Roots Restaurant & Cellar

My favorite place to eat in Milwaukee. Bring your taste buds. They will be used. Everything has amazing complex flavors.
Well it used to be my favorite in Milwaukee as I now read that it is closed.

Roots Eggs Benedict for the win! What an outstanding dish. Seared tuna, poached egg, atop fried seaweed, and your usual carb — all baptized in a fabulous hollandaise sauce. YUM!!! I can’t believe I had paid the equivalent $ 12 at the Eatery for eggs benedict. Roots by far is the better choice.
My girl friends and I came for a September Sunday brunch around 11:30 and we were seated out on the patio immediately. We should’ve considered a small wait to be seated at a shaded table because it got really hot under the sun. Watch out for the bees.
One of the girls had a breakfast burrito which was as serious as a heart attack. It was the size of a dinner plate and topped with pico de gallo and a load of potatoes.
Hand squeezed orange juice was also quite nice.

I have only been here once but have great memories of Roots. We sat outside on the patio overlooking the Cellar patio and Milwaukee, which is a beautiful view.
We had 3 or 4 courses of all vary unique dishes that were fresh on the menu that day. The waitress was a little slow on coming back to us but didn’t mind it since had a great view and belly filled with good food. The chef came out and said hi to our table and made sure we were enjoying it.
I really like how they have a garden with their vegetables, greens, and herbs right there that they pick from. I really support the urban farming and growing their own produce.

would give it 5 stars for the atmosphere alone. We did have a 20 min wait but that was mostly because we wanted to sit outside… but it was well worth the wait.
the main course for dinner… was just too enticing. ive not been to a place with just 9 items and been so confused as to what to pick. Had the Fried Chicken Breast — with
Boudin Blanc, black-​eyed peas, collards, ham hock vinaigrette. was amazing. really liked how they fused all the different tastes together in such a nice way. Wish I had room for dessert!

I like Roots mainly for the atmosphere. The rest — well — it’s all AOK.
I just am neither excited or turned off by Roots. I prefer Roots for a drink and maybe an app during happy hour.
Nothing more than that really.

You might need to grow some roots to keep from flying off your seat in the outdoor dining area. The lake causes it to be windy here, no? At any rate, sunny skies may belie the strong winds.
The food here is great. It has that local-​food vibe, which is the gastro trend of the moment (and a good one, to boot).
We started with the quirkily-​named «snack attack,» which consisted of popcorn, pickled veggies, and cinnamon pita chips. Very nice, light appetizer.
Had the house salad, which was very nice. I appreciated also how our waiter let us know that the salads were big enough to be entrees and asked if we wanted to split one, instead of upselling us into too much food.
My entrée was new to the menu, the fried chicken, which rested on a bed of sausage and ham and beans. There were some veggies in there, too, but with all that meat, it made the meal a little salty. Felt very Milwaukee, however, and I appreciated that.
The beer list is nice, too. The service is friendly. The outdoor seating situation can be dicey. While it offers fine views of the city, the winds come whipping down the hill, and nearly lifted our umbrella and table off into the great blue. Stick a finger in your cheek and hold it in the air if you want to sit outdoors here. Otherwise find a window seat, or sit down below in the wine cellar area! Overall, well done!

BRUNCH review
The menu has unconventional breakfast options, so don’t go expecting regular eggs and hashbrowns or pancakes. Creative stuff, and mostly savory items instead of the normal sweet options. Also love that you could order many things a la carte to build your own breakfast.
We both ordered coffee and juice. The creamer curdled in our coffee. I told the server and she said this is what happens with the organic cream they buy. I immediately asked, «Sassy Cow»? And the answer was yes. But even if the cream often curdles, I don’t need a $ 3 cup of curdled cream, organic or not. The fresh batch she brought did much better.
I wanted to order the tofu scramble but when I asked for no peppers (YUCK! Seriously, when are chefs going to get that not all vegetarians love peppers and eggplant!) I was told the veggies were all premixed. So, I ordered the chef’s creation omelet which had mozzarella cheese, arugula, and garlic scapes (the green part of the garlic plant). It came with potatoes, vegan sausage, and either bread or english muffin. Delicious! A truly great omelet. Perfectly cooked and not greasy. The english muffin was also very fresh. The potatoes? Laced with green peppers — yuck. The vegan sausage was a new, and tasty, experience. Will definitely be back.

