, salami, mozzarella , marinara sauce & a few more ingredients. The fold over Sandwich could have had a few more pieces of meat but, ultimately was ok. FYI: this sandwich dish requires a fork and knife, cause it does get messy. I ordered the Build A Pizza. I thought the base price of the 12" pizza was reasonable at $14. What I missed on the menu was a surcharge of $1.50 per item unless noted otherwise. Well my 12" artichoke, pineapple, prosciutto (I knew I was paying an extra $3.00 for this ingredient), with scallions, cost me $22! Total bill for 3 entrees & monkey bread, with H20 = $53! WOW! Kinda of $$$ for an "OK" lunch. Note to Staff: During lunch hour, it's "OK" to turn down the music. It's hard to have a business discussion when one is yelling over the back ground music.
(3)
F S.

I've been meaning to write this review for awhile-Roots is one of my favorite pizza joints in the city. I learned though that some of the specialty pizzas are definitely not as good as a plain cheese here (for example, tried the taco pizza and it was just ok). What Roots does well is an amazing crust and nice sauce, so their simpler pizzas are better. They also have a great beer list.
(4)
rhea w.

what is with this place? oh wait...its the same owners as 50/50. i dont know much about sports, or what 50/50 means...but i do know that this place is more like 50/100. the pizza is overpriced. in the quad cities, this pizza goes for 13 dollars a pie. not the 22 dollars Roots is asking. the drinks are fine. but for this price, I can get a cool atmosphere 2 blocks away at DeVille. But even Bros need a holiday. Enjoy.
(1)
Melissa M.

We really liked the food and atmosphere here. I had no problem with the Quad City-style pizza. I mean... sure we're all about the Chicago pizza... but sometimes you just want to try something different. The malt crust is hand-tossed, chewy, and slightly sweet (not at all like Pizza Hut as referenced in another review). I really enjoyed the contrast with their zesty tomato sauce. I believe they make their own mozzarella as well. We started off with the mozzarella sticks and the garlic monkey bread... both delicious... loved! Then we ordered a taco pizza (very tasty) and a cheese-only (also very tasty). The mistake we made here was ordering a small and a large. The small is 12" and the large is 16". I'm not sure if it's the crust, but it seemed to fill you up faster than a normal Chicago pizza. A small has 8 long slices and I would say it could easily feed 3-4 people... especially if you're doing appetizers. Our server was excellent... she explained everything, knew her stuff, was very friendly, and seemed very passionate about the place she worked for. The place itself is way bigger than it looks and I love the huge booths. You can easily seat 6 people at one booth... maybe even 8. They also have a huge bar and serve many craft beers. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Peter K.

Tried this for the first time and it was good. I would definitely return. The salad they offered was really good and I would recommend everyone to try them. They have a section in the menu where you build your own pizza and it was filled with endless toppings. Made a pizza and it came in a pan style. The food was good, the layout was great, and the bathrooms were extremely clean. I would recommend this as I would be returning myself. They also have a nice bar with polite employees.
(5)
Tim J.

I'm a true pizza fan of all pizza types and I grew up in Moline so I'm very familiar with Quad-Cities style pizza. Once I got a car, I often drove to Harris Pizza at least once a month to pick up the pizza for the family. This is not as good as Harris, but it's close. Harris has better cheese flavor and loads up more sausage. The pizza quality and flavor is still pretty great. I would give the pizza a 4 or 5 star. If you are a mozzarella sticks fan, these are by far the best I've ever had. The reason for the two-star review is today's experience at the restaurant after running the Hot Chocolate 15K. The table we were sat at had trash at our feet. There were napkins under the table, crushed cherios everywhere, crayons on the floor, etc. One of the two plates originally placed on our table was dirty. The mozzarella sticks were not freshly baked (or fried?). You could tell they had been sitting out for a bit as they were lukewarm, unlike the previous time we ordered them when they were hot and fresh. The salad came out with the wrong dressing. When the pizza came out we were provided two new plates. However, both these plates were dirty. I grabbed plates from one of the surrounding empty tables to find that 2 of the 4 plates sitting on the set table were also dirty. If the plates and dining area are this dirty, I have serious doubts about the sanitation of the kitchen. I really love this style of pizza and have ordered delivery/pickup 7+ times, but I'm not sure I'll be eating anything from here again.
(2)
Leo H.

Everybody rants and raves about the mozzarella cheese sticks, for good reason, but don't sleep on the Jumbo Shrimp!!!! I'm not much of a beer drinker, but on my latest visit, our server Anthony, suggested an array of midwestern beer selections and directed some of the girls I was with to wonderful selections that they all enjoyed. He guided me into trying The Gin Gin Mule and they were so tasty that I ended up having like 4 or 5 before the night was over. The pizza is okay to me, but I have friends who absolutely adore it. It's probably because I'm so full with aforementioned cheese sticks and jumbo shrimp that I don't savor the pizza as they do. Overall, the service is good. The layout is great for couples or even groups with big cushy elevated booths. TV's abound, although they only put on the audio for Hawks games. Otherwise they are playing trendy music.
(4)
Daneen H.

Kevin, the bartender, was awesome! Introduced himself.. Introduced me to my new favorite beer.. And offered suggestions on the menu!
(5)
Asma M.

Pizza is delicious. Fresh ingredients from a garden make regular pizza joints look like hacks. I always get the fresh jalapeno and garlic pizza and it is amazing. I had it twice in one weekend not too long ago and it was perfect. I just wish it was closer :(
(4)
Abbey W.

I was born and raised in the Quad-Cities and grew up eating Harris, Franks, Poor Boys, etc...I won't go so far as to say it's as good as Harris (The Original Quad City Style Pizza), but it's pretty dang close! If you're not into the pizza so much, the appetizers and beer list will still make you happy :-)
(4)
Juliana R.

Stopped by for the first time recently for a quick dinner with my main squeeze! Our servers was great! Wish I could remember his name, but such a friendly guy! We started with some mozzarella sticks, and ordered a sausage pizza for a our entree. Pizza was cooked to perfection with sausage in every bite, great place!
(5)
Wing C.

The mozzarella sticks were good. They tasted homemade compared to the usual fast food fare. The marinara sauce was really good and was tasty with pizza crust. I thought the pizza was normal. I've never had pizza in Quad Cities so I don't have a comparison to Roots, but I didn't taste a difference from a standard pizza. Maybe I was expecting something different, but the slightly sweeter crust was the only thing I detected. I would go back only for the wide range of Midwestern craft beer available. Otherwise, this Roots is decent but I wouldn't go back particularly for the pizza.
(3)
Daniel S.

Pretty good pizza place, had the sausage and taco pizza, good amount of toppings, thin crust wasnt too thin, also got the mozzarella sticks which were good
(4)
Jessica N.

Went to Roots on recommendation and am so happy I was introduced to this gem already! The space itself is inviting and there is the option to sit at the bar or at a table. The booths are big and comfy and perfect for groups. TVs abound so you can catch whichever games are on. There was a dj there on Friday night, which was fun, and she kept the music going. We went to Roots for dinner after hearing good things about the pizza so decided to stick w that. Tried the vegetarian garden pizza as well as a specialty pizza, which was like a taco style pizza. Both were very delicious. My only complaint about the pizza is that, rather than cut in it slices, Roots cuts in strips. The problem (as I see it) with this, is that all of the toppings are centered on the middle pieces and the corner pieces are mostly just crust. More equal distribution of toppings across all of the pizza slices, once cut, would be better, imho. Roots serves only Midwestern beer, which I think is awesome! Their lineup features brews from my fave micro brewery in Wisconsin so that makes me happy. I also had a beer from a local (Chicago) brewery that I had forgotten about, and it was cool to have it there since it's not a brew I see in restaurants often. There is also a full bar of spirits if beer isnt your thing, or you feel like drinking something else. Food was great, drinks were cold and satisfying, and service was friendly and efficient. I look forward to going back!
(4)
Sharif N.

Hands down, my very favorite 'build your own salad' in the city. They have a great selection of premium salad ingredients. Add steak, and it's a guilt free dinner! When ordering delivery, be sure to ask for the meat selection on the side in a separate container. The avocado cream dressing is goood...and don't forget to add pistachios & pine nuts. We order salads at least once a week, and they're consistent.
(5)
Kevin C.

The food is great and place is awesome. It is open, lively, well lit and decorated. They do not rush you at all! Jay and Michael take care of the new customers as if they are regulars!
(4)
Ron G.

I'm not one to debate "who has the best pizza in Chicago" BUT without question Roots has the BEST mozzarella sticks hands-down. That said, the pizza is dame good and the beer list one of the most extensive in the city. My absolute favorite thing on the menu is the Tomato, Avocado, And Mozzarella Salad. Its a great place to watch games with large groups of friends. The booths can easily fit six people. The service is friendly and down right good people. Highly recommend stopping by and checking it out.
(5)
Michelle T.

Wings, southwest salad, and Italian beef are all great! We usually sit at the bar when we go here so I think the food is great for bar food in Chicago! Haven't tried their gluten free pizza so I can't say how their pizza is. Everyone else that's has had it says it's great! Really good beer selection (that's what my bf thinks since I can't drink beer)! Their adult root beer is amazing (and super strong...but u can't taste it). In the end, if ur in the neighborhood and want to watch a game, grab a bite to eat, and a drink or two this is the place!
(5)
Patty K.

I ate lunch at Roots on a Saturday afternoon and really enjoyed it! The place is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and has a great atmosphere: It's really up-to-date and filled with groups of people in their 20s and 30s. We ordered the mimosa bucket for $20. You get four mini-bottles of champaign and a jug of orange juice. Perfect for a Saturday lunch. We were hangry when we came in, and immediately ordered a basket of the curly fries and the sweet potato tots. The tots were ok.. I wouldn't get them again.. the dip needs to be rethought. The curly fries were amazing! Order them with ranch. I don't think Quad City style is a "thing" but Roots tries hard to persuade you that it is.. ok. If it is, I like it. Either way, the pizza is really good! We ordered the sausage pizza which comes with LOTS of sausage. The staff are really nice and attentive. I recommend this place and will be returning!
(4)
Mac R.

Chicago is known as a pizza town & I certainly have 2 clear winners here of 5 star accolades. And no, neither is deep dish. Roots Pizza has an innovative malt crust that is the beginning of a wonderful pizza experience. Just the right thickness and a super delicious base for their house made pizza sauce. Then the fun begins....they have some of the coolest selections of locally sourced toppings I've ever seen available to put on a pizza - meat, veggies & even fruit! You can get as creative as you dare & literally have fun with it. We've done beet & prosciutto a few times, bacon & jalapeÃ±o - hottest jalapeÃ±os ever, loved it! We've always enjoyed whatever we've put together. They slice the pizza in strips with scissors - a little different but it works for sharing multiple pizzas very well. The beer selection is huge with lots of local finds and always fun for sampling new brews. We've had excellent service each time we've eaten here and have gotten seated fairly quickly, even when they looked really busy. Outdoor seating area is nice, too. Tasty, innovative & fun - it doesn't get better than this!
(5)
Stephanie S.

I can't name all the Quad Cities, but I like Quad City pizzas. First: MOZZARELLA STICKS! Just get them! So so so good. Fresh made in-house. Best you'll ever have. We got the Big Mick pizza, which is reminiscent of a "Big Mac" (beef, a thousand island-ish sauce, cheese, lettuce). I thought it was great, but hubs was only so-so on it. We got the small one just for the two of us. With that and the mozz sticks, it was plenty for us. The pizza was a perfect thickness and combination of chewy/crispy. The malt used in the dough is subtle, but you can tell it's there and it adds a great flavor. We'll definitely be back, but probably to try something more classic like sausage. Gotta ding for the atmosphere though. We were there on a weeknight and it was full of children (as two DINKs, we try to avoid places like this). It wasn't really the vibe I initially think of when I hear "pizza and beer" so we were a little disappointed that there was a child's birthday party next to us.
(4)
Lily Z.

I came here with a friend for pizza earlier this month. I only came because I had a coupon from Drink Deck and wanted to see if it really worked. We split the spinach dip and a pizza. The dip was tasty, but the pizza was kind of a letdown. The pizza itself was bland, but the crust was sweet. Service was alright but she managed to mess up how to split the check.
(2)
Adam M.

I have been hearing a lot of hype about their pizza and was excited to give Roots a try. The food here is good, but really nothing special. Sadly, they were out of Gumball Head beer which you can't hold against them because it seems like no bars/restaurants ever have it in stock. The monkey bread was pretty good and I would recommend getting it. I didn't order the mozzarella sticks but they looked awesome so if I come back I will be sure to order those bad boys. I went with the Taco Pizza because it was highlighted in yellow and I assumed that was their signature Za. It was good, but really there was nothing different about this pizza compared to any other taco pizza I have had in my life. I guess they put way more chips on the pizza would be the only thing but I'm not sure that's a good thing. 3 stars is an average rating for an average place.
(3)
Rachel M.

BEST gluten-free pizza I've had thus far. On top of top notch service. Ask for JAY .
(5)
Anna Y.

I'm not a pizza person so I get other stuff on the menu and yeah it's heavy food and a bit pricey but it's made well and very tasty, although it's always packed the service is very good
(4)
Danielle P.

Mediocre food, from a mediocre restaurant, wasn't impressed and wasn't disappointed. Don't expect anything spectacular from this place.
(3)
J J.

I've only been here for drinks and they have a fairly decent beer selection but their practice of adding tax to a drink and then rounding up when you pay cash is cheap, tacky and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There are plenty of other places nearby who know how to properly serve and charge for a drink. I'll frequent them instead.
(2)
Mary M.

Consistently great salads as well as heavy comfort food and a great beer list.
(4)
Erol C.

I have been going here since it's opening, and love their pizza, caprese salad, and now the desserts. I will be back for both delivery and dine in!
(5)
Amy R.

I've always meant to try Roots pizza - it's owned by the people who once owned a stake in Bleeding Heart Bakery (may it rest) and the 50/50 (which I could live without...) and I always wondered how it fit into that mix. They offer "quad city style" pizza, which I had never had, and the reviews seem decent enough. Plus I always love an excuse to head to West Town, a cute, close enough to Wicker Park but still edgy-ish little hood. A few Sundays ago, my friend Nikki and I were STARVING and nothing on grub hub was sounding tasty, so we ventured out for a takeout pizza and some mozzarella sticks at Roots. We didn't stay to eat, so I can't really comment on the service, though the girl who helped us procure our paid-in-advance and shoulda-been-ready-to-go order was at once gorgeous and completely brain dead. Everything was super confusing for her and I think she tried to make us pay again like six times, and each time we reminded her we already paid was like a fun new discovery. Nevertheless, she was kind and helpful enough. The interior was cute, and seemed to attract all sorts of people. I'm interested to try the farm-to-table shtick they're running on the rooftop of Roots, some other time. After a short wait, we were presented with our enormous pizza and accompanying fried cheese and went back home. The food was well maintained during travel from West Town to Logan Square, and I was pleased to find that the mozz sticks were still a little ooey gooey despite the trip. PS these mozz sticks are GINORMOUS and delicious - perfectly fried coating and a nice, homemade dipping sauce to accompany it. I opened the pizza box and was immediately apprehensive, as I learned "quad city style" pizza is cut into strips, not slices, and I had painful drunken flashbacks to ordering "pokey sticks" at my dear alma mater, the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana (for those of you who haven't attended and have never ordered Gumby's Pizza's pokey sticks, allow me to advise you that they sound like cheesy breadstick irresistibility when drunk, but are actually a nausea-inducing, regrettable pile of cheesy, greasy regret when sober. Ugh). ANYWAY... I'm glad I pushed past my initial reaction to try it, because whoaaaa this pizza is BOMB. We ordered cheese and sausage and it was all so different, but so familiar. The crust had a nice chew to it that's absent in most of my other favorite pizza joints, but a solid, familiar, yeasty taste. The strips of pizza actually end up being quite convenient for grabbing and subsequent inhaling. The sausage was AH-mazing: crumbly, teensy bits of delicious, slightly spicy, meaty heaven. The sauce was unobtrusive, and the cheese satisfied even a cheese-obsessed monster like myself. We ordered a large, and it easily fed two hungry girls (and hungry Nikki's hungry roommate as well) with lots of leftovers. The menu indicates that they have a myriad of other items which are likely also delicious, like a super customizable list of salad options, and other fried and fabulous appetizers. And of course, while you're in the neighborhood, you can go right next door to West Town Bakery (RIP Bleeding Heart Bakery... Never forget) and get yourself a sweet treat or two for dessert, as we did. I'll be back to Roots Pizza again soon, to enjoy strips of unusual pizza and mozz sticks the size of my fist. I can look past weirdly proportioned food any time it tastes that good.
(4)
Derek M.

Great pizza fun place to hang out with the kids. Craft and pizza selections are very good as well. Not a bad place to come after a game as well or even to watch one on tv.
(5)
Jeremy T.

Come for the pizza. Stay for the beer. I've ventured to Roots four times in the past. It's a very nice looking place. Very spacious with lots of seating. I personally think that they have the best booths in the business. It's a great place for groups. On top of this they have good selection of local beers. The pizza is good, but it's not the real draw of the place. If you like a lot of cheese then it's the place to visit. The above paragraph seems like a three or four star place. However, the service is why I gave it two stars. With the exception of my last visit, our table's service was below average. It ranged from wrong orders to punctuality. Mostly EXTREMELY long waits for food, drinks, napkins, silverware, etc. I understand that things get busy at work. It happens to us all. It would just be nice if the waitress we had was nicer when asked why other tables seat 30 minutes after us got their pizzas before we got ours. Waiting over an hour for a small pizza ideally deters customers from coming back. Lastly, this place has pretty decent beer. One big gripe I had about this place is that their beers woulds cost a $1 to $2 dollars more than bars in the surrounding area. During my last visit the beer seemed to be priced lower, so that's good. Hopefully it's a permanent thing.
(2)
Armando C.

My first time ordering from roots and I have to say 1st impressions make impressions. The Chicken lollipops were good, I was surprised at the quality that i forgot to dip them in the bleu cheese; i didn't forget about the buffalo sauce. The fold over I had was immensely disappointing. Half of it was empty. When I read the description it said stuffed fold over so I'm thinking cool. It wasn't cool that half of the contents were missing. I know I ordered at 11:55. Yet i believe the kitchen should be at 100 percent till the last order. The quality of the food is good, no qualms there. If any one in management reads this. I want a fold over that's full (not half empty). A first time customer deserves that much. I wish you guys continued success
(3)
Lourdes A.

Arrived at 10pm on a Friday night and the place was pretty full and the atmosphere inviting. They only serve Midwestern beers, and there is nothing wrong with that. After all, Midwest is best. Since my partner and I were of different faiths (born-again herbivore v. staunch carnivore), we ordered a pizza that was half Garden Pizza and half Antique Taco Chili Cheese Curd Pizza. Yup, you heard that right. The Garden had all kinds of veggies including a green olive mix. I love green olives so I knew I'd love at least half of the pizza. The Antique Taco had cheese curds. Can I just stop there? Sounds delicious, right? It was tasty, for sure. Warning to crust connoisseurs: this crust is super thin, so if that's not your thing, skip this place. Like others who've reviewed Roots, I didn't know there was a Quad City style of pizza but I like it. My only complaint and I'm not sure if this is the style (Quad City) or the place (Roots) is that the cheese and crust often don't play nice together. The cheese and other ingredients tend to come off the crust so then you need utensils to eat this pizza. I forgave this because the flavors were right on, but they need to work on gelling the ingredients together. Perhaps more sauce or a little more cooking time might help? This is definitely different than Chicago style pizza but it's an interesting and welcome addition to the local pizza scene.
(3)
Aja G.

Revisited it and regretted it. Hear me now: A SMALL PIZZA TOOK AN HOUR! AN ENTIRE FREAKIN' HOUR! We sat down and our waitress, who I will call Bland, because of her boring personality, made herself as scare as possible. Bland took about 10 minutes to bring a can of beer, which she did not pour, and another 10 minutes to bring extra napkins. Bland floated in from time to time to say our pizza would be out soon. No apology for the the wait, No explanation for why people seated after us got their food before us, no timeline for our food--just "soon." Soon took an hour and Bland's reply was " thanks for waiting" again no apology or explanation. The pizza falls apart when you eat it. The cheese and toppings slide of the crust immediately! You essentially have to scoop the disheveled pizza onto a fork to eat it. That being said the crust of the pizza is good, but nothing to rave about. It kinda remind me of the high-end oven pizza. On the plus side: The can/bottle selection is decent and hails from the WI,IL,Iowa and somewhere else in the mid west. The booths are deep and comfortable the TVs are plentiful The sound isn't too overwhelming Overall if you want to eat at 50/50: the pizza place come on down. If you want to eat a 12' inch pizza in less than an hour go to jewel's frozen dinner section.
(2)
S K.

