LOVE this place! So glad to have them Pittsboro! Best burgers around! And love that they make everything in-house, including all their desserts. read more

There are few times in my life when I've felt as compelled to write a review as I do this evening. A friend suggested The Root Cellar, in Pittsboro, as a great new place to eat. When my husband asked me where I wanted to go for my Mother's Day meal (the night before), I said, "let's go to the new Root Cellar in Pittsboro." I read the menu and all seemed well. I eat low carb, so I chose the Charcuterie Plate with the following description: "Local meats and cheeses with scratch-made pickles, served with crostinis." What I got was 2 blobs of cheese (goat and Brie), 2.5 pieces of thickly sliced bread, and a small container of chopped vegetables swimming in French dressing. The bread was yesterday's bake from the Harris Teeter up the road. The "Brie" was soaking in vegetable oil, obviously to reconstitute the dried, stale blob that was masquerading as Brie. My husband ordered a burger, my kids a PB & J and a grilled cheese. Dry is the theme here, as each sandwich was dryer than the next. No one finished their meal and everyone encouraged me to write this hideous review to prevent other potential customers from making the same mistake as we did. The food here is so bad I will never go to any Root Cellar anywhere, ever again. The list of adjectives that come to mind, as I think about our meal, is vast; and none of them good. Buyer beware, you've been warned. THIS PLACE ABSOLUTELY STINKS!!!!! read more

I come here sometimes on my lunch break during the week. I really like the sandwich options (especially the wraps) and I also have been for brunch and have been very pleased. My only critique would be that I feel that most of the menu items are about $1-$2 more than I'd like to pay. It would be great if the sandwiches came with a bag of chips or something and then I would feel better about paying $9 for it. And I love the smoothies, but I'd rather spend $4 and get a smaller amount rather than a huge $6 smoothie that I don't end up finishing. I would probably come more often if things were just a smidge cheaper. read more

Excellent fresh food, and such a variety. Bacon wrapped Trout yummy, burgers, great, and real strawberry shortcake wow!

My wife and I were really looking forward to another good restaurant on our side of town. Sadly, the Root Cellar does not fit that description. This morning we had our first breakfast there after 3 or 4 very average lunches. I had the Farmers Plate, with poached eggs and she had the omelette. My poached eggs, although very well prepared, were resting in a cup of water. When I transferred the eggs to my plate, much of the water came with them. My biscuit was cold and the country sausage had a filler that I think was sweet potato. However, the cheese grits were very good. There is a very LARGE sign on both entrances that announces no firearms allowed. So those of you who believe in the Second Amendment to our Constitution may not be welcome if you are carrying! read more

Clean! Yummy! Fish tacos are very fresh and tasty! Shrimp & Grits are styling in a frying pan and tasty too! read more

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Overall the food is average but the prices are a bit steep based on portion size and lack of included side of any kind with sandwiches. Had the fish fry tonight and surprised as the meal came with one small piece of fish, reasonable number of fries and a tiny condiment container of slaw. The meal portion clearly did not live up to the photo in the advertisement posted on counter. Not impressed with our visit. read more

The food was decent enough, but I was fairly shocked by the prices. My son and I both had an entree and a drink and the bill was nearly $40. The food was ok but not $40 worth. And for $40, I got to get my own silverware, water, napkins, etc. and clean up my own table. I won't be returning. Travel just a bit farther down the road past Lowe's and there's the Pickle Jar Cafe. It's the real deal. Beautiful atmosphere, great food, reasonably priced. And no I don't work for Pickle Jar. It's just a better place all around. read more

Really good, fresh food in clean and comfortable surroundings. Nothing fancy but they do what they do well.

