Vegan-friendly
Asian
Vietnamese
Asian-inspired dishes with in-house tofu and soy items. From the owner of Zen Garden and Roots. Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-10:00pm, Sat 11:00am-11:00pm.
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1216 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, Kentucky, USA, 40204
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Last update on 15 Sep 2019 by MartinLyons
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Added by xsamx on 15 Aug 2011
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30 Reviews
First Review by phoray
RyanFC
Points +60
Confusing menus - Edit
The menu isn’t separated by entree and appetizers, so I ended up getting a very small plate of food for my dinner. Also, the service was very slow the night I was there, it wasn’t busy, the server mentioned he was called in so that may not be the norm
Read morePros: Taste of food
Cons: Menus confusing
Guest
superunkn0wn
Points +13
Best Sandwich Ever - Edit
My wife said her Vietnamese s/w with BBQ tofu was the best sandwich she’s ever eaten. 😮
Read moreGuest
FroadEatz
Points +895
Fresh and delicious - Edit
We found Heart and Soy and Roots by searching for vegan restaurants on happy cow and on google. After visiting the website and realizing we could order carryout from both restaurants in the same order we were stoked! We called in our order for several dishes and specified that everything be made vegan. The food was hot and ready when we arrived for pickup! Parking on a side street was easy. This could be because we went around 3 pm on a Friday.
Read moreFrom Roots we ordered the steamed rice rolls, pan-fried rice noodles, and pan-fried potstickers. The steamed rice rolls were tasty and came with a delicious tangy sauce and nice freshly pickled veggies! The pan-fried potstickers had great texture and were peppery. The pan-fried rice noodles have a delicious sauce and tasty veggies and tofu. For some reason I was expecting something more like a lo mein but that is totally my fault for not reading the description carefully.
We will be back!
Pros: Fresh and delicious, Fast friendly service
Cons: None except we live too far away to visit often
Guest
pkkellow
Points +189
good - Edit
expensive but good, the bbq tofu is my favourite
Read moreGuest
AlainaBrauer
Points +98
Good just expensive - Edit
Good food try the carrot cake and orange tofu but it’s so expensive.
Read moreGuest
jesskn0wsbest
Points +129
Upscale Eats - Edit
Super cool spot very unique seating options tables are on the floor and you sit around on an edge and your feet dangling kind of into a pit. Great food, haven’t eaten here forever since I don’t live in the area but definitely a great spot to check out for the food and the ambience
Read moreGuest
maridia
Points +25
Louisville's best vegan restaurant - Edit
Granted, Roots isn't totally vegan, it gets my seal of approval, and is the best place for food, tea, and service. The staff is, and has always been, fantastic. Combined with Heart & Soy, it's the best best thing since Zen Garden (how I miss that place so).
Read moreThe menu has something for everyone, and they are very accommodating to tweaks. The orange tofu is favorite, and with a few tweaks, tastes just like Zen Garden's!
What really makes Roots shine is its tea menu. If you are an avid tea drinker, you'll understand how unbelievably nice it is to be able to sit down and order a hot cup of organic full leaf japanese green tea. So nice.
The only niggle is that Heart & Soy has the better food menu, and despite being connected, you can't sit down at Roots and order from H&S. How perfect it would be to sit inside the nicer setting of Roots and order H&S's curry fried rice to go along with the Roots only fancy green tea. I get it, but still a little frustrating.
If you are a vegan, or vegan-curious, Roots is worth it, and will become a favorite in no time flat.
Highly recommended!!
Pros: Quality of food, Tea menu, Staff
Cons: Can't order off of Heart & Soy menu, Some items are premade and cannot be altered
Guest
VeganUSA
Points +8481
Asian-Fusion menu - Edit
The menu is extensive, and “too many” vegan choices!
Read moreThe Japanese eggplant tofu in a curry sauce was delicious. The tofu was firm and chewy. The kitchen was able to make it spicy on request.
The tofu fajita option was veganized by removing the sour cream. It’s packed with firm, crunchy julienne-cut veggies. It was neither greasy or salty.