I'm from the QC so clearly I'm biased that nothing can top Harris but Roots is the real deal QC pizza. Thank my stars this place is legit, and they deliver to my house?!?! I mean, come on its a dream come true. I've been to Roots itself a few times and the atmosphere is not real great, but hey! It's a pizza joint. It's gonna be loud and have kids and stuff. It's a bit chilly in the winter too. The food makes up for it, though don't over order! It's very filling. Get the taco pizza. You can trust me, it's good. It's not an exactly replica of Harris but it is close. They put their own spin on it and have more options. If you are in the delivery zone, even better. We've had delivery twice from online ordering and it's been fine. If you are from the QC tell the staff and they will put your picture on the wall. Nice touch!
(5)
J F.

Great service friendly staff and our server Anthony was attentive and courteous this was my first time here. I came to watch the black hawks game and of course food. Will definitely come here again.
(5)
Kevin B.

I'm upgrading to 4 stars, their pizza has become our favorite and the massive cheese sticks can't be beat. I haven't had any strange run ins with the staff in a few years so it looks like they have improved all around.
(4)
O K.

Good non soggy crust, friendly servers, delicious pizza. An abundance of tvs kept my hubby happy. Only complaint would be they seated us in the back and we were surrounded by what seemed like dozens of children. Got really loud. Will return for the food but will ask to be seated near the front of the house where it's quieter.
(4)
Steve W.

i really want to give this place 5 stars, but I can't get over the lame wait staff. Having briefly lived in the QC I was pleasantly surprised to see a QC style pizza. I can speak for the QC when I say no one there even realizes its a "style"...but whatever. The taco pizza is way better than happy joe's. That's all some of you will need to know. i know...but trust me, it's way better. Unfortunately they went and hired some really snarky hipsters in an attempt to fit into the neighborhood. Come on guys...there's some hard working and attentive hipsters out there...go find em! I would still say go and get the taco pie. Great stuff. Try to get some of the malcontent' staff to make eye contact while speaking, kind fun...treat it like a game!
(4)
Liz B.

For the last 5 years, I've never thought twice about telling people what my favorite pizza place in the city is. Roots changed that last week! LOVE this pizza. The crust is amazing, and they pile it high with fresh toppings. The veggie pizza had a heap of freshly cooked veggies on top and was delicious. The salads are also awesome. The ingredients are finely chopped, so if you're a fan of chopped salads, you'll love them. Great atmosphere too and they have a really nice private party room with a large glass wall so you can watch the kitchen make the food. Can't wait to go back here!
(4)
Lindsey A.

At noon, at a table, of six. I looked around. Babies. Babies at every table surrounding us. Babies in high chairs and babies on laps and babies in those mother-earthly sling-type things around their mom's and dad's necks. BABIES! Granted, we were at Roots at noon on St. Patrick's Day (when most people were probably still sleeping off the night before). Despite my start to this review, the babies neither hindered nor enhanced my Roots experience, so... nevermind those sweet chubby chunks of life. The food? It was okay. I don't get the Quad Cities Style. Maybe it was the sauce? A bit too tangy for me. Or the crust - it had a bite I'm not familiar or sure of. We got a make-your-own-za with roasted corn, roasted chicken and spinach. It was ... all right. We also got the garlic monkey bread. That was pretty tasty. I liked Roots' beer menu, though, and service was really nice and friendly. The layout is cool; big tables with seats that wrap around to the next booth for overflowing patrons (or asses). And it's a HUGE space. Just walk to the bathroom and you'll see a myriad of rooms and stairs to more rooms. The decor was pretty hip, too. I don't feel like explaining it. Just trust me. If I lived nearby, I'd probably try it again, but since I'm an Andersonville resident with Great Lake down the street.... I'll stick to my 'hood for the good stuff.
(3)
Brian T.

Have eaten some of their specialty pizzas in the last few months. They may be a little expensive but well worth it. Also their spinach artichoke dip was insanely good. A touch greasy but the flavor was by far the best I have had from any other restaraunt.
(4)
Andrew B.

Been twice, came away full and happy both times. Service is attentive and accurate. And hot. Universally. Great beer selection, decent tap selection, some pricier pitchers, but mostly worth it. Decent number of reasonably well-placed TVs in the bar area, great for catching today's Packers-Bears game. Would have been better if they'd won. Good fan crowd at the bar and a few tables. A little loud at times, but they kept it family-friendly. Build a salad's great, easily split by two. Build a pizza's even better. Neither time have myself and a dining companion been able to finish the larger pie, despite big efforts on the part of various big-appetite guys. Lengthy enough ingredient lists that heated topping negotiations concluded successfully both times, and without violence. I was more impressed with the crust on my first visit, but wasn't unhappy with it this time around. Not sure how you eat the strip-style (Quad City?) slices without a fork and knife, you can't pick it up with a single hand, and it's not big enough to deserve two hands.
(4)
Dan N.

I couldn't imagine living in Ukrainian Village without Roots. Love this place. They have awesome food and great beer on tap. They get docked one star, however, because they are always out of gumball head.
(4)
Danny C.

Great beer selection. Pizza isn't my favorite, but I'm partial to deep dish. Service seems good. Great neighborhood meet up.
(4)
Adam E.

Yum! I've now found a solution for my NY Style pizza blues! And they have Dragon's Milk to boot? I'm hooked!
(5)
Anthony M.

Have you ever been traveling out of Chicago and decided to try the local pizza? That is this place. The crust is similar to pizza hut and that is not a compliment!!! We had a group of 9 and service was kind of slow. Waitress asked if I wanted a beer and then I asked if they had a list. She grabbed me one and then stood there as I flipped through it. After about two awkward minutes of her starring at me she said, "How about I come back?" That was a huge mistake...I didn't see her for 20 minutes!!! So I sat there sad and beerless in Chicago!!! In fact, i wanted a second beer and my empty beer glass sat there for another 30 minutes and she finally asked, "would you like another?" Two beers in two hours is not good customer service!!! (Attention owner you're losing money!) Back to the pizza...it is cut in rectangles. It felt like the cook forget to make just two more cuts. He was so close!!! This was the first time I've ever had a round pizza cut this way and I didn't like it. I want my pizza squares back!!! We ordered one large sausage and one large half pepperoni / half veggie. The crust was completely different on each one. Doughy on the sausage and thin and soggy on the pepperoni side. It was very inconsistent between the two pizzas. The sausage was a little werid. It was like ground beef and there was a layer of it between the crust and cheese and it did not meld together. If I lifted the cheese the minced sausage would just fall out like sand. It just felt like a bad frozen pizza. I also believe the large was 24 bucks...a little high for just okay pizza. Chicken wings were tasty but a rip off. 8 bucks for 5 wing drums. We got three orders which is 24 bucks for chicken wings!!! Really not worth it. The caesar salad was good but I wish I would have asked them to hold the baco bits. Reminded me of the 80's!!! Yes that was the last time I ate them!!! The interior is beautiful. They did an amazing job of decorating. It is fun and hip In here!!! But I can't eat the booth!!! I read about the taco pizza in the Reader today and I wish we would have ordered it. But the group was not going in that direction!!! Remember when Pizza Hut use to make Taco Pizzas in the 80's? That was awesome! (I sound like Chris Farley!) Roots is suppose to be a pizza place first and I'm not buying it. Our city has great pizza everywhere and maybe this style will catch on...I hope not! I think the owners were going for different. They really achieved that!!! I am going to go on a limb and say I would never ever have pizza here again!!! (unless it was free on Wednesday after 10pm...irony kills...that is the wednesday night special here!)
(1)
Gary R.

Word association. You say "Pizza", I say "Chicago". You say "Chicago", I say "pizza". Seems natural. However, when I think Chicago pizza, I don't think deep dish. No, not Lou Malnati's, not Gino's East, not Giordano's. My thoughts go right to Roots. That's right, Roots. Sacrilege you say? No, not at all. This crust is amazing and unlike any you'll find elsewhere. The use of malt in the dough makes such a remarkable difference and brings out a unique taste that I've come to crave! Hand tossed dough brings it right to a proper thickness - not thin, not thick. Just right. The homemade sauce is extra rich and flavorful. And they put the toppings on first before they cover it with delicious cheese so underneath that gooey goodness lies all those extra taste bud triggers. Yum. And they cut it with scissors into strips - a neat, quirky idea. So instead of getting a "piece" of pizza, you get a strip. And the beer? Oh my. With something like 70 midwest craft beers, this place is a haven for beer aficionados. Great beer, great pizza, great atmosphere. What more could you possibly want???
(5)
Ryan C.

Oh man, those mozzarella sticks are huge and amazing. Basically mozzarella twinkies. I grew up close to the Quad Cities, so I was excited to try this place out. It's not my favorite pizza in Chicago, but it's right up there. Their taco pizza is excellent. They even have one with Sauerkraut on it - fantastic, although they should put more on it. I love the crust, and it holds up excellent when you reheat it. They cut it in strips which can be a bit of a pain, but that's ok. Always love coming here. Seriously, get the mozzarella sticks. Do it.
(5)
Chris G.

Man whats with the negativity?? The place just opened! I really liked the place, the decor is awesome the staff was friendly and the food was great! My thoughts are if youre in the service industry and dont understand that places get busy and baking a pizza takes time.... Youre an asshole.. Everybody was busting their ass when I was in there.. Pretty cool to see into the kitchen window in back too, which is probably why kids get put back there to preoccupy them with something... Its great for the neighborhood and I will be back soon..
(5)
Matt L.

And that'll be the FTR for Matt L. They were playing Gold Panda's Marriage, or some remix thereof. That alone is worth a 5 bomb. Stay tuned for further info.
(5)
Debra R.

Roots is a great place to go for dinner in the neighborhood for dinner or with a group. A great beer list, good pizza (I also had a delicious salad named "proco moreno") and TONS of space perfect for groups including outdoor space and separate rooms & booths. I love that the walls are garage doors that open up to the fresh air.
(3)
caroline k.

