Roots Cafe

Although I live in Carroll Gardens I walk here nearly every day to grab a different iced coffee to hang out. Something I get food. The turkey and tomato sandwich is amazing. The staff is great. They all know me now. The atmosphere is relaxing where you can sit on couches, chairs or tables. Although the place is small it's not small enough to be cramped so there is room. The background music they play is amazing and can vary by day from classic rock, 70s, 80s 90s, folk, indie, pop and even jazz. Also they provide free fast WiFi which is great so you can use it at your leisure.

TBH, haven’t had their coffee but their sign caught my eye. So cute!!! Besides , they’ve been in the same location for more than a decade. So, must be doing something good .

The best way to start the day is at Roots Cafe! This is a very cute coffee shop in the neighborhood offering delicious coffee drinks and breakfast bites to satisfy the hunger. I heard they do little shows here for local music artists and they also display art on their walls of local artists. Also they have good taste in music. Let’s go Roots!

I just had one of the great iced lattes of my life. I come here all the time, but today I am particularly reminded of what a gem this spot is. The Forty Weight Coffee they serve is bomb. It speaks to Roots' attention to detail to not just serve either 1) middling coffee roasted by one of the giant 'specialty' coffee roasters in the city that tastes average at best or 2) one of the great truly specialty roasters that also makes one cup cot a fortune. They found a great roaster, and make a great cup of coffee for a fair price. Rock on Roots!

Great vibe, good food and coffee. What more can you ask for on a late morning in Brooklyn?

Perfect music, damn perfect coffee, an ideal setting for a quick bite and chat, or just to wind down. I don't visit often because I'm out in Long Island now but between the Americano and the blueberry muffin, it's worth the occasional trip.

What an adorable little cafe, giving back to the community during this time with a free food panty and serving delicious Raspberry hibiscus iced tea, YUM! I am told the sandwiches are delicious and there was a small line of folks excited to get some. Owner was friendly and gave me tips on making espresso at home, Ha! Appreciate it!

This is my favorite cafe in Brooklyn. The coffee is the best, but the people are even better. Whenever I start my day here, it’s a good one. Thank you all for being so wonderful!!

The staff is always so friendly here. The iced caramel latte is always on point and the ambiance gives brooklyn to a T. 10/10 recommend

Roots is my favorite cafe in South Park Slope/Greenwood. Their coffee is fresh and high quality, staff is very friendly. They have many delicious options for food with pastries, muffins, and hot food options. The seating is very comfortable and welcoming environment. I really like that they have vegan options such as the Taibbi sandwich, Jamie's burrito, pastries, and non-dairy milk. My only critique is that the vegan scramble in the vegan burrito is a little bitter and I suspect it's because there's a little too much turmeric or other spice in the spice mix. This is a leftover from the previous owners of the cafe. My recommendation for restaurants making a tofu scramble would be tone down the turmeric (it's mostly only for color), add nutritional yeast, cumin, and a little black salt. The mix recipe from the Post Punk Kitchen is a great starter base with a lot of flavor.

Came here for a quick bite and thought the place was so cute! Food was really good and light! Got an iced cappuccino which thought was good too! It's a very small spot so keep that in mind.

This place was cute! I love a chai and some ambiance :) Great people, good snacks, nice drinks. Def try this place if in the neighborhood.

Got the Taibi. Very yummy. The green goddess dressing makes it. Very friendly atmosphere. Good service. Great bread. Even the music is nice here

This is a great place with quality coffee to hang for a while to do some work and grab a bite! I needed a place to work for a few hours on a weekday and I was happy to find that roots had multiple tables and some outlets available. Cafes often only sell pastries and nibbles, so I really like that they have a more hefty food menu. I really enjoyed my breakfast burrito- it was a generous portion This is definitely one of my go to cafes in the neighborhood now- check it out!

Super cute neighborhood cafe, cozy and eclectic. Great pit stop if you need a drink while walking around the neighborhood or just want to pause for a moment, although narrow, Roots has plenty of seating! The barista was really friendly and my drink was excellent too; I tried the iced coco americano (americano with coconut water) and don't knock it til you try it. It's so refreshing and hydrating in this very hot summer! I will certainly be back!

Nice, small and cozy spot to get coffee. The turkey Cuban I ordered was pretty good. I also ordered a cold brew and then added a splash of oat milk. Wasn't too strong but managed to wake my jetlag self up. I loved the art pieces that adorned the wall that were also for sale too.

I enjoy sauntering over to this place during lazy mornings. I especially like the community feel. However, to echo what others have mentioned, their customer service leaves much to be desired. Each time I stand at the counter waiting to order, it's a mystery what I will get. Typically, it's a blank "why are you standing here" stare followed by a reluctant hello. I always feel unwelcome by the baristas who always seem to be engaged in some sort of intense personal conversation which I am interrupting by asking for a latte. A smile or even a "Hi there, What can I get started for you?" Would really go a long way to keep in theme with your welcoming "community" vibe.

I'm Mexican. I lived in Arizona for a decade. So while burritos aren't really Mexican food to me (they're not a thing in Mexico City anyway), breakfast burritos are most certainly southwestern to me and I built up very high standards after those 10 years in the desert state. With that preface, the breakfast burrito here was good, but not mind blowing. Good breakfast burritos in New York are hard to come by - to this day, I can't think of a single one that matches anything in Arizona. But this one was good. It was definitely above average in the NYC breakfast burrito lineup. I'm still searching for the one though. Friendly service though and a few seats outside which is great.

I came here on Sunday around noon. It's a cute small place with neighborhood vibes. I got 2 slices of the lemon cake, and 2 slices of the banana chocolate bread. This placed seems lovely and I'd definitely give it the benefit of the doubt. The energy of the staff was slightly off-putting, but maybe they were just having a rough morning. Anyway, would definitely try this place again!

Lovely place :) I order egg burrito , americano and more stuff haha everything is very very delicious. They are cool people and friendly. My new favorite spot after gym.

Really, really terrible customer service. I'm local and have been to Roots many times due their vegetarian menu options. The barista wearing the bandana acts like you're inconveniencing her by existing, but I was willing to let that slide. This unpleasant attitude ended up transforming to petty comments, constant eyerolls, and bad lattes (which are ridiculously overpriced) to boot. I genuinely thought the barista had a problem with me until my husband went in and had the same (if not worse) experience. I will not be returning.

I'm disappointed with roots cafe. Recent visits, some staff behave as if I'm inconveniencing them. I've been the recipient of passive aggressive comments more then once. Second, their hours constantly change. Sometimes I get there at the listed opening hour, and their still opening and not ready for service. Further, they are consistently out of the vegan scones. When I ask why, I'm told the baker didn't deliver it (happened twice in the past couple of months). All this is really frustrating when I go out of my way to visit (don't live near by) only to leave disappointed. When they get it right, it's a great place because they are so vegan friendly and some of the staff have been incredibly sweet. Just today I showed up at 8 am. They were running around setting up seating, so I patiently waited. When I got their attention, I asked for the vegan scone. I was told the baker didn't deliver it today. After some friendly back and forth with a very kind barista, I left. On my way out, another staff member said in a passive aggressive tone, we're out of that pastry-as if my asking and wanting to know more was problematic. So, I've given up on this place because it's not reliable. Here is one idea in case the cafe reads this: List the pastries online and indicate if their sold out or unavailable. This way I'd know not to make the trip and/or order ahead if I knew it was available. I know these are tough times for small business, so I write this hesitantly. When their on and the shelves are stocked, roots is a great local spot. I just want to know if what I love is available, and that I'm valued as a customer.

So I ordered a Jamey vegan burrito and paid the ridiculous $3 to add vegan sausage to the burrito and it was so burnt that I actually felt compelled to write this review. If you're going to charge so much for an extra, please make sure it's edible. I don't think I'll be spending money here anymore..

Great local spot to relax and enjoy fresh coffee and really delicious egg and cheddar Sammie!!

I work closely with people in the area, and this is the only breakfast place I've frequented, despite them not being that friendly. Unfortunately, it turns out they are friendly and able to deliver pleasant customer service, but only for a specific type of people. Considered not writing this review, but sat there for a while and watched the pattern happen of who they smiled at and who they barely made eye contact with. Feeling unwelcome is definitely a reason not to come back.

This is a wonderful space, truly community-oriented. It is a lovely place to meet friends, study, write, or catch up on a novel. Thank you for being such a great part of the neighborhood!

Found a gem. Felt super cozy. So glad I came across this spot. It's a cute and quirky little space that takes you far from the feelings of an over crowded city. Coming back.

Really delicious cold brew and friendly staff. Place is super cozy, quaint even. And the staff is super friendly. I'm not the type to want to strike up a conversation with the person from the back, but it's nice that they ask who you are and remember your orders. Haven't tried the food, but the coffee is always worth it. My favorite morning place before I start remote work

Very cozy inside, a kind of hippy, artsy vibe - their chai latte is so good - not sweet, and ostensibly made with actual tea and not a powder. Looking forward to trying their breakfast burritos and sandwiches.

I was excited for this place because I'm a new vegan to the area and the reviews were pretty great. Unfortunately, I left extremely disappointed. The restaurant is very cute, small, and stylish. I appreciated the music and the decor for sure. I ordered a vegan sandwich with avocado, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and vegan cheese. I wanted to stick to the way the order was prepared (in a wrap) but due to dietary restrictions I couldn't. As I was trying to think of an alternate option, one of the servers offered the idea for me to get it as a bowl which I thought was pretty good given the circumstances. When my order was called it wasn't made clear that I wanted it to go which was fine. I had no problem waiting. What I didn't realize (not the employees) was that they didn't have to-go containers. After a couple minutes of searching, they asked if they could instead put the salad, into two soup containers. Of course, I said yes because I had no option since I had to leave. When the salad was brought to me, it was in ONE, 16 oz soup cup. Yes, you read correctly. A "full salad" in a soup cup. I cannot believe this was something they even thought was a good idea. The green goddess dressing was good, I will say that but honestly, I just can't believe I was given SALAD in a soup cup. Yes. A picture is attached here so you all can see. I will definitely never be returning.

Perfect cafe & laptop vibe. Stumptown roasters beans...didn't try the sweets but they looked great.

I love the relaxed , old-school feel of this place. Comfy chairs, reading material, quirky art on the walls, no one is hurrying you out the door - the way cafes used to be (don't I sound old!). Also, the food and coffee is delicious and I love that there are a few vegan options. The veggie breakfast burrito is my fav but everything I've had has been tasty. The barista knows a lot of the patrons (and their orders!) by name, so it seems like this place has a loyal neighborhood following. Places like this feel few and far between these days in Brooklyn! Definitely worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood!

Friendly staff, delicious coffee. I also love the decor. I love spending time looking at everything they have on the walls and shelves. Oh and the breakfast items are always scrumptious!

I was very impressed with the food we received from this little café. It rounded out the weekend nicely. Thanks so much!

Excellent espresso drinks, pastries and sandwiches made to order. Plenty for vegetarians and vegans. I especially recommend the beet humus wrap! They make the most out of a narrow space with tables for two, and there's a nice courtyard in the back (not accessible). Wear insect repellent! Gender neutral restroom. Friendly service, and pay cash if you can, though they don't make a fuss about cards. It's not the easiest area for parking, but there's excellent public transit!

Great new spot on 5th ave! Great atmosphere, people, great coffee and delicious egg sandwiches! Recommended by me, a coffee snob. Had to add for those looking... 8/27/18.. The Johnny at Roots cafe.. On the borders of Park Slope.. defying the 15$ Park Slope breakfast sandwich by charging $6.50... Delicious biscuit too.. love you guys for this.. and the coffee.. and the consistent cool nice people serving it up.

Well.. I thought I ordered from the root hill cafe. This was the best mistake I ever made, yummy!!! And super nice staff.

Roots, my love. Roots Cafe is one of the top reasons I strongly consider moving to NY, specifically Brooklyn, on a weekly basis. I was visiting a friend in NY and one morning he suggested we stop at this unsuspecting coffee shop before heading to the city. Walking in...I had 0 expectations. It literally looks like a co-op you'd find in Berkeley, CA. Looks were extremely deceiving with this place... I ordered a cold brew and a breakfast burrito. Both blew me away, but the burrito in particular. Everybody always says you can't get good Mexican food outside of Mexico/LA, but Roots knows what it's doing and it seems like it's one of the best kept secrets in Brooklyn. I went back to Roots a couple days later and ordered another cold brew and it was just as great as the first time I had it. Also the crowd is super cute and hipstery and nobody is on their phones. Just young Brooklyn residents lounging with their coffees reading books. I am anxiously awaiting my next NY trip just so I can come here again.

