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Roots

La Jolla

4.0 · 25 reviews Google
hdh-web.ucsd.edu

About Roots

Roots offers a spacious and cozy atmosphere perfect for studying or enjoying comfort food in La Jolla. As UCSD's only dedicated plant-based dining hall, it provides excellent vegan options alongside healthy choices that delight even non-vegans with flavorful dishes like black beans and rice. The com...

Roots offers a spacious and cozy atmosphere perfect for studying or enjoying comfort food in La Jolla. As UCSD's only dedicated plant-based dining hall, it provides excellent vegan options alongside healthy choices that delight even non-vegans with flavorful dishes like black beans and rice. The commitment to sustainability is evident through reusable plates and composting bins. While service can be busy during peak hours, the warm environment and high-quality ingredients create a welcoming experience for solo diners and groups alike. Located near campus, Roots stands out as a standout culinary spot where every meal feels fresh, ethical, and deliciously satisfying without relying on fillers found elsewhere.

What Customers Say About Roots

Roots is a vegan restaurant on the UCSD campus that receives high praise for its flavorful and satisfying plant-based options. Customers rave about the burritos and the 'fish' tacos, noting that the food is surprisingly delicious and doesn't always taste vegan. Some find it overpriced and difficult to access due to parking.

Popular Dishes

black beans and rice fish tacos burrito chicken sandwich

Best For

Solo Dining Quick Bite Casual

Tip: The black beans and rice are an inexpensive and filling side dish that is very flavorful and a tad spicy.

Features

📶 WiFi Accessible 🍽️ Lunch 🌙 Dinner 🥗 Vegetarian 🌱 Vegan
🎯 Casual Trendy 👥 Groups

What to see nearby

Muir Field
A 218m

Muir Field

parque

View details
Q118668272
A 325m

Q118668272

edificio

View details
Marshall College Field
A 379m

Marshall College Field

parque

View details
Revelle Plaza
A 481m

Revelle Plaza

parque

View details
Biblioteca Geisel
A 518m

Biblioteca Geisel

biblioteca

View details
UC San Diego Library
A 533m

UC San Diego Library

biblioteca

View details

Data from Wikidata

Explore the area around Roots

Roots is located in La Jolla, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.

Historical Heritage

  • Casa William Black-SDM-W-12 Locus A (CA-SDI-4669) (A 588m) — place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos

Parks & Gardens

  • Muir Field (A 218m) — park in San Diego County, California, United States of America
  • Marshall College Field (A 379m) — park in San Diego County, California, United States of America
  • Revelle Plaza (A 481m) — park in the United States of America
  • Matthews Quadrangle (A 674m) — park in San Diego County, California, United States of America
  • Warren Mall (A 718m) — park in the United States of America

Other Points of Interest

  • Q118668272 (A 325m) — building in San Diego, United States of America
  • Biblioteca Geisel (A 518m) — main library building at University of California, San Diego
  • UC San Diego Library (A 533m) — academic library
  • University of California, Sally T. WongAvery Library (A 737m) — academic library building part of the UC San Diego Library

Data from Wikidata

Frequently asked questions about Roots

Roots is located at 9545 Scholars Dr N, La Jolla, CA 92093, La Jolla.
Near Roots you can find points of interest such as Muir Field, Q118668272, Marshall College Field, Revelle Plaza.
Roots has regular opening hours. Check their profile for updated schedules.
Roots offers the following services: dine-in.
The most recommended dishes at Roots based on customer reviews are: black beans and rice, fish tacos, burrito, chicken sandwich.
Roots is ideal for solo dining, quick bites, casual dining.
Roots is a vegan restaurant on the UCSD campus that receives high praise for its flavorful and satisfying plant-based options. Customers rave about the burritos and the 'fish' tacos, noting that the food is surprisingly delicious and doesn't always taste vegan. Some find it overpriced and difficult to access due to parking.
The black beans and rice are an inexpensive and filling side dish that is very flavorful and a tad spicy.
25
Reviews

Roots La Jolla Reviews

4.0
25
5★
56%
4★
20%
3★
8%
2★
4%
1★
12%
Reviews (40)
G
Gabriela Marcial

I LOVE ROOTS. As a vegan there are little to no other options on campus in terms of food. So appreciative of the designated plant based dining hall. I eat there basically everyday and I’m so hyped that they change the menu every academic year.

