Cafe Root Cellar

You MUST go here. We ordered the gluten free crab cakes and steak and they were truly unforgettable. Rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The crab cakes alone deserve a moment. Perfectly cooked and served on a vibrant bed of vegetables that made the whole dish feel thoughtful and elevated. Just wow. My kids, not gluten free, ordered the chicken tenders and burgers and devoured them. Even the fries, thick sliced and perfectly crisp, were a hit. Every single person at the table ate well, which is no small feat. The outdoor fire area is gorgeous and makes the whole experience feel warm and inviting. Beyond the food and atmosphere, what really sealed it for me is that they donate proceeds to community fridges. Incredible food and meaningful values. We will absolutely be back. I love this place. 10000000/10! Thank you for a wonderful meal, the warmth and the very sweet chai for my hubby.

Cafe Root Cellar deserves a WAY HIGHER rating!! You’ll find farm-to-fork seasonal dishes, each thoughtfully prepared, combined with friendly counter service, all in a welcoming, unpretentious environment. Chef Cuni is a wonderful member of Chatham’s community and does so much to support our local food systems. Some of the best food in Pittsboro and the Triangle, PERIOD!!

I haven’t been here in a long time and we were pleasantly surprised with delicious tasting food. The seafood clam chowder and crabcake salad was scrumptious. The fresh cut potato fries kept finding there way to my mouth. Highly recommended local eatery, local ingredients, and dude or dudette back in the kitchen knows what they are doing.

We just had a memorial buffet breakfast for my spouse at the Root Cellar in Pittsboro. About 45 people came to enjoy photos, videos, and a craft display... and some really delicious breakfast food. Susan, Sera and their staff were first rate from the moment I contacted them... communicative, punctual, informative, understanding, helpful with planning and implementing the set-up and menu, and I heard nothing but rave reviews from lots of folks about the food and the service. Everything was great, but the baked cinnamon French toast was extraordinary. The venue in Pittsboro had just the space and casual warmth we were looking for. Kudos to a thoroughly professional organization and team with just the right personal touch who helped us pull off a great breakfast full of memories and tasty food. I'll be back...

The food was delicious. We were a little confused about the ordering process. The line placement was unclear but the food and desserts made up for it.

Best Burger in Pittsboro? The burger tasted good but the service was bad. When I ordered I was asked to tip by the machine but I hadn't received the food yet. I was given a number on a stand when the transaction was complete and I confirmed they would bring the food out to me and pointed where I would be outside. I was told the food would be ready in 10-15min but after 25min there was still no food. I went inside and saw the person who took my order eating while socializing with about 3 other coworkers at the bar while my food sat in a bag on a shelf behind the counter getting cold. At that point I really wished I could change my tip value. The burger was initially unappealing with small amount of wilted greens but it did taste good. While picking up my food I noticed one of the employees at the bar was eating the same burger I ordered but discovered that their burger had a much thicker stack of greens than mine. So maybe this is the best burger in Pittsboro - if you "work" there.

I dined here for brunch yesterday with my boyfriend. I ordered the Sunday Sunrise. It normally comes with turkey sausage. Chef Sera was able to change that to vegan sausage for an up charge of $5.00. I wasn’t sure about doing this when ordering, but I am glad I did. When the server brought out my dish, I noticed the vegan sausage on the side. The server mentioned to me that the chef also put the vegan sausage in the biscuit itself. I thought the up charge was fair since she put the vegan sausage in the biscuit itself as well as one in the side. The food was amazing!! It was a gastronomic culinary delight!! The chef uses the freshest ingredients from local farms. All the flavors came together beautifully. Oh! It either comes with cheddar grits or the cheesy potato casserole…I opted for the potato casserole after speaking with the person I ordered with. That was definitely the right advice. It was super delish!! This dish is a must try when you come here. I gave some to my boyfriend to try and he really liked it and he eats meat. My boyfriend got the breakfast burrito which he enjoyed. My boyfriend and I sat at the outdoor patio. As I was coming out, my boyfriend said, “This is the chef’s mother.” It was so cool I got to meet her. I highly recommend this place.

Came for lunch, had a fresh southwestern salad with grilled chicken. (so big, ate ½ and brought the other ½ home) Love the choice of hard cider. The option of eating outdoors on the patio was nice too. Need to come back for a dessert next time - they looked very good.

