The health food craze grew again downtown with the addition of a natural kitchen called Roots this summer. Located at the base of Edge apartments on East Beaver, Roots serves greens-and-grains-based bowls that include options like sweet potatoes and tofu.

It’s a similar concept to Chipotle but without all the sodium and scandal. For all our DC natives and hummus hipsters out there, it’s basically Cava.

Heres what some of our staffers had to say about their experience at Roots…

Rory Pelella

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: I am NOT a salad person. But I may as well start calling myself that after my most recent trip to Roots. I ordered the El Jefe, which came with chicken, brown rice, kale, black beans, corn, avocado, and pita chips.

The chicken was flavorful and cooked to perfection, while all of the vegetables complimented each other well to provide a fresh, healthy, but tasty experience. I especially enjoyed the pita chips. They added a nice crunch to every bite.

Although the prices were a little expensive, I certainly got my money’s worth and actually felt pretty satisfied by the time I wiped my bowl clean. Overall, I was extremely impressed and plan to go back at Roots sometime in the near future.

Hope Damato

I definitely love trying new things, but I was taken aback when I first walked into Roots because I had never seen a restaurant so aesthetically pleasing and well put-together. I was initially disappointed at the prices for what seemed to be a bowl of lettuce but boy, was I wrong.

I ordered the Southern, which included rice, kale, chickpeas, broccoli, corn, onions, and cheddar topped with lemon tahini and barbecue tofu. Although I haven’t had red meat in five years, I have never tried tofu, and I was shocked by my first experience.

Many say tofu is gross and slimy, but mine tasted just like barbecue chicken. I really liked how all the ingredients were paired to complement each other. The broccoli and corn gave me the southern feel but combined with the kale, it made for a healthy alternative. I see myself blowing all my LionCash on Roots in the future.

Anthony Colucci

After working in New York City this summer, I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to overspending on $10 salads. And Roots did not disappoint.

I ordered the Mayweather, which is a combination of kale, sweet potatoes, beets, avocados, onions, quinoa, chicken and goat cheese — aka all of the things that are normally thrown into salads by themselves to make them ~fun~. But put them all together, and you have one nice lunch that’ll certainly hold you over past dinner time.

Roots is probably one of the healthiest meals you can find in State College and certainly provides options that stand out compared to the usual rotation.

Riley Davies

When I went into Roots I opted to go for one of their pre-curated menu options. I’m typically the type of person who opts for the custom because I am so picky, but the Balboa looked amazing: brown rice, corn, pickled onions, sweet potatoes, caesar, lemon tahini, pita chips, avocado, and feta cheese.

While I would have never put these items together by myself, it was an amazing combination and had a unique taste different from anything I’ve ever tried in State College. The service was also very accommodating to my substitution requests, which made me even happier with my experience. I could not recommend Roots enough.

Jim Davidson

Roots’ food is refreshing, but also satisfying. I had the Corner Cobb, which included a mix of greens, sweet potatoes corn, cucumbers, avocado, and chicken. Roots gives you a sizeable salad – not Fiddlehead huge, but still enough – with well-mixed and evenly portioned ingredients. The Arcadia mix, which serves as the base of the Corner Cobb, is different from your average foundation and complemented the toppings well. Sweet potatoes really complete this option, adding a different flavor to the otherwise hearty bowl. The chicken was juicy and the corn tasted like August.

I’ll definitely be returning the next time I vow to eat more greens but inevitably break out a pint of Ben and Jerry’s as soon as I get home.