Roots Restaurant and Bar

Great happy hour! Loved the mac and cheese, calamari and fried oysters… the Toffee cake with vanilla ice cream was amazing! Great place and atmosphere! Definitely recommended.

This was our first meal here for two years or more. We had our first breakfast since we were there for Sunday brunch. Possibly it was busier than it looked because our waitress was frequently unavailable. Fortunately other staff refilled water and ice tea and coffee and delivered food. There was a great delay between ordering and receiving our food: 45 minutes or more. I assume there was a problem in the kitchen because the waiter who delivered the food thanked us for our patience. In addition, the table behind us, seated 90 minutes later received their food in a few minutes. When our food arrived there were issues: toast not buttered, no jam, no syrup for pancakes. Maybe four stars is too high but food was otherwise good and staff pleasant. The prices were not unreasonably high.

We have been going to Roots for several years and 80% of the time we sit in the bar and order off of the dinner menu. Saturday evening we sit in one of the three very cozy, intimate booths along the East wall. Atmosphere is inviting and although the bar has plenty of people enjoying the evening it is not too loud to have an easy conversation but the volume is such that your privacy is maintained. Service is prompt, courteous and professional. Wife’s wine is a decent pour and my cocktail is definitely not weak. We are familiar with the menu but take a quick look as some items do change. Wife orders the chicken and I order the salmon. We start with the hearts of romaine salad which is fresh, crisp and has just the right amount of dressing. Timing of each course is just right and entrée’s arrive hot. Presentation is classy and appropriate for the price and venue. Both meals are fresh and tasty; preparation is spot on. Chicken breast is light and moist with good flavor. Brussel sprouts are just right and potatoes are smooth and creamy. Salmon is cooked as ordered with just enough seasoning. Bed of wild rice is moist and fluffy but not at all sticky. Green beans crisp but not overcooked. Overall our dinner, drink and service were excellent with no complaints. Not many places to go for a decent meal in the Camas area but we can count on consistent, fresh meals that are healthy (for a restaurant) and filling while still feeling light and not heavy. We did not have desert this evening but they too are typically very good.

First of all, the food was great. We had the short ribs followed by the chocolate mousse and both were delicious. My disappointment was with the service. When we arrived, they had already given our table away because the person I had set the reservation up with had entered the time wrong. They did get us a table with only a minimal wait, which I appreciated. The waiter was ok, but I always felt rushed to make a decision, as if they wanted the table freed up for the next person. Overall, it was a good experience, but when you’re paying over $ 100 for dinner, I had hoped for a level above.

One of the best two places in Vancouver for brunch, and on par with some of the best spots in Portland. The Dungeness crab Benedict ($ 20) was one of the best I’ve had, period. Service is exemplary. Only downside: the place was mostly empty (for the 1^st 20 minutes, we were all alone), so not a lot of energy in the place, which I like for brunch. Would also be nice to have an earlier opening (they open at 10, Brunch on Sundays only) Yet to be discovered by the more discerning palettes in the Couve.

I have been craving fish and chips for so long and had no idea anywhere had gluten free fish and chips, it has been the best news I’ve got all year. They were delicious, was very comforting in that it reminded me of my grandma’s cooking. I also had the mushroom stew, which was amazing! I got it to go so I could eat it when I got home from work. It was the perfect way to end the day, with that warm soup belly feeling. The flavor and the broth were so good! It was a cooking inspiration for me, I will definitely be trying out my own version of mushroom stew from scratch. I am definitely coming back here!

Great place for a casual drink or to stop in for a good meal. Good wine and beer selection as well. The staff is always friendly and cordial. I prefer the lounge seating in the bar compared to the general seating as the general seating seems more like a cafeteria.

This is one of my go-​to spots in the Camas area. We have many great spots in such a small town. I am very lucky to have so many hidden gems and this is why I rarely share my local spots but I know these wonderful businesses need to stay busy. You will not be disappointed at Roots. Great food and friendly service. Wine list is not extensive but has some surprising deals you will not find in Portland. You will pay 50% more in Portland for less quality and selection.

