I was on a hunt to find some chili cheese fries and read somewhere that Roots had some good ones so I decided to give them a chance. I walked in and ordered easily enough but didn't realize it would be an hour before I received my food. 30 minutes in I started walking around with my little buzzer in hand and started calling people on my phone. Finally as I went back to check, the buzzer went off and my food was ready! I forgot to grab a fork but was already out eating in the quad, hungry after working. I love the fact that they use sweet potato fries and for vegan fries, I don't think it was bad but what disappointed me were the beans. No flavor, just bean. And it got messy since i didn't have a fork but that's on me so I highly recommend you ask for one! read more

Roots - Chili cheese fries - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

This is the new vegan/ vegetarian eatery on campus at UCSD. On opening day, there must have been at least 30 people lined up, out the door, waiting to try this place. The food does not disappoint. I am a carnivore for life, but I can appreciate this place because of the simple, robust flavors. The meals are light, colorful and fresh. For $6-8 entrees, I'd say this place is worth visiting. Meals are made to order and the dining area is contemporary, comfortable and casual. Hydration station is also a perk - way to save mother earth and reduce plastic water bottle waste! read more

It's great that UCSD offers a fully vegan dining hall, but it falls flat in some ways. Great way to mix it up if you have dining dollars! Also a good place to study. The Root of All Evil (chicken sandwich) is pretty good. I really like addition of the pickled onions. The Root Burger is cut into strips, which makes it hard to eat. I enjoy the flavors of the burger, but it's a bit greasy and the patty is tough. The raspberry limeade chia drink was very tasty! The green sauce that comes with the fish tacos is yummy, but the taco itself is just okay. You can get the same tacos from 64 Degrees for cheaper and more toppings. I had the Jerk and it was almost inedible. My friend had the zucchini noodles and wouldn't recommend that either. read more

Another specialty dining place on campus! I'm not sure why our school makes a huge deal about being the best Vegan restaurant when the competition probably isn't very big on other campuses. Nonetheless, it's still nice to know our school is recognizing different eating habits! I've ordered: -Sunflower Fields: probably my go to dish here! $6 for a huge plate of salad that has artichoke in it! I'm always super full after this dish. -sweet potato fries: YUM! Sometimes it's a hit or miss because it might be burnt or too salty, but their dipping sauce for it (the white one especially!) is so yummy! -Kendra lama: a noodle dish! It was semi filling, but just looks presentable. It has a big piece of coconut in it that is somewhat edible? Flavor was okay- it was the five spices that most Asian dishes have. -chop chop river: this was a disappointment and not filling at all. Literally half a stock of romaine lettuce sprinkled with some fried tofu pieces and onions. Tasty, but not filling. -spicy Sierra: this was yummy! Imitation chicken drenched in BBQ sauce. It's like taco Tuesday but available everyday! -roots vegan chili: you can either get a coup or a bowl. It's pretty good! You can add green onions and tofu cream to it. -fruit tart: VEGAN DESSERT? yay! It's not bad at all! Tastes almost like a regular tart! Pros: -good service! They are nice and helpful. Smiles! -good variety! I'm surprised there is such a big bulletin of different options. -decent prices! For a specialty place, the price is great for the quality and quantity. -nice environment! Good place to study if you have no where to go! Cons: -inconsistent portions: sometimes I've gotten a Sunflower Fields salad without the artichoke, when that is the main ingredient. Also, some people are skimpy on the ingredients. Tips/observations: -sometimes they have number plates and serve you, sometimes they call your name and you pick it up at the front. Overall, highly recommend this place! read more

Love the fact we have a restaurant dedicated to vegan food on campus. So kudos for that. But I do not care for the food here. Not sure if I've just had bad luck. Or I haven't tried the right things. But compared to all the amazing vegan options San Diego has (away from campus), Roots really disappointed me. The burger was way too heavy and mushroomy. And this is coming from someone who loves mushrooms. I feel like the dishes could use a lot more seasoning and better quality meat substitutes. Imo, this is the type of food that makes non-vegans think vegan food is boring. On top of that, I feel like it's a little overpriced. No sides come with the sandwiches/burgers. I might try this place again to see if I like the other items better. But so far, I'd much rather cook at home or go off campus for some good vegan food. read more

