A Carnivore’s Delight at Roots

Move over, Smith & Wollensky and Peter Luger…New Jersey residents need not travel through tunnels or over bridges anymore in order to soothe their inner carnivore. I have found the perfect steak—and it’s at Roots Steakhouse in downtown Summit.

Housed in the Roots building in the space formerly occupied by Roots Department Store, the Harