Roots Steakhouse

Another wonderful Saturday night dinner with friends and family at Roots. As always, the service was excellent. The food was delicious and the overall atmosphere was upbeat.
We all ordered Shrimp, Cesar salad, and Lobster bisque for starters. All of us were happy with the starters. For dinner we all ordered NY Strip steaks, asparagus, mushrooms, and sauteed spinach– again everything came out perfect. I am very picky with food as I follow a specific diet. Roots always gets it right — I never have to send food back. We finished off with carrot cake which was YUMMY!
Never a bad meal! Never bad service!

This place was great. We started with the french onion soup and lobster bisque. The bisque was great, and broke a long streak of bad lobster bisque for us. My wife hates asparagus, which this had, but that gave me an excuse to go hunting in her soup and eat a bunch of it, so I didn’t mind. The french onion was good, a little sweet, but good.
For dinner we split the porterhouse (mid-​rare). Some slices were rare, but I like it that way, and gave the wife the mid-​rare slices. The meat was super tender, and the presentation with the bone up in the center was nice. Zero blood when cutting into the steak, it was a perfect porterhouse. I tried a peppercorn sauce, but that was crap.
The creamed spinach was ok, but the spinach wasn’t as liquefied as I like. The twice baked potato was insane. Wife didn’t seem thrilled with the mashed potatoes– took just about all of them home so I could mess with them a bit. She actually thought they tasted like flakes.
Decent scotch selection, only 2 beers on tap but wife got something she liked. Went cappuccino at the end, which was small but good. Was too stuffed for dessert, but since it was my birthday I got a carrot cake to take home. Overall spend 200, which is not bad at all with 4 drinks.

I definitely do NOT recommend this place. The service is horrible and the management does not side with the customer. The head waiter was so rude that we had to ask for another waiter. Spoke to manager and he was confused that we could ask for another waiter. He said he’s the Captain. I really couldn’t believe how bad the service was. The food was decent but not amazing.

One of my best stops ! The food and drinks offered are top shelf as is the staff– from bartender to servers. Always busy, always lively… so be prepared for a crowd. Definitely a place to enjoy a fine steak, a good bottle of wine, and finish with a single malt whisky.

We recently went to this restaurant and we enjoyed it very much. The prime rib was out of this world and the service was great, The soup was awesome!!!

A near perfect dining experience every single time. From the moment you walk in the door to the moment you walk out. Nicely run, great wines and exceptional service.

No need to drive to the city for the quintessential New York style service and atmosphere. I think, however, that they are missing a saxophone! At any rate, the food here is divine!

I cannot say enough good things about Roots. From the second we walked through the door and were greeted by 3 smiling faces at the hostess stand, to the moment we stood up to leave and the manager (who also checked on us mid-​meal) stopped me to ask me if we enjoyed ourselves, Roots did not disappoint. To begin with, this was probably the fastest (Morristown Roots is a close second) I’ve ever walked through a door, got seated, met the waitress/​waiter and had drinks on the table, of any restaurant experience I’ve ever had. Our waitress was attentive and patient (we couldn’t decide on appetizers) and made us feel like we were the only table she was waiting on and this was a packed weekend night at 7:30.
For appetizers we got a shrimp cocktail and a lobster cocktail. Both were phenomenal. The shrimp were probably U12, perfectly prepared and chilled… the lobster was ridiculous, in the best way possible. For those that have never had this here or are considering Roots for the first time, the lobster cocktail is a must have. Forget about the quality of the lobster which is perfect, they literally take all the work out of it. The tail is removed and split and the claws and other parts are presented in such a way that all you need is a fork. My only gripe, if you can call it that, is that the shrimp cocktail only has 3 shrimp which makes it tough to share. Especially when you want to pounce on that third shrimp. Maybe hike the price $ 4 or $ 5 and add that fourth shrimp??? :-)
For entrees there was an 8 ounce filet and a 12 ounce filet, both cooked just shy of medium, perfectly. The only reason a knife was even necessary was due to the thickness of the meat, otherwise these could have easily been «cut» with a fork. We went with an arugula salad as a side dish and split it. Not much else to say about the entrees other than I’ve never had a bad steak of any cut at Roots. Always great.
Lastly was dessert. This being around the Thanksgiving holiday, they offered a pumpkin cheesecake and that was phenomenal as well. The bottom line is that each time I go to Roots, I am torn. While I know what to expect from previous visits, I also brace for a let down and it never seems to happen. The law of averages says I will have a mediocre experience at some point, but Roots is having none of it. I highly recommend both Summit and Morristown as I have not been to Ridgewood yet.