Finally made it here for breakfast for the first time. We had salmon eggs benedict, the big biscuit breakfast sandwich with eggs, sausage and cheese and a side pancake. The benedict was great - perfect poached eggs and nice and dilly. The biscuit sandwich was ok - for the size of it, the two small pieces of sausage were definitely not enough and there were tons of scrambled eggs. The pancake was just ok - not as fluffy or light as I prefer. Was looking forward to the homemade pop tarts I have heard of, but there weren't any today. Will definitely come back some time for dinner.

See --I don't listen to people like Rudy M who obviously has an issue everywhere he goes (maybe there's a common denominator)? Check out his reviews. The food here is overall on point )I've had a couple of misses but the wins shadow that). The biggest take for me is what they do for the communities with their FredWell fridges. That's just so amazing that anyone would take the time to support people in need-so that's another reason I will support this place. What comes around goes around. Amazing work to all of you!!

Brunch is back in Pittsboro and it is as good as ever. We were so happy to be able to dine at root celler again and have special brunch meals created by Chef Sera. We loved what we ordered and will continue to come back again and again.

I mostly do catering for our in home events and I always get one for their party platters or casserole offerings. So yummy and so affordable. Everyone enjoys anything that comes from Cafe Root Cellar. They are only open 4 times a week for regular sit down meals but everytime we have gone in for a meal we have always enjoyed it.

Had brunch there Sunday. Food was excellent and so was service. Not very expensive and worth it. Their ham, egg and bacon is delicious and the size of your head! They are not open all the time so call ahead.

The hamburgers were really good. I had a gluten free bun, which was one of the best GF buns I've had. Nice and moist and soft, but it didn't fall apart! That was a winner. The "garlic fries" did not impress me. The were basic crinkle cut deep fried greasy crispy and dry, I could smell garlic but could not get enough salt to stick, so basically bland and dry. After I ate about half, I noticed some white crumble stuff and tasted it, it was raw garlic. So that was what I could smell as I was eating the bland unsalted fries. Honestly, next time I had a hankering for a burger and fries, I'll go to Culver's. The other items on the menu seemed too far out of my norm.

I enjoy coming here for a low key meal. The menu is interesting and changes so it always keeps it fresh and inviting. Food-wise, its different (in a very good way) to any other restaurant in the area. My only gripe is that I wish it had a wider range of hours and used bigger plates! :-) Note: it is counter service

We tried Root Cellar based on the reviews here, and their online menu, which looked very inviting. The menu isn't large, but we easily found more than one item that looked appealing. I got tofu tacos and my companion got goat-cheese flat bread. Both were well prepared with fresh ingredients. They have a small selection of beer and wine, as well as fountain drinks, and we both found something we liked. The service is cafe style: you order at the counter, and they bring you the food and drinks. You even have to bus your own table, a la Starbucks. I have to say that as a first timer I experienced some dissonance between the quality (and cost) of the food and the bare-bones service model, and would have given 4.5 stars if I could. Still, we know that restaurant owners are trying innovative ways to deal with the staffing shortages that are endemic to the industry and this was a good compromise. So, if you're looking for superior food quality, and don't need linen tablecloths and wait service, give Root Cellar a try. We'll be back for sure.

I ordered the smash burger. The burger was good. But I think $23 for a burger is overpriced. The french fries seemed like they were frozen and not great.

First rule of thumb for a restaurant is to perfect the dish before you put it on the menu. On our visit a few nights ago, the new menu was themed in honor of Chinese New Year. Disappointment soon followed. The spring roll salad (a spring roll minus the wrapper) was served with vastly undercooked rice noodles. The server explained that they were rice noodles and were to be served that way. Being well traveled, I tried to explain that, no, they aren't served that way and was told that the chef intended for them to be that way. When my wife explaining that the rice noodles simply could not be placed on a fork to eat, the server suggested the fried rolls. These had a traditional look, but doughy, and had a tasteless filling, served with an equally tasteless sauce. The dumplings, described as light pillows, were claggy, more dough than filling. The Kung Pao eggplant, served without a sauce, was oversalted, perhaps from too much soy sauce and overseasoned with chinese peppercorns. Neither I nor our friend ate more than a third of the dish. On a positive note, the ribs, miso salmon, and ramen lo mein dishes seemed to be a hit. In summary, except for the ribs, salmon, and ramen, the other dishes placed before us should never have left the kitchen, or for that matter, been placed on the menu.

