Roots Cafe — Restaurant in Town of Naples

After going through Naples & passing by this place many times on the way to Canandaigua Lake, we recently decided to stop here for dinner with some friends and give it a try. Before heading in to the restaurant, we stopped in briefly to the winery in back, however it was unfortunately just about to close. We were politely ushered into the restaurant (which in reality is located inside a large Victorian house--cool!) by an employee on his way out, and were seated at a table in a large bow window almost immediately. Being the "off season" for many businesses in the finger lakes, I was surprised by the offerings on the menu as well as the days' specials. While the two ladies in our party ordered salads for their entrees, as an appetizer I ordered the homemade fries & poutine, with red wine reduction gravy and mushrooms to share. Needless to say it was delicious, and even the salad ladies partook in having some. The portion was generous and certainly enough to share among the four of us. I ordered a burger made with local beef on homemade bun, along with a special coleslaw & mayo topping; my friend ordered a center cut boneless pork chop with root vegetable reduction. Both the burger and pork chop exceeded expectations. While not the"biggest" burger I've ever had, it was among the tastiest, and I left there perfectly satisfied. I think that is what quality food should do: quality vs. quantity. My friend thoroughly enjoyed his pork chop and the vegetable reduction. Both ladies are very picky about their salads, and they enjoyed the ones they had here. The only negative comment I have is that one of the ladies asked for "no onions" on her salad, but it arrived with onions anyway. Rather than make a big deal about it, she simply picked them out. That minor inconvenience however does not change my rating. The inspire Moore wines served with dinner were very good (especially the "Truth" red, which I paired with the burger). Our server, Alex, was great; knowledgeable about the menu and wines, and attentive without being obtrusive. Food arrived shortly after the appetizer was finished. We were too full for dessert, so I cannot provide a review on that, but it also sounded delicious. Interior was very unpretentious and homey, with vintage tables and chairs. Overall a great experience, and a place we will be...

Roots was hyped in many reviews and so we chose it for my wife’s birthday celebration. The restaurant was reasonably busy but there were a fair number of empty tables. Drinks service was quite quick and I was offered a taster of a wine I was not sure about. I appreciated that gesture though the dry Riesling choice I did make was disappointing. The wines served are all from the neighboring winery - no other choices available. My wife’s cocktail was good. She chose the tuna dish and I chose a burger. An hour after ordering we still had no food. On inquiring we were told that “ the burgers take a long time. “ An hour and fifteen minutes after ordering, the food arrived. The tuna dish was excellent. The burger was indifferent - not worth the fuss of sending back but definitely not worth the wait. Meat was tough, it was somewhat overcooked and it was not hot. We shared a slice of carrot cake - the only dessert available. What really got to us about the experience at Roots was the underwhelming service. It bordered on “nice” arrogance. When my first wine choice was not available I politely asked if there was anything else that was not available. The response from the server was that there were probably several things not available but that I should first choose and then she’d tell me if it was available! During the long wait for our food there was no effort to explain or provide a timeframe, until we asked and were told about the long burger cook time. It seemed bizarre. The final straw was on being offered a choice of dessert, being told that only carrot cake was available. On asking as a matter of interest what other desserts they normally served, the server walked off without an answer. Perhaps we caught Roots at the end of a long day or a bad day for the server. Others have clearly enjoyed their experience there and certainly the tuna dish shows the chef has ability. Underwhelmed, is perhaps the best description of our experience, but that should not deter others from...

We stopped here during our vacation at the finger lakes. The ambiance is cool and the front porch is perfect for outdoor dining on a summer night. The kitchen was on a wait when we arrived (tables open but they wanted to give the kitchen a chance “to catch up”) so we happily sidled up to the bar. Love a pre-dinner drink at the bar, and we were in no rush. Nice selection of cocktails- my bf had a basil-lemon-something and I had the jalapeño margarita, yum. Unfortunately, bar service was super slow, so the hostess came back to seat us before my bf got his drink, which created an awkward, carry-your-drink-then-wait-for-the-other-person moment... not a big deal, but a touch more detail to the customer experience would make for a more seamless transition. Anyway, the outdoor seating space is super sweet and well-appointed. We ordered the wings as a starter and they were possibly the best wings I’ve ever eaten: perfect, fresh chicken laid atop a presumably housemade hot sauce and topped with gorgeous crumbles of bleu cheese. Heavenly. Next came the entrees, and the moment the wheels came off. My Just-Trust-Us-Burger (with watermelon rind relish) was flavorful but undercooked. My boyfriend’s mushroom cacciatore, however, was a tasteless mess of mostly unseasoned tomatoes over a gelatinous mound of unseasoned polenta. Ugh. It was bad. Like, really bad.

I do regret not sending both plates back. For the price, the food should be delicious and this seems like the kind of place where they’d want to get it right. But we’re not from here, and we’ll likely never return. Was it worth it to call over the waitress and open this can of worms? Could it create more disappointment? Ultimately, we just wanted to get out and go on about our vacation, albeit $100 lighter and still hungry.

I do feel like this place means well, and so I wouldn’t discourage going. But if your meal isn’t right, do better than us and send it back. You deserve a good...