My sister and I ordered a filet mignonette and a New York cut… rare. The filet mignon was acceptable. The NY cut was in my opinion well done at best. I told the waiter as much and he was very kind to make a new one this time rare. However, as I suspected rare meant cold inside.
Now…I know that a steak, no matter what cut, can be cooked rare without being cold inside. And while the waiter and maitre D were exceedingly kind, the fact remains that this highly praised steakhouse could not deliver a proper rare steak. I know, it is an art to sizzle meat so that the center remains rare and hot, but that’s what I expect from a good restaurant.
I will say the flavor was excellent and the service as well. I just wish the food were up to the same standard.
As we finished our meal the maitre D came to our table and said that the steak wouldn’t be on our bill. Now that was classy and for that I have to give them 4 stars out of 5.

One of my favorite steakhouses in NJ. Try the shrimp scampi appetizer — it’s not what you expect. Battered shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce. You will not be disappointed. Save room for the butter cake dessert. Excellent wine choices too. Make a reservation — very busy — worth the wait.

Never disappoints. .but does drain the wallet!!! We enjoyed an amazing birthday dinner here on Saturday night. Originally, they attempted to seat us by the bar (just say no because the bar gets superpacked and noisy)…but thankfully, we did get a seat in one of the dining rooms.
Drinks were the special Manhattan and cosmo, both great. Also, malbec by the glass was exceptional.
Appys were shrimp cocktail with 3 super jumbo shrimp (yes, the ultimate play on words!) and the arugula salad. Both were excellent. Salad had a very generous size with blue cheese and apple cider dressing.
Entrée selection was a ny strip steak and the ahi tuna. Steak was perfectly cooked and delicious. The tuna was also just simply amazing and served over black rice. We chose the twice baked and just scrumptious potato and the herb mushrooms, which were good, but a little plain.
Desserts were yummy. We split the largest piece of red velvet cake which was the perfect ending to a great meal. Overall, a splurge, but oh-​so good.

With a group — we were very nice to servers — first drink order — was served the dregs of wine — YUCK! Food expensive, but it was just ok — well plated though. Popover nice surprise. Table clearing staff was way too aggressive and kept interrupting conversations to clear plates that have no reason to be cleared — eg — silverware not placed to signal «clear» — trying to clear bread plate that still had bread on it. For the $$$ — not a good choice. Pretty marble on the wall though.

I felt 100% rushed here. Started with a great drink. They swiped the pop up bread thing for appetizers which was no big deal, but then they practically swiped my ribeye out of my mouth. I felt like it was bagged and back to me before I even decided if I was done. I had to ask them to put down my side they were so fast — they had to bring new silverware bc it was already gone.
Then we order desserts. I was contemplating another glass of wine but she dropped the check before I could ask and I had to sit there during the chat phase thinking damn I wish I had wine right now. How do I end this and get out of here because I don’t have freaking wine now.
If I wasn’t on a business dinner I would have been pissed. Thank goodness it wasn’t a special night out. I could see if it was packed but there were tables available. I could see if we were ‘closing down the place’ but there were plenty of people left.
So good meal, eh service.