Gabriela Marcial
Gabriela Marcial

I LOVE ROOTS. As a vegan there are little to no other options on campus in terms of food. So appreciative of the designated plant based dining hall. I eat there basically everyday and I’m so hyped that they change the menu every academic year.

G
Gustavo Umbelino
D
Dwait Bhatt
A
Alex Oshima
R
Rachel
S
Sujal Nahata
C
Cassidy Wallace
T
Tu Le

What the? This is basically the best restaurant on campus? All the other restaurant food are kind of... meh? Like they put slightly too much filler into their food. However, the food here actually made me feel something. I ABSOLUETLY LOVE THEIR BURRITO!!! THERE IS ACTUALLY CONTENTS INSIDE!!!!!!! Just, maybe don't get the pasta if you aren't a died-hard vegan, but a lot of stuff on here is REALLY good.

A
Asmaa D

Very spacious area which is a great atmosphere to study in. The food is always amazing and I love that they have a composting bin and reusable plates! I recommend trying the black beans and rice because it is an inexpensive and filling side dish that is very flavorful and a tad spicy.

M
Mark Brant

Best vegan food anywhere! Too bad it's on UCSD campus but at least Muir is somewhat normal.

S
Sam Buss

Still an all vegan menu!

Dwait Bhatt
Dwait Bhatt
Skyme
Skyme

What the? This is basically the best restaurant on campus? All the other restaurant food are kind of... meh? Like they put slightly too much filler into their food. However, the food here actually made me feel something. I ABSOLUETLY LOVE THEIR BURRITO!!! THERE IS ACTUALLY CONTENTS INSIDE!!!!!!! Just, maybe don't get the pasta if you aren't a died-hard vegan, but a lot of stuff on here is REALLY good.

Rachel
Rachel
Alex Oshima
Alex Oshima
Sujal Nahata
Sujal Nahata
Cassidy Wallace
Cassidy Wallace
Asmaa D
Asmaa D

Very spacious area which is a great atmosphere to study in. The food is always amazing and I love that they have a composting bin and reusable plates! I recommend trying the black beans and rice because it is an inexpensive and filling side dish that is very flavorful and a tad spicy.

Gustavo Umbelino
Gustavo Umbelino
Mark Brant
Mark Brant

Best vegan food anywhere! Too bad it's on UCSD campus but at least Muir is somewhat normal.

Sam Buss
Sam Buss

Still an all vegan menu!

A
Angela Wu
Angela Wu
Angela Wu
S
Spencer Hartland
Q
Qiuwan Liu
P
Partha Shankar

Pleasant and cozy, if a bit small. Service can be a bit slow due to the number of orders but that's to be expected from the only pure vegan place on the UCSD campus. The food is good and flavorful. I don't really recommend the desserts since they're a little mediocre but they're still solid if you really need a sweet.

E
Errhka

Very good - changed my opinion about vegan places. The food here is excellent. I am a total carnivore but I love Roots because they serve tasty food that for the most part doesn't taste vegan. My favorite item is the "fish" tacos because I can't even tell they aren't fish and they taste really good. All of the food is fresh (you can see them making it in the morning) and the staff is super nice. Overall it is a great distraction from the bore that Pines can be sometimes. There is lots of available seating and it's a good place to study while you eat.

Partha Shankar
Partha Shankar

Pleasant and cozy, if a bit small. Service can be a bit slow due to the number of orders but that's to be expected from the only pure vegan place on the UCSD campus. The food is good and flavorful. I don't really recommend the desserts since they're a little mediocre but they're still solid if you really need a sweet.

Spencer Hartland
Spencer Hartland
Qiuwan Liu
Qiuwan Liu
Errhka
Errhka

Very good - changed my opinion about vegan places. The food here is excellent. I am a total carnivore but I love Roots because they serve tasty food that for the most part doesn't taste vegan. My favorite item is the "fish" tacos because I can't even tell they aren't fish and they taste really good. All of the food is fresh (you can see them making it in the morning) and the staff is super nice. Overall it is a great distraction from the bore that Pines can be sometimes. There is lots of available seating and it's a good place to study while you eat.