Delicious, fresh and easy food with healthy/local/vegan options. The staff is super nice and their outdoor area is very pleasant for a street-side dining area on a busy street! I really love their back patio too, it is very cozy and quiet and perfect place for sitting and working on your laptop. All staff follows all Covid-19 guidelines and they also operate as a food pantry and provide many resources for their neighbors - they held a back to school drive recently too. I highly recommend Roots Cafe for a coffee (my fav is the coconut water americano) and a yummy healthy lunch! Also, the sandwiches and burritos are huge! Both times I've ordered lunch there it has lasted me for two meals.

Good spot! Not a lot of seating inside, but good coffee and sandwhich selection. 70's music on the playlist

Meh. Kind of a cat people's cafe. Looks welcoming but mainly for yuppies and their children they won't discipline. Not welcoming to dogs, which is quite upsetting, but welcoming to little monsters and their enabling Park Slope parents. A cup of coffee here is WAAAAAY too expensive like a lot of the other coffee shops on Fifth Ave., and even for how expensive it is it tastes like Dunkin' Donuts (blegh) or Starbucks. Closes extremely early but is open for other things for some reason. Lots of stroller people. The merch is cool.

Very cozy, hipster vibe. Friendly and fast service. Their coffee is fresh and wholesome - can't say the same about their pastries (you can get the same croissant from Costco). They have outdoor seating out in the front on the street and a few tables indoors that you can sit at if you give your contact info for COVID tracing. There's music playing in the background and a line to order drinks, but it moves really quickly. I tried the maple butter latte, and it was delicious (but definitely buttery - I was surprised to see they actually took out a stick of butter to prepare it).

Roots is a gem! The interior was cozy and full of art and books. The drinks were better than expected and fairly priced too. We had a tasty iced americano and flat white.

I was shocked to see that a barista was not wearing a mask behind the counter. Their burritos are good, but definitely not worth the flagrant health hazard. I won't be coming back here. Gross.

Love this spot. Great bodied coffee. Yummy, homemade treats. The best is their sandwiches!! They're so delicious. My ONLY con is the size / ambience of the spot. Dark-ish and tiny tables/ areas to sit. Service always very friendly. Chai latte homemade syrups and what not all so good. And I usually get a YELP 10% off. Awesome. Thanks, Yelp

Small local cafe. Get a lot of good vibes coming here. You are treated like family, the coffee is great the food is tasty and the place just fun to visit

We are currently in a rough spot regarding mobility from our homes to our favorite restaurants. My grandmother has always told me about Roots as one of her favorite brunch cafes since she has moved to Brooklyn. Unfortunately since COVID-19 has struck my grandmother has not been able to go on her Wednesday morning strolls with the end of those walks ending with a cup of coffee from roots. Although, luckily roots has provided a service where elderly couples such as my grandparents receive snacks, coffee, and quarantine essentials. It is truly an amazing deed that this restaurant is doing for the community. Now I don't really give many 5 star reviews but for a restaurant that helps my grandparents in a time where they can't live their normal lives is heart warming. Thank you Roots for helping and making my grandmothers week. The smallest acts of kindness make her heart melt. Thank you.

Update 8/28/17: their hours are not accurate on VM and on yelp. Says theyre open til 5pm on Monday but i stopped by today at 3:50pm and the gates were halfway down. I peeped in to ask the staff inside if they were open and he said no. Walked there for nothing.. Wow! Im so blown away from my first visit here today. Was in the mood for some good food after a workout, and the yelp pictures lured me here. Once inside, its a small cafe with people working on their laptops along both sides of the wall. I was greeted immediately by the friendly female staff at the front. She offered some suggestions since it was my first visit. She basically said everything was yummy on the menu. I ended up getting the Roots burrito with ham added. When i got my food, it was piping hot but smelled so so good. I took my first bite and pretty much downed half the sandwich within mins. It was SO yummy. Girl was right! Sandwich had black bean spread (i didnt think i would like it much but its so so so good!!!), avocado, eggs, cheese, ham.. idk if there were more but so delicious. I immediately took the other half to go cos i wanted to bring it home for my bf. But too bad he left for work already so i ate the other half when i got home LOL. Im so happy I found this place and will definitely be back for more yummy food!!! Also really liked their super cute magnets for sale on the wall. Five stars for food, service and atmosphere! Yay!!

A cute and cozy cafe. They have a wide variety of coffee and tea. The cookies and brownies up front at the counter are always fresh and trustworthy. I had the PBB sandwich today which is multigrain bread toasted with banana, peanut butter, cinnamon, and honey. It was a PB overload for less than $6. The staff is always extremely friendly and accommodating. It's comfortable in here despite the small space. I wish Roots was in a more central area. They would do so well on 7th Ave or PPW up the street.

