Roast Kitchen

I must agree that the food they serve is good, but the price makes it completely a non-​worthwile event. I paid $ 12.75 for a chicken breast on top of my regular Red Velvet bowl. total ripoff!
Go someplace else in the neighborhood to experience the same quality for much cheaper.

something «Chipotlesque» is going on with Roast. I’ve eaten there quite a few times in the past and quite enjoyed the food however I will no longer be eating there. Went Thursday and felt sick the rest of the day, I thought maybe it was something else so yes I actually went back today but not long after stomach started hurting real bad, a few hours later had to throw up everything and my stomach is sore. I don’t know what the problem is with Roast but I will not be torturing myself anymore, I’m steering clear of this place for good!

Definitely got food poisoning here on Feb 4^th. I had a Moroccan bowl with herbed chicken. Called and let the manager know but he didn’t seem very concerned about it.

One of the best options for lunch in midtown! The service is amazing and the staff is super friendly and very helpful! The chorizo bowl is a fantastic choice. Definitely recommend trying this place out!

5 of us from the office went today. Great flavor but somebody forgot to wash the kale. All 5 of us had sandy bowls of lunch. Meat has a great flavor just poor management.
Andy they don’t have a contact us on the website. A bit too arrogant.

Four stars for the food, which is generally pretty good although not entirely well thought out in terms of the minimal time they put it on the skillet (raw brussel sprouts do not cook in 3 minutes no matter how hot the stove is). Minus one star for each of the micro-​aggressions I experienced ordering my food. First, the guy who acted all pissy («What do you want?! Kale or spinach?!), when I asked for both kale and spinach. Second, the guy who asked if I just wanted a couple small slices of chicken, and got all pissy when I asked if that was priced differently («Ugh. nevermind!»). (Also, seriously, why would I want any less than the full amount of chicken I am paying for?) I think it’s high time we stand up against bullshit like this. If management is not training their servers to not be complete dicks, then it’s our job to inform them. And if you’re not capable of hiring anything but misanthropes, then run a pret a manger where the food is pre-​made and all we have to do is pick up the food and pay.

I consistently order lunch from this location using the Roast app so I don’t have to wait in line for my food — yet, I am consistently waiting to pick up my lunch order. For example, today I submitted my order via the app at 11:21am. I arrived at 11:55am to pick up my order and then received it at 12:15pm. In the 20 minutes I waited for my pick-​up order, I could have gotten in line and just picked up a new order. I understand that certain days are busier than others (today was a Monday), but that’s not my problem. It’s Roast’s job to execute these orders efficiently and effectively, so that 6+ people who have ordered beforehand are not waiting 54 minutes (11:21am order placement to 12:15pm order pick up) to pick up lunch.
Also the food was overcooked because they were rushing to process my order. Oh, and I missed a meeting time with my manager which I now have to reschedule. Thanks for the fail today, Roast.

First time trying roast! The midtown location is really crowded. I got the premade bowl #1 which was the chorizo. I don’t know if it’s only during lunch time but my portion was small and left me unsatisfied. Not worth $ 10. Might come back to try to build my own bowl though… More likely not.

Food: Chorizo bowl was pretty good
The line was nuts, they took my order in line for my base bowl and I didn’t realize that at that point I had to specify what custom items to include. The food was alright and I think if you were a regular and ordered ahead with the app it could be a good experience, but walking in off the street it was crowded, noisy, and the ordering process was a little confusing.

First time here. I always prefer the suggested mixes. I had the «Arroz con Pollo» bowl. I added zucchini, which adds $ 1.50, making it a bit pricey for lunch. But it was good and healthy and I will definitely come back and try some of their other items.

It’s convenient and tastes good. Plus it’s open on the weekends. But the price is ridiculously high for the deliverable. An extra topping may place you in the precarious position of choosing whether you want to pay rent. It seems to be modeled after Chipotle, but without the value per dollar that Chipotle adds. I’m guessing the price is so high to pay for all the wasted space there. This is New York after all.

This is a good option for lunch in Midtown East when you want to have semi-​healthy food and change from the food trucks.
The prices are a bit high for the portions (bowls with meat around -$ 11/​$ 12) but at least it tastes good and fresh.
The line is very long during lunch time so it’s better to call ahead for a pickup which is ultra convenient.

Apparently this place was more well-​known than its 56 street brother as the line inside was literally s-​shaped. It is also, bigger and serving more food (note only this place sells ramen).
Flavor was consistent yet speed was disappointing. I will deduct one star for slowness. Go to 56 street one for same quality and you can easily turn to cosi, which is next door.

My coworker is always raving how good their ginger bowl is, so I gave it at try one day. Now, I crave for their ginger bowl every single week and if you add pork to your bowl, it tastes even better! Their portion is really not that bad, but it is pretty pricy.
However, during lunch time the line is ridiculous. It is out the door. Even when you order online, there is a line for pick up. Super ridiculous. There was once I ordered online on seamless and went to pick it in about half an hour. When I got there, I had to wait another half an hour or so because the orders were so backed up. I had no idea what was taking so long. There was no point of me ordering online because the regular line took about the same time.

