Innovative food at a reasonable price. The waitstaff was attentive and knowledgeable about the various items on the menu. Upscale but casual atmosphere. We were not that hungry so went with a number of small plate options: a pear and blue cheese flatbread, an order of amazing roasted brussel sprouts and a handheld Korean style BBQ Pork Banh Mi sandwich. Lots of other items on the menu we wish we could have tasted. Great place to go and share dishes. read more

Roots95 - Korean BBQ Pork Banh Mi sandwich. Amazingly good. - New American Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

See all

I ate there today with a friend, and our server was excellent and I want to make sure she knows that. However, the music is very, very loud, it is hard to converse because of it. I had asked her twice if they could turn the music down, which she did ask the guy behind the bar, I don't know if he was a bartender or a cook, but I heard him say what do they want, I've turned it down four times. Well, yes, I did overhear that I was sitting very clause to the bar. It was very rude of him, and I had been very kind and requested that the music be turned down some. The food was pretty good, I had the fig and creamy goat cheese flatbread. Overall, it might be a very good place for other people, rudeness is not acceptable. read more

4.6* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4* Service: 4* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $42 08/01/2025 We have stopped here at least one other time but for some reason, I don't have a review documented...so getting it done this time. While a bit of a hidden gem off of 86th Street, the building is modern, chic and inviting - with a large covered patio area connected to the north side of the building. The one negative is that the temperature is kept very cold inside, so consider bringing a sweater or light jacket to stay comfortable. Unfortunately, tonight was a bit cold outside, so it was a coinflip on which was better - we opted for the patio seating and the wind settled down during our visit to get quite comfortable. We started with a Cuban Martini and Sojito (see picture) along with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp (see picture) for an appetizer. We enjoyed the drinks and the Bang Bang Shrimp with the drizzled Yum Yum-type sauce was delicious! For our main courses, my wife ordered the Thai Pasta (see picture) and I opted for the Fig, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad (see picture). As is our custom, we both shared bites from each of our plates and liked both of them very much - although the Thai Pasta definitely had a bit more 'kick'. We ordered the Tres Leches for dessert (remembering it from our last visit), but unfortunately found that they were sold out, so had to leave without dessert. If you are looking for a modern, unique, Asian fusion type restaurant in the Johnston area, Roots 95 won't disappoint. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com read more

See all

This is an updated review based on my last two orders. About two weeks ago, the fish tacos were tiny, with very little actual fish, mostly heavy batter, and tasted more of residual frying oil than anything fresh. I had hoped that experience was an isolated miss, but tonight, the red snapper was small, overcooked, and dry, and the accompanying sauce tasted noticeably sharper than it has in the past, which further overwhelmed the dish rather than complementing it. The Chicken Romano is consistently well done, but the seafood preparations have now been substandard on two consecutive occasions. The kitchen's approach to fish would benefit from greater attention to freshness, texture, and balance of flavor. read more

In one word, Wonderful! A must try! The moment we walked in we were treated with kindness and a friendly smile. We chose to sit inside instead of on the patio. The atmosphere and decorations were elegant. Who doesn't like a cloth napkin. I ordered the Thai noodles which came with shrimp. It was fantastic! Another in our group ordered the sirloin and it was done exactly to her liking and tasted very good. Parts of the asparagus was a little woody. Another person ordered a salad with chicken and they were also pleased with their selection. The portions were good sized, and everyone left content. I cannot speak for the drinks but there were several specialty drinks that sounded amazing. Not a place for large groups but for a date night or to try something special and different this is your place. The menu was not too large but it looked like what they do they do well. I am anxious to come back to try other dishes, you should be too. read more

