My favorite cafe in Worcester hands down. If you don't read the rest of my review then my #1 recommendation is the Iced Caramel Macchiato with oat milk. It's so hard to find cafes that make good drinks with oat milk! Great service with staff that remembers me and makes a point to make small talk when I come in! They have delicious food and drinks with on their regular and specials menu which I love to go through and try. Great atmosphere, super cozy and never make you feel rushed. I love their bookstore selection as well as the other bookish related product like crosswords, puzzles, journals etc. read more

Root & Press has a really great selection of food, and the gluten-free options are AMAZING! Everything we tried was really tasty, and I especially appreciated how many GF choices they had. I would skip the coffee, though -- I got a vanilla latte and unfortunately it just wasn't very good. But the food definitely made up for it! Overall, a great spot if you're looking for a place with lots of gluten-free options and delicious food. read more

Root & Press - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

The food was just okay. But the atmosphere was a great vibe. Loved coming in there seeing the books a people reminded me of a similar restaurant called Busboy and Poets in DC. I would recommend this place. What I like most is the two searing options. There is a dining room and there is a bar. Love it here. read more

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What a fun place! Excellent food, GREAT people, a good book selection and just a very comfortable place to be! I had an egg and cheese sandwich and a Café au lai...the sandwich was a combination of the best grilled cheese I've had with perfectly cooked eggs...all on excellent sourdough bread. The Café au lai had a wonderful texture, the coffee flavor had a hint of sweetness with no bitterness or acidity, it was excellent. They also have a full selection of non coffee drinks and my wife got an Arnold Palmer which was also excellent. The restaurant is inside of a cozy bookstore, or maybe the bookstore is inside of a great little restaurant, but wire way it is an excellent place to eat/read/think and just be. You should give them a try!! read more

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My favorite place to get a coffee and food in Worcester. Staff is friendly and are accommodating with allergies. read more

Root & Press - Baklava latte and SPO Scrambler - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Fun, creative menu with lots of vegan and gluten free options. I got an earl grey matcha and an ancient grains salad, I was impressed with both! It's a little bit hectic inside and seating is a bit tight, but otherwise great. read more

Root & Press - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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I'm obsessed with this place. The staff were so kind and helpful. Food came out fast and was AMAZING. The coffee was one of the best I've had in a long time. And to top it off, the cutest little bookstore attached. I'll be coming here anytime I'm in Worcester read more

Root & Press - S'mores latte - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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We had lunch at Roots & Press. It has its own down-to-earth vibe with their books and in house café. We had the Turkey Press Panini with fries, Chicken sandwich with salad and green sampler. All were very good. I had a cool looking healthy drink but forgot what it was called. The prices are roughly low $20's per person with a drink. There's street parking. I would definitely go back when I revisit Worcester read more

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Root and Press is an adorable spot for brunch. I loved the fiesta bowl and the pea flower lemonade, which were both delicious and served fairly quickly. After eating, I enjoyed browsing the associated bookstore as well. Would highly recommend going here with some friends for brunch on the weekend. read more

Root & Press - Fiesta avocado bowl - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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This place is so cute! It is street parking, on Shrewsbury Street, which can be very tough to find something reasonably close. I love that it is a bookstore and cafe! You don't find this much anymore. The staff were all very friendly. You can order your items in either room or scan a QR code at your table. I had a pastry and a coffee, but my friends got full breakfast plates that looked amazing. Their menu is fresh, and they have lots of options for dietary restrictions! They make a lot of their offerings right there - even nondairy milk. read more

The gluten free choices were plentiful and the food was delicious. Servings were large and the staff was very polite and friendly. The space isn't large so seating may be a challenge. Attached is a bookstore and coffee bar. read more

Root & Press - Coffee bar - actually quite lovely - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Adorable, clean, cozy spot with a great menu and super friendly service. The breakfasts were a great portion size with delicious flavors. Parking isn't easy. There's a great bookstore that's part of this location. I wish I lived a little closer; this is about an hour from me. I'd be a regular if I could! My mom is a little picky about breakfast potatoes and she really liked these. The space inside has multiple, tables and cute fall decor. There are so many restaurants in the area but I'd recommend this spot. read more