Love going here on Friday nights to try new dishes and enjoy the peaceful patio. Lots of local produce and products there. Great burger and pork dishes and lots of vegetarian options. Love the Caesar salad it has a bit of smoky goodness!

New to the area been meaning to try this place for awhile. The hours are horrible. Tonight I was finally able to try it out. This place reminds me of something small you would see downtown in a major city not Pittsboro. It was confusing on what to do but I figured it out. The two people behind me had to be instructed by the staff. All the staff does is take your order and bring out the food. The food was ok. I got the burger and fries. There was a special sauce on there that had absolutely no flavor. My biggest complaint is the price. Almost $23 for a burger, fries and sweet tea. My jaw hit the floor when I was told the total. I'd rather drive to Chapel Hill for that price.

Decent food, high prices, limited hours. We have been a couple times and have been disappointed each visit.

Think sinfully delicious plates layered with a bold yet home grown feel paired with wide open spaces in the fast, up and coming Chatham Park development. ~ entree of choice: Cheese Ravioli with eggplant caponata and shaved parmesan The flavors of this divine plate include a hint of sweet and savory with a slightly sweet tomato base and green olives showered in Parmesan shavings. The plump filled ravioli was perfectly prepared and married nicely with accompanying eggplant. A unique and sinfully delicious compliment to the Chef who is well versed and colors outside the lines with her culinary prowess.

Oh man. I keep giving this place a chance hoping it will get better, but sadly it seems to be getting worse. There were five of this time, and only one enjoyed the food. The Buddha Bowl is the worst and it should be the easiest to make. My friend ordered it also and her rice was uncooked, it was as if they poured it from the box to the bowl. My rice was cooked but it wasn't good. Every item in that bowl was just nasty. One friend ordered the meatloaf with a twice baked potato; the meatloaf was over cooked and the potato was clearly frozen. That's it. I give up.

Fantastic dinner last night. I had the best shrimp and grits I've ever had. The shrimp, grits, peppers and spicy tomato sauce were so good together. Bloody Mary shrimp and grits was what it was called. So frigging good. My daughter had the Mediterranean power bowl. All veggies and she ate it all. She said it was one of the best dishes she's ever had. My wife had a Salmon Nicoise. Salmon on local lettuce, green beans and potatoes and other veggies with a vinaigrette. It was a huge hit as well. Can't wait so see what's cooking next weekend.

Er mah gerd the duck leg was completely insane. So delicious. Perfect portion. Family also enjoyed the shrimp and grits. Sera does it right.

Pork buns and mushroom schwarma tacos for me, beef short ribs on mash for my husband. Soooo good!!!

Food is amazing! Their restaurant in Pittsboro is kept immaculate, yet with a warm vibe, always.

Love The Root Cellar Cafe in Pittsboro! Their menu always changes but every time, it offers a variety of dishes for every taste and dietary need. Chef Sera is the best and REALLY knows great food! The staff is also friendly and courteous and the place is always clean and inviting. Thank you for being in Pittsboro!

The breakfast flat bread was sooo good. I'm still craving it and will have to have it every weekend! The coffee is delish and prices are very reasonable for the quality. Looking forward to going back for dinner too.

Such a cool place! Sort of has a general store vibe, with jellies, jams and other Knick-knacks to purchase. They have desserts on display & delicious specials. The Nutty Shake (hazelnut and espresso) is absolutely the best milkshake ever.

The Root Cellar is fantastic! We had a large party and called ahead for reservations and everything went as planned. They have a great outside dinning area with a fire pit and heaters if needed. The food was awesome and everyone was super friendly. Would give more that 5 stars if it were possible.

This place was awesome! My husband and I visited here this morning for our first real meal in NC (we're Queens,NY folks). Although it was super empty being as it was a random Tuesday morning service was friendly and prompt. Self service coffee was strong and delicious. I had the breakfast biscuit with a side of potatoes and was not disappointed. I would most certainly come back if I was ever in the area again.

This is my favorite local restaurant! Amazing farm fresh meals, a creative menu, and the nicest staff! And I love their weekly family meals available for order!! Check it out!

I've enjoyed this great place in Pittsboro twice now while visiting from Florida. Great food choices and atmosphere

We have eaten a few times at the new location. We love taking the short trip out to the country to enjoy some of our favorite dishes and try some of the dishes not available at the Chapel Hill location. We can't wait to enjoy some local brew and food on the patio throughout the summer. Thank you for using locally grown ingredients! Also the jalapeño Ranch is amazing!! Not only do they have amazing food specials but they also have delicious sangria and desserts.

Y'all. Let's be honest with ourselves here. We need Root Cellar to work out and stay in business. Name another "fast casual" place in town with at least a handful of healthy options, that's open lateish, who has a decent variety. I can't. So in the spirit of cooperation and my disinterest in cooking for myself as a resident of Eastern Chatham, here are some things that could be improved: 1. Faster cashier service. I'm wondering if the POS might need a re-org so employees can enter order info faster? 2. Shrimp and grits are too soupy. 3. More variety/options with the protein bowls and salads. Having 3-5 more pre-chopped salad options would be a game changer. 4. Maybe three total bread options for the sandwiches: a rye, a wheat, and a classic white? Finally, the following are REALLY great and should stay as is: the turkey pot pie, the steak dinner, all of the chilled protein salads, wild mushroom wrap, and all of the cakes. You've got this fam. I believe in your dreams. Hit me up with questions @seesusantweet.

We were overwhelmed by the attention not lavished upon us. We walked in about 6pm. Couple of guys behind the counter nodded hello's. Husband said "We are meeting someone." No response. [This would have been the time to say "oh, okay, let us know when you are ready to order."] I grabbed a menu. Looked around - no one to seat us. There no sign that said "Place your order here." Nowhere on the menu did it indicate whether a wait person would help us or if we had to approach the counter to order. Families were seated and eating at about half the tables. Seated ourselves - right beside the counter, near the kitchen(?) door. A woman was in and out the door delivering food to tables. She looked at us but never spoke to us. All three employees looked at us but not one said a word to us. No one stopped to explain "how it works" there. Our friend arrived. We chatted and he had to leave. No one had bothered to ask us if we were ready to order or needed anything. We left. We had been there 30 minutes. Very few people came in after we did. Food looked good. Place was clean. We have both worked in the food industry. Never have we ever ignored customers. Never have we been so ignored. Sorry Root Cellar, not sorry. We won't go back.

You really just can't depend on any restaurant to safely provide gluten free food. The Root Cellar seemed so helpful and courteous regarding my gluten allergy, yet when my food got home, there was the bread, adhered securely to the melted cheese of my burger, sitting there, daring me to turn around, exhausted and drive all the way back to the restaurant to get another. Forget that, I made popcorn instead and threw my cheeseburger into the woods for the coyotes. I'm not going back. The front of house staff was lovely but the idiot in the kitchen should be fired.

Great quick lunch place, healthy options and good prices. Loved the salad sample plate. The deserts looked amazing. Seems like a new subdivision going in the area so this place should do fine. Nice option on 15/501 going to or from Chapel Hill.

We had triple decker sandwiches and I got some really big cookies to take home. It's a bit pricey though.

Finally a great place to eat in Pittsboro. Food full of flavor, fresh and creative! Ingredients from local farms what I love! Can eat there everyday!

Thought we'd give a try to Root Cellar. Very, very disappointed. Our cashier was not knowledgeable on the menu or beer selection. When asked what Buffalo "veggie chicken" wrap was he said they can make it with "real chicken". I said yes. Will talk about the meals in a minute. Went out to our table and all dirty (place was not busy). I started wiping one off with napkins and server came over with beers and then walked away? When my wife walked back in for more napkins the same server said to her, "I'll let you go first so you can get the door for me". When Buffalo Pita came there were 3 chicken nuggets on pita and unsure if it was chicken. Had it with the garlic fries and very little garlic on the fries. My wife had Thai Chicken Wrap. It was also bland and dry. Chicken hard and over cooked. Worst meal we've had in years and first on Yelp below a 4/5 in awhile.

We have recently moved to the area and already eaten here three times. The breakfast is great. All the items we ordered were flavorful without being greasy or over flavored. For example the tortillas are soft and tasty on the breakfast burrito. Soup was also good at lunch with a turmeric flavor and not too salty. It is counter service, but the people who take the orders and the ones who bring out the food have a great attitude and friendly demeanor. Overall, for Pittsboro, i would consider this high end. We'll be back for sure.