I don’t know jack about the farm-​to-​table movement. But I can tell you that pretty much every menu item from Roots comes from local sources so, at a bare minimum, everything you eat is super fresh.
Their secret weapon, however, is a chef called the White Wizard. This tall, bearded fellow stands in the kitchen with a long staff, pointing it at food while conjuring spells of deliciousness into every bite you will soon eat.
The mussels with Spanish chorizo, house salad and truffle seared tenderloin joined forces to give me the biggest food boner in my life. This is true as it is awkward.

A wonderful restaurant! The ambiance out on the patio on a warm night is lovely. Our server was funny, quick, and helpful with suggestions. Our food was great too — awesome nachos and one of the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. Good prices to boot! The overall vibe of Roots is great — laid back, fun, without pretension. I would absolutely come back whenever I’m in Milwaukee next.

Milwaukee I’m so proud of you! Locally grown products used to twist and turn the menu according to the products and season. AWESOME.
food: Canada mussels in red curry sauce, San Francisco Cioppino: mussels, shrimp, fish, scallops, saffron arborio, fennel~tomato broth, Pan seared scallops with waffle chips
service: great. although, the bartender has never heard of french martini
Price: $$$

For review #100, this is a novella. Deal with it. Or skip the next three paragraphs.
I moved to Wisconsin in 2005. I had little to no knowledge of the state, much less any of the urban areas, such as Milwaukee or Madison. I lived in Thiensville and was working for Kohler at The American Club, running The Immigrant Room & Winery Bar. I knew food. I knew wine. And I knew all about cities, circa NYC. For my first year living here, I learned more about Sheboygan than I did about Milwaukee. My dining experiences in MKE were but two locations, the now-​defunct Celia’s in the Pfister (meh, but better than my visits to Mason St. by far) and Sanford’s (which is still a favorite of mine). All of my eating was done way north or cooked at home.
My then-​mentor, Rhys Lewis, used to give me all kinds of grief over not getting into MKE more to eat. I told him to have me work less, or better yet, buy dinner. As my leaving Kohler to work for a prominent Milwaukee restaurant group, he agreed. So we, along with our significant others, went to dinner in April of 2006 for what would set the mark for my future dining in MKE.
While I can’t tell you the specifics of my dishes that night, I can tell you that we ordered the entire appetizer menu, at least two salads, and a selection of desserts. That ordering style would become standard for me both here and most everywhere else I would end up eating after. I’m a fan of variety and tasting as many different things as possible, and Roots, to this day, still caters perfectly to that for me.
Fast forward… a lot. It’s now 2011. In five years, I’ve eaten at Roots at least an average of twice a year, not including the time that I worked behind the bar for them, when I ate there nearly every night. I’ve enjoyed items featuring veggies raised by the owner and other kitchen staff, I’ve tasted a few different dishes featuring items from squid ink to non-​meat «meats» to any one of what seems to be an endless amount of pork based products.
The menu is pretty spot on, with the occasional miss, as with any restaurant. The level of creativity has always been a perk of the style here, and the addition of events like Sunday Supper, with a family-​style approach to simple comfort foods shows a versatility that recognizes a love of food, rather than a drive to simply create one specific facet.
I’ve always enjoyed the pulled pork sammie on pretzel bread, and the pulled pork nachos. Actually, I’ve enjoyed everything that’s involved pork here, so let’s just check that box off now.
Vegetarian options, while bountiful, aren’t always my thing. Some items, like the veggie burger, I’ve loved, but other items didn’t exactly cry out to me as a biased carnivore.
I will also say that the mussels here are extremely good in the variations that I’ve had over the years, but I wish the portion size was a bit more to my excessive appetite to all things from the ocean. Sort of the same approach to all things dessert that I crave. The desserts here are more hit than miss, by far, but, aside from the really rich chocolate mousse, they don’t fill me. So, maybe I’m becoming more Wisconsin than I thought.
Lastly, the bar is still my favorite thing. I liked the Cellar for it’s casual atmosphere, the eclectic variety of music, and, way back in the day before Brewer Hill got too full of itself, the live entertainment. Drinks are both simple and crafted, beer is mostly independent and awesome, and all of the bartenders have individual attitudes and styles, so there’s always been an appeal for different people on different nights.
Service here is, as with everywhere, something that depends on who you are. I’m pretty subjective when it comes to a server or bartender’s personality. Some people just make a better connection than others. I’ve never thought of anyone here as pretentious, but interaction tends to be professionally casual, a suit with no tie and the top button or two undone.
Unbiased, right? Maybe not entirely, but it’s factual and honest. And, giving it five stars, I mean it’s worth five stars. I truly do love this place.

