Feminist collective restaurant and bookstore since 1977. Offers seasonal vegan menus using fresh organic produce. Self service casual atmosphere. There's no cash register and no waitressing. Place your order with a woman seated behind a desk after making your choice from the blackboard menu, and bus your own table when you are through. Reported fully vegan, June 2022. Open Wed-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat 11:30am-2:30pm.
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85 Ferris St, Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, 06605
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 26 Dec 2023 by geometric-noise
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31 Reviews
First Review by felmotes
jlbco
Points +173
Unique in CT - Edit
My wife & I have been coming to Bloodroot for over 25 years. We don't come frequently, but when we do, it's always an experience, since there is nothing like it in CT.
Read moreVegan it's not, nor does it pretend to be. The food quality varies between good and excellent, and everything is always as fresh as possible. I note multiple complaints (in previous reviews) about price, but remember that since there is no real "service", a tip is not in order-- and this reflects a savings of 20%. Slow? Most everything is made from scratch-- of course the service is slow! "Expensive" is subjective. For the quality (and the experience) we've never thought that the pricing was out of line, and we've never left the place hungry. Picky about mismatched glasses & sivlerware, non-existent waitstaff or the occasional feline visitor? This place isn't for you. Go while you still can-- the place won't be there forever.
Pros: Unique experience, Good food, Great setting
Guest
tabishop
Points +21
I love everything about this place - Edit
Bloodroot is probably the most unique restaurant you're going to go to in CT. Of course most of the chef owner type of places are unique, it's just that Bloodroot does things you rarely see when you go out in CT.
Read moreHow the system works at Bloodroot:
You come in and order off a blackboard. Vegan items have a * next to them. You pay the woman (Selma, usually) at the desk by the door. She will ask your name and write it on the slip. You can pet the cat if you like. You take your slip to the service window (there's a different slip for drinks and for food) and you leave it there. You can pick out your silver from mismatched silver at the window and you can pour water into a mismatched glass at the cupboard next to the kitchen door. Now sit down. If you ordered drinks they bring them out to you. Nobody knows why they serve you your drinks and you serve yourself for everything else. When you hear your name called, go up to the window and take your food on a tray to the table. They somehow figure out when to fire the next course if you're having more than one course, but when you get to dessert you have to tell them when you want it. When you're done, bus your own table and take off.
What to Expect:
The food is incredibly fresh with an emphasis on seasonal items. The menu changes 4 times a year and from week to week there are different items offered. Definitely order soup and bread along with your meal. I've had several dozen different soups here and they are all excellent. Never ever skip the soup! The salads typically are entree salads (I think a small tossed salad is typically available as well). The entrees are incredible. My favorites have been the mac & cheese, spicy thai chicken, green tomato pie, spanakopita, spring rolls, and so many others that I don't have space to mention. Never skip dessert! Try the vegan ice cream, coconut cake, chocolate devastation cake and pies.
Overall thoughts:
Selma and Noel do things their way and that's a big part of the experience. Go with an open mind, explore the book store, talk with Selma about what she's reading, admire the handcrafted clothing and other items, check out the pictures on the wall, buy a calendar or recipe book and go back often. It's a new experience every time and the food is as good as you're going to find anywhere. In fact, it's better.
Pros: Excellent Food, Interesting Atmosphere, Constantly changing menu
Cons: Nothing
Guest
NIBsmf
Points +1102
Nice Try but... - Edit
I agree with a lot of what has been said in prior reviews (based on going to Bloodroot twice). For starters, yes it is very true that the food is expensive and comes in VERY small portions. Both times I was there, the menu wasn't very creative or unique. Last time I went, I got some sort of grilled cheese sandwich... it was small and yet somehow cost about $8! Trust me, there was nothing fancy about it. I was not too impressed taste-wise either time there. And yes, the service is slow. I don't mind having to serve myself, so that's not a major complaint for me. The staff was friendly both times, and I do really like the overall message and beliefs of the place. Oh, and yes, it is at a pretty location on the water.
Read morePros: Authentic/genuine place, Down-to-earth feel, Nice location
Cons: Expensive, Small portions, Slow service
Guest
felmotes
Points +38
Expensive, slow, not 100% vegan - Edit
I've only been to Bloodroot twice. Both times the service was slow. They write your bill out by hand and use an archaic credit card machine, so I'd recommend bringing cash to avoid the headache of such a slow process.
Read morePrices are expensive and portions are very small. I paid $15.00 for spinach gnocchi, and the plate contained 5 little gnocchis in a flower-petal design. I thought they were joking around with that ridiculous portion, and although gnocchi is dense, the dish certainly didn't fill me up (and I'm easily satisfied). One expects that from a 5-star gourmet restaurant in Manhattan, not a little funky place in Bridgeport where you bus your own table..
which brings me to the service: there is none. You fetch your own silverware and napkins and bus your own table like many self-service restaurants/cafes, but this one takes it one step further: they don't even bring you your food. Food slowly appears on the front counter and you must go up and fetch it yourself. Since none of our dishes appeared in sync, the majority of our dinner was spent fetching plates. We also ordered tea, and we had to obtain our own tea cups from a china cabinet, gather our own sugar, lemon, and everything else--Why they couldn't include these on the tray with the tea pot is beyond me. I understand they're going for a funky "you're dining over someone's house" kind of feel, but honestly, I can wait on myself at home for free, and even over someone's house, the food is usually brought to the table..
which brings me to the food: it was good, but not excellent. Even though the plates appeared on the counter as they were done rather than in sync, the food still managed to be lukewarm. Overall, the dishes were pretty bland, and we all found ourselves reaching for the salt.. and we are people who never add salt at restaurants. Also, I'm vegan, and they only had a few vegan options, so why bother?
Atmosphere is nice though, and the house is right on the harbor.
Overall, it's a fun place to visit just for the weirdness of the experience, but if they want to be a viable restaurant with repeat customers who value food/service/price over novelty, they need to make some changes.
Pros: atmosphere
Cons: expensive for what you get, you're your own waiter, slow kitchen
vegiebeth
Wow felmotes, you need to chill out a bit! The women who own and run Bloodroot are Luddites. They prefer to use simple things rather than modern technologies. Go in with a different more relaxed attitude and maybe you will enjoy it more. No rushing, no worries. The food they serve is made from fresh, in season ingredients and you will be well nourished after a meal there. True, you have to pick up your meal at the counter and return your dishes when you're done, but you didn't have to cook it or wash the dishes. They have no worries about being a viable restaurant with repeat customers. They are celebrating their 35th anniversary this month and I am one of many who have been dining there almost since the beginning.
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