I'm glad UCSD caters towards our fellow vegetarian and vegan food eaters but I was expecting better because the food looks really good but the taste is just meh. We ordered the Curry Down the River. It looked very colorful but the flavor was bland and I feel like I could make it better at home. We also ordered the Sweet Potato Fries which were very tasty and I would definitely come here if I'm ever craving them! I like that Roots is a more healthier option on campus (depending on what you get obviously) and I'd probably eat here again if I'm forced to eat something on campus. I feel like it's a better option than most of the eateries in Price Center, but it's still just average dining hall food. read more

Roots - Curry Down The River & Sweet Potato Fries - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

This is a meat lover's review of a vegan cafe. So overall for a soft opening, I thought this place was pretty good. The menu has some good variety in salads and entrees that sounded good to a carnivore. But to be honest I do try to eat a little better than the average meat eater so this place is a nice addition to my campus food repertoire. As I explained it to my non-vegan friends, I would totally eat here after a weekend bender of unhealthy food just to feel better about myself! So if you are in to this kind of place, give Roots a try! read more

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Tried something new and went down to Roots. It's definitely a unique eatery to have on a college campus - vegan food/drinks - that are both hit and miss. I've sampled food from Roots at various campus events; from what I've tasted so far I enjoyed the chicken pesto sandwich, though the "chicken" patty might still have a weird texture for those expecting it to both taste and feel like eating chicken meat. I also liked the fish less fish taco. I'm not sure what type of burger I tried, but the patty felt too dry for my tastes. Today I actually sat down at the restaurant. It has really cool decor, if feels as sustainable as the food they serve. We tried the soup of the day which was portobello mushroom. I suggest sampling the soup before ordering; in terms of mushroom taste if wasn't the most flavorful, but it also had some interesting spices that didn't make it feel like a mushroom soup. It's hard to describe, but I would not order again. I also tried the hetch hetchy - potato gnocchi, spinach, and edamame in a red sauce. It was a decent pasta. Gnocchi was tiny and you don't get too many but you could really taste the flavor of the potato come through with every bite into one. Good portion size overall for $6, I was full. Overall, cool place. Food is solid depending on what you're looking for and I really appreciate what they're doing. I'm open to trying more dishes and will try the drinks next time, since I've heard good things about them. If I had the dining dollars to spare (I'm a staff now) I'd definitely be spending them here, trying every item on the menu. For real money, I'll likely go elsewhere and wait to get my fill of their food at campus events. read more

Roots - Hetch hetchy - potato gnocchi, edamame, spinach in a red sauce. - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I love everything about this place! It's not just good for a vegan place, it's just good! The staff here was always amazing, super innovative, and had high standards for what left their open kitchen. When I was at UCSD, I always got the Valley View salad, the rotating soup, chop chop river (requested the lettuce chopped as well), and the Pacheco pass. Their desserts were amazing also, so if you have money (or dining dollars) to spend, go for it! read more

I was on a schedule, and asked what could be prepared quickly. The woman at the register made a recommendation and it happened faster than I have ever seen during lunch rush. Thank you! read more

Roots - Chocolate Torte is awesome! - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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PROS: Vegan/vegetarian food, good portions, light yet filling, good place to lounge and eat between classes. CONS: Sometimes bland, no table service. Would recommend to those with restricted diets or looking for a meal that will not induce food coma. ----- I personally prefer the Food Co-op in the old student center in Muir College for vegetarian food, but if someone is looking for variety, this place has more options. Roots also has chia drinks and smoothies that are rather refreshing as well. I have had the Kendra Lama and the T-Meadows, both of which were good for campus food standards, but on the blander side. The Kendra Lama is my go-to when I come here because I love noodle dishes. The T-Meadows is also on the mushy side and somewhat resembles ratatouille, so I would stay away unless you have had dental work that restricts your chewing abilities. As for the ambiance, it is the kind of space where you could get some studying done in-between classes, but there is no table service so if you are uneasy about leaving your laptop alone, be aware that you order and pick up when your order is called. read more