This was my first steakhouse in the burbs and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. We went there last FRI for lunch, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. It looked like a NY steakhouse, the servers were decked out in steak house looking uniforms and the ambience (granted it was lunch so it was a bit quiet) was upscale and clean.
But we didn’t come here for the friggin ambience, it was meat we were after, and they didn’t disappoint. I had the 16 oz NY Strip (mon favorit) and it was cooked perfectly. Nice sear on the outside and bloody pink/​red in the middle. Potato sides are limited to mashed, and something else for the lunch service, dinner has about 8 more choices. All the steaks are a la carte though they seemed to have lunch menu that included sides.
We also had a non vintage Far Niente Cab Sav. One of my favorites and one of the few CA wines I actually drink. For some reason I never really got the CA wine thing. Willamette Valley, awesome! Burgundy, can’t live without it! Marlborough, the best Sav Blancs in the world! Napa, Sonoma, Central Coasts, eh. Sorry, maybe I’m not being exposed to the good stuff. Didn’t see a Somm, maybe just for dinner service. Impressive wine list, btw.
The only issue at Roots was service. Overall, not bad, just felt a bit rushed at first. And when I asked how they cook their steaks, he said «we broil it in an 1800 degree oven». To which I replied, so do you sear it in a pain and then stick it under a Salamander? «No, just broil it in an 1800 degree oven.» I said, sounds like a Salamander, I’ve never heard of an oven inside a restaurant at those temps. He said, «no». Okay. (I still think it’s a Salamander).
But the guy did his job. Generally, at high end steak houses, it’s nice if the server knows more about wines, cooking methods and offers some suggestions/​opinions. This guy wasn’t really engaged. OH, almost forgot. They also served pop overs. Thought this was only done in New England chop houses. It was a nice surprise. I don’t really get why they are so popular but it reminded me of Boston, so it was a nice touch.
I’d definitely like to check them out for a dinner and see if they call pull off a FRI/​SAT night service. Looking forward to checking them out again.

I am torn on the number of stars to give, simply because the food is delicious, but the experience leaves a lot to be desired.
This had long been one of our go-​to «special occasion’ places, but we stopped coming and now I remember why. My husband brought me here last night for my birthday as I wanted a nice steak. I know he made reservations well in advance and told the restaurant it was a birthday celebration (everyone very nicely wished me a happy day, and the cookie plate at the end of our meal was a nice touch). Instead of a nice cozy booth or side table, we were seated in the center of the back room. Meh.
The staff was all very nice and helpful, but I felt rushed. Very rushed. From the moment we sat down until the last bite of cake, took about one hour and 10 minutes. Granted, I suppose we could have asked to wait before ordering each course, but I don’t think I should have to do that. This is not the kind of place you should come if you’re looking to be in and out for dinner.
Our appetizers were out 10 minutes after ordering. Our waiter began clearing all the plates on the table before I was finished eating. That’s a big no-​no in my book. Our entrees were brought out 10 minutes after the appetizers were finished and dessert less than 10 minutes after ordering. Why are the meals not paced properly?
The food was excellent, so I cannot fault them there, and maybe others don’t care about the timing of courses, but it’s a deal breaker for me.

Quick update.
Stopped by again for a work dinner… asked for the prime rib, and was served something that hadn’t quite roasted at low heat long enough. Tons of tendon made it tough to cut (wasn’t much a fan of their steak knife, too), and it was more bloody than the wine we were drinking. On top of that, the horseradish cream I ordered never came, and they tried to give us sides we didn’t order (we sent those back to get the sides we did order).
Ice cream had too many chunks of ice in it :(
Bright side was that the mac and cheese — they do have a bacon variant :) And if you like lobster, try the lobster pie, a 1.25lb lobster, tail meat that is broiled with butter and a sprinkle of bread crumbs, the ladies loved it at the table.
Still, I gave it a shot twice, I will try the cowboy or something else next time I’m taken here, given how popular they are, it will no doubt be again soon.