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As someone who has a hard time finding gluten free... I no longer need to search. The food that was made, was giving that some master culinary chef was working that day and really loves what they do. The consistency, the flavors, the presentation? Oh, I'll be coming back alright. I haven't had such quality food like this in a long time. I discovered them during the taste on shrewsbury and they had a Kobe burger and gluten free options. The service is great, multiple ambiance's as there's different sections to this cute place! read more

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What a great space and vibe! I loved this place. Their coffee is so good! We got a cappuccino (with an extra shot) and a roasted toasted macaroon latte. We shared a blueberry muffin grilled. Sat in a booth and the coffees snd muffin were delivered to us. You can go to the other room and hang out at the coffee bar or browse for a book to buy. They have art on the walls for sale. People are inside with their laptops doing work. The staff are attentive and welcoming. This place is all around awesome. read more

5 star place, and vibe! Very cute, full of books, and flavor! I love that there is sooo many vegan options for me to choose from and a little nook for children. Super kind, friendly staff, they were busy but my food came out quicker than expected. I am sure to be back very soon! read more

Root & Press - Vegan Maple Stacker breakfast sandwich yummy! - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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This is a great place for breakfast, lunch, or to grab a yummy coffee. The menu offers vegan and gluten-free options in addition to regular fare. The plants & books add to the coziness of the space. The staff are friendly, informative, and helpful. I had the R&P Rizzler-two eggs, sausage, cheddar, crispy potato pancake, and maple syrup - stacked on brioche. What a combination! I paid $1 extra for the extra-crispy home fries (not sure why there is an upcharge), and they were perfectly cooked. Scrat's Nutty Latte-espresso, walnut, hazelnut, choice of milk, topped with nutmeg, was a delicious accompaniment. My husband chose the Bellissimo Sunrise Panini-egg, tomato, basil, herb mayo, balsamic glaze, greens, red onion, and fresh mozzarella on multigrain ciabatta and was wholly satisfied with his selection. It was fresh, substantial and flavorful. His extra crispy fries were spot on. I can't wait to return to Root & Press and explore the menu and books further. read more

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Excellent place! Been here with the family and just me and wife. Imaginative recipes. Quality ingredients. Highly recommend. read more

Root & Press - PICO Scrambler and hot tea - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Randomly stopped by here on the way back home from a trip to New Hampshire. What a great find. Everything is good here, the service is great, and there are lots of vegan options. Highly recommended. read more

Root & Press - Hummus Chipotle Bowl with vegan fried chicken - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Delicious coffee!! I had a simple yet delicious whole milk SF Vanilla latte and it did not disappoint. Cesar salad was also delicious and fresh. read more

Root & Press - Cesar salad - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Great place and i love the vibes. Also the staff was friendly and checked on us a few times which I appreciated.

Great atmosphere. Good food. Waitstaff are very friendly. Nothing negative to say. I definitely recommend it!

Friendly service. Nice variety of food. Delicious beverages. Great spot for brunch.

I'm pleased to see that a bunch of plant based places have opened up since I moved out of town but will acknowledge that none of them had the decency to open while I was still living here. I was back in town visiting friends and met up with a vegan friend for breakfast. She has lived in the area forever and knows her shit. She recommended this place. Firstly, it's fucking adorable inside. Secondly, their menu has something for pretty much anyone. I was intrigued by the yerba mate latte which I always feel compelled to order when I see it because it is so rare. It was delicious. If you like tea and lattes, you can't go wrong here. Both my friend and I decided on the vegan egg and cheese with ciabatta, just egg, vegan cheese, tomato, and greens. We both elected to add the optional vegan sausage. The sandwich was hearty AF. The only criticism I have is that spring mix did not hold up to the heat of the rest of the ingredients and becomes super wilty and looks like it's been forgotten in the back of the fridge. I took mine out but after that, sandwich was great. The breakfast potatoes that come on the side were even better. They were crispy and so flavorful and yummy. Great spot. Great drinks. I love the veggie options. Different kind of lettuce and that sandwich would be on point. read more

Root & Press - vegan egg and cheese with sausage and breakfast potatoes - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Stopped here for food on our drive from NJ to Maine and I'm glad we did! It's a cute store with a good amount of seating, organized shelves of books, and a pretty wide variety of cafe fare. They have a designated vegan menu (for lunch and breakfast) but as a pescatarian I was a little disappointed they didn't have a tuna melt of some kind. My friends enjoyed their turkey paninis, and all of our sandwiches came with fries (though you can make substitutions). Prices were a little high ($12 for a grilled cheese) but not too bad. Service was fast. If I were local, I could see myself coming here frequently to study and catch up with friends. read more