Disappointing quality and service on 3 separate visits. Way overpriced. Pittsboro needs a good deli/bistro but this is not the place. $12 tuna sandwich was nothing more than watered down Starkisk with some capers and spinach. Pita cucumber sandwich was 2 slices cukes with a little spinach and grocery store pita. Chicken pot pie was dry and terrible. 3 dishes on 3 different visits. We gave a fair chance but won't go back. read more

My husband and I stopped in here for coffee but couldn't resist trying the scratch-made herb cheddar biscuit. We put egg, cheese and bacon on it. Yum!! My cappuccino was perfect, with lots of rich foam. We hope to return soon to try the dinner menu! Friendly service and a great space too. read more

Well if you asked me while I was dining here, I may have given them a 3 or 4, but now I would give zero stars if I could. Today when I ordered brunch, I specifically asked the women about food allergies I had. She went in the back to clarify with the cook and confirmed that none of my allergens were in any of their food, except the bacon. Well now I am extremely ill. If you have ANY food allergies, especially not common ones, I would NOT risk dining here. Clearly they don't truly care or are as educated about food allergies as their signs made it seem. What a disappointment. read more

Thought this was going to be great.... but no. The food is bland, overpriced, small servings. The customer service is poor. It's cold and noisy. I've tried 3 times to like this place but I'm not going back. If the food were tasty I could put up with the rest but really, it's just totally lacking in flavor. read more

My wife and I had breakfast this morning at the new Root Cellar restaurant in Pittsboro. Like so many newer restaurants, you place your order at a reception desk, receive a number, and the food is brought to your table. You are expected to add a tip when you order your food and the lowest choice was 18%. I was told, however, that you could leave zero tip if you wanted to do that. We ordered the "farm plate" breakfast for $8.95 each. With coffee and an 18% tip plus tax, the bill came to over $24. After ordering we went to the self-service "coffee bar", but there was insufficient coffee to fill two cups. However, the supply was replenished after we reported this to staff. The food was brought to our table and, unfortunately, it was just not very good. The eggs were OK, but the sausage had a strange, rather unpleasant, flavor like none we had tasted before. The cheese grits were extremely runny--like a soup, and the biscuit was almost cold. We then had to bus our dishes and silverware, before leaving. One of our coffee cups had caked-on food on the side, suggesting inadequate dish washing. The furniture in the restaurant is uncomfortable and looks like it has been purchased from flea markets. The self- bussing station was messy, and unpleasant. Unpleasant is a good word to describe our experience. Much better food, far better service, at significantly lower prices can be found easily in the area. This Root Cellar is a good place to avoid. read more

I absolutely love this place. I go to the one in Chapel Hill all of the time and have gotten both catering and family meals from them. The Pittsboro location is much smaller but I almost like that better. The rustic decor is nice. The food has always been incredible for a counter service/deli type place. In my opinion, it's one of the best breakfast meals you can get anywhere around. There is something for everyone. My kids are always equally as happy with the food here as I am. And I saw that family meals are about to come!! If you have never tried these, you should. You get so much food for the price. I could not go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients and make this stuff for what they cost. On top of that, the owners do a fantastic job of sourcing locally and keeping sustainability top of mind. Don't expect to come in and get greasy diner food here. It's more of a cafe than that. But if you're looking for a solid sandwich for lunch, this is a great place. Also, they run dinner specials and those are great too. Don't miss the nights they have shrimp and grits. Yum yum! I have not experienced any bumps in service level even though they are new, but keep in mind that every new establishment is going to have some start up pains and have to work through some servicing and quality issues initially. And Last but not least, the owners live in Pittsboro and have since before it was cool. They love the town and care about how they service their guests. Go see them and give them a good Pittsboro welcome! read more

I was excited to hear of a new restaurant in Pittsboro, much needed. However I was disappointed with the food. The cashier was friendly enough. However the person who served our food seemed inexperienced as if he was going to drop the plates. My husband ordered the tuna sandwich, while it was being placed on the table the bread slipped off the sandwich, The Tuna was tasteless and the presentation was poor. My brother ordered the Thai chicken wrap which was fair. I ordered the BAS which was good, however we all agreed for $9.00 a sandwich just on a plate looked like we were not getting anything. At least some garnish, a pickle and chips would make a big difference. I know they just opened and we will give it a try it again. But come on people....... read more

We visitied from out of town as part of a large catered party and were blown away by the food. We were able to choose from a fixed menu of options that all sounded so good it was difficult to decide. I started with a gorgeous chunky tomato bisque. The seasoning was just right with many notes of a variety of vegetables. My main course was perfectly cooked salmon--moist and flavorful--with a balanced topping of maple and spicy dijon. The bed of winter vegetables could have stood on its own as an entree. The flourless chocolate cake was to die for. Others at the table raved in particular about the butternut squash ravioli and said the sauce rivaled some of the best they've had at authentic italian eateries. Serving a party of 60 people efficiently is hard under any circumstances but the ladies at Root did so quite well and with smiles. The rustic casual atmosphere was a really comfortable setting to meet many new people at this dinner. We will definitely return and would highly recommend the catering/private party options. read more

