Roots & Vines

I really wanted to like Roots & Vines. I remember the days in the LES when this was the first coffee shop in the area with free wifi (believe it or not, there was a time when the LES was not yet infested with yuppies). I loved going here to work on the laptop but the service was hit or miss. Like a masochistic puppy I kept going back, hoping it would get better. Then they got their liquor license and started serving food, but all was not well. You can get better Banh mi Vietnamese sandwiches in Chinatown and off Avenue A.
The final insult occurred earlier this week during a torrential downpour. At 6:49pm I walked into Roots & Vines with two others to grab a coffee and utilize the wifi. I remember it exactly being 6:49pm because I had to put two quarters in the meter to cover parking until 7pm. I ordered two coffees and a hot chocolate and sat down with my group. About 10 minutes later we were told the store was closing and we had to leave. REALLY??? You see me ordering drinks 10 minutes before your store closes and you don’t tell me you’re closing shortly??? I would think it would be common courtesy to let me know if your store was closing shortly but maybe that’s asking for too much. Like I said, service is hit or miss.
Two stars for being the first in the neighborhood with free wifi and for introducing me to Mighty Tea Leaf tea. Never cared for their coffee.

Super nice place. Worth a short or long stop.

Okay for a bite,
but vibe and service ain’t right.
Confused ambience.

Love their ice coffee. Its cold brewed, so its less acidic and easier on your stomach. Their regular coffee is pretty good too.
Now to the bagels. They are stored in a glass jar and I feel like they could be fresher. I also don’t like the fact that they are in a jar like they are a cookie or biscotti. Its not. The other food, I dunno. I’m still iffy on that. For the portions, I’m not sure the price is right. I think that they could give a little more, or drop the price.
The Décor: So, its modern. I feel like I’m walking into an Apple store with wood instead of stainless steal. I mean, its a very blank space. I wish they would get some really colorful art on the walls. I know they sometimes put artist up, but I feel like just panels of color would make me feel better in there. There are also a lot of people who bring their laptops in here. I’ve done it. But I feel like they should share the tables better. The renovations they made were definitely nice, but I like the old color choices better.

Cute place. very cute… this is a great place for a local hang out… where else can you go for tater tots and sriracha sauce?
Would I go back? yah… I would. the wife and I really enjoyed this place.

The location ain’t great, but the place is pretty great. I used a Scoutmob discount and ended up getting brunch and coffee for 2 people for $ 11. I felt like I was stealing! The portions were a little small, which was fine since doughnut plant was right next door :)
Definitely get the cold-​brewed coffee.

I can’t decide how I feel about Roots & Vines. I love the space – a couple of single tables as well as a large community table, and a real cozy feel. However, I wasn’t crazy about the food or the staff. They have tater tots (which cannot be messed up and add major points simply for offering them), but nothing else I’ve had food-​wisewas very good. The staff is not particularly friendly (read: at all), which always turns me off.
Also, I can’t really figure out if R&V is trying to be a restaurant, coffee shop, or wine bar. I’m guessing they’re trying to be all three, but it ends up being a little bit confusing. When I was there, a mom was eating with her kids, a few groups of girlfriends were eating and drinking, and several people reading. I’m pretty sure what I just described may be ideal for some, but I personally thinking R&V needs to step up their game in one aspect or another rather than being mediocre at several.

I go to semi-​monthly meetups here. The Amazon Web Services meetup group, to be exact. I know i know, techie boringness, but the talks are good, and always bright people to meet and chat with.
This venue is great because it’s very free form. We just grab a big long table and go with it! Coffee is decent, and they have sandwiches and small food too. Haven’t tried the pastries, but I like the place. Off the beaten path for sure.

I am tempted to give this place another star, because Roots & Vines is one of the few «cool» cafes in this part of the LES, but gotta say, I find myself disappointed in this place a lot.
Maybe I’m just being whiny, but there always seems to be something slightly off when I come here — cappuccino tastes burnt, the chicken left off a salad that I paid $ 2 more for, rancid tasting Banh Mi… I do like the vibe, and this area is lacking in lunch/​coffee shop options so I am thankful it exists, but find myself resenting the fact that I keep coming here just because there isn’t a better option nearby. I do appreciate the fact that they have both breakfast and lunch options, as well as full coffee & beverage offerings. If I had to choose an adjective to describe, my ambivalence would best be described in the word «fine».
In summary, I’ll probably be coming here again, if only because nothing better exists in a 5 – 10 block radius…

Came here for dinner with my sis for a nice girly chat night.
We had the guac and chips, tator tots, tofu banh mi, and one of the soups of the day, broccoli crème. Most of the food was just ok, nothing to write home about.
But I do love that we have this cute little homey spot in the neighborhood, and I’ll definitely be back.