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This place is so cute! vibes 5/5! Attached to a bookstore, I saw a photo of this avocado melt online and I knew I had to try it. The avocado melt was really good imo. The bread was perfectly crispy and buttery. My friends said the breakfast burrito was average, along with the tea and black coffee. I ordered a banana bread chai, which would be good if you like coffee. It has espresso in it, which was kinda all I could taste until I got to the bottom. Once I got to the foam at the bottom, it really tasted like banana bread. read more

Root & Press - Avocado Melt and breakfast burrito - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

EVERYONE-- VEGANS AND OTHERS ALIKE. COME HERE AND ORDER THE MAC AND CHEESE. Location: So sorry, I am not a local but I did feel it was an easy place to find. My one gripe is the parking situation was awful. Inside, the spot is quite cute. Ideally for a small group of friends or to meet up with someone to catch up. There are high tops for two on the book side of the restaurant. Food: order at the counter! They'll bring it out to your table. The staff are so kind and always willing to give a solicited recommendation. Obviously, everything is vegan friendly, but there are plenty of meat options as well. Good for a group with different diets! Overall, great time and dream of the mac and cheese often. read more

I just realized I haven't reviewed Root & Press since they moved! The old location was cozy and charming, but often hard to find a seat or browse without being in peoples' way. This new spot is fantastic. They have so much more room for books and gifts, and special recommendations and fun collections. There's much more seating, whether you want the big tables up front or the comfortable dim lighting in the back. What hasn't changed is that R&P only has wonderful people working there, making some of the best damn food and drinks around. There are plenty of good "everyday" places for breakfast and lunch, but Root & Press is hardly an average, everyday place - coming here always feels like it's a special occasion. read more

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What a gem!!! Went here for the first time today and from the moment I walked in, it was a phenomenal experience. "Take your time." - when do you ever here that when you walk in somewhere and you are staring at the menu?? Such friendly staff - all of them!!! The food - don't even get me started! DELICIOUS. REAL turkey breast - and the fries... you need to go for just those. I loved everything about this place - the cool bookstore coffee place meets local lunch hangout. It's a whole vibe and I'm all in for it! read more

TLDR: come here but not on weekends at noontime. We love this place, especially since they have both vegan and non-vegan options and they're actually good. Everyone is very friendly too. But every time we come here around noon on a weekend, it's super busy and they have about 2 to 3 booths taken by customers who are hanging around working on their laptop or chatting away. And the staff can't really help because they can't throw them out even if they just ordered a drink. Today, there was one person in a booth working on his laptop and has finished his drink so I politely asked if he will be done soon and he said he's not leaving for a few hours. 2 women took a booth but only ordered drinks and working on something. Then another booth is taken by 2 women chatting away. Eventually, you'll get a seat because there's still decent people who has awareness that people are waiting for seats. I wish the restaurant can have a rule like other restaurants, that customers have to order something beyond a drink and can only stay for x amount of time during busy hours . This is a very common rule in restaurants but I realize that this is a small business and they might be sensitive about having unhappy customers. read more

Love this place so much that I will be making a special trip to return, despite living 1.5 hours away RT. Books and coffee house combo is a recipe for bliss, so I was predisposed to like it. Their execution is flawless though. SO many delicious and creative menu items that I would come here just as a restaurant. I'm dairy free and they have a HUGE menu of vegan offerings. I was able to get a vegan sandwich with real meat-they flex like that! My spinach artichoke panini came with tomato soup. This is not the sad Campbell's throwaway stuff I grew up with that made me decline most tomato soup offerings thereafter. Their soup was amaaaaaaazing. And it's the perfect complement to the toasted goodness of the accompanying sandwich. This is the best tomato soup I've ever had in my life and I will for sure order it when I return. Super yummy pistachio mocha coffee-smooth! Friendly staff who were patient as I studied their menu like I was cramming for a high school pop test. I scored big with my selection, but I have a feeling I could have ordered almost anything here and loved it. Great independent music playing. I bought two books during my visit-cool, curated collection. read more