Roots - T-something Meadows - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

For the last few weeks, me and a friend have been working our way through the menu and everything we've tried has been delicious. My personal favorites have been the Hetch Hetchy (a potato gnocchi in a tomato based soup) and The Root of All Evil (a vegan chicken burger with an amazing pesto sauce). Their servings always look like they're on the smaller side but I always end up full and happy when I'm done eating. It's affordable and delicious and healthy! read more

Located in Muir College at UCSD, a real gem! Flavorful vegan food you can feel good about eating. My favorite is the Valley View salad and today, i tried their soup of the day, curried vegetable. Very good. read more

Roots - Valley view salad, no onion. Soup of the day, curried vegetable. Hit the spot! - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Time to review this similar-to-Veggie-Grill type of dining hall! If you like Veggie Grill, you won't be disappointed with this. I mean, it's pretty decent for a dining hall. And it's actually pretty craveable. I've tried a lot of different things on the menu, but my favorites are: - Spicy Sierra: chopped vegan "chicken" in Root BBQ sauce, with chipotle soy creme, caramelized onion, tomato, and napa cabbage slaw wrapped in crisp romaine leaves. It's as if you're eating chicken nuggets, although not the real chicken and instead of the fried crispiness, it's lettuce crispiness. I don't know, maybe it doesn't sound as good as chicken nuggets, it tastes pretty good to me! The faux chicken is super soft and tender to bite into. Absolutely delicious! Recommend this. - The Root: vegan burger and portobello mushroom with grilled onions, soy cheese, tomato, and napa cabbage slaw with avocado served on a grilled roll. The portobello mushroom is so delicious. I love portobello. It's like meat, but isn't :) it's a super juicy and healthier version of a burger. The soy cheese? Amazing. Didn't think that some sort of fake cheese could pull this off. Oh my god, and the grilled onions just hit the spot. Onions are already good, but damn, when they're grilled? Can't get any better. I always crave this burger. - Sweet Potato Fries: if you're looking for a light snack, but feel guilty about getting actual fries, sweet potato fries are the way to go. One complaint, I feel like this is too salty. I always try to wipe off the bits of salt, but that's just me. Most people like their fries salty. The sweet potatoes are just amazing, and the crispiness is perfect. The other items on the menu, like Pacheco Pass and Sweet Passage are pretty good too, but nothing I would crave. The ones I listed though? I will definitely come back to :) read more

Words cannot describe my love affair with the Roots dining hall. I literally order the Root of All Evil and the daily chiller every single day for lunch. Crazy, I know, but it is oh so good!! I recommend The Root, Pacheco Pass, and the Root of All Evil here, these are my favorites and you really can't go very wrong with them. It makes it "feel" healthy while eating something hearty, so when cravings hit this is the perfect place to be. The workers behind the counter are super attentive to what they are doing, and it just makes the experience so much better! read more

Only acceptable vegan food, but nothing super amazing. Double check the ingredients if you are allergic to nuts. :/ read more

Calling all UCSD foodies! Roots is awesome, go give it a try. This new campus restaurant serves great flavors for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters alike. Meals are made-to-order and the atmosphere is very casual. Although portions are small with plates running about $6-8, it is a campus eatery worth visting. (I usually leave with a happy tummy, so hopefully you will too!) Here's a list of some of my favorites-- - The Root of All Evil: A grilled "chicken" sandwich, one of my go-to's - Hetch Hetchy: Warm gnocchi topped with veggies - Chop Chop River: Grilled romaine salad garnished with tofu and soy beans, an all-time fave when I want something light Whether you're looking for something different or if you want to grab lunch with a friend, I highly recommend Roots. It's officially one of my favorite food places on campus! read more

