roots — Restaurant in West Windsor

Not one, but ZERO stars for the mastery of an appalling service. No service at all would've been better than what we experienced today.

We're Princeton localities, having lived in this beautiful city for approximately 15 years. Ever since Roots opened, we've been regular customers. Roots definitely has some quality dishes, prepared well. The only reason we kept going back was exclusively due to the food. Each subsequent visit, the service degraded. After our visit tonight, it was apparent that we would not be visiting again.

First, the woman at the front desk does not understand customer service. Never have we seen her receive her guests with a smile. There's a well constructed, heartfelt message on the wall, but the restaurant embodies none of it. It almost feels like someone was hired to write that message. She behaves as if she's doing you a favor - trying to find a table. If you're a first time visitor, you'll have to wander around for a good ten minutes before you're addressed - if at all you're approached. There was a time when I had request for a table three times before we were seated - after 45 minutes. Oh - and she also doesn't understand that customers need to know how long they should be expected to wait prior to getting seated. You just have to take your chances when you walk into this "pan" Asian restaurant.

Second, there's a sense of egoism in all waiters/waitresses. Ambiance makes a restaurant successful. All Roots has is edible food. If you do not care about how you're treated when you're enjoying a meal, then Roots is the place for you. Otherwise, Pru Thai in Pennington is FAR better. Go there!

We found a very sharp object in our drunken noodles tonight to which both the lady at the front desk as well as the servers put on a great act of surprise and skepticism. One of the waiters claimed it was a piece of uncooked rice. The lady at the front desk, noticing the commotion, comes over and deems it as a "piece of wood which was left uncolored" who later continued to say that she didn't understand how it "got in there." If she doesn't know how it got in there - should it be my problem? I don't care what it was - if I'm ordering a dish, I expect there to be nothing but the contents of that dish. We did not receive a proper apology or resolution for the sharp object. I was simply disgusted.

As I've said, the only reason we go back is because of the food. Today, that basic expectation was severely undermined. Guess we'll be going to Pru Thai from now onwards.

Roots - thanks at least for a few years. It...

I recently visited Roots in Princeton upon a recommendation from a friend, and we both went for dinner. We arrived around 7 pm, and though the restaurant was moderately busy, there was plenty of seating available. We were seated comfortably at a table for four. The ambiance was decent, with a quiet and relaxed atmosphere—perfect for a casual dinner with a friend. It doesn’t scream luxury, but it’s inviting and comfortable.

For drinks, I was about to order a Coke when my friend suggested trying their fresh juices. I opted for the fresh carrot, celery, and ginger juice, while my friend went for the pineapple, green apple, and ginger juice. Both juices were incredibly fresh, cold, and delicious—a refreshing start to the meal!

The menu had a variety of unique options, and while I was figuring out what to order, my friend, who had been there before, suggested a couple of dishes. We chose the Thai Basil dish, stir-fried with vegetables and rice, seasoned perfectly with basil and spices. The second dish was Lo Mein, a stir-fried noodle dish with vegetables. Both dishes were superb, and we shared them between us. The flavors complemented each other well, and the food was truly outstanding.

One of the highlights of the evening was the incredibly friendly and attentive service. Our waitress noticed we ordered vegetarian dishes and thoughtfully asked if it was okay to use fish oil for the stir-fry. We were really impressed by her attention to detail and appreciated her asking, to which we replied no.

After dinner, we stayed for quite a long time, chatting and catching up. There was another group dining a little further away, and at one point, we asked what time they closed. To our surprise, we were told they had already closed! The staff had been so polite and considerate, never rushing us or making us feel like we needed to leave. It wasn’t until we noticed the waiters and waitresses having their own dinner at a table that we realized how late it was. We left after finishing our long chat, feeling very welcome and appreciative of the friendly and polite staff.

Overall, it was an awesome dining experience. The food was flavorful and fresh, and the staff went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. I highly recommend Roots if you're in Princeton and looking for a place with delicious Asian-inspired cuisine and...

As someone who eats pho multiple times a week I could not have been more disappointed. Now I did have very high expectations for this beef pho with vegetables since it cost $17.50 compared to my normal extra large bowl of brisket and vegetable pho costing $9. When the pho came the first issue I had was portion, the bowl of pho was exceptionally small. Pho is known to be a large portion soup typically a medium size bowl of pho is about a half gallon, this bowl held maybe a quart. The second disappointment was the smell, the notes coming off of the soup where quite off putting and reminded me of soured dish water. The third issue I had before even eating the pho was the temperature of the broth; the soup was cold. Similarly to how pho is typically a large portion soup it’s also typically served just cooler then boiling. Pho should not be served luke warm it should be served at a scalding temperature. After tasting the pho I was even more disappointed, the broth was quite bland and didn’t have the body to it that it should of. It tasted like it was not allowed to simmer and develop long enough (pho broth takes quite a while to cook properly). Furthermore, the vegetables where over cooked and mushy and the beef was quite fatty and chewy. The entire dish appeared to be of low quality and served at a very expensive price. I will continue to make the weekly drive to China town to...