A
Anastasia Wolf
Anastasia Wolf
Anastasia Wolf
S
Stephanie Russell

This is not a restaurant that is easy to get to for non students. Parking is a nightmare. The menu is QR code only, and it's not updated at all. They did not ask if I wanted it for dine in or take out. When my food was ready, I asked if I could get to go boxes, they charged me $5 PER BOX. They don't have any other sauces other than a chipotle sauce and ketchup. They don't have regular fries, only sweet potato fries. The "Chicken tender basket" had 3 small tenders and the rest was all sweet potato fries. Top it off, the food was mediocre at best. The Chicken sandwich was 2 small chicken tenders, and barely any mayo. Workers were not friendly. Terrible experience, will not be going back. There are so many other amazing vegan restaurants out there, I don not recommend this place.

Stephanie Russell
Stephanie Russell

This is not a restaurant that is easy to get to for non students. Parking is a nightmare. The menu is QR code only, and it's not updated at all. They did not ask if I wanted it for dine in or take out. When my food was ready, I asked if I could get to go boxes, they charged me $5 PER BOX. They don't have any other sauces other than a chipotle sauce and ketchup. They don't have regular fries, only sweet potato fries. The "Chicken tender basket" had 3 small tenders and the rest was all sweet potato fries. Top it off, the food was mediocre at best. The Chicken sandwich was 2 small chicken tenders, and barely any mayo. Workers were not friendly. Terrible experience, will not be going back. There are so many other amazing vegan restaurants out there, I don not recommend this place.

O
Oasis Endriss

Being a first year student I had high expectations for this place. Being a vegan I have tried a multitude of restaurants and products and unfortunately I’m not impressed. I don’t recommend getting anything on the menu with fries unless you like sweet potatoes. I do recommend the chicken sandwich if you are desperate however plant power isn’t too far of a walk from roots!

A
Ande Arend

The food was really bad and overpriced for what it was. My friend ordered a grilled cheese with tomatoes on it but was given no tomatoes. The rest of the food was really tasteless. It also too around 25 minutes for our food to be ready.

Ande Arend
Ande Arend

The food was really bad and overpriced for what it was. My friend ordered a grilled cheese with tomatoes on it but was given no tomatoes. The rest of the food was really tasteless. It also too around 25 minutes for our food to be ready.

Oasis Endriss
Oasis Endriss

Being a first year student I had high expectations for this place. Being a vegan I have tried a multitude of restaurants and products and unfortunately I’m not impressed. I don’t recommend getting anything on the menu with fries unless you like sweet potatoes. I do recommend the chicken sandwich if you are desperate however plant power isn’t too far of a walk from roots!

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About Roots

How to get there

9545 Scholars Dr N, La Jolla, CA 92093

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Highlights

Good Rating
4.0/5 stars
💰
Moderate Price
Price level

Services

🍽️ Lunch
🍾 Dinner
🍰 Desserts
🥗 Vegetarian Options
🌱 Vegan Options
🍴 Dine-in

Dining Options

🍽️ Dine In

Restaurant Info

🕐 Hours Today
Closed
Rating
4.0/5
💬 Reviews
25
💰 Price Level
$$
📞 Phone
+1 858-822-5230
🌐 Website
hdh-web.ucsd.edu

Amenities

📶 Free WiFi
Wheelchair Accessible
💳 Credit Cards
📱 Mobile Payments
🏘️

The Neighborhood

Location

9545 Scholars Dr N, La Jolla, CA 92093

Muir Field

park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

A 218m
Marshall College Field

park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

A 379m
Revelle Plaza

park in the United States of America

A 481m
Biblioteca Geisel

main library building at University of California, San Diego

A 518m
UC San Diego Library

academic library

A 533m
Casa William Black-SDM-W-12 Locus A (CA-SDI-4669) Heritage

place in California listed on National Register of Historic Places

A 588m
Matthews Quadrangle

park in San Diego County, California, United States of America

A 674m
Warren Mall

park in the United States of America

A 718m
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