ROOTS: Where the aroma hits you before you enter, and your tastebuds grieve when you leave.
As you reach for the front door handle, scents of seasonings, sauces, and deliciousness cocoon you, and you know you’re where a foodie and lover of all things mouthwatering, specifically pizza & BBQ, are meant to dine.
Then, you enter.
You’re instantly immersed in the ‘Farm to Table’ concept. From the wood tables to the decor that screams family to the incredible staff that is excited and proud to talk about the fact that every sauce and dressing is made in-house and that their meat comes from the family farm, Tree Hill Farms, or like-minded farms, this is a chemical-free, antibiotic-free, non-GMO restaurant with out of this world flavors.
While ordering, the ROOTS staff realized this was my table’s first visit. They did not know I was a food blogger and yet, they rolled out the red carpet.
My guest and I received samples of the BBQ Mac & Cheese and the Buffalo Mac & Cheese. The kitchen brought out five samples of their homemade sauces- Spicy, Bistro, Alabama White Sauce, Carolina Mustard, Coffeeque- and sample spoons. (They also have Candy Apple BBQ, Spicy Candy Apple, and Buffalo Sauce.) And the staff answered our menu and restaurant-related questions thoughtfully and knowledgeably, making us feel like they had all the time in the world to offer us their undivided attention.
Truth is, we, as random customers, were made to feel like guests of honor and learned very quickly that ROOTS is not just a restaurant producing some of the most exceptional morsels of heaven I’ve ever had, they are a family who believes people bond around the dinner table and that quality food often starts by knowing where your food began.
The Buffalo Mac & Cheese and BBQ Mac & Cheese are insanely impressive. And my tastebuds danced the moment it met The Candy Apple BBQ Pizza. (What is in that sauce!) But when I tried the Sweet Potatoe Fries, my eyes closed… and that was without their maple cream sauce.
ROOTS started with catering, which they still do at an extremely impressive level, and transformed into a full-blown restaurant in March 2020. It’s only been 4 months and they’ve already opened a second ROOTS restaurant in Winchester! (Note: The Union City location does not serve alcohol at the moment, but the Winchester location does.)
Farm to Table is a concept that’s gaining ground and notoriety, and I was privileged to experience it first-hand. It’s not only incredible to know where your food came from, but it’s also incredible to support local farmers who believe in quality meat and quality ingredients.
This is both a date place and a family place.
This is a place for a party-of-one and a large group.
This is a place for catering, dine-in, and carry-out.
This is a place that makes you think differently about food.
This is a place that fuels your body with the highest quality ingredients while tasting so unthinkably delectable that it ruins many restaurants that were once your favorites.
This is a must-try, especially for pizza and BBQ lovers.
Their hours at the Union City location, as of this post, are:
Wednesday-Thursday, 4-8PM
Friday-Saturday, 4-9PM
Sunday, 4-8PM
Try not to have food envy when you see the attached pictures, a collection of my own, and eye-dropping photos from their website that I need to share in order to give their quality of food and presentation the best shot of being understood and desired.
This is a restaurant worthy of your drive, time, finances, and support. If you live close to Union City, are passing by Union City, or love a road trip, make this your next destination. I can not say enough that if you love pizza or BBQ, bonus if you adore both, your culinary life will not have truly lived without a trip to ROOTS.
The next time you’re wondering what to do for dinner, remember that I said, “ROOTS or Bust!”
Love yourself & others,
E 
P.S. Ask them about their logo when you visit. Their inspiration for the design is phenomenal.