Came here for a work function and although I «voted» to go to Roots for our luncheon, I was rather unmoved by the food.
I ordered a burger because it seemed to be the most simple thing there. Burger was pretty rare for the medium that I ordered it for. Being that I didn’t want to seem rude, I ate it. The burger was pretty bland and uneventful. The bun was rather dry and stale tasting.
Service was good, so that would keep me coming back for happy hour or another function, but I’m not sure if I’d go out of my way for this place.

Wow! Just wrapped up a Christmas luncheon here and … blah. The food is fine… about what you would expect in some cases, worse in others (what happened to the handcut fries — you are now dropping frozen potatoes in the fryer like McDonald’s?) Where things fell apart was the service. Here is how the lunch went…
Group sporadically arrives. First round of drinks is ordered. Second wave arrives, drinks are ordered. First round of drinks arrives. Third wave arrives, drinks are ordered. Third round of drinks arrive. Second group asks and is informed that the bartender must make the others but he poured the wine from the third group… weird. But, whatever. 15 minutes later drinks arrive from second group. Waiter comes around with a glass of water, «anyone need water?» Someone says, «I’d like more water» Waiter replies «you already have a glass» (it’s empty but … okay). Wow, we are running out of places better get a another table which shouldn’t be a big deal there is a 10 top getting ready to leave soon and another large group in the back room and nobody else. Read: lots of empty available tables. We have a booth and plenty of space to tack it on. Yay… whoops not yay! We ask for another table and our waiter tells us that his boss will kill him if he takes a table and moves it. Really? That’s weird, nobody is in the restaurant and the lunch rush is over (and for the record nobody ever came in after that moment) — why wouldn’t your boss want 5 more people eating and drinking? Huh another ‘that’s weird’ moment. Everyone orders food but alas, no ciabatta bread for the chicken sandwich — but there is some for the turkey. The bill comes, we ask for separate checks and clarify everyone is fine with the forced 20% gratuity due to our party size. Not possible to split it, but he brings us a menu to figure it all out. That was fun to end the lunch doing? You get $ 80 for a tip and can’t bother separating the bill? Yep, that pretty much fits with your approach to service. It was painfully obvious that you were assured of your 20% and didn’t feel inclined to earn it.
Everyone wraps up the day talking about how horrible this location for this event was. Normally we start at 12:30 and wrap up about 4:30−5. We were done at 2:30 and all anyone could discuss was how Roots was not the place for this event and why did we stray from 360. The place that is so accommodating and appreciates our business.
Talk to the «manager» head chef and he can’t offer an explanation as to why our waiter seemed to not be too service oriented but he does offer to have Brad contact me. He does say it’s the first time he has heard he isn’t a good waiter. Yep, I’m going to bet that back in the kitchen he doesn’t tend to hear a lot about what the wait staff is or isn’t doing.
Bottom line, if you are a large group with one person paying and don’t mind waiting for drinks — the food is above average. If you are a large group just wanting to get together for lunch — hop across the parking lot to 360. They will obviously force the gratuity but they will split the check which makes wrapping up your get together much easier to focus on the goodbye’s and well wishes instead of who ordered what and owes which amount.
Edited (the day after) to add: It all reminds me of that famous line in Pretty Woman where she walks in with all her bags and asks «Do you work on commission? Big Mistake — BIG». The day after everyone is talking about it still and how they have talked about it with their spouses and friends and won’t ever go there again … wow! That’s a lot of verbal bad reviews in 24 hours”

Ok! Here’s the deal! If you are going to charge $ 45.00 for a rack of lamb, let the customer know please?
Enough said!

First off I rarely write reviews, but I’d say that Roots is one of the best restaurants in the Vancouver area and I’ve been looking for some time now. Great food, awesome drink selection, fantastic service, and a relaxing atmosphere Roots restaurant is a hit in my book!

Food is always good, but I can not help but notice how dingy this place looks. Owners need to improve/​update the ambience. Restaurant looks rundown and dirty. Cobwebs on light fixtures, dining chairs torn, windows foggy etc… Time for a deep clean and refresh in furniture.
PS — and adding truffle fries would be a bonus:)

Wonderful diverse menu. Seafood, lamb, pork chops all wonderful. Everyone at our table loved their food. The scallops appetizer was excellent. The wine selection was spot on. I ordered one of several Walla Walla wines that was so perfect.

I had the fresh halibut fish and chips. $ 16 got me 3 small pieces of fish, fries and about ¼ cup of cole slaw. The fish was mealy and mushy. That’s a sign its not fresh. The batter was overpowered with a beer taste. I ate 1 of the 3 pieces. The fries were good. I took 1 taste of the“homemade” Cole slaw. Yuck. Way overpriced for bad food. The fly in our water didn’t help either.

If you’re struggling to get back to your roots, try Roots Restaurant & Bar. If you can find the secret door behind it you’ll find an elegant yet hip interior with plenty of table seating, window booths, and bar seating. They also have a nice looking patio, although the weather was a little too hot for me to enjoy it, it looks like a nice place to be in the evening or during cooler temps. The kitchen is exhibition style, so you know nobody is dropping your hamburger patty and yelling «five second rule.» The food, let me tell you about the food here… I would give the food 10 stars out of 5, I mean, it’s really fu**ing delicious! My rad bartender, Paul, recommended for me a pastrami sandwich which came with house-​made and smoked pastrami, grilled onions instead of sauerkraut, and house-​made mustard on rye and it was nothing short of perfection. Somebody should name their child after that sandwich, or write a book about it. And yes, I’m saying this about a pastrami sandwich. Props to the kitchen!
The service here is also exceptional, at least at the bar it was which is the only place I’ve sat whilst eating/​imbibing here. My bartender was Paul, and he really took care of me and everyone else that sat in his area. He knows how to pour drinks and will make you feel right at home. Everyone here is smiling and really seem to enjoy their work, and it shows in the delivery of the service here from the second you walk in, to the sad moment you have to leave.
I would highly recommend this place to anyone in the area looking to have a pleasant lunch, dinner, business meeting, date, or just hang out at the bar and have some conversations with strangers. Roots, well done!!!

I have given more stars for worse. The food was good, not great but good, the service was nice… But the restaurant was filthy. If there is one thing that you should be doing before you close and or open it’s clean. You *could* have the best food (which you don’t) or the best service (which you don’t) with sticky tables and crumbs everywhere and it wouldn’t make or brake the experience … But … Since you have neither I would urge your crew to deep clean.
Needless to say we won’t be back.

I went for happy hour with a couple friends today. I had the clams ($ 8, delicious, good portion). and the habanero infused tequila cocktail-​$ 9. I also tried my friend’s order of scallops. everything was delicious. definitely worth the price when you’re looking for nicer quality fare!

We used to live in Camas and this was one of our favorite dinner spots. So when we came back to Portland area for a vacation we put it on the top of our list. We had a very disengaged waitress who kept looking around the room (for better people?) when she rattled off the specials.
My wedge salad had a side of soup (so much dressing) and the lettuce was brown at the tips. Needless to say I didn’t eat a bite, the waitress and busboy were not even concerned when they asked if I was «Done with my salad.»
Then came the overpriced entrée of Rib Eye steak. Half of the slab of meat was pure fat. Again, no mention of the meal barely being touched. You hate to waste calories and money on vacation but that’s exactly what happened at Roots on Sunday night. Sadly we will never return to our Roots…

Enjoyed an excellent meal with friends at this fine dining establishment in Camas, WA. Our party of five was seated relatively early on a Tuesday night, and service was attentive, helpful and friendly. Our knowledgeable server expertly steered us through the menu and assured me that most of their dishes could be made gluten free. (I think the Portland area must be the GF capital of the USA. It’s so easy for me to have safe meals here!)
The blackberry mojito is a great way to start off your culinary adventure at Roots, but be sure to save room for a glass — or bottle — of the great wines available. To start off my meal, I opted for the heirloom tomato salad special — yellow, orange and red tomatoes bursting with flavor combined expertly with mozzarella, onion, basil, olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. So simple, and yet it was my favorite dish of the evening. I can also heartily recommend the Dungeness crab and avocado salad, which offered unexpected goodness in the play of radish and vermouth vinaigrette against the crab and avocado.
The rest of our party enjoyed the ribeye steak, the pork chop, and one of the evening’s specials, the halibut. Dessert is not to be missed, and Roots’ crème brûlée is one of the best I’ve eaten outside France.
Bottom line — a charming and fun restaurant that excels in using seasonal ingredients at their peak of flavor. Bön appétit!