See all

Roots 95 Craft Kitchen & Bar... Another great addition to the Flame group by Arturo Mora! I had the pleasure of joining ten great friends for a meal at Roots 95 last night. Wednesdays are Wine Down Wednesdays with half price bottles! I'm not a stranger to Arturo's ventures and I don't think I've ever been disappointed at one of his restaurants. At Roots 95 the host stand is right by the door as you walk in. The seating is comfortable. The bar and kitchen are towards the rear of the space. The decor contrasts in lights and darks. Roots 95 while still casual has a slightly more formal feel than other Flame properties in my opinion. The meal started with drinks. I was the boring one...an unsweetened ice tea. Others enjoyed wine, cocktails, and even a mocktail. Ella was our server and she did a fantastic job while managing our party and the multiple other tables she was working on the floor. I believe there were only two servers on staff even with it being moderately busy for a Wednesday evening. Multiple appetizers were ordered for the table and passed from end to end. My contribution was an order of the bao bun birria. We also had the spinach dip, bang bang shrimp, and the Korean BBQ pork flatbread. All of the appetizers were wonderful! If you like spinach dip don't pass this one up! It does pack a little heat.... For my entree I went with the shrimp po'boy. Before deciding what I wanted I was lucky enough to see one of these go by on a server's tray. It went from an "I think I want..." to an "I need that in my life!"... Lol Piled high with breaded shrimp to where it looks like the top bun is just floating above the sandwich. Fresh and hot seasoned fried on the side. Other entrees served at the table included the Swiss burger, a ribeye (medium-rare), a Caesar salad, the ahi tuna, chicken romano, coconut shrimp curry, a mushroom medley flatbread, and the linguini Thai pasta... There may be others that I am possibly forgetting (or some I have misidentified)... I was offered bites of the ribeye and the coconut shrimp curry. Both were excellent! In fact... I get to add "life saver" to my resume now! One of our group had ordered the shrimp curry which came with a mango salsa. They're allergic to mangos and didn't have their epi-pen. I took one for the team and disposed of that salsa and a piece of shrimp along with it for them! I know I know... Not all heroes wear capes! Lol One of our party had also ordered several items to go and while I can't say how they tasted they looked great even in a to go presentation. The chicken dumplings, Korean short ribs, and the spicy tuna tostadas... Was our visit perfect? No. Were there a couple of bumps? Yes. A stray beef bone fragment from somewhere. A dropped salad. But in the big picture nothing that couldn't be easily forgiven... Arturo typically offers consistently great food at a great price point. Roots 95 is no exception. Everything is in the $12 - $25ish range. If you have to stick to a budget you can do a $15 sandwich and fries and a water. If you want steak and drinks...you can definitely spend more. But whether it's at the lower end of the price scale...or at the top...the food is good. Ella mentioned he is still tweaking the menu constantly. So don't be too surprised if the menu, when you arrive, varies slightly from what you have seen posted on Yelp, Facebook, or their online menu. Good food. Great company. It doesn't get much better than that! https://roots95dsm.com/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554483704859 read more

See all

Great menu, great service, delicious food. We had the ribeye, the scallops, and the ahi tuna. Outstanding. We will definitely be back.

The Food was terrible, do not order the Chicken Alfredo. The chicken is dryer than sand and the sauce is sour??!!!! Almost like it's ragu Chicken potstickers are okay but still really dry chicken in the middle with little to no seasoning on it. Caesar salad was the best part but only took 1 hour to get after ordering. Wouldn't recommend read more

This was good. I enjoyed the shrimp and chicken dishes. The limoncello cake was good and not overbearing. Service was great and food was well prepared. I am not giving it a 4 because it was good but not amazing. read more

Roots95 - New American Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Bad food dry chicken small portion of food took 30 minutes for the waiter to come she charged my kid for a adult meal when I said kid burger and small amount of fries just bad food don't ever go here might seem fancy but isn't read more

Stopped in this area for the evening and saw this on yelp and decided to give it a try. The restaurant is modern and very nice. It's a great environment to have dinner with family, friends, or a date. Our server was fantastic, walked us through the menu, explained happy hour and was quick. We ordered the Spinach dip, Wagyu burger, roots pie and kids chicken. Another person with us ordered bang bang shrimp and the fish tacos. I've attached all the pictures. The food was delicious-absolutely no complaints. If I'm ever back through this way again I would without a doubt eat here. read more

See all

Service was okay not bad. Perhaps the good reviews are for dinner. I wasn't impressed with lunch. Nothing tasted anything different than a basic thrown together ingredients. Some fries had Parmesan cheese sprinkled on it some fries dishes didn't. I was looking for more flavor or something unique on why I would come back here. If you just want to pay higher price for a nice place to enjoy a normal meal then here you go. read more