This is my neighborhood joint, and I’m glad it’s within walkable distance from home.
R&V is a friendly, inviting and relaxed place to spend a day (literally) on your computer, with friends or simply get a cuppa joe/​drink from the bar.
I love the vibe and clean industrial décor the place has. Can be a tad warm on a hot day and cool or a warm — let’s just say they don’t have the best heating/​cooling system.
Locals love this place and if you come enough you’ll notice the regulars. Seats are usually readily available during the weekday, all day; weekends can be packed. I like the young family crowd this place draws. Gives it a youthful and hip vibe to the place w/​o trying too hard.
Don’t expect the place to where you’ll get some serious studying done or able to zone in on your work — you many encounter loads of traffic with take-​out orders and people chat’n can be loud. If you get easily distracted, don’t bring your work or expect much to get much accomplished. They have a play-​list on loop here so don’t expect a quiet place.
Instead, bring a book or you laptop for browsing, or simply pick up a newspaper or two that’s left the front the café to read. They have a nice strong cup of joe here; drink selection is also good; the food, I rarely get, but on occasion, is tasty but portions are small.
Tried the: Chicken Corn Salad, Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi and the cupcakes — they were good.
Pros: No frills place; can sit for hours; good coffee; decent food; café turns into a bar at night; tv tuned to sports/​news/​CNN; decent amount of outlets for computers.
Cons: The bathroom — shoddy lock-​key; terrible heating/​cooling system; locals who come daily can be loud; get lots of foot-​traffic; staff dim the lights at a certain time, making reading/​computer work challenging past 5pm.

I’m a big fan of this place. It’s inviting, downright welcoming, and you can see a huge cross section of neighborhood peeps coming in to work, hang out, catch up, grab a meal… it’s the very definition of a neighborhood joint… from hipsters to old timers, to young families, clientele runs the gamut. Love it.
The food is quite good, but be warned it’s slightly pricey (I’d expect slightly larger portions than they actually serve for the prices they charge). I had the grilled corn and avocado salad for a quick lunch and was delighted by everything but the portion size. I bit on the small side.
The service, I have to say, is positively exemplary – friendly, prompt, effective, the guy behind the counter was simply fantastic.
I’m kicking myself for not having stopped in here before.
My only complaint is that they on a sweltering humid day like today… they needed to turn the AC up!

I just moved to LES and well, I needed internet. I was supposed to be working remotely, but Time Warner gave me some lame excuse of not installing internet on Mondays. So I ended up at Roots & Vines.
I figured they’d kick me out after a few hours, but nope! They let me hang all day. I had a croissant and iced coffee for breakfast a little after 7am, and later on around 1:30 took a walk. When I came back I had a burger and lemonade as a late lunch. Friendly clientele as well. I chatted with a biker dude who told me he was from Queens, and later on another fellow work-​from-​home woman like myself, who told me she liked coming to Roots & Vines for a change of scenery from her home office.
I’ve since been going there routinely for coffee in the morning. Thankfully I don’t have to mooch their internet anymore, but I give them huge props for making one of my first days in NY easy!
Looking forward to coming with some friends one of these evenings. I’m sure they won’t disappoint!

It’s a pleasant surprise finding a cute café in the middle of nowhere. Roots and Vines, along with the Doughnut Plant, forms a little foodie oasis in an otherwise barren stretch of road. It’s an odd location but a lovely spot: light and airy, with black-​and-​white tiled floors and blond wood benches.
They’re pulling Counter Culture coffee behind the counter, sometimes very well. My first visit was on a weekend and it resulted in a thoroughly satisfying cappuccino (short and single espresso as requested). Definitely a ³⁄₅. However my second visit, on a weekday, was highly disappointing both in terms of coffee and service. It seems that it all hinges on which barista you get. Tip: stay away from the sour-​faced lady.
If you’re willing to take your chances then the café itself is a nice place in which to spend time. I’d give it another try if I happened to be in the interminable queue at the Doughnut Plant. But I wouldn’t bother trekking to the middle of nowhere to maybe get a decent coffee. I mean, it was good the first time round, but not that good.
— Coffeehunter

I went to Roots and Vines yesterday for lunch with a friend. I love that this place is great for a lunch or coffee during the day but also a light drink in the evening. It has a very clean look but is a chill place to hang. It’s also a great place to catch up on emails and work (free wifi); they have these long tables with benches that makes it easy to spread out and get ‘thangs’ done! There is also outside seating.
I didn’t have any of the coffee yet, but the food was really good and they had a bunch of options that sounded awesome. I had the Roasted Corn and Avocado salad with chicken. It was really tasty and the portion was a nice size. The citrus lime dressing was light and refreshing and not at all overbearing. My only complaint about the salad was the fact that the chicken was a little dry. My friend had the chicken quesadilla which was great! It was a basic quesadilla with 3 great helpings of guacamole on the top (thumbs up)! I can’t wait to go back to try the Vietnamese spring rolls!
I really liked Roots and Vines, and will definitely come back to try more of the food and the coffee. The prices are great, and the atmosphere is really nice for relaxing and chatting with friends. I highly recommend it.
Pros: Great food options at great prices, one block from the doughnut plant, so you can go there after for dessert!
Cons: people working there could pretend to be a little happier

While the sandwiches were really good, upon further inspection the chicken… was questionable. I actually became a vegetarian for a few months because of it.
A week later, gagging through the tofu bahn mi almost turned me back into a carnivore.
In the end it was a chipotle burrito that accomplished that goal but I digress.
Don’t discount this place completely. They have free wi-​fi, friendly staff and great tea and baked goods.
Plus, the vegetarian stint earned me a few karma points