Root & Press - The BEST vegan tomato soup and yummy spinach artichoke panini....just overheard another patron ordering the same at the register. - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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We had a delicious breakfast/brunch here. They have many vegan options. It's small, just a handful of tables. Typical breakfast type options. I had a 'bowl', scrambled eggs with veggies, potatoes then baked with cheese. It was tasty! Partner had the BALT Salad. Fresh greens, chicken. Could have been better with a little cheese. Son had the general tsao's chicken. I'd say the least good of the three dishes. Fresh homemade lemonade was nice and tart--not too sweet! read more

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Went back to Root and Press, and once again, they did not disappoint! I tried the Vegan Chicken Deluxe with house fries this time, and my friend got the Farmhouse Burger with regular fries. Both meals were insanely delicious and the portions were generous. The food is always fresh, and the chef is such a sweetheart! Roots and Press continues to be a go-to spot for fantastic eats and good vibes. read more

Root & Press - Vegan Chicken Deluxe - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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Finally I found a vegan scramble made with Just Egg! I'm not even vegan, I'll totally order a side of sausage, but when you can't eat real eggs, this is a great breakfast option. And a great vibe. read more

Cute bookstore/coffee shop/restaurant. I love that there are several vegan options and that most of the food is plant based. I had a fun peaches and cream latte that was fun and delicious. All shakes are vegan and my kid devoured it. The macaroni, which is plant based was one of the best macaronies I have ever eaten. I had the chipotle chik'n sandwich which was not my favorite texture, but was okay. Staff was lovely and helpful. Cute outdoor space as well as a few indoor tables. read more

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Log cabin latte and scramble breakfast was perfect. Their breakfast potatoes don't even need ketchup. Yumm read more

Root & Press - Veggie scramble, potatoes, cranberry walnut toast. - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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Had the most delicious lunch here after a long day of traveling. The bookstore was adorable and the staff were so friendly. Impeccable service and chill vibes. Many people studying or working in the bookstore. Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options as well. Great spot! read more

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This is an excellent place where you can meet fascinating people. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food is consistently fresh with an original balance of spices. I have enjoyed the vegetarian teriyaki bowl with mock chicken and also the sweet potato and black bean burger. The banana and berry smoothie is delicious. The staff are friendly and helpful and took extra effort to assist me. Whenever I am visiting my brother I make sure to go out of my way to stop at this friendly cafe. read more

Root & Press - Veggie teriyaki bowl in background, sweet potato and black bean burger in foreground, and banana berry smoothie. - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

Hooray for vegan options.... and LOTS of them!! Totally impressed with their offerings and menu. I got the Vegan Barnyard Burger with home fries, and OMGosh the size, the flavors, the melt in your mouth goodness, the crispness of the home fries. ‍ The portion of home fries was so big I couldn't finish now, but will certainly be eating them later on our road trip. My daughter enjoyed the Avocado Melt a lot. The bread was grilled perfectly toasted and nice and crunchy. Great spot to stop into if you're in the area, for sure! read more

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Some of the best vegan options in town, and for Worcester, that says something. Great breakfast and lunch options, friendly service, and a great bookstore to browse while your food is being prepped. You gotta check out their special date night menus (Valentine's, New Year's Eve) as well -- awesome portions and delicious fare (see pic). This review/post was made in connection with a Toast promotion. read more

Root & Press - Vegan Chicken Piccata from the special NYE menu - Cafes Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

I never would have suspected what I would receive inside from driving by! It's a very cute bookstore with outstanding food and drinks! I went Memorial Day weekend, right at lunchtime and it was a bit busier than I would've liked, but they take orders fast and the turnaround was very reasonable! You grab a menu and order at the counter, put a number on your table, and your food is delivered to you. So first time in, grab a menu and stand in line deciding what you want and perhaps have your friend/partner go find a table! Lots of options for everyone from meat lovers to vegans. The menu is creative. Portions are great and everything served looked very appealing. For me, when my plate was served, I felt that, "ooo I feel pampered", feeling! Our table ordered a cheesesteak melt, a turkey Panini press, and a breakfast porketta stacker sandwich. Everyone loved their meals ! If they had a slightly bigger place, waitresses, and the air-conditioning had been on, there would be nothing to improve on! All in all, it was a perfect little gem! read more

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