See all

This was my second visit and brought my family and didn't disappoint! They have a good variety of delicious food to try. We had fish tacos, steak, bao, and fig salad. They were all really good. Service was good and our overall experience was good. Would recommend! read more

Roots95 in Johnston was awesome! I was with an amazing group of foodies, which always helps! And with a larger group, we were able to try a whole array of different menu items. I will review the items that I specifically ordered or tried, but there were many others as well. Ribeye: ribeyes are something I see a lot on menus in Iowa, but it's not always done well. Sometimes I question if it's even a ribeye. This one was spectacular, no questions about the quality, and the broccolini was cooked perfectly: not mushy and not raw. Wasn't a huge fan of the mashed potatoes, they were a little gummy. Curry Shrimp: we all enjoyed this dish. Great flavor, curry isn't overpowering, unfortunately for me I'm allergic to mangoes and didn't notice them on the menu (my miss). Thanks to Dan Tjarks for saving my life there, he graciously ate the pile of mangoes, whereby saving my soul Mushroom Flatbread: it was good, I think next time I would order it with some arugula and crushed red pepper flakes. It was good but a little meh. Bang Bang Shrimp: we all LOVED this appetizer. Great flavor, sauce was spot on. Thai Pasta: hands-down, the best dish! We all loved this one. Bao Buns: I wasn't a huge fan of these, I've definitely had better bao buns; I didn't love the barbecue meat inside and thought the whole app was bland. I think they could do this app better with a pork belly meat and some more flavors, just my personal opinion. Spin Dip: we all loved this one, it has just a little kick to it, and was a great shareable item. TO GO: because ordering 3 meals to myself just wasn't enough, so I also got 3 items to go. Chicken Dumplings: these were really good, dipping sauce was great. Basically...chicken potstickers. Korean Short Ribs: like a kalbi appetizer and I thought this tasted good. It's missing some thing, I can't quite put my finger on it just yet. Tuna Tostadas: I really like these, fresh tuna steak on little tostadas, great flavor, and I would definitely order these again. The hot sauce we requested was more like a sweet paste. We didn't see any other spicy options, which would have been nice. It was an awesome dinner, and I know it's a new restaurant, but all of us are definitely excited to go back and try more menu items. I have no doubt this will be a successful establishment -- at Roots95. read more

See all

We made a reservation last minute and they squeezed us in. Super nice and very friendly all the staff. We started with the Korean spare rib appetizer and boy was it delicious. I didn't remember to take a picture until we had already dug in...I totally forgot to feel the phone first... Then we ordered the flatbread and the chicken Romano and both were very good! And the side salad with the house creamy parmesan dressing. Best dressing around! My dining companion actually ate it with no salad as they liked it so much. I would definitely be back! But I will not forget a reservation! All in all a really great experience! read more

See all

Yummm! We had such a great experience here. We went on a Saturday night without a reservation, and while we were lucky to find a spot at the bar, I would definitely recommend making a reservation if you want a table. That said, we truly enjoyed sitting at the bar -- the atmosphere was lively, and the staff was fantastic. The service we received was top-notch, even without a traditional table. The food was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend the fig and goat cheese flatbread -- it was a perfect balance of sweet and savory. We also shared the spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer; it was very good, though a little different from what we expected (in a good way!). For his entrée, my husband ordered the steak and mashed potatoes and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. Overall, it was a wonderful night out, and we can't wait to come back! read more

Cannot say enough about this quaint little place. We were underdressed (coming right from the softball field) but our waitess treated us like queens. Apps, main course and dessert all a big hit. Cold beer disnt hurt wither. read more

Attended the first wine dinner last night and was blown away by how great the pairings were. Attention to detail on every level. Great start to a hope to be monthly offering. All five courses were spectacular and cooked to perfection. Nice patio for cooler weather. Service was good. read more

See all

We've been to Roots 95 twice. Just as good the second time as it was the first time. Thai Pasta my go to choice.

The Red Snapper with mashed potatoes and asparagus was just outstanding (to die for). The Thai Shrimp pasta was amazingly delicious.