I was on the corner of Suffolk and Grand and I decided try out this new thing I’ve been hearing about; I think the kids are calling it «exercise.» So I started jogging.
About a half a block later, I see a little sign that said, «Street Food.» Well, I couldn’t just pass that by. So I went into Roots & Vines (chest heaving, pouring sweat and trying not to vomit), and I ordered a carne asada torta from the friendly lady at the counter. She displayed concern for my well-​being; I assured her I was just being healthy.
As I waited, I noted that the space is clean and spare, and I assume that there is free wi/​fi, as there were several people on their laptops. Their slogan is «Where Drinks Meet.» I’m not sure what that means. They have banh mi on the menu (which is a bit odd to serve along with tortas and tacos), and I saw one that looked delicious, and regretted my torta order.
When my torta emerged from the kitchen ten minutes later, it was good. I enjoyed it, especially since I had worked up such an appetite. However, it wasn’t special; I don’t think I’d run out of my way for it, and I’ll definitely go with the banh mi next time.
Speaking of which: despite the jog, my gut remains. I think I’m going to have to give up on this «exercise» thing.

A very late lunch here (4:30PM) last Friday left me more impressed than I’ve been on previous visits. The place has been on an upswing over the last year or so, which only seems to be continuing. Our party of four enjoyed $ 5 pints (shortish pints, given) of Six Points and Brooklyn Lager. That’s hard to argue with. My torta was delicious, generous and a bit of a bargain at $ 5.50. My buddy got a new item, the Saigon Burger ($ 7.50), which he quite liked. He offered me a taste, but I was too busy with my torta to take him up on it. I did taste a chili both of our wives ordered, which was really more of a powerfully flavored bean soup than what I think of as chili. It was also very good. I’m all for powerfully flavored bean soup, and the women felt the same way.
We were a little more raucous than many of the other patrons sipping coffee and taking advantage of the free wi-​fi, but we weren’t the only ones enjoying alcoholic beverages and a few laughs there. It was a fine environment to do just that. The music was good. The servers were friendly. The space was pleasant. Up until now I thought R&V was great to have in the neighborhood, but not really a destination. Now I’d consider it a destination. Part of it was seeing the appreciation of my neighborhood joint in my friends from outside the ‘hood. But it was more than that: it’s the pleasure of watching the neighborhood joint just getting better and better over time.
My buddy and I agreed: if we lived in a small town and Roots and Vines were the only place we had to go we’d be able to get by just fine. The place has become that cool. Far cooler than you’d expect in a strip mall near Seward Park Coop on the LES, but not so cool that there’d be any reason to hesitate walking into the joint — ever. The place is completely unpretentious. It’s a great café/​sandwich shop that offers beer and wine with some cool menu items (Viet, Mexican, Burgers and Salads) to keep things interesting.
If I could give 4.5 stars here, I would.

This place is a nice surprise. The food is affordable and I was surprised to have some very very good mexican food here for lunch. Much better than pinche and even better than barrio chino. It’s a good spot as a café too, with good strong coffee and great service.
I had the carne asada quesadilla and pork taco that were both delicious. I’m from California so I’m always looking for good Mexican… who would’ve thought that I would find some here. Check it out!

Roots and Vines is a destination, folks. Travel here if you don’t live within walking distance.
It’s worth it.
Seriously.
My brother and I caught the train over and walked around a bit looking for Roots & Vines. At the time we were confused by the map on the iPhone (NOTE: this has been fixed now!!!) We spent the extra few minutes looking for it, and spotted the sign painted on the low brick wall on the next block as we walked past the big brick apartment buildings (on our right). I’m glad we didn’t give up and head elsewhere.
There were tables outside, and it was too bad the weather was rainy, or I would have seriously enjoyed sitting out there. We headed inside, where the décor was pretty modern, very clean. Lots of books to read and a couple TVs showing the Sunday football games.
The coffee was exceptional. I generally like a little bit of coffee with my cream and sugar, and this only needed a little bit of cream. Not that it was sweet, it just was flavorful. Neither of us got espresso, so I have no idea how that may be, but if the food and the coffee is any indicator, I’d assume the espresso is probably pretty killer too.
And speaking of the food… OMFG. Excellent Mexican food. We ordered chicken tacos and they were fucking awesome. I ordered the torta with Pork and it was PHENOMENAL. My brother ordered the Vietnamese sandwich, which was pretty good, but I’m spoiled by really great Vietnamese food in Seattle. We split the torta and the Vietnamese sandwich and the torta was the clear winner; avocado, pork, a super tasty cream sauce, great bread… yeah definitely give this a try.
There were lots of different sized tables, lots of folks on their computers soaking up the free WiFi or reading papers or quietly talking within their groups. And then me and my brother sitting there like a couple of drooling idiots remarking on how great the food was.
Prices were great too. Totally reasonable, especially considering how damned good the food was. Also there was beer on tap, maybe wine, I didn’t notice. I’d love to come back and check out what this place is like around happy hour.