This is a new restaurant in this area. (There is another in chapel hill). For a new restaurant I would think they would want to put their best foot forward. We order 2 hot chocolates with whole milk. Both came out Luke warm, tasted like it was 90% water. Table was dirty as were 2 spoons. As for what they are charging they are going to have to try a lot harder to get it right read more

Love the Root Cellar and it's new location in Pittsboro. The relaxed atmosphere and outdoor patio are a great place for the whole family or date night. The dinner specials are delicious and the baked goods are the best! Staff have always been friendly and helpful. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Our whole family loves the Root Cellar! Our kids can't get enough of the pit cooked ham and the NC Reuben is awesome. Their salads and Paleo meals are great for when we want to eat healthy but don't want to cook. Can't wait to go back again! read more

Great local family owned business using locally sourced food. The patio and big roll up doors are really a great feature. Staff are pleasant and greet you as you walk in. Beware of the entire display case of amazing looking desserts! read more

I took a job at The Root Cellar PBO as a retired chef and former gourmet shop owner. I have over 32 years professionally in the food business. I'm semi retired and thought being in a similar environment would be a good fit. I even took the job at an hourly rate below the rate I was paying employees in the 80's. The day to day tasks seemed organized. I soon learned the employees working with me were ill prepared in food safety. A fellow server put the lid to the soda machine ice container on the floor, inside touching the floor and replaced it, with the dirty side facing the ice. A manager on shift with me one day, training me, lifted the lid to the fruit bins for the smoothies. The blueberries were moldy and I commented and he said he didn't know blueberries could mold. He closed the lid. On any given week, maybe 2 smoothies are made yet the frozen/thawed out fruit, stays untouched in the bins. You wouldn't order one if you knew the condition of the fruit and spinach. There were more instances I witnessed lack of NC health dept rules being followed. My immediate manager in charge of payroll failed to provide me with W2 info before the 1st pay period meaning I didn't get paid for my hours in January. I wrote my hours down for my 1st few days and asked her to be sure they were taken care of, more than once, they never were recorded. By March, I still wasn't paid for January and shorted a little in February. I can't tell you if I've been paid correctly as they've never given me my pay stubs, which I've asked for. I asked for details of my paychecks but was only given 1, showing I wasn't paid for January and a little in February. They also do tip sharing, which I never think is a good idea. She said, when there's enough, we'll divide it? Odd. I never received my complete share of tips, nor any documentation re: tips. It's illegal for a business to withhold tips. Massive lawsuits have been won against restaurant owners pocketing tips. One day on a $21+ bill, they gave me $30, and told me to keep the change, which I put in the share jar. They returned again and spent $13, they gave me a $20 and said keep the change, which I put in the tip jar. Being in the food service business for so long, I'm good at service, witnessed from the tips I pull yet put in the share jar and never saw any % of those tips. I've asked for pay statements, and tips, repeatedly, and they are unwilling to provide. I don't look kindly on anyone that doesn't pay their employees, isn't willing to show their employees what hours and tips they've been paid for and doesn't respond to the requests. This is all before Covid. I've contacted The NC Dept of Labor. Think twice before supporting a business that isn't willing to disclose their pay practice when requested. They're hiding something. I've asked for these statements to be mailed to me, since they're closed for the state mandate. I hope this complaint will help steer people away from working in situations in which they're cheated out of pay they've earned. And in places that don't follow food safety protocol. I resigned in March, after learning I wasn't being paid for hours worked and definitely not being paid tips earned. "Mario Batali To Pay $5.25 Million for Skimming Workers Tips", Google it, it's illegal to skim tips from employees. The Root Cellar seems to be skimming tips. Lucky for me, I've been in the business long enough I caught it quickly and resigned. Buyer beware. If they'd make this right, I'd be happy to withdraw the review, but it's April and I still haven't been provided my complete pay or pay stubs and I've been trying to get them, for a couple of months now. read more