I don't get this place. What's the hype? Ok, the apetizer salad (avocado, tomatos, sunflower seeds and a cilantro dressing) was good, but the 'quad-city' pizza (we got the veggie) wasn't anything spectacular. tons of olives on 'malted' crust (i.e. just tastes sweeter), i didn't really understand how this was a 'veggie' pizza let alone anything special. the service was super friendly though.
(2)
Brent A.

Charles (Chaz?) was the bartender that night. Great guy, took care of everything we needed. Quickly and with a smile. Introduced himself with a hand shake and asked out names. Not many bartenders take the time to do that anymore. Just one more reason why roots is so great. Excellent selection of craft beers both in tap and by the bottle. Have something different almost every time I go. We LOVE the pizza. I get sausage and mushroom an every single bite is load with crumbled sausage and chopped up mushrooms. It is so so delicious and their crust made with beer is very unique. If you haven't been here yet you need to stop in
(5)
Damian S.

Good atmosphere, great food and a incredable addition to the area. Taco Pizza, spinach artichoke dip and cheese sticks were all awesome! I know you might be thinking that this guy is promoting a dip and cheese sticks but they are not your average bar items here. The spinach dip had a sweet taste to it that made it stand out and the pita chips were a great add. The cheese sticks were HUGE and are better eaten with a knife and fork. I am a big fan of food and the beer list that features a good amount of local options.
(5)
Carolyn C.

Overall i really liked the place. It was really large and it had these big booths for seating. The spinach and artichoke was AHmazing! The reason for the 3 star is the pizza which was alright. I am def. open to trying it again. They had quite the variety of food on the menu as well.
(3)
Sarah W.

I love this place. Whenever i have guests in from out of town i always bring them here for the awesome pizza and oh my lanta they have the best cheesesticks ever. They are seriously like bricks. We always leave stuffed and with leftovers. A+ for food and service.
(5)
Tommy D.

I've warmed up to Roots. Not their pizza. It's still sucks. But their salads and appetizers are the real stars of the show. We typically get our salads to go, waiting at the bar with a beer. The service is great and the salads are solid with lots of ingredients.
(4)
andy p.

When you walk in, you can feel a little intimidated from the body guard with a stern look on his face. But he is not there to hurt any patron, just the drunkies that cant handle it! Now onto the actual bar......food is great! the beer selection is perfect! its very informative and has pictures of where it comes from and when i say pictures i mean maps of the beers of origins! Its a pizza place Bar with a nice salad touch! I don't know what the others are talking about......the food is good for the atmosphere and the price. If you want pizza on a paper plate a can of pop and looking for an excuse to over analyze then go to the 10 mom and pop shops in either direction of the ROOTs or just find your local pizza hut!. This is a good place to be left alone and enjoy a good pie, great beer and good service. what more can you ask for
(5)
oh l.

Good pizza, salad is decent but not very fresh (there were a lot of brown stem ends of the romaine mixed in)... I'd say you're better off getting delivery - service is pretty awful (the 2 stars are for the pizza and nothing else). I've been here a few times now and have also ordered delivery a few times, but this last experience was the worst. I was there over the weekend and maybe it was because it was a holiday weekend, but the service was awful. From the hostess barely 'greeting' you, unless you count stink eye as a friendly 'hello', to the waitress not even opening your bottle of wine for you (screw top, but still)... and lastly, once the pizza was delivered to our table, it was just plopped down. As i put a piece on my plate, the cheese just oozed straight off the slice onto my hand and left me with a burn on my finger - it was scalding hot. Now I can appreciate and understand why pequod's serves you your first slice. They may as well turn this place into self-service, as all the waitress does is take your order. They never seem to be available when you actually need something or even when you want them to take your salad plate and exchange it with a new one for your pizza. This place basically needs to get it's act together when it comes to service OR turn yourselves into a divey pizza place known for bad service because right now, looks are deceiving.
(2)
Brent S.

My family was in town and they wanted to go somewhere close. I live in the neighborhood so I said why not. We were seated in the bar with the big windows, it was a beautiful night. We ordered salads and a pepperoni and sausage pizza. After 1 hour (yes an hour) we had our salads brought to us. They were ok. After asking if the pizza was on it's way the manager came by and informed us that there was a huge carry-out order and the kitchen is stacked up. I thought this was an odd excuse. Why wouldn't they prioritize orders from folks in the restaurant? When we asked when it would be ready we were told momentarily, 30 more minutes and the pizza came. This is a long long long time to wait for a pizza. The pizza was average at best. "Quad cities" style can stay in the quad cities. I'll take Lous or even Giordanos (in a pinch) over this. Got the check and the manager comp'd $40 bucks off the tab. Food was not worth waiting for, won't go back.
(1)
Lindsey C.

I have now had the pizza and it's awesome! You can do a make-your-own pizza, which I've done with prosciutto and house-made mozzarella. It's amazing!
(4)
emily h.

I wanted to update my review to rave about how kid friendly this place is! When I went with my son and husband last weekend they gave him pizza dough to play with! It kept him occuped the whole time! They also give out crayons and paper and kiddy cups. Oh and another thing that is great for people with or without kids- they seat the kids in their own area!!! How great is that?! If I am not out to eat with my own kid, I do NOT want to be sitting next to your screaming kid! And if I am out with my kid, I do not want my kid bothering others who are trying to enjoy a nice meal. I think having a "kid section," although the Roots doesnt actually acknowledge that they do this but its obvious, is such a great idea that more places should do!!
(4)
David R.

Disclaimer: Native Quad-Citian Living in Hanover Park, I am about 2.5 hours from the Quad-Cities. However, I'm about an hour from Roots Handmade Pizza and a few friends and family that live within walking distance of the restaurant. Needless to say, since this place opened just a couple of months ago, I have gone out of my way to visit this place a couple of times already with another dinner party planned for the 15th. Of course, you could care less about my proximity and party planning, so on to the review. Service: Never had a problem either time there. Service was prompt and friendly. Food: In my opinion, the sausage and taco pizzas were the only reason to visit the original locations in the quad-cities to begin with. All the other options are just there. So many people in the world want to clutter their pizza with other junk like roasted this, lamb that, crazy combo of whatever stuff. People, KEEP IT SIMPLE! This style pizza is in it's element when you are having the sausage and/or taco pizza. And for god's sake, if you order a BLT pizza, utilize the mayo!!! friggin boneheads out there taking the snobby route on the mayo packets. Bottom line here, order what made this style famous back in the Quad-Cities and you will get a treat. Drinks: Wow, what can I say...that house brew is a new favorite. Love their beer. Not a big fan of the adult sodas based on price and relative value. But once again, all you fancy, shmancy folks want to be all modern and stuff...pizza and beer are where it's at....oh, and steer clear of that jalepeno infused tequilla...not so good! Price: Now, this is where I see a lot of the gripes from the other reviewers. First off, this is chicago people...let's agree to divide pizza places between the national brands and neighborhood gems like this place. Second, this pizza was always the most expensive back home. It only makes sense to me that it would carry a similar value here in a city where everything is already inflated (hello, you look at your rent $/sq. ft. lately???). This pizza was the pizza my family of five would get on occassion when Little Sleazers got boring. In the end, this is obviously my new favorite place to go. I tell whoever I can, whenever I can that they need to check this place out. And yes, I also tell them to stick to the sausage and house brew...dang, now I'm hungry!
(5)
Nycole H.

I'm a fan of The Fifty 50 so when I heard about this location I really wanted to try it out. The Fifty 50 has great food so I knew this would be good and I love pizza!! My friend and I decided to be super boring because we couldn't decide what to get so we shared a cheese pizza and we both got drinks. The pizza was really good. I love the strip style pizza makes it really easy to eat. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated I really liked it. It was absolutely PACKED when we got there and they had a list for us to go on. They told us the wait would be about 20-25 and I'd say it only took 10 minutes. They took my name and got us in right away. One of my favorite things was the host or manager whoever was taking names saw us leaving and asked me by name what we thought. I think one of the best things in customer service is when people get your name and REMEMBER it!! My only teeny tiny gripe was half way through out meal I start to feel like we were getting rushed out. The server was super friendly and not rushing us at all but the bus boy kept coming over asking if we were done and wanting to take each individual plate. He came over way too often trying to get us out. My friend was still trying to drink his drink. I understand you're a super busy trendy place and I love it but you can't rush customers out that will most definitely be return customers. Let them relax.
(4)
Tom S.

Type, delete. Type, delete. That's how this review has been for the past 3 minutes. I just don't know what to say. Should I even leave a review? Oh well, I guess that's just how much of an impact Roots Pizza left with me. Would I go back? Probably. Would I go back if it wasn't in my hood? Probably not. Pizza style is "Quad Cities" and I don't know what that means. I guess if you're going to compete with Chicago-style, you better have a catch. We had the Taco Pizza based on the recommendation of two bartenders. They said, "You HAVE to have it with the hot sauce." I LOVE hot sauce! The pizza showed up and it was interesting looking, that's for sure. The whole thing was topped with spicy corn chips (like Doritos) which was layered above shredded lettuce. Hmmm, okay. I'm then looking around for a squeeze bottle of hot sauce, thinking it was some special concoction since it was so highly recommended. Oh wait, there it is... The hot was were packets that were, I swear, the same hot sauce you'd get at Taco Bell except without the Taco Bell branding. I think it was Sysco or some distributor brand. Getting over the hot sauce thing, I enjoyed the pizza. It was delicious. The crust was nice and the toppings had lots of flavor. My other complaint was the beer list. This place boasts having an extensive beer list, and they do. The problem is the beer menu. It's separated by page by brewery (or cities, I can't remember). So each page has it's own city. Well, with over 70 beers available, and the beer menu lists each city on each page, how many pages do you think the beer menu is? It was a lot! Why can't they just list it all on one large page as other places do, it's so much easier to help you decide. This place has a great vibe and I'd recommend you checking it out. Let me know what you think. Just kidding, just leave your Yelp review and I'll read it eventually.
(3)
sandie s.

I took a chance and chose Roots for my birthday celebration last night and it was worth it. I had been driving by every day and I was intrigued by what I could see of the decor. It was just as cool up close, with light wood everywhere and cushy booths. There is a bar area and a back room. We ended up at a stand alone table for 8 in between the 2 rooms, which was perfect. We ordered 2 appetizers to start-garlic monkey bread and stuffed artichokes. They were tasty, but on the small side. Then we ordered a 16" garden pizza, which was the perfect size. I really liked the crust and the end pieces were by far the best. I did have one inside piece, which tasted fine, but was a bit unwieldy with the amount of cheese on it. If the crust stayed thick throughout the pizza, it would be easier and tastier. Still, it was very good. We also ordered sweet potato tater tots-so good! And a Greek-ish salad and a tomato, avocado, mozzarella salad. The salad are giant and delicious, though I suggest you order the dressing on the side. Roots seems to have nightly specials. Last night was half price bottles of wine. They make their own root beer, which I meant to try. Next time for sure. We didn't get dessert, but I did see a very large piece of red velvet cake go by our table, so that might be something for the next time too. Overall, I liked Roots. There are several more things on the menu I'd like to try. There are a lot of TVs in the place, which I could do without, but they were easily ignored.
(3)
Ajay H.

It's my second visit here to Roots and as a matter of fact, I'm writing this review from the corner of the bar! All I can say is that the menu offers a wide array of options to fill up your tummy and put a smile on your face! So far, I've had the lollipop wings, a salad and the chicken chorizo brat with the roasted brocolli accompanied by clarified garlic butter... WOW, OH WOW IS THE FOOD GOOD!! I haven't even had the pizza yet. And I can't wait for it! After eating all the food, "how ya gonna wash it down?" - Dude, they have an impressive beer selection, full bar and even their own Root's Root Beer if you're not in the mood for adult beverages. All that AND the staff is one of the friendliest I can think of. Roots, you have my co-sign!
(5)
Coll D.

My fiance and i have liked Roots since we discovered it. their pizzas have always been a favorite, so many topping choices! Mozz sticks are the best Ive ever had-house made too. On my last delivery, i made a mistake and ordered pepperchinis on the entire 16" pizza, thinking they were like banana peppers. whoops, the pizza was so spicy, after one bite my mouth blew up, became puffy and red.there was no way we could enjoy much less consume this pizza. i called to see if they could switch out and help me in any way. yes i made a mistake, but the website doesn't specify spicy ingredients and clearly i was having a reaction to the pepper . the managers response was disheartening. Basically "ummmm well sorry there's nothing we can do, we cant control that the pepper is spicy" WOW i already felt silly for making a mistake, but as loyal customers to this place, there was nothing Roots could do? Really? I'm a customer service manager myself and was shocked at the response. i basically had to argue my case and she very unhappily and rudely responded " fine. whats your name I'll send you a new one." we've always put the good word in on this place and I'm happy she was able to "spare" a plain pizza for us,(they sent a 12", not 16". i do hope the management can learn a better way to respond to customers in situations such as this. it was very disappointing and left a bad taste in our mouths, literally.
(3)
Allison B.

Have you ever heard of Quad Cities pizza? Yeah, neither have I. But like Sarah L., I'm also originally from the northeast and upon moving to Chicago could not believe how shockingly bad the pizza options are. Roots pizza is good stuff. I'm not sure what Quad Cities pizza is supposed to taste like but it's safe to say that it's NOT NYC style, neopolitan or deep dish. We had the sausage pizza and it was delicious - ground up fresh sausage covered with cheese on a flatbread-like crust. The spinach artichoke dip appy was to die for. The monkey garlic cheese bread wasn't bad either, I just wasn't expecting it to come in a bowl. I saw a few other tables order salads and they looked good as well. Service was very good - we went on a Saturday evening and were seated in the "kiddie room" next to the kitchen with all the other parents - this was fine with us. It looked like they seated the more upscale clientele (i.e., those without baby puke on their shirts) in front near the hopping bar area. There is a lot of space in both rooms so we didn't have to wait - bonus! Four stars only because the prices were expensive for the amount of food we ordered. Note that they are currently not accepting orders for pick up or delivery, we hope that will change. Try out this pizza - it's unlike any other pizza in Chicago. And in Chicago that's a good thing!
(4)
Taylor D.

$28 dollars for a carry out "large" two topping (sausage and red onion) pizza plus tip. Honestly, I would have to be a complete moron to go back to this place a second time even though the pizza was...okay. I enjoy the malted crust they use here although I did not care for the "rabbit turd" style sausage topping. If I am spending this kind of money on a pie it should easily feed 5 hungry dudes, no problem. Nope.
(2)
Erin O.

1) Get the mozzarella sticks!! They are the size of Twinkies and the place makes its own cheese. 2) skip the taco pizza. There's a reason it's only a fad in the Quad Cities...There were 6 of us at dinner and none of us cared for the taco pizza. not enough like a taco, not enough like a pizza. 3) We also tried a custom pizza and it was good, but not great. 4) The space and staff are cool and fun. Definitely a good place to try with a solid beer list. The space is big, too, so it seems like it would be good for a party.
(3)
Natalka K.

Came to Roots with a few friends on a Sunday afternoon. This was our first time here. Before we came, I checked out their online menu and let me tell you, it was quite extensive. We got there and ordered drinks and appetizers. We got the mozzarella sticks which enough for the 4 of us and split the last one in fours. After much deliberating on the pizza (some of us aren't picky eater and will eat any kind), we decided on the Big Mick. Once I saw this and tasted it, it was an almost direct replica of the Big Mac from McDonald's. It was goos seeing as it's been a few years since I've eaten anythign from McDonald's. This pizza hit the spot and between the 4of us, finished the whole thing. I also placed an order for take-out one evening. I wanted the Asian Chopped Salad, the Make your own salad and an order of lollipopo chicken wings. Well, I was going to place it online and walk over topick it up. They didn't have the Asian salad listed on their onlne menu, so I place my order of the make your own and the chicken wings online and then called the restaurant and placed the order for the Asian. I walked over to pick it up and they only had the Asian salad ready and not the other two items. Not sure what happened, but after waiting for at least 10 minutes they finally brought it out. I really did like the make your own salad since you can choose your own from the type of salad to the proteins to the dressings and everything in between. I will come back with friends and do take-out in the future. Still want to try their red velvet cake that i hear is astronomical and lasts for a few days !
(4)
Carissa R.

Overall, the food is not worth the terrible service. Partying waitresses and managers couldn't manage their tables properly, resulting in very long waits, wrong orders, cold food and no remorse. I would pass for Piece.
(1)
Pat H.

I enjoy the pizza here as a change up from traditional chicago deep dish. the crust is softer in middle but the outside is still crispy. Roasted red peppers are a definite must. Build your own salad is also a solid option, there are lots of toppings to choose from, and they don't skimp on the fixins. Servers are friendly, cute, and conversational. The bartenders can be hit or miss. I've had a few great ones, but a couple that act like they're doing you a favor to get you a beer. They should also cook the pizza a little longer. I love the beer list, which is 100% from the midwest. They also have shots of infused spirits on tap. Over the summer there was a watermelon jalapeno tequila that was way better than it sounds. Definitely my favorite place in the neighborhood to post up for a few on a weeknight, and weekends bring bigger crowds. I've heard a few descent djs on the weekend as well.
(3)
Raven C.

Hopefully I won't get booed off the page for saying this, but I'm actually not a huge pizza fan. I was however outnumbered by my pizza loving dinner dates, so we ended up at Roots. The place kind of reminds me of a less gothic Five Star, but all in all it was a very cute place. We were promptly seated. Our waitress was a tad slow throughout the whole night, but her pleasant demeanor made up for that. I wasn't all that sure in my abilities to pick the perfect ingredients for a pizza. And I was quite bummed that even though you make your own pizza, BBQ chicken was not an option. However, we combined chicken chorizo, mushrooms, garlic spinach, bacon, red onions and mozerella...best pizza I've had in a long time! I will be back.
(4)
Alyssa R.

I went there on a Saturday with my sister. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere. It was a bit loud, but that's only because there were so many people there for the great food and drinks! I had the chicken caesar foldover (which is a sandwich made with their awesome handmade pizza crust, folded over and panini-pressed), and it came with my choice of side, which was the housemade chips and aioli, both of which were fantastic and original.My sister got the gluten-free pizza with some added garlic, and although the pizza is on the expensive side, she said it was well worth it, because it's the best gluten-free pizza she'd ever had (I tried some and liked it, which is saying a lot, because usually gluten-free foods compromise on the flavor a bit--not the case here!). The portions were generous, so we both had leftovers to enjoy another day. I definitely plan to go back again and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try a different pizza experience.
(5)
Kristin K.

For what it is, Roots is a fine restaurant. They don't take reservations, which for some people might work, but I like to make them, so I was disappointed with that aspect. First of all, we tried to go a few times during opening week, but the wait was 2 hours. That was annoying, but understandable during opening week. We got in yesterday for the first time and were seated immediately. Tomato, Corn, Avocado Salad: amazingly delicious. Huge, too, so great to split for two people as an appetizer. Beer Selection: very good. I really enjoyed their house Roots beer. Pizza: We ordered the sausage. The sausage was extremely crumbled. I enjoyed it, but my husband did not. My husband said it reminded him of school lunch pizza, but I don't think he knew what to expect with this Quad Cities style of pizza. The crust was great. I guess some people will like it, others may not. You just have to know it will be different from other pizza styles you may be used to here in Chicago. Service: our server was great, but it did take awhile to get our pizza. That's not her fault, but it was a little longer to wait than I wanted. Also, the restaurant is SO LOUD. No, I'm not a little old lady who can't stand loud places. I'm in my late 20s. I thought it was too loud for a weeknight dinner. My husband and I had to yell to hear ourselves. Overall, A+ for salad and beer, B for pizza, B for service.
(4)
Jeff L.

