Roots Latin Grill — Restaurant in Springfield

So I had a mixed experience here, the food for one part was super good! Tostones, so good! (Beef is the best one for sure). Lomo Saltado, super good. Caipirinha and Mojito, good and good. Tres leches, a bit dry to my taste. But in general it was a really good food. Hence the 5 stars.

Now the not so great was, we got there around 6:10pm, Friday but we did not have a reservation (did not know we could have done it) and the host told us they couldn’t seat us on a table but we could seat at the bar but if we could be done in 1 hour so we were like sure that sounds fine but we did think “Can you make a reservation for the bar?” But anyway we sat and there were 2 bartender a female and a male bartender (who I think is named Colton, sorry if it is not). He was the most friendly and fun bartender, very enjoyable, talking to us and being nice. The other bartender was nice but in a couple opportunities we heard her talking of basically how we needed to be done quick and fast, to a point Colton (I believe) basically told her “it is going to be fine” and she did not finish a comment that had started toward us.

At the end, we left and by the moment we sat in the car, it had been 50 min and we spent over $150, I just wish she would have been more “discreet” if she was...

We enjoyed a unique meal here that was full of flavor and authenticity. Our server was friendly and efficient, and service was quick. We dined on a Friday in the late afternoon — our receipt was time-stamped at 5 PM, so before the dinner rush.

Our biggest frustration was that the menu at the restaurant didn’t match what was posted online. We had already picked out what we wanted to order in advance, only to find those items weren’t available on the menus we were given.

To be fair, we didn’t ask our server if those online items were still available — we were simply too tired after a long day of travel and didn’t feel like making a fuss.

We ordered & shared the Pork Arepa and the Tostones Sampler. Our favorites were the Mango Tostones (a standout!), followed by the Pork Arepa and Pork Tostones. The shredded beef Tostones came in last for us, but were still tasty.

While we aren’t fans of the strip mall restaurant setup (it always feels a bit like dining in a storefront) and the bench-style wall seating wasn’t the most comfortable, the food made up for it.

The only real downside was the sticky floors, which are always a bit off-putting.

That said, the food was good enough that we’d return if we find ourselves in...

First time at Roots Latin Grill. We were seated quickly by a very pleasant young man who brought us water and menus. The restaurant features food from Central and South America in good-sized portions for one, or to share. Having worked in Central and South America. I ordered the mushrooms in garlic butter sauce that my wife and I shared, the camerones de ajillo (shell-on shrimp in a spicy butter, garlic, and lime sauce) and an arepa (flatbread bun) filled with spiced beef, black beans, and sweet plantain. My wife had vegetarian mango salsa tostones. For desert she had passion fruit mouse and I had flan. I also had chuflay (Brazilian brandy, ginger ale, and lime). The food was delicious, as good as I had when in several South American countries. My wife also loved her food. Our server was attentive and efficient. The restaurant is small and simply, but beautifully decorated with photographs and art from Central and South America that brought back wonderful memories. We recommend that one go with a half dozen friends and order dishes to share (the menu is on the Website), which we...