Ordering process has to change. Lots of confusion in a small area at the entrance. No apparent line to order. The grits in my shrimp and grits were too watery. Pricey and nothing served with a hamburger except for a bun. read more

Awesome place!!! The food is so delicious and healthy for you so that makes it twice as better! Great breakfast and lunch menu along with it's exquisite dinner menu! Me and my family visited the rootcellar on 9/22 for dinner, I had the salmon which was killer, my husband had the steak and my daughter had the The Rootcellar burger, both said their food was delicious, they have an awesome kids menu for the little ones! My son had the kids sliders and ate it all up!!! The oreo cheesecake was out of this world as were their dessert selection!!!!We were pleased to see there was also live music outside. The restaurant's vibe was so laid back and just plain great. The ladies up front rock!!! You never see genuine personality anymore and those girls got it! They made sure we had everything we needed and more, they made conversation and made sure my son felt normal (my son has special needs) they leaned over the counter and talked to him about whatever! (wasn't trying to eavesdrop!) but it made his night! That warmed my heart and gave The Rootcellar customers for life!!!! read more

I was so excited for this place to open, but I went and it was terrible. I got soup and it was like a shot of soup for almost 4 dollars. No taste either.. read more

I'm not one to leave many reviews, so that in itself says a lot about this place... the food was AWFUL!!! Save your money! We went this past Saturday morning for breakfast, it wasn't busy, it was really cute inside, so we were excited to try them out. That was a mistake! We ended up spending over $50 between the three of us, and no one could finish their food. First off my breakfast was ice cold. The hash browns tasted freezer burned and were rubbery, in addition to being served cold. The bacon was cold and dry, almost like it was cooked hours (or days) ago and microwaved for 30 seconds. The eggs were cold... how do you serve cold, runny eggs?!?! The pancake was obviously frozen and microwaved (like you get from McDonalds) and was cold. The biscuit was probably the best thing we were served, but it wasn't warm and was extra dry for a biscuit. I'd save your money, and cook fresh and HOT food at home. read more

If the service I've received 6 out of 6 times is happening to other customers, Root Cellar will not be able to maintain their business in Pittsboro. I went to that location yesterday after an hour and a half Dr.'s appt to treat myself to a breakfast burrito and a milkshake (The Nutty Shake- my favorite from the Chapel Hill location). They were out of to go cups, so the poor chap who's likely not in charge of ordering those things apologized and asked if he could put it in a paper coffee cup with a lid and I said that it would be fine- it wouldn't last long anyway because I love it and was going to drink it quickly. It was smooth and delicious and perfect. I went back today for just the Nutty Shake because it's so yummy and has a little jolt of espresso! I ordered, was given a number, and sat at the bar to wait for my shake. After about 5-8 minutes, I heard "Nutty Shake?!" called, looked directly at the barista, showed her my number to hand it back to her and take the shake, and she looked right at me. Another customer raised his hand who'd been in line AFTER me, and she handed it to him over the pastry case. Then everyone went back to the kitchen. I still had no shake, and the person behind me was already out the door with the one that should have been given to me. I waited another 8-10 minutes of the front being empty of any staff person, and watched the same barista return to make another shake. When she brought it over I asked to speak to a manager because every time I've been to this location, there is a mistake with the order AND poor service. She told me I could speak with her but did not verify that she was the manager. I told her that I really wanted to give the Root Cellar a chance, but every visit I've had had something go wrong. I explained that I've worked in customer service and am very patient, but they need to pay closer attention to detail and shared that the person behind me may have ordered the same drink and it was handed to him instead of me, even though I raised my hand and number and looked right at her. She offered me a salad on the house and I just wanted to get out of there so asked for a LaCroix and left with the shake in hand. I wasn't that upset, because I finally had my shake and was ready to enjoy it! When I got to the car, I took a sip of the shake and it was gritty and full of chunks of espresso and some kind of mix. I couldn't drink it (though I tried, and even tried to put it through a sifter when I got home) and couldn't bring myself to go back in because the last time I was offered a refund (yes, it happened before), it took 20 minutes+ to do that. I've given this spot more than it's fair chance. I cannot come back. I wish I'd gone back in and asked for a refund of the shake today, but I was so tired of waiting. I'd love my $6 back. Especially after seeing the patron in front of me get a nice, crisp, appropriately prepared Nutty Shake. read more