Went to Roots 9/12/11 for an early lunch. I had been out running errands in the area and had been meaning to stop in and give this place a try. I'm going to only comment on the food since I was there early on a Monday afternoon and there wasn't much of a bar scene except for myself. I ordered the mozzarella sticks and the BLT pizza. First off, the mozzarella sticks easily could have been my entire meal! You get 5 massive house-made mozzarella sticks and some of their pizza sauce to dip in. Awesome! I actually really enjoyed these; tons of melted cheese, breading and sauce. But be warned, if your dining for one this might be all you will be able to handle. The BLT pizza was quite tasty also. Loaded with bacon, Canadian bacon, tomatoes, and lettuce this pizza combination is one of my favorites. It reminded me a lot of the CPK variation, only a hell of a lot better and packed with more toppings. I found the crust to be the perfect balance for the type of pizzas they are. Crunchy but also chewy and holds up well to all the toppings. I'm a little curious why they give you packets of mayo to put on top of your pizza rather than tossing the lettuce with the mayo and then place it on top of the pizza, but maybe that's for the calorie conscious people...? Two things of note about the pizza: 1. The pizza is cut in rectangles... not large rectangles but little baby rectangles that make it incredibly hard to keep your topping on top of the pizza and to figure out how it's cut. I found that a little annoying but that's hardly reason to complain. 2. Expensive. $20 for a 12-inch specialty pizza. I felt more than satisfied dining by myself, and probably still would if I were sharing with a friend. But even still, the bill came out to way more than expected for a solo diner that only had a beer, an app, and a pizza. Maybe I just ordered wrong though, who knows. The service was friendly and attentive and I enjoyed the wide variety of large TV's scattered through out the place. Music was pretty decent too, not too loud and easy to listen to during a meal. Don't know if I would make this a regular pizza place, but it definitely has it's place and I will be returning to try out more of the menu and some of those adult sodas.
(4)
Jon G.

thanks to Brad, manager, for getting WGN radio when satellite went out during Game 1 of Kings playoff. Service and food are always great! They know how to take care of their customers.
(5)
Travis R.

Roots has only been open for a week, so I won't critique the poor service. It does take a while for the waitstaff, bartenders, and management to become comfortable with their new posts. The poor service aside, this place was still simply "ok." The prices are considerably high. The food isn't horrible, but when five mozzarella sticks cost $9, they'd better be ridiculously delicious! The pizza is far from remarkable. The toppings aren't high-quality, nor are they very sophisticated. A basic 12" pizza (no toppings) starts at $14, and all toppings are $2+. For the same price, one could enjoy a much better, more heavily topped pizza at a place like Piece or Pizza Metro. There's obviously a lot of money behind this franchise. The interior of the restaurant is very well appointed with chocolate-colored leather booths, lots of nice wood trim, and a beautiful bar space. Thus, at least the space creates a nice dining experience.
(3)
Aaron R.

I was here last night with some friends. The food is okay. It's not bad, but not good. There are better options out there. -The pizza is completely forgettable. -The monkey bread wasn't done well. It stuck to the ramekin below so you couldn't really get it out. -The mozzarella sticks are the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had (they're huge). But they are still just mozzarella sticks. Besides the food, the vibe the place tries to put out seems to be completely out of touch with the neighborhood. It's like they're taking a bar that might be successful in Lincoln Park and shoving it in the middle of East Ukrainian Village. While we were waiting for a table two busses showed up with a sorority party from Northwestern (and that's not even figurative or a joke). At that moment the music got particularly bad and excessively loud (though Get Low really really loud is my preferred pizza eating music). I really just hope places like this don't mark the beginning of the end of this neighborhood's character.
(2)
Mark S.

Roots is great! Lovely staff, great food. The patio is spacious and they have a ton of great beers on tap, including Point Belgian, which is made close to my hometown in WI. Nicole is our favorite server here. She always makes sure we get a great seat and have a good time.
(5)
Bethany R.

This place has the best mozzarella sticks I've ever had. I've been here quite a few times and tried a lot of things - their homemade pizza is really great here too.
(5)
M P.

Ordered 1/2 pepperoni 1/2 cheese pizza for delivery last night online. Said it would take 1 hour. After an hour, Roots called to confirm our order and said there was a problem with the receipt, but that the pizza had been made and was on its way. After 30 minutes, driver called asking for directions (we live less than a mile from the store). Pizza arrived: all pepperoni! Since the meat is hidden under the cheese, I discovered this by accidentally biting into a piece. As a vegetarian, I was disgusted. So much for ordering with a carnivore again. And I will never order from Roots again. I'm updating my review and changing my mind. Went to the actual location Friday night (1/27/2012), and the food was delicious. We especially liked the build-your-own salad. The lettuce and veggies were all fresh, and the salad was well balanced. Pizza was good too, and the wait for our food wasn't very long. Only negative was that the hostess originally tried to seat my fiance and I in the middle of the family section, surrounded by kids. We asked for another table and ended up eating at the bar (which was perfect, our service was excellent). We saw the hostess try to seat several other couples in the family section, and they all asked to be seated elsewhere.
(4)
Adrian P.

Great place, great atmosphere and the food is good. This is not chicago style pizza, so don't come there expecting that. Salads are amazing.
(4)
Joe S.

Big space aims to rival Piece but less of a scene. 'Quad Cities pizza' is of interest and worth a try. Great mozzarella sticks and salads.
(4)
Nika K.

This place is so overpriced for below average food. Pizza was pretty much tasteless. Dough was uneven with it being very thin in the middle and thick on the ends making it either crunchy or under cooked. No seasonings on pizza. The caprese salad was a joke for $12. three slices of obviously refrigerated tomatoes so they were orange and tasteless, some mozzarella which oddly enough was not fresh considering they claim it to be fresh mozzarella for their pizza and a few bits of bacon. The best though was the sausage appetizers. For $4 each its literally half of a brat with some cheap yellow mustard. Really? This place is huge and always 3/4 empty. I give it less than a year before it closes.
(1)
Mary D.

Fits right in with the restaurant wasteland that is west on Chicago Ave (except for Chickpea). On the other hand, staff is fun, portions are huge if you're into that and getting a seat is easy, even outside. In my opinion Roots is really more of a college-type place with mediocre at best bar food and extremely bad wine, only for double the price that you'd pay in a bad dive college bar. Also, you have to really, really like gobs of bad cheese. I went there for my first time Monday and we had the taco pizza (server recommendation) and beet salad. Beet salad was great but how do you screw that up; taco pizza was horrible - just awful. Soggy crust weighed down with about a pound of bad mozzarella, taco meat and lettuce with tortilla chips on top which we removed. A frozen Lean Cuisine pizza is better. Wine was about the quality of Yellowtail but $10 a glass. Also, the menu reads like a bad website with random text boxes all over the place and WAY too complicated. They do have a good beer selection. Bad wine selection. One qualifier - I am a big fan of Piece Pizza a few blocks away so part of the reason for the bad rating is my preference for thin crisp crusts without a lot of cheese and really good ingredients, and a decent glass of cheap wine. Our dinner for 2 (12-in pizza, 3 (different) glasses of wine and beet salad was $70 - I think expensive for the quality. My recommendation: go elsewhere.
(1)
matt w.

I said I wouldnt return to Roots after a few bad experiences but I returned cause High Dive was packed and we wanted a seat.. They had a nice booth for us and the service was impressively improved. The pizza was good and we left satisfied. Its worth another stop through on a late night for comfort pizza and a table. So I added 2 more stars to my last review and hope to come back someday and give em another star!
(3)
Lauren G.

Roots is the best food and ambiance. Great service, professional managers. Wonderful spot for kids and families. Love the moz sticks, salads, and selection of drinks. Highly recommend.
(5)
shai h.

My bf and I sat at the bar, so I can't really comment on the poor service that everyone is talking about. Our bartender was funny and nice. We came after dinner to watch the Cubs / Sox game. I tried their homemade root beer which is really good. I also ate a salad (being a server, I order stuff even when I don't really want it just to not be an asshole taking up seats). It was amazing. I ended up eating the whole thing. I didn't find it pricey, but all we had was the build your own salad and a few beers.
(4)
Kimberly R.

I honestly can't comment on the food because the service I received BEFORE I even had a chance to go to Roots was horrendous. So I should tell you that I'm reviewing them based on their service. My friend loves this place and is always talking about it, so I decided to host my birthday part here since it sounded like a cute, fun place for a group of girls. I sent them a message via their website (about a month before my birthday) and received an email a few hours later saying my message didn't go through, so I called the next day and told them about the issue. The girl who answered the phone gave me the name of Christine and an email for her - I was told Christine could help me with my birthday plans. I wrote her an email right away and still hadn't heard from her a week later. I decided to email again and another week later... I had yet to receive a reply from her. At this point, I was a little annoyed, but still wanted to try this place. So I called Roots again, told some girl about what was going on, and she said she'd tell her manager, Adam, about me and that he'd call me back. I, once again, gave them another week and I STILL had not received an email or phone call from a single soul. When I called them for the last time, I was set on giving them a piece of my mind because I was beyond irritated, but the manager on duty, Ryan, was so nice that I decided to still have my party there. Ryan told me that with a group of 15 (a detail I mentioned in my original, second, and third message) I really only needed a simple reservation. So he set that up for me, took down my phone number and email, and told me that he would email me a few days before my dinner to confirm the reservation. Surprise, surprise!! I did not receive an email. So my friends and I just didn't show up. We refused to give them our business! This is BY FAR the worst service I've ever received... because there was NO service. I did everything. I did all the emailing and calling, and they didn't have the decency to get back to me. Roots, your staff SUCKS! Sure, you're probably successful right now because you're pretty new, but how exactly do you expect to stick around if your staff is made up of assholes? Oh, and your cupcakes next door are just dreadful.
(1)
Benjamin K R.

Their menu advertised delivery but when I called to place an order I was told that not only was delivery NOT available, bit takeout would not be an option for 3 to 4 weeks. I understand that there are kinks to be worked out with any new business but a) any pizza place should be able to handle take outs on day one and b) their website and menu should not advertise delivery until it is available. I will consider changing their rating when and if they can can provide me a pizza I can enjoy in the comfort of my home.
(1)
Sarah M.

Roots has great service, especially if you're dining with kids. I ate there today with 2 toddlers and an infant. The servers were very friendly with the kids and didn't mind their high energy! They brought us crayons, coloring pages, and pizza dough for the kids to play with. The dough was a great way to keep them occupied while they waited. The food came quickly and the quality was great (kids menu options are usually kind of gross at most restaurants). Good portions too! Personally, it's not my favorite pizza in Chicago, but I love their salads!
(4)
Ross A.