For consistently great experiences in the Steakhouse realm of restaurants, Roots always delivers. Tables by the bar area tend to get a bit crowded but no different then a high volume spot in NYC. Bartenders are drinks experts as well as great story tellers. If you have never experienced a pop-​over before, this is a great place to start. All steaks are steps above what you find in other locals houses. It is a bit pricey but anything in Summit NJ is such so come hungry and leave with a great night behind you every time.

Feb 3 2015 update. Upgrade to 4 stars. Service was exceptionally good — friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Actually had same bone in filet but different apps and sides. Executed well — no over wrought workings but still lots of flavor and wholeness. They now offer popovers rather than bread and they were quite good. I still think the wine list is a weak point. Way too pricey and some of the special by glass offerings too high. Example 28 for Silverado cab. Don’t recall vintage but it was nowhere optimal. Flabby and rough texture. No bottles under 90 and most well over 120. I don’t mind the splurge but there has to be some value. None the less — for NJ — a good steak house. In NYC however this would be a 3 star.
have mixed feelings about this place. First of all, the steak I had was nothing short of great. A bone-​in filet mignon had exceptional flavor and texture, perfectly done to specification (rare). Shown on the menu as 14 ounces — I am not sure of that as clearly the bone was counted in on what was a modest, at best portion. At $ 37.95 a bit pricey considering that was all you got — the beef. Had some sides which were good, asparagus and sautéed spinach. Very small portions but priced fairly low. They offer a single Yorkshire pudding style bread item to start as opposed to a generous variety of breads and except for a rather dinner looking menu no one knows what else they offer without having a good imagination especially since the staff isnt well trained or experienced.
Wine by the bottle or glass was not exception or impressive. But the prices were. They have a serious issue here with even glasses of relatively unexceptional choices priced north of 15 per glass. Inexcusable. Bottles were over the top and again disappointing.
Service while friendly was neither professional or effective. They were consistently a step or two behind our desires or the bus boy. And they presented a fairly rough around the edge, unpolished image. Given the NYC like prices is is also inexcusable. Ditto for the bar service which e experienced while waiting for a table.
Fortunately for me Summit is somewhat off my beat and path so I am left with no particular motivation to try it again. Id rather go to Rods not too far away (although the quality of meat appears superior at Roots). But it’s small town setting, fairly unprofessional and unpolished service and high prices put this way down my list. ($ 181.00 dinner for two — including a single glass of wine, two cocktails, salad and dessert, excluding tip)

I came here for dinner with a friend and we both enjoyed our dinner.
We arrived a little early with the intention of having some drinks at the bar. The bar was crowded. The bar is what you would imagine in a steakhouse and the décor of the restaurant as a whole is what you would expect in a steakhouse.
When we arrived there were no seats in the bar so we had to stand. The servers frequently walk through the area with rolling carts they use to bring food from the kitchen to the tables. One of the serves hit me with the rolling cart, causing my drink to spill. The whole drink did not spill, but it splashed on my arm and hand. He continued on, never turned around or apologized.
The bartender was friendly, made good drinks, but sometimes he was slow due to the large crowd and had to be reminded I was waiting for a drink.
Several minutes before my reservation time, we were taken to the table.
Our server knew the menu and made great recommendations.
The wine list is large and you should be able to find something you like on there.
For an appetizer I had the seared sesame crusted rare tuna. It was cooked perfectly and had great flavor.
For a salad, I had the heirloom tomato salad. It was good, nothing special, but had a good flavor, was fresh and refreshing.
For dinner I had the 20 ounce Kansas City steak. It was cooked to my liking, seasoned well and large enough to fill me up.
Overall, it was a great dining experience. I would go back. I would have given 4 stars were it not for getting bumped with the cart and the bartender having to be reminded about my drink order.

Had a glass of wine and the chicken salad. My food was really good. My friends ordered the burger and fries, I think my food was probably tastier than theirs. White tablecloth service, there were some inconsistencies in service and attention, but overall no complaints.