Pros: Internationally diverse menu, Extensive choice range, Excellent service
Cons: Parking is on the street. Hard to find close by
Guest
KrystenWasik
Points +29
Great place to share - Edit
My friends and I met up here on Monday. We had a vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore eating. When looking through the extensive menu, boy was it big, we decided to all order a few things and share!
Read moreWe ordered:
Pan fried noodles
Cucumber roll
Vegan pot stickers
Lemongrass tofu
And potato bowl
(As well as 2 hot teas, which were amazing!)
Out of all the dishes my favorite were the lemongrass tofu and and cucumber roll.
The lemon grass tofu was perfectly cooked, the tofu had a bite and was not too soft. The lemon grass flavor was so perfect with it.
The cucumber roll was crisp and fresh and whatever the sauce that came with it was literal heaven. We ended up dipping the pot stickers in it heh.
The pan fried noodles were pretty good, needed a little more seasoning. And the potato bowl was super interesting, the sauce was good, and veggies were cooked perfectly, the potato was just a little oily!
Pros: Lots of vegan option , Lots of tea options , Something for everyone
Cons: Menu may be too big, Parking is horrendous
Guest
hannahdare
Points +304
Favorite place in Louisville - Edit
When my husband and I are visiting Louisville this is our favorite place to eat! I think the best dishes are the soups. I love the Hue soup, fried avocado and tomato rolls, orange tofu and the Thai iced tea. We really like to sit at the horigotatsu tables in the back. So comfortable!
Read moreGuest
cx45
Points +2111
Solid asian food in the center of the highlands - Edit
Went there for dinner and its a bit nicer interior wise than hearts and soy. Had the sizzling hot plate which was fine but not outstanding
Read morePros: Nice staff, Nice interior
Guest
OLV
Points +72
Flavorful and pleasant - Edit
We had a delightful visit to this very welcoming spot. The food was fresh, tasty and abundant and the service was kind , helpful, friendly, and efficient. I shall return whenever I visit Louisville.
Read morePros: Many many options!
Cons: Many many options ;)
Guest
farante99
Points +21
Good eats - Edit
Awesome food great service.
Read morePros: Prices were good and food was excellent
Cons: None so far. Maybe some jazz or soft lounge music, 2 fit vibe...
Guest
KristenClemens
Points +30
Excellent food, abysmal service - Edit
The food was delicious and clearly marked with vegan options. The service was probably the worst I’ve ever received... I hate to judge the whole restaurant based on one experience, maybe the server was just having an off day, but she was both rude and very inattentive. I would recommend going to Heart and Soy next door if you want your food within an hour.
Read morePros: Great food!
Cons: Very poor service
Guest
KatieFisher
Points +30
So many options - Edit
The food I had here was amazing! I had the green curry soup followed by the tofu clay pot with brown rice. Everything was so flavorful and very quick service.
Read morePros: considered "upscale" but very cheap prices,lots if
Guest
JessicaLogsdon
Points +74
Vegan for Nonvegans - Edit
The food is so good. I frequently eat here with nonvegan family and friends because they do not even miss the meat. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Read morePros: Great food, Good atmosphere
Guest
dannyowen
Points +220
Vegan comfort food - Edit
Great food. Never gone wrong here.
Read moreGuest
KelsyGibson
Points +23
Great dinning - Edit
This is a fun place for a date. Delicious food and teas.
Read moreGuest
Appalachican
Points +33
Best Vegan Menu in Louisville - Edit
I love Roots. I especially love their thai salad for lunch. Though the flavor is not exactly overwhelming, it is solidly good - never had an item I didn't like. Everything on the menu can also be ordered to go from Heart & Soy (the sister restaurant next door). Owners also run Zen Garden on Frankfort (another vegetarian restaurant in Louisville). Everything can be made vegan if not already (though most is). Service is relaxed. Room is a tad cold, so wear a sweater.
Read morePros: Varied menu, Great tea options, Normal human sized portions
Cons: Cold (temperature) room - always, No alcohol
Guest
fondducoeur
Points +1167
Decent Meal - Edit
I visited Roots while in Louisville on business. I was by myself and as the menu is made up of small plates suitable for sharing, it would probably better to go with other people. Many of the dishes sounded interesting, ones I have not seen on standard Asian/ Asian fusion menus. I tried the braised beets, and steamed banana leaf with tofu, veggie ham, and vegetables.
Read moreThe braised beets turned out to be a soup with beets, potatoes, and spinach, in a spicy curry broth. It was not what I expected, but pretty good. I enjoyed the banana leaf dish, although the filling was mostly rice, with very small bits of tofu, veggies, and I assume veggie ham, although I was never really sure what was tofu and what was veggie ham. It was served with some pickled vegetables and a dipping sauce with was nice and flavorful.
All and all my meal was good but not great. The service was a bit lacking and nothing blew me away. That being said, there were several other menu items that sounded good (such as the crepes with mushrooms), so I will probably check it out again the next time I'm in Louisville.
Pros: All veggie, mostly vegan, Interesting menu items
Cons: Mediocre service
Guest
amyawright
Points +16
Green Papaya Salad! - Edit
Great spot in a hipster neighborhood. It shares the building with the fast-casual Heart and Soy. Roots is the "fancier" half, with zen decor, linens, and table service. The menu is extensive and most items are vegan or can be made vegan.
Read moreThe green papaya salad was amazing. Complex yet light, with lots of textures. Highly recommended! I also had one of the specials, which I wasn't as fond of, but was still quite tasty.
On your way out, stop into Heart and Soy for a delicious baked good!
Pros: Excellent food, Friendly service
Cons: The wall-mounted TV running pics of menu items is
Guest
Herbiv4
Points +1869
LOVED it! - Edit
This place really delivers when it comes to good looking and tasting food! I ordered the miso and the cucumber rolls, thinking it would be a light lunch. However, the cucumber rolls were quite the feat to finish (I'm not a quitter!). Everything was very tasty and the atmosphere is nice. This is perfect for a date location or if you just happen in for lunch while working in the area for the day.
Read morePros: tasty food, elegant atmosphere, good customer service
Guest
Laura3511
Points +39
Wonderful! - Edit
Roots is one of my all time favorite Louisville restaurants. It's menu is full of delicious vegan options and the atmosphere is clean and inviting. Do yourself a favor and order the green curry soup. It's absolutely amazing!
Read morePros: options, clean, green curry soup
Guest
RunnergirlLeah
Points +39
Awesome - Edit
Got treated there by my family for my 49th birthday! Awesome food! A must for all Louisville and Southern Indiana Vegan/Vegetarians!
Read morePros: diverse foods, ambience , cost
Cons: parking is tuff at times
Guest
sarahburnsy
Points +161
Great for dinner. - Edit
Roots is probably my favorite restaurant in Louisville. I also love Heart & Soy but as another reviewer (Megan) describes, Roots is just different. They offer a fancier, sit-down, server experience. Roots has a large menu, in my opinion and it's always hard for me to chose! Everything looks good! They do offer veg or vegan. My favorite is the Thai Salad. Simple yet so darn delicious. They have what seems like hundreds of types of teas from around the world, including organic. I love Roots!
Read morePros: Place to take out of towners, Date night spot, Quiet
Guest
Rifester
Points +101
Awesome! - Edit
Great food and service.
Read morePros: Nice Interior, Great Selection, Great Deserts
Cons: None
Guest
sergeantyeti
Points +82
Roots digs deep - Edit
This is a veg/vegan Asian restaurant in Louisville. It is a sit down dinner place with delicious salads, soups and entrees such as Vietnamese vegan crepes. (Delicious) I also had some delicious edamame and cucumber rolls. (also vegan) Some dishes have cheese but I think almost everything can be made vegan. Great place, next door to Heart and Soul which is another great Asian veg restuarant.
Read morePros: Delicious
Guest
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