Pizza is the only ok thing on the menu, but think twice about even bothering. First attempt: ordered specialty lamb sausage on pizza - for $3 extra, talk about sparse. Good crust, but not worth the "dough" ($$). Second Attempt: Party of two @ 2:00 on Sunday Baked Artichoke - good stuffing; flavorless, dried-out artichokes. 1/5 stars. Fried Ravioli - completely unremarkable, barely worth 2/5 stars. "Milwaukee's Best" Brat - much like the beer, terrible. Stale bun, dry sausage, overpowering mustard taste (and I love mustard) and the most bland "caramelized" onions I've consumed. 1/5 stars. $3 Home Brewed root beer is indistinguishable from the Pepsi and Coke equivalents, Mug and Barq's. No free refills on this 12 oz. bottle. Indifferent, disorganized service. We ordered artichoke as an appetizer, but all three dishes arrived within 2 minutes of each other. Other than these significant shortfalls, if you like beer, this place has an okay selection.
(1)
Gunner F.

Well, this 5 star review makes just about as much sense as Laurel P. who gave the place 1 star because she didn't like what the bar tender said about the restaurant she worked at (which probably was 100% true if you're anything close to what your place represents).
(5)
diane c.

greek salad = too creamy mozzarella sticks = too big w/ too much cheese pizza = too thick and clumpy - like someone just took a bag of cheese from the grocery store and poured it all over the vegetables, which were cut way too big. It was like there was a carpet of cheese and then water, from the boiling vegetables. The crust was all right, but too sweet for my taste. service = not very attentive. had to ask several wait staff to get the check.
(2)
Gary R.

I tried it again. It was equally bad, loud, and expensive. Still no Dio. Too much Jameroquai. It is now on the banned list. I am deeply sorry.
(2)
Abbey J.

The pizza I've had here twice has not lived up to the hype. And my friend got a salad that was bland but she ate it anyway AND it got her sick later. Granted this could be a one time thing- but the service was bad enough to not return. The second chance I gave this place ended up waiting over an hour for a PICK UP order. There's no reason it should have taken longer than the estimated time. At one point I just stood there waiting for the kitchen to bring my finished pizza out. Service gets a one star. Pizza gets a nothing special star.
(1)
Manja C.

I had such high expectations for this place only to have them come wafting (not falling or crumbling down.) Here's why: The Good: -ordering online and pickup was a breeze! Pizza was ready in 25 mins. on a Saturday (West Fest night.) You may just want to call and confirm they received it. -hostess was friendly when I went in to pick it up even though the music was blaring in her ears. -the crust had a good (malt) flavor. -gooey, well cooked cheese The Bad: -sauce was completely FLAVORLESS. Seriously tasted & looked like tomato paste. -the crust was thick on the edges and ubber-thin in the middle=soggy. -all the ingredients were plopped in the middle; terrible disbursement. -the price $2.00-$3.00 for EACH additional ingredient on a small pizza. For that much money--I would expect waaaay more topping. I would have expected much better and higher quality food given that its the 50/50 owners. Come on guys--your trying to feed a city known for it's pizza. If you're going to overcharge; give us a product that at least justifies coming back.
(2)
Brandon W.

While the world of "West Town pizzerias" is second only to "bars with cheap Jameson shots" in terms of competition, I think I may have found pizza worthy of being crowned king. Appetizers - 4/5 The mozzarella sticks were nearly universally praised on Yelp but we went with a lighter fare - spinach & artichoke dip ($10). The dip was good, not great, but the complimenting pita chips made up for it with their warmth and fluffiness. Drinks - 4/5 Roots is a solid choice if you want to show off your craft beer knowledge; you won't find any Buds or Millers here. There's a healthy selection of Midwest microbreweries both on tap and bottles. Personally, I went with a Bell's Best Brown because it was $2. It was a solid beer and a good compliment to the pizza. There were a number of cocktails that caught my eye that I hope to sample during their next Thursday special. Being 16 left a bad taste for vodka in a lot of people's mouths but with downright delightful names like "Big League Chew" (bubble gum + whipped cream vodka, berry lemonade) and "Sour Patch Kid" (cherry vodka, sour mix, Red Bull) you have to imagine they are nothing but fantastic. Pizza - 5/5 Our main course was a 16" Lillie's Q BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza ($27). While it was absolutely delicious through and through, it wasn't quite perfect. I actually found the pork to be a bit dry, and the famous BBQ was conservatively spread through the pizza. While I'm not the biggest fan, a light dressing of coleslaw added some needed texture and did a good job tying it all together. The flavor could have been enhanced with something like diced onions but I don't own a pizza place so I guess I will trust the professionals. The crust was a bit charred but not beyond recognition, with more than a hint of cinnamon that gave the pie a definitively delicious taste. While pools of grease are always a concern, the crust wasn't soggy in the slightest; my Tide Pen could stay safely tucked in my pocket. It had a texture unto its own and truly comes across as its own unique ingredient (my friend compared it to an Auntie Annes Pretzels from the mall). No pizza is perfect, and if I had to find something to complain about (this IS a blog) it would be the cheese. It was liberally applied but I found it to be a bit bland to be added in such great quantities. I'm not a pizza expert by any means, but less cheese and a bit more emphasis on the BBQ would have made for a better pie. The pizza was cut into strips/squares, because this is Chicago and we don't eat our pizza like weirdos. Vibe - 4/5 Mood has never really struck me as too important of a quality for a restaurant (you're there for the food, after all) but Roots was pleasant enough, about what you'd expect from a moderately expensive pizza joint. The music was a nice mix of '90s alt rock and 2000s indie rock (think Fiona Apple and MGMT) to the point where I found myself humming along to more often than not. It was dim, not dark, and each table felt like its own island. We had people sitting on either side of us the entire meal but I never noticed them. Like so many joints in the area, a former garage door was wide open, allowing the ambiance of Chicago Avenue to filter into the restaurant. On one of countless gorgeous May nights in Chicago, I couldn't complain. Service - 3/5 Service was slow but not crushingly so. We didn't have to wait for a table and I can't imagine most people do; this place is deceptively too. The first round of drinks came quickly enough but we found ourselves waiting to both ask for and then receive round two. We did end up waiting a bit for the check. I never mind hanging out if I'm in good company but my company apparently didn't feel the same way. In Conclusion If the idea of a Lillie's Q pulled pork pizza doesn't sell you, ya might as well head somewhere else. Between something called a "taco pizza" and sausage made in-house, there are probably other good options on the menu, but it was the BBQ that brought me here and I'm glad it did.
(4)
Chris G.

Great Pizza!! I love all of the special pizzas; ie taco pizza, garden, and BLT. Good stuff! The Lollipop Wings weren't what I was expecting. I never had wings where you dipped the wing into the buffalo sause. Not bad
(4)
David I.

I've really warmed up to this place over the last several months. Wife and I have been a frequent customer. They've fixed a lot of their early on issues. With Bleeding Heart next door, hope these two businesses are foundations for years to come on this block.
(4)
Kris R.

my good friend and i came here on a saturday night at 730 - wasn't packed actually, which was sort of suprising. lots of families here. we ordered the mozzarella sticks which were GREAT! soft, cheesy, mozzarella-y. if youre a fan of totino's party pizza, you'll love their sausage pizza. crumbly sausage, cheesy goodness, with fennel seeds - just like the $1 kind. i think that's why im giving this place 4 stars. i wasn't a fan of the sweet crust though. you can't really taste the dough while you're in the midst of the eating the pizza - only when you get to the edge. i usually eat my crust, but not this time. the bar area is huge, still, not crowded. might be a good place to go if you want something low-key.
(4)
donnie d.

I cannot understand the negative reviews. They are just simply wrong, or making things up. I went on the second night they were open and it felt like they had been there for years. Our waitress, Sophia, knew about each item and made great recommendations and asked us if we were familiar with the style of pizza rather than just go into a speech about what it was. She spoke with us as if we were both customers and people, and not just a means to receive a large tip, which we did give based on how she balanced professionalism with a friendly attitude. We felt at home right away. The pizza was outstanding!! We had the Big Mick, I think it was called, and the Taco Pizza. Both were simply amazing. The crust is perfect and holds up to the bold flavors without overwhelming or stifling them. The sauce has the perfect amount of spice to compliment the ample, but not excessive amount of cheese (I hate when pizza has too much cheese. I feel like the places that do that think it will make up for a lack of flavor or quality ingredients) And the cheese is delicious. The toppings were obviously of the highest quality and clearly treated with respect by the kitchen staff. I particularly liked the crunchy pickles on the Big Mick (I seriously hope I am remembering the name correctly) It is like having an Iowa Maid Rite on pizza. I am from Marshalltown Iowa, home of Taylor's Maid Rite, which is the first and still the best maid rite in all of America, and not just according to me. The Food network rightly picked it as one of the top 10 sandwiches in America, and Roots took me home with this pizza. They nailed it. The atmosphere is just right and though I didn't recognize the back room as seating for people with children, but I can see why they would use it for that. When I was a kid I loved watching pizzas being made at the kids window in Happy Joe's and I'm sure kids would love seeing that in the visible kitchen. There were kids seated in the front room as well, though, so if you don't want to sit near the kitchen (it is an amazing room, btw) just ask. They are clearly people who want to please the customer and will be accommodating. Lots of wood and attention to detail even in the bathrooms. The only reason I did not give a five star review is the price. It is a little high for the portions and for the neighborhood and if you consider the economy we are in. I realize the yuppies are stealing this area of the city from the working class as they always do, but I would encourage this business to try to appeal the the real neighborhood as well as those who are destroying it.
(4)
Jen w.

so the bf and i came here because i wanted pizza and beer and outside and it's just down the street from my apartment. our waitress, kylie? kaylie? whatever, she was super cute and friendly and helpful! she gave us great recommendations (the mozzarella sticks are AMAZING!!!)(I'm a mozzarella stick connoisseur) we didn't end up getting pizza because we were loving the appetizers. but the one other time i went there i had the pizza and it was good, despite the fact that it's quad city and not chicago style (i'm a firm believe that all other city's foods should GTFO, i like my food chicago style) but i'll make the exception for Roots. so the service is good, the food is good, and yes it's a bit expensive but for the atmosphere and service i'll pay a little extra for special homemade touches.
(4)
Carl H.

