What We Look For
Roots & Routes focuses on restaurants where most of the food is made from whole, clean ingredients using simple preparation.
If a place generally fits the points below, it’s likely a good fit.
A restaurant is a good fit when:
- Food is made from scratch
- It’s made from whole, real ingredients
- Sauces, dressings, and marinades are part of the cooking process
- The kitchen isn’t assembling mostly pre-made components
- A mindful eater can order solid, thoughtfully prepared meal options — not just salads or sides
Not every dish needs to fit — what matters is that there are real, thoughtfully prepared, whole-food-based meal options to choose from.
What Else We Take Note Of
These aren’t requirements, but they’re details many mindful eaters like to know.
When available, we take note of things like:
- Whole grains on the menu
- Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.)
- Dark leafy greens or vegetable-forward dishes
- Organic ingredients (when noted)
- Local or thoughtfully sourced ingredients (when shared)
- Clear ingredient descriptions or simple preparation styles
Why This Matters
Roots & Routes exists to make eating well feel possible when eating out.
By focusing on ingredients, preparation, and transparency, we highlight restaurants where real food still has a place —
no matter how you eat.