We went here for the first time last weekend - I feel like it was a little expensive for the atmosphere, more of a fast food feel than a high end restaurant. Service was very slow and prices were too high. Drinks were well over $14 each. read more

This was a new location to me.... A friend told me about it. I have now been there twice and looking forward to going back!! The chicken Carbonara is the best I've had... the service was outstanding!! Locally owned and a must try!! read more

Roots95 - Chicken Carbonara - New American Near Me - Johnston, Iowa

Amazing service and atmosphere! Great food and drinks. Definitely recommend sitting at the bar and chatting the with bartenders! They will take care of ya and entertain very well! read more

My colleague and I visited while we were traveling and this restaurant has an Interesting menu, tasty food, and excellent service.

Located off of 86th in a strip center, Roots 95 is quaint with muted decorations and attentive staff. I ordered the chicken Romano which was a breaded chicken cutlet on a bed of angel hair in a light cream sauce. I thought it was well done but lacked a little flavor and needed a touch of salt. My companion got a beef entree that was pretty good. Prices seemed reasonable. The wine list has some unusual offerings at decent prices. read more

Tucked into an out of the way, strip mall, next to a nail salon, is Roots 95, a craft kitchen that exceeded all expectations. We went in to find a lively clientele and an amiable atmosphere. . The wait staff was efficient and and friendly. I tried the Mango Shrimp tacos which were so good. The proportions were perfect and they had a little zip to the sauce without being over spiced. I also didn't leave feeling stuffed. My husband went for the cheeseburger and fries and his "that was really good" meant a lot coming from this hamburger connoisseur. We will definitely be back. Parking is a breeze, and I like having a neighborhood restaurant that is convenient to the Johnston area which isn't a chain. read more

Hidden Gem! We went with our friends tonight- everyone ordered something different so we could share. It was all delicious!!!! Kelly made great suggestions for us & very attentive. read more

See all

Wish they could figure out their service. If you're sitting inside and there are also diners outside, prepare to be forgotten. We were the only people sitting inside and we may as well have been invisible. Drinks were finally refilled by someone who was not our server after sitting empty and we finally waved someone else down. We got "how is everything?" when we were already done with our meals. The food is pretty good, but the service has been poor both times we've been there. read more

Being honest, this was a little overpriced for the entrées and portions. The food looks appetizing and decent environment and atmosphere. Could deal with a little bit more reasonable ability for pricing, especially during an economic inflation. Service was nice. read more

My husband and I agreed to make a conscious choice to dine this year at places we haven't yet tried. I bought a coin on Etsy to flip that says wife's choice on one side and husbands choice on the other. When deciding where to go for dinner we flip the coin and start perusing the list of new to us places. Tonight was my husbands choice. He did GOOD! Reservations were made at Roots95dsm! Indoor and outdoor seating, we chose indoors. Started with a few drinks, I had the special old fashioned (can't remember what it was called but had wonderful spices and a bruléed orange slice) and he had the Root95. Both were delicious. Appetizer chosen were the 3 birria bao buns, over the moon good! I could easily make a meal of them. We each ordered an entree, he did the carbonara and said it was very good, I ordered the Chicken Romano.......splendid! We shared a slice of limoncello cake with homemade whipped cream and a compote as well as edible gold foil atop. Sooooo yummy! Would definitely order all again. Service was wonderful and for a Saturday night they didn't appear super busy however the server told us Friday was a packed house so it's a good idea to make a reservation. Hope this gem stays around for a very long time. 2 drinks, appetizer to share, 2 entrees and dessert to share $100 before tip. Not bad at all in my opinion. read more

See all

Martinis were amazing bartender Nate gave great recommendation. Food was super good. Definitely recommend trying this place. Was a bit pricey but we'll worth every dollar. read more

Great food! Great service! Greeted immediately by hostess! Very prompt and paid attention to detail! Highly recommend!

Read they had a problem a month ago with the air. Called 2 days ago and said it was all fixed. We arrived for our reservation and it was super warm. We left before drinks were even ordered. I would be furious with the property manager!! read more

Staff are all amazing. Food is beautifully seasoned and fresh. Great candlelit dinner perfect for date night!

Arrived at the restaurant and got seated. My family and I sat at our table for 20 minutes and nobody came by to acknowledge us. Not even a water or to take our drinks. I was really disappointed because we live so close by and thought it'd be a great place. I'm not sure if we will return. The menu looked great but I was so upset that nobody came by at all. We just walked out and nobody even noticed. read more