Rating based on 5 stars, 5 highest. 3 neutral. 1 terrible El Capitan: Tasty 4.3 stars Pacific Crest: Falafal (more like a tasty hummus) with pickled veggies and tzatziki. Would get again. Surprisingly tasty. 4.2 stars Root of All Evil. Tasty. 4 stars Spicy Sierra/BBQ Lettuce Wrap: This was basically a salad with not enough sauce. 3.9 stars Kendra Lama: Looks super tasty. Unfortunately, tastes super bland. Fresh veggies, coconut, spices, tofu, rice noodles, sooo promising... Would not get again. Unsatisfying, but edible. 3 stars Tres Leches Cake: 4 stars. Tasty Chocolate Tart: 2 Stars. Weird flavor, salty, bitter. Almost yucky, kind of confusing. Not quite a 1 because it was edible. Expensive. I would eat it, complain free, if it were free. Fruit Tart: (coconut cream, fruit topping, graham crust). Yum. Fun. 4 stars Chocolate Dipped Strawberry, w/nuts: Tasty. Chocolate is a little bitter for me. The strawberries were sweet. I'd buy it if I had a hankering for Choco-Dipped Strawberries. 3.7 stars. Chocolate Dipped Strawberry with a cookie and nut crumble. Very tasty. Texture of the crumbles are super light, chocolate tasty. Would definitely get again. 4.3 stars Vanilla Cheesecake. Topped with strawberries, and maybe caramel. Tasty. Texture seems like crumbly tofu... 4 stars Chocolate and Coconut Dipped Strawberry. Very tasty. Would get again.4.1 stars Chocolate Pudding (Avocado Base): Not bad. A bit chalky. 3.7 stars Allergen Rating: Good. Never had a problem read more

I basically ate, slept, and lived at Roots while living on campus. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night remembering the sweet potato chili cheese fries, or the moist-ass green brownie (yeah I said moist). It's hard to go wrong here, but be sure to get the El Capitan( a cheesy sausage sandwich), the Three Rivers (3 vegan fish tacos), or the Valley View (a ginger-marinated tofu and spinach salad). Ronald, if you're reading this thanks for always giving me the biggest dessert pieces. read more

This place is hit or miss in terms of entrees. Chia seed chillers and sweet potato fries are usually good. The root and root of all evil are good. I also like the valley view salad, el capitan, and spicy sierra as well. Kendra lama is bland. Pacheco pass is full of flavor, but average and a bit spicy. Service is good. read more

Roots - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

Tried the Root and Spicy Sierra--the entire restaurant is vegan/vegetarian, and it's a new experience for me eating substitute/soy meat, but it's a really healthy alternative to a lot of the fattening campus food. read more

What an awesome restaurant to have on campus. It certainly is a little hard to find since it is tucked away underneath one of the six college's main dining halls, but it is worth the journey--especially if you want to use Triton Cash to get 10% off of your purchase! That being said, it is close to some integral buildings (APM, Pines, etc.) so you might be able to kill two birds with one stone by heading this way. I ordered a Sunflower Fields salad and was very surprised at the large plate of food that I got in return for $6. The service was quick and friendly, though that might have been the case because I dined during an off-hour. Everyone behind the counter seemed to be having a good time, which is always a good sign for any eating establishment. The Front of the House looked pretty darn nice. The furnishings were modern and everything looked clean. Tables are set with salt and pepper, but napkins must be picked up by the utensils--perhaps as a way to deter waste. In any case, the place looks trendy and worth eating at. The tables are big enough for four, so definitely bring your friends and get them to try something out of the ordinary. In fact, bring them and watch everyone bob their head to the music as they eat their vegan meal. Four stars for the unique selection of food, ambiance, and service. I'd love to give the last star, but the location and slightly-high prices ($4 for a smoothie? I'll just have water, thanks) keep this at a respectable 4-star place. read more