I’ve only been to the Cellar so I cannot comment on the full menu nor the atmosphere upstairs. The happy hour is great! Half-​off appetizers and they even have select craft beer for $ 3.00. The vibe is relaxed and the staff are friendly.
I went with the pulled pork nachos and the pork was amazing. Everything tastes fresh. Had a burger-​probably one of the best I’ve had in a long time. It came out less than well done and they were very pleasant about taking it back.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was much more welcoming than anticipated and affordable. Get in on Happy Hour, split some things, you’ll feel like a cool kid and you won’t regret it when the bill comes.
You can enter through the patio and not have to walk through the restaurant.

Loved this place! Went with wife and teen daughter – everyone lived it! The chef personally gardens and cooks his food (organically) and it is amazing! All meats are from within a 100 miles.
We went at about 6 on Thursday and not many people there. Many more arrived by the time we were done.
Oh, and the view of the city is also amazing!

My boyfriend took me here for a romantic dinner. The view is truly incredible and the service was great. I had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to try, so I opted for a salad, and two appetizers. The salad came with an assortment of greens and came dressed with a fruit vinaigrette and tasty tomatoes.
Then came my appetizers: Salt & Pepper Drumstick with fried rice noodles, pickled grapes, sweet soy and Black Pepper Pork Belly with bibb lettuce cups, tomato relish, fried egg purée. I took one bite of the pork belly, and it was amazing. It was extremely rich, but was well balanced with the tomato relish and fresh bibb lettuce. I can’t say that I enjoyed the drumstick as much. It had a combination of asian flavors (chile/​soy), but was really too salty. The rice noodles that came with it were simple maifun noodles and the pickled grapes didn’t quite do it for me.
The Truffle Seared Tenderloin with chevre whipped potatoes,
madeira~black truffle glacé that my boyfriend had was delicious. It was a huge portion and he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Dessert was a corn cake with corn icecream and currant gelee. That was a nice surprise, and the corn ice-​cream was really delicious.
I’ll definitely come back to try the brunch.

While farm-​to-​table is an admirable concept for procuring fresh ingredients, it’s still up to the people in the kitchen to make something good from it, and I think this disconnect caused me to arrive at the good — but not as good as I was expecting — meal at Roots.
Like the Chevre, potato and pea pierogi app — a very representative item in Milwaukee’s food culture, but one that was underseasoned, probably due to a lack of cheese. And the sesame mock duck entrée — a deconstructed phở of rice noodle, pickled plums, marinated bean sprouts a mushroom phở broth, and a crispy phyllo dough meant to represent the crispy duck skin — perhaps imitated the textures of duck, but it was otherwise such a large departure from the physical bird that I didn’t think the comparison was apt. It made for a good vegetarian dish, though.
I like the idea of Roots, but at the prices I’m paying, I want more than the comfort of knowing that my ingredients were grown locally and selected at the peak of ripeness.

Hands down best breakfast here. It is not your typical souther cooking breakfast so I love it. Sometimes you eat breakfast and you immediately need a nap. Here the food is packed with flavor but you feel ready for the day after. Very creative dishes and I have never had a bad breakfast.
Haven’t been here yet for dinner though. I’ll update my post when that happens. Stay tuned!

Another dinner in the Cellar results in yet another fantastic meal. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much for lunch so I would have enough room for dessert.
This time instead of lemon or lime water, we got cucumber water which is a very nice and refreshing beverage to go with the food.
The BBQ pork belly with fried oysters once again had very succulent and tasty pork matched with a very crispy pair of fried oysters.
The devilled beef tartare didn’t really suit my tastes but was a solid offering with delicious paprika crackers.
The chicken wings were surprisingly crispy although I wish there were non-​spicy sauces to choose from.
The buttermilk chicken sandwich had perfectly cooked and very crispy chicken matched with mustard greens, peach honey, pimento pickle. This may sound strange at first but the combination is amazing. I guarantee the flavor is a lot more bold and sophisticated than the typical fried chicken with honey-​mustard most people are accustomed to. The yucca chips are thin and crispy and a perfect side with the sandwich.
The Baked Ricotta Gnocchi comes with summer tomato ragu, fried greens, and trumpet mushrooms. The most surprising part of this dish is really how flavorful the tomatoes are. This is the real star of the dish with the gnocchi providing some extra texture and starch to the dish.
The San Francisco Cioppino comes with mussels, shrimp, fish, scallops, saffron arborio, in a fennel~tomato broth. I had a Bouillabaisse the day before but this dish made the other one forgettable. Perfectly cooked seafood in a broth so good I wish I had a tub of it to cook mussels in. I’m usually a creamy broth person but this tomato one is just amazing.
The jerk pulled pork was flavorful and a solid sandwich but not really unique.
The New England Seafood Melt is one of those sandwiches that even tough crab cake critics will love. It’s not actually a crab cake but instead a seafood mix so perfect you’d think it was the star dish of an expensive seafood restaurant. It’s light and refreshing yet flavorful. This item alone is worth the drive to Milwaukee for me, although if you add in the tomato broth I’ll be there in a heartbeat.
Too bad I was too full to have dessert after tasting all these items. There were items I still hadn’t tried yet from previous trips.