This review is more for the MANAGEMENT and a head's up for future customers. Below I'll talk about the food, which was actually really good. Let me first get to the service. Roots is a newer restaurant and is struggling with a lot of common issues they need to work on. So first of all, it was an hour wait and they don't take reservations or your name over the phone. We arrived, put our name on, and got a single seat at the bar to wait it out, the host said they would find us at the bar when a table was ready. After 45 minutes of seeing some people that had arrived after us being sat we asked the host when we would be seated and they said it would be another 10-15minutes. 15 minutes later we noticed that 2 tables had been open for about 10 minutes. I went up and asked the host again, saying there were tables open and we were seated immediately. The host explained that he had been trying to call my wife's phone - but my wife had never been asked for her phone number so he was simply covering himself. Service was friendly, but a bit harried. They weren't quite as attentive as they should have been, again because they still seem to be adapting to the busyness. The food came and we had ordered a pizza. They don't have the inexpensive wire frames that hold the pizza up off the table, so it was a fight to find space for the food, our glasses of water, our 1 beer each, and our plates. A simple investment in these frames would make it go a lot more smoothly. Finally, management seemed to be working more "in" the restaurant instead of "on" the restaurant. The management should have been making sure the tables were being served quickly and attentively, then making sure the tables were getting bussed quickly, and then getting those tables filled back up again. Instead the management was assisting in clearing the tables and other basic tasks. While I give them (him in this case) credit for assuming all of the tasks that needed done, he should have been working on ensuring the smooth overall operations of the restaurant and maximizing turn - managing the tasks he was instead trying to supplement himself. To the food. Everything else about the restaurant can be changed, but its hard to correct a bad menu or food. Roots had both great food and a great menu. Their beer list was very complete and they had a wide selection of menu options outside of pizza that I look forward to coming back and trying. We ordered the taco pizza and it was one of the best I've had. The sausage was flavorful without being too greasy. I will say it was also the most expensive taco pizza I've ever had though. So once they correct the service issues, they'll be getting a 4-star recommendation in my review.
(1)
Molly G.

The food here is amazing. The pizza is so good! They do say the large pizza feeds 4, but that would be 4 not hungry people! The place is huge and really good decor, and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Its great to go and watch sports games as the bar is surrounded by huge tvs. Its not too loud and the atmosphere is always very chill!
(5)
Kevin D.

Wings = great! Moz sticks = great! Pizza = good. Taco pizza = great. Root Beer = epic. Overall = great
(5)
William R.

Roots has a great beer list of select beers from mid-west breweries. The appetizers we had were amazing and HUGE. Homemade mozzarella sticks are very large and delicious. The stuffed artichoke was also very good! Looking forward to going back for pizza because it looked awesome too. Our server, Kylie, was super friendly and had great recommendations! *UPDATE* Lowered my rating to 2 stars. Tried to make a reservation for a party of 20. They told me there would be a $25 fee. Not a deposit or a fee if we didn't show up. It's actually a fee just for making the reservation....... I don't get it. Called another place in the neighborhood who had no problem accommodating a party of 20. Won't be going back to Roots anytime soon.
(2)
john e.

Had the artichoke dip for an appetizer and it was very good. We ordered the monkey bread but they forgot about it and we didn't get to taste it. They have a good beer list. Unfortunately, the pizza is not good. We had a pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza and it was a big greasy cheese mess. The crust is pretty good but the sausage was more like ground beef spread across the whole pizza and the cheese was too heavy. The crust was soggy and greasy in the middle. I think if you like Domino's or Sarapino's then you may like Roots. Otherwise, i wouldn't go back, it was a real gut bomb. The customer service was good though.
(2)
Stacey H.

the regular taco pizza is super yummy. try the antique taco pizza too; that was so delicious. i've only eaten the taco pizzas here because they are so good, why try anything else? give me a taco pizza. hell yeah!
(4)
Brie Y.

I went last week had the monkey bread, which was just OK, it also took a very long time to come out. The beer list was nice. we ended up with a taco pizza just like Happy Joe's (went to college in the QCA) It was good, but didn't leave me feeling great. Also has the sweet potato tater tot fries, served with ketchup? Strange, tried a lot of different sauces with it and nothing really went, advice make up a whipped creamy something with cinnamon. Over all very nice place, loved the open windows, will be back for drinks but will skip the food!
(2)
Jet L.

Comfortable large booths, good service, great food and tons of tvs. The garlic pizza is yummy and the mozzarella sticks are the best I've had! Chill place that I like going to even though I don't live close to it. Yum.
(5)
Charlie B.

The food is so overpriced, 100 bucks for 4 people with a 16" and 12" pizza and some beers. Crazy. The pizza wasn't bad, but their homemade sausage is the consistency of dust which was gross, and the cheese is so think it drowns out the other toppings. But the absolute worst part was that I got super ill latter that night. Like so super ill the whole next day was spent running to the toilet. I will not be back. Also the sign out front is so tacky.
(1)
Grant N.

Just had a great dinner, then it was ruined by horrible service.
(1)
Lesley S.

you can't fancy up an italian beef. i should have known better than to try an italian beef at a pizza place that someone tried to dress up on garlic french bread. the beef makes me want to make some vulgar joke about it because it was so old and dried up, it was that bad. my bf got a chicago dog, and both meals came with curly fries like you can make in the oven from the grocery store. we ordered the cheesy garlic pizza bread, and it was basically a pizza without sauce, and it was decent. i wish we had just ordered a pizza there and called it a night. it took about 30 minutes for the garlic bread app/pizza to come out, and about 32 minutes for our food to come out. that's one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves. you want to eat your app, but you don't want your food to get cold, fail roots. on a plus note, they do have good drinks, they had a beer that my bf loves and is hard to find and i had the adult cream soda, which was a little pricey at $12, but pretty good. they had a pretty awesome beer list with all kinds of beer from il, in, mi and oh. i think that might have been the best part of the visit. there's def way better pizza places right in the neighborhood, i don't think we'll be back unless its to enjoy just the bar.
(2)
Jessica M.

I really wanted to like this place, but it just didn't impress me. I was surprised when the bill came and it was $50 for a pizza, pop, and some mozzarella sticks. Prices for toppings are a bit outrageous and the food was blah. I left disappointed and will not go out of my way to eat here again. There's much better pizza places in that area to give a try.
(1)
Neil R.

Stopped in on Memorial Day, found out it was their soft open. What a great space and a welcome new addition to the neighborhood. We didn't try the pizza but rather sampled a lot of odds and ends from the menu. The build your own salad was stellar. Some of the pricing seemed a bit on the high side. Maybe that's just me longing for the days when you could get a large pie for under $20. Great space, cool vibe and a VERY solid beer list. I'll be back.
(4)
Leslie B.

I must confess, I went to this place thinking I would hate it. But, I was SOOO wrong. We arrived and were seated right away in the large outdoor space. The waitress was super friendly and welcoming! The other folks eating did make it kinda feel like a fraternity reunion, but I was there to try the pizza not talk to people at the other tables. The pizza arrives (ham and onion) and it was exactly as the waitress described it. Sauce was a little spicy, but was perfectly balanced by the sweetness of the crust. YUM! The house brew was great too! Although we ate outside I did stroll through the inside to visit the restroom before dinner and it is great. It is a huge and comfy sports bar. Before our food came I commented to my boyfriend that I hoped the food was good so that we could come back and eat inside during indoor eating season! To those who ate non pizza items and didn't like this place I would encourage you to come back and try the pizza. You wouldn't rate Giordano's on it's sausage so why rate this place that way? For a different style pizza visit Roots! Visit Bleeding Heart next door for dessert if you still have room!
(4)
Eric N.

I'd like to comment on the food, but unfortunately, it never arrived. After waiting for 20 minutes, the waiter came and said, "we can't find the cook, and your food isn't in the kitchen". They comped the beer we ordered, so at least they attempted t make amends. It all adds up to a two-star experience.
(2)
Alysha B.

So delicious, and do worth every penny. A unique change of pace from the typical Chicago pizza fare. Anthony was our server and did a solid job.
(5)
Drew H.

Went for dinner with the family. Huge space, great decor, plenty of TVs, good vibe. I had the Local Option Bourbon Barrel Kentucky Common beer, and it was fabulous. We ordered the taco pizza, the pulled chicken pizza, and the sausage and cheese pizza. All were excellent. I highly recommend checking this place out!
(5)
Hector T.

Very good pizza. The dough is sweet and different from all other pizzas. Ingredients feel fresh. Staff tends to be friendly. A bit loud inside but it has outdoor sitting.
(5)
Neil C.

excellent pizza great place for groups, and kid friendly.
(5)
Jeremy B.

Who knew the Quad Cities had their own style, albeit good pizza?? Then again, I'm from Detroit and we have our own amazing style pizza, too, which most people don't realize, so I can relate. I've been to Roots a handful of times and each one has been great. Everyone else mentions it but I'm going to repeat - you must get the mozzarella sticks. A-mazing! The monkey bread and breadsticks are good apps, too. For the pizza, I gotta recommend the taco one - that thing must have an entire bag of doritos on top of it. The plain old sausage hit the spot though as well. In addition to good food, Roots has a great beer selection and the service has always been top notch.
(5)
Christina E.

Good food, strangely though, the pizza is not my go to on the Menu. Great salads, great root beer, great appetizers, and great desserts. Minus one star as the pizza is just pretty good.
(4)
Jeremy C.

It was aiiight. Their Taco pizza is amazing in concept and execution looks cool but it wasn't that tasty I must say. It's like a pizza with a bag of doritos dumped on it. No really, that's what it is. Mine was light on the meat and cheese and super heavy on the lettuce and Doritos. It's tough to do a taco pizza correctly and it's usually love or hate for me and this one I didn't love. Their lolipop wings are done well. I enjoyed those for sure. If I head back here I'll skip the taco pizza next time and so should you.
(3)

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Address : 1924 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL, 60622
Phone (773) 645-4949
Website https://www.rootspizza.com/
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 12

Specialities

Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Valet, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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Pizza

Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.

Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.

Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20^th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.

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Roots Handmade Pizza

1924 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622

Roots Handmade Pizza Menu

Snacks & Salads

Medium Plates

Large Plates

After Dinner

Hot Beverages $8

Specialty Cocktails $11

Sparkling & Ros?

White

Red

Healthy Meal suggestions for Roots Handmade Pizza

Snacks & Salads

Medium Plates

Large Plates

After Dinner

Hot Beverages $8

Specialty Cocktails $11

Sparkling & Ros?

White

Red

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