LOVE Roots- I think this is hands down, one of the best dining dollar places on the UCSD campus. Why? The servers at the counter are super attentive to any special requests you want to make for your dish and make your food truly delicious. The food is really not bad either: my advice, as mentioned in the tips, is to really stick with the item choices under the 'Slab'. Those items usually are the amazing burgers and sandwiches, which could be served on rice instead of on a bun! My personal favorite to get because of the cheaper price and equally delicious taste is the Roots Burger with rice and extra slaw. Runner up to that would HAVE to be El Capitan because it just tastes so dang good with the sundried tomatoes. If you feel like a side, get the sweet potato fries! Super sweet and super yummy- though the portion is a bit too generous for me (better to share with friends!). If you want something really good to drink: get the Cooler special listed in front of the register. They never do bad with the flavor combinations listed there- trust me! If in the end, you still want dessert and you have enough dining dollars/money to spare, get that amazing Soy Cake! Its only served on a weekly basis, so its something to really come back to Roots for. read more

Roots - The root on rice with sweet potato fries and ketchup! - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

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Finally a place on campus that offers healthy food at a reasonable price! Usually these vegetarian/vegan restaurants are too trendy and pricey for the typical person, yet Roots is reasonably priced with a mellow atmosphere. I work at UCSD and am glad to have a place that offers a plethora of organic dishes with lots of veggies. This place is great for all the vegetarian students on campus as well as for the meat-eater who needs a break from the burgers. The restaurant is decorated simply with green and white colors and a bright, welcoming atmosphere. I like that you just order at the cash register and then wait for your food to be ready. Also, the kitchen is open so you can see exactly who is touching your food and how it is being prepared. I tried the sweet potato fries which are my guilty pleasure and they were superb. I also got the polenta with vegetables and was quite pleased with my selection although i wish they listed exactly what veggies it came with as there was portebello mushroom on it and I hate mushrooms! yuck! but I was luckily able to eat around it. Overall, I look forward to dining here again in the near future. i read on the online menu that they will be offering spinach and kale smoothies so I am very excited!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Great staff and study environment! And for college students who want a break from disgusting dining hall food, this is a great place to spend your UCSD dining dollars. That being said, the food is not so great. It's good but not great. The main flavoring is salt and though it's fresh, a lot of their meals are not really that healthy because you're consuming 5x your daily sodium intake in one sitting. My one recommendation would be their vegan bars and their smoothies. However that combo costs you $10 (dining dollars) which is more than your budgeted amount... So like me, you'll probably run out of dining dollars well before the rest students. Give it a try though! You might find you like some of their meals. read more

This place has really gone downhill. I worked here as a cook during my undergrad. The original chef that created the menu for the grand opening of this restaurant was still around. The food was flavorful and the menu was diverse. I decided to come back after a few years and ordered the enchilada stack (formerly known as Pacheco Pass) and was gravely disappointed. The only thing that had flavor was the avocado, which was partly brown. This is one of the few items left from the original menu so the recipe should have remained the same. It did not taste like it used to. It was mushy and bland. There seems to be less people coming to the restaurant as well, probably because of the declining quality. read more

Flavors are decent! But The cashier was a vegan elitist... Come on man I was just checking the place out. I received food poisoning from one of the aiolis... Would not return!! Even if I had dining dollars. read more

I have to say, I was expecting better. I was expecting food that was way above that of the quality of dining hall food but it was a tad bit better, if not the same. When I came here during finals week, I ordered the hetchy hetch and sweet potato fries. The hetchy hetch was really good- even though the serving was small and the broth tasted a bit like the tomato sauce in chef boyardee, it was still good with the edamame and gnocchi. Sadly, my fries were served cold. I'm sure they would have tasted a lot better if they were actually warm. If you have dining dollars. it would probably be a bit more worth it because they seem more disposable but because I live off campus, I'll probably stick to PC as a place to use my real money. read more

Everything here is vegan, from the food to the desserts to the chia chillers, and so so so good! Just go.

Yummy food and nice setting! I love the Root burger and El Capitan burger. I can't wait to try the rest of their menu! read more

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This is a cool place to be able to say your campus has. I'm not vegetarian but I would imagine being vegetarian on a school campus is hard and not fun. This place makes it more interesting and yummy. I've only eaten here once in my two years on campus and I'm bummed I didn't come here more often to try different things. The employees are all friendly and helped me out for a solid 5 minutes while I was kind of backing up the line but they wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting and I appreciate that. read more

Roots - Forget the name :/ it's kinda like a meatless taco, full of flavor though! - Vegetarian Near Me - La Jolla, California

My go-to place on campus. The food has quality, very reasonable prices. Service is awesome! Place is always nice and clean. Everyone who eats here are generally respectful and chill. Kamma Lama (the one with the curry and coconut) is not my favorite. Favorites : sweet potato fries & vegan chocolate pudding !! Healthy smoothies are cool. Really really really happy that it exists!!! read more

A hidden gem on our campus, this place is filled with unique menu options for all foodies...especially our Vegan and Vegetarian eaters. I thought the dish I had was an excellent mix of heat and flavor. Try the pacheco pass which has great flavor with spices and a bit of heat. The avocado is a perfect supporting actor for this dish. I also go the chocolate cupcake which was ok...nothing to go back for...but the rest of the food would definitely be worth another trip. And if they have the chiller...get it! What a refreshing drink! Not too far from my office, this is definitely a place I would come back and eat at again and again! read more

Great study spot with clean tables and chairs and electric plugs along some of the walls :) food wise, i used to come here when i was a second year and living on campus with dining dollars. maybe my review is out of date, but i remember when i was coming here the food was obscenely expensive and wasn't very flavorful. i only recommend the sweet potato fries, and their tofu enchiladas which were served during cinco de mayo and absolutely amazing. on the flip side, never order tofu enchiladas at the other dining halls because they are disgusting. lolol read more

This place is FANTASTIC!!!!! If you are a vegan, non-vegan, meat lover, or in general food lover, check this place out :) Pesto spread is wonderful, and tofu is a great consistency and the pudding is KILLER :) If you are on the UCSD campus, or live anywhere in the area, check this place out! Well worth it for some healthy alternative food read more

Roots is one of my favorite places to eat on campus. It is a vegetarian restaurant that serves pretty good "fish" tacos. Their homemade brownies also spot on. read more

I personally love the breakfast plate: 2 juicy vegan sausages, vegan scrambled eggs, mushroom & potato rice, and a piece of naan.

Delicious food, great service and actually not overly expensive- what a great addition to ucsd! Had the Spicy Sierra and sweet potato fries and both were fantastic. So much of the menu looked great so I look forward to trying it all! Definitely appreciate having some good healthy and vegetarian options. read more

good food for being on campus. I am neither a vegan nor a vegetarian, but I really liked the root of all evil. Obviously that's all I've tried, but it was tasty. The fake chicken doesn't taste like real chicken, so don't expect that, but if you except chicken texture with more of a tofu type taste (which I like, especially when its a good texture) you'll be happy. The pesto spread is good, so is the salad type stuff on the side. Its not super cheap, but its much better than the other on campus options. read more

I find it quite interesting that a college campus has a restaurant dedicated to vegan foods, and as someone who may go to UCSD, I really wanted to try it. While the prices in my opinion are reasonable enough compared to other vegan places, I will say that the food leaves a lot to be desired. I got the veggie spaghetti with vegan meatballs, and the meatballs has a weird texture and didn't taste like much. My boyfriend got a chicken sandwich, and the chicken had no seasoning whatsoever. Like I said, great idea, but bad execution. read more