Amazing. Cute place in Brooklyn, vaguely heard that it was good, so decided to stop by. Definitely lives up to its reviews. The ambiance is casual and I could have stayed there all day doing work and eating (mostly eating of course). The staff at the counter was friendly, I asked for recommendations and she gave me a few, the roots burrito being a classic, but that her personal favorite was the country kicker ($8.00). It has ham and cheddar and a bit of a kick with the hot peppers. I like a bit of spicy so I took her advice. This sandwich was made fresh and came out delicious and super filling. The ham was delicious and plentiful. and the hot peppers gave it that perfect kick. All of it was also toasted to perfection. I also tried some of the breakfast sammie with extra meat added, and surprisingly the turkey is almost even better. As a take home (since I was so full after the sandwich), I also got 2 biscuits that they sell courtesy of Brooklyn Biscuit Company. The whole experience was wonderful, I would highly recommend this place.

This review is for vegetarians and vegans. Roots has many vegan and vegetarian options. I highly recommend their Jamey vegan burrito with tofu. It included a giant portion of tofu spiced with turmeric, vegan cheese, and black bean spread for about $9 and worth it. It was well seasoned and tasty! I also liked that the menu was labelled clearly with ingredients as well as if options are vegan or vegetarian. It is a fast casual so no table service. I wanted to also try their cheddar grits but I got there at about 2pm on a weekend and they were sold out! I recommend going early as it seems they sell out.

This place has absolutely gone downhill. First they started opening later and lost business to Yardsale a block away. Then today, I went in for an iced chai. The guy being trained dumped about a half inch of cinnamon on the top of the ice. The owner basically watched him do it and said nothing. I figured it would be fine once I mixed it in. It was undrinkable. Very few times in my life (like fewer than four) have I brought / sent food back, but I brought this drink back, making sure not to blame the new guy, since it wasn't his fault. The owner, who was doing the training, apologized and made me a new one--no cinnamon on top (her apology is why the rating is two stars instead of one). Turns out, the chai mix itself is absolutely *loaded* with cinnamon, again, so much so that it's undrinkable. I had to throw it out and go somewhere else. Will not be going back.

Stumbled upon this cafe early September while walking around the neighborhood (and to Green Wood Cemetery haha). I love the ambiance of this cafe and I bet pre-COVID this would make a good study spot. The workers here are nice and the latte I got was delicious. I absolutely love the decor as well. Service was friendly and efficient. I will come back!

This is the perfect place to grab a quick breakfast, lunch or brunch or linner. The food is awesome with vegan and dairy free choices. The place is a tad tiny and could get crowded at times. The customers are friendly so it's easy to share a seat with them. The staff are helpful and accommodating to everyone. My son loves it here because play area. The only inconvenience is the very tiny restroom. I hope they plan to make it bigger.

I love roots! As a remote worker, I love dropping in to work. The WiFi is great. The sandwiches are also delicious. My only complaint is that I once ordered a sandwich and they substituted the ingredients and didn't tell me.

Stopped by this small cafe for lunch. I got the roots burrito which has eggs, peppers (?), cheese, beans, avocados, and came with homemade salsa. It was a great healthy vegetarian lunch. Very filling. Their Alabama sweet tea was also very delicious. It seems like a great place to get some work done, very quiet. If you're a coffee drinker you'll like their $2 coffee with refills for $1 deal.

The space is very cozy with a "home" feel to it. I just absolutely adore Amanda. She greets you with a smile, exchanges in small talk and just lightens the mood. She made me forget about the hassle of the day by simply writing 3 words on my coffe lid "YOURE SO SPECIAL". In the current climate of the hussle and fast pace, its nice to know there's a place that I can retreat to..be myself & have good convo & food. I strongly recommend the rolled oats with fresh fruit .

Cozy with some tables for 1-2 people but also an area with a couch for a small group. Can play a game of chess or the kids can play with small toys or puzzles, while enjoying their mochas, lattes and hot chocolates like we did. Some artwork and weaved decor on the walls. The drinks were rich in flavor, which made them worth the price, between $4-5.50 each for my group's orders. Tried the turmeric latte which was strong so maybe not for me but at least I tried it. Baked goods options were very little when we went though - we wished there were more carrot muffins.