Every time I grab a hot bowl and bring it back to the office for lunch, literally EVERYONE stops and asks me where I got it. I mean, that should be enough to show you how yummy Roast Kitchen is!
I’ve always built my own bowl so I can’t really speak to all the other stuff there, but I have no doubt in my mind that they are equally as healthy and delicious as the ones I customize myself.
I usually get the house mix with a variation of 4 toppings, stir fried in ginger scallion sauce, and then topped off with Spicy Chicken and Jasmine Rice or Quinoa. Sometimes I’ll get the Marinated Pork or even the Steak — everything has been consistently delicious!
I understand it is a bit pricey, but you DO get your money’s worth. I would gladly fork over $ 12 for a balanced meal with veggies, protein and grains that are freshly made and healthy!
In reading the other reviews, it seems that Roast Kitchen gets a lot of negative ratings solely due to the wait time. You can’t really blame them for this if you are willingly lining up when you see the line is already out the door (plus, you’re coming during lunch time at a very centrally located space with lots of office buildings — what did you expect!?). As I said before, everything is freshly prepared right before your eyes, so I think waiting an additional 5 – 10 minutes for this is perfectly fine. That said, if you’re in a rush, do not come here and then complain later on Unilocal about the wait time. That is simply unfair to the establishment, and as far as I can tell, everyone is working as fast as they can to make everyone’s food.
I’ve also tried their other locations at Union Square and Fidi and everything is on par with this location. Great chain restaurant!

*** EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK, WORST RUNS OF MY LIFE ***
Ordered from seamless with a colleague on Wed for dinner. It’s Friday 4am and we’ve both had the runs for 24 hours +. My stomach hurts so bad I can’t sleep right now and I’ve probably gone to the bathroom 6x today. If you don’t want this to happen to you, do not go to this place. This place is so inconsistent and the staff is rude. The chicken is undercooked and tastes like rubber. Sometimes the chicken is dry. Great concept but poor execution.
Update: It’s Sunday and I still have the runs. My colleague referenced above still does too. Worst runs I’ve ever had in my life and I’ve travelled to Pakistan before. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.
Update: It’s Wednesday, 7 days later and I still have the runs. I’ve completely changed my diet to the BRAT diet — B-​ananas, R-​ice, A-​pplesauce, T-​oast. That’s all I’ve been eating for the last 4 days. And it still has not worked. The struggle is real folks.
**** STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE ****

I love the concept, but the line is so long. It took about 30 minutes from the moment I walked in to when I left.
My Greek bowl was alright with spicy chicken. Chicken was not spicy, but was tasty and moist. I love how they cook their meat and veggies like they do at a churrascuria. Very flavorful and juicy.
Next time will probably order ahead of time or get delivery. Better than waiting in the long line, but the service was pretty good. All the employees were very friendly.

Came here as a recommendation to eat something healthy in midtown and man who knew healthy could taste so good! I got the Hot bowl Ginger (8.75; mixed kale, jasmine rice, roasted corn, scallions, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, ginger scallion sauce, and shio koji marinated pork (+2.85). it was pretty fantastic and the pork was absolutely a great decision!
–1 because the staff seemed a little brisk and rough along the edges. specifically the cashier put my change on my tray when I had my hand ready to accept it and gave me the impression that she was just trying to push me along (I was there 3pm on a friday and the place was pretty empty). The staff as a whole just didn’t give off the friendliest vibe.
Overall the food was pretty great and would def come back.

I was excited to try roast kitchen but after trying today I doubt I will be back anytime soon… The food is pretty tasty, but the portion is sooo small, i am a tiny girl and i was still hungry after eating their rice bowl. Also the amount of garlic they put in is INSANE!!! I am here in the office chewing gum and using mouthwash and still can taste the garlic in my mouth. Also the wait is like 30 mins long, for $ 12 and all the reasons above, Its just not worth it to come again, sorry…

This is my favorite lunch spot! (And dinner… I could seriously eat this every day).
You can make a salad bowl if you want, but the highlight is their hot bowls. You pick a vegetable base and toppings, and they sautéed it in a sauce of your choice (I like the ginger scallion and Moroccan). You then get a grain (quinoa, couscous or rice) and a choice of a protein. Consensus among my coworkers is spicy chicken is the way to go hands down. If that’s not spicy enough for you, you can also request Sriracha on top.
You get a great balanced meal that’s hot! Which is great since I can’t stand eating a cold lunch when it’s 30 °F outside.
Tip: for those complaining about long wait times, order ahead on seamless and go pick up to avoid the crazy lunch lines. It’s usually ready in 20 – 25 minutes and you get to go straight to the register and pick up your order.