Had an excellent dinner here tonight! All of the staff were welcoming and eager to please when we arrived. I came for the fish and chips special advertised on Facebook. She had the shrimp and grits off the regular menu. We split a bowl of some of the best soup I've ever had - the creamy vegetable. OMG that soup was so good on a cold rainy day like today. My fish and chips was perfect - nice crispy batter and delicious fish with chips and slaw! The shrimp and grits is excellent as well...have had it twice in previous visits. Did I mention the creamy vegetable soup that should be a regular menu item? :) Joking aside Root Cellar is a great place to get a consistently good meal and I recommend them highly.

The food is fantastic with a great selection. A little slow and needs some training but they are brand new. It would also help to know prices of sides not posted on any of the menus.

i went with some friends for the Friday fish fry. We all ordered the fish run. The picture on the counter advertising the fish fry showed 2 pieces of fish and some fires. If took a while but we finally got our food we all shocked by the portion size compared to the photo. we got one small piece of fish some fries and a condiment cup of coleslaw. The flavor of the fish was ok, I would consider it average. we were all underwhelmed and disappointed. Defiantly not worth the money.

Love the place and the owners and the food is really good. The cakes are my favorite especially the carrot cake.

Kudos to the owners of Root Cellar in Chapel Hill for opening another Enid in Pittsboro. Lauren was our cashier and she has something special about her; a warmth and friendly disposition one rarely finds in food service any longer. The chicken Caesar BLT was enough for 2 hungry people. The BLT great and fries fresh. Love the roll up doors to give the whole restaurant an open air feeling. This is not a fancy place, dress in your garden clothes and enjoy the food and feel of the place.

Great place for a quick bite. Fresh food, decent portions. Very friendly personal. I will be back when in the area.

Lovely ambience, helpful staff and delicious food! We sat outside and enjoyed a lovely lunch

Food not worth the long delivery time. There were only about 3 tables seated when we ordered our food at counter at 9am. It took 30 minutes to receive our breakfast biscuit and farm plate order - the second and third items on the menu. After 18 minutes I went to the order counter to inquire about my order thinking something went wrong when I saw kitchen staff chit chatting with customer at the bar. When food was delivered 30 minutes after ordering I asked why it took 30 minutes to deliver our food. I was given excuses by the chit chatter that call in orders and table ahead of me were prioritized over our order. Millennial class service without a smile is what you can expect at The Root Cellar Cafe. The food was good but it isn't worth the wait.

I have been three times. Tried a wrap made into a salad, a burger, and then the NC rueben. Everything is fresh & tasty but portions are not generous. I would at least like a pickle spear with my rueben! $9 sandwich with no side. Burger was raw as no one asked me how i wanted it cooked and then there was no avenue for sending it back other than standing in line and waiting. One thing I wish they would do is ask you how your food is after its been served but there is no service so I am not sure why i have been tipping up front. We ordered dessert with our meal and had to ask for it, and it was served at the table in a plastic box instead of a plate which made it awkward to eat. No recycling containers available for all the plastic. But I am very glad to have more choices here, I really am.

Nice laid back atmosphere. Good selection on the menu. My brisket was good and tender. Needed to be trimmed better, 2 inch square piece of fat on two of the three slices. Good sweet potato hash with it. One of my party ordered a sandwich without lettuce but it came with, which was fixed immediately. I give it a try again.

noisy, bare bones atmosphere. Sandwich was missing 2 items but when mentioned this to cashier, I got a blank look. Well, if you want a kind of small sandwich missing cheese and tomatoes, this is the place for you. No one to fix errors was available. Expensive specialty coffee was half foam. Think they could do better than one cashier (order-taker) on a Saturday

Wow!!! Best breakfast in town! Local, fresh and huge portions with fair prices! Very pleased!

I just waited 20 minutes for a smoothie that I'm not even enjoying. My other experiences have been good so maybe it was just the barista..

This is one of my favorite lunch spots because the food is so filling but also flavorful and fresh. The menu has a good variety of sandwiches and interesting takes on classics (ie. the turkey club with brie cheese) and i enjoy trying these different recipes

Humm. Has potential with the nice patio. When I came it was obviously a newly opened place. The beer I ordered from the menu was not available, and the beer I got was served in a warm glass.