I stopped in for dinner before a show a month or so ago. I really enjoyed the menu. I had a perch sandwich and it was wonderful, I would definitely order it again. The caesar salad was great as well. I believe the upstairs dining area was closed (it was late) but the cellar down stairs was open and very nice. I would say it is casual and nice to have lunch or dinner with a few friends or definitely a date!
I give it $$ and feel the food and service exceed the dollar signs. It was great and I would recommend to friends and family.

Seriously if someone builds yet another condo next to the river there will be words. My fists. Seriously.
So they demolished all those old warehouses on Water near Brocah and now who knows what’ll happen. All I know is if they build some eyesore nonsense that blocks Roots’ beautiful fantastic stellar OMG view, I’ma be pissed.
Okay, the review.
I’ve eaten at Roots before, absolutely. It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten upstairs, so this review is for the Roots Cellar, solely.
Good beer selection, attentive happy hour service, white cheddar pulled pork nachos and cucumber/​lemon in the water… okay. Yes please. (Other happy hour food selections included a cauliflower dish, a seitan taquito, etc.)
I mean, this place is a summer place for me. I like to sit on the patio during happy hour and lounge in the sun like a cat and be super cool and and drink wine and hangout. It’s pretty much the best. It’s up there, on my list of summer places, absolutely.
But even in the winter, this is a good go-​to spot. Because of said inexpensive happy hour bites, good food specials, good beer/​wine/​spirit selection… and I’ve always loved the ambiance at Roots. And that view. (sigh)
The upstairs’ reputation precedes itself, and though it’s been some time since I’ve eaten upstairs, it’s well deserved from what I remember. (I’ll have to make it a point to do that again in the near future.) But downstairs? Chill, relaxed, hip and accessible. And I like it.

Big time shout out to Roots for flexing their vegan cooking skills. If you’ve been to Roots it is not a vegetarian restaurant, not by a long shot. But when a classy place like this makes an effort to diversify their menu I have to spread the word.
Roots has always been vegan «friendly», meaning if you ask they’ll find you something. They had tofu, could toss something together, and it was always good stuff. I’ve liked Roots since they opened, so when we were in town I thought a dinner here would hit the spot, at the worst I’d snag their veggie burger which is still a damn good meal.
I checked the menu, «What the hell is this? Glazed Parsnip „Ribs“? Why are „ribs“ in quotes??» Turns out this was a vegan appetizer with a spin on ribs, instead of using a poor animal’s ribcage they used thick parsnip sticks cut to the same size, glazed, served with an aioli on the side which was egg free. Fried up some crisp onions on the side and boom, beautifully put together and amazingly tasty appetizer.
Second I snagged the Seitan Taquitos. Roots has started using seitan now? Holy shit… For those not in the know, seitan is a meat substitute created from wheat gluten. It’s closer in consistency to meat than tofu, so works well in place of pieces of chicken of beef. Roots taquitos flat out rocked my face off, with a molé on the side packing a perfect spiced kick, ending with a creamy sauce drizzled over the top. Don’t worry, tofu cream, obviously no dairy. My lady said the balsamic reduction over her vegetarian cauliflower dish was the best sauce she’d ever had.
I was shocked. Having tofu around is one thing, but taking the time to develop seitan recipes or mixing it up with vegetable fill ins for meat was genius. Like I said, I’ve been to Roots a good 25 or 30 times but it was this last visit I saw light at the end of the vegan tunnel. No more getting a salad while the neighboring tables fill up on meat, Roots has my back now too.