FAQ

What is Roots & Routes?

Roots & Routes is a curated map of restaurants that cook with real ingredients and thoughtful preparation, built with the help of the community. We focus on how food is made, not trends, labels, or popularity.

Is Roots & Routes for a specific diet?

Roots & Routes isn’t tied to one way of eating.
Whether someone eats mostly plants, includes animal foods, or follows a more traditional or regional food approach, our focus is the same: real ingredients, thoughtfully prepared.

How do you decide which restaurants to include?

We focus on whether a mindful eater can find a few meals made from whole or minimally processed ingredients, prepared simply and with care — based on what we look for when deciding if a restaurant is a good fit.

Who adds restaurants to the map?

Restaurants are added through a mix of community suggestions and our own research. All listings are reviewed by our team before being published.

Can anyone contribute?

Yes. Roots & Routes is community-driven. Individuals — including restaurant staff — and restaurants can both contribute.

You don’t need to be an expert — just someone familiar with how a restaurant prepares its food and what ingredients are typically used.

Do I need an account to contribute?

Some actions require an account so we can keep contributions organized and transparent, but browsing the map does not.

Do restaurants need to meet every criterion to be listed?

No. Not every restaurant checks every box — and that’s intentional. What matters is that a mindful eater can find real, whole-ingredient mindfully prepared options on the menu.

Are all dishes at a listed restaurant “healthy”?

No. Roots & Routes doesn’t rank restaurants or assign scores. We intentionally avoid ratings because one person’s disappointment can be another person’s favorite place.
Instead of personal opinions, we focus on how food is prepared and what ingredients are used — so people can decide what fits them.

Do restaurants pay to be listed?

No. Restaurants are not paid placements. Inclusion is based on fit, not advertising.

Will Roots & Routes be available everywhere?

Roots & Routes is growing city by city, with the goal of expanding to more places over time. Coverage varies by location, and new restaurants are added thoughtfully as the map grows.

If you know a place that fits, you can help us grow the map — or signup to be notified when your city is added.

Will Roots & Routes add more features?

Yes. We’re building thoughtfully and continue to evolve based on real needs, with the goal of making it easier for people to
eat well in everyday life.

How can I stay updated?

You can follow along on the site or through our social channels as new cities, restaurants, and features are added. If you’d like occasional updates by email, you can sign up to hear how Roots & Routes is evolving.