On our short stay in Ohio, we still had time to check out a couple of new-to-us restaurants with John and Jackie. After we attended church at Powell United Methodist together, we headed just down Powell Road to the Local Roots Restaurant. Tom and I drive by the restaurant almost every time we go to John and Jackie’s, and the place is always packed.
Local Roots Restaurant serves food that is just as the name describes. The owner, Jessi Iams, started the restaurant in 2009 when the locally sourced food movement was just starting. During the summer, 85% of the food served at the restaurant is grown or raised in Ohio. Jessi even bought a farm in Delaware, Ohio, so she could be sure of the quality of her fresh ingredients.
The menu has plenty of options that you won’t find on other restaurant menus. The most popular item, however, is the bison-burger. Big Shaggy Buffalo Ranch in Urbana, Ohio, provides the bison meat. Sandwiches include fresh bread from the Beehive Bakery down the street.
Tom ordered the bison-burger and Jackie got a Reuben. John ordered brisket served with a bacon-blue-cheese hash and horseradish coleslaw. I got a steak quesadilla. All the food was delicious and right-sized. Big enough to fill you up, but not enough to make you feel like you overdid it.
Of course, that meant that we could try some of the wonderful looking desserts. I ordered a piece of carrot cake. I love carrot cake but only if it doesn’t have nuts. This carrot cake had a different flavor with some ginger and orange zest. But it was still delicious! Jackie ordered a piece of chocolate cake. John and Tom helped her eat it. Everyone agreed that the frosting was the best part of the cakes. I enjoyed eating mine so much that I forgot to take a picture!
Local Roots is an excellent place to eat. They also stock rotating “prepare at home” meals that you can pick up and heat up at home. The food is delicious and relatively healthy. But get some exercise before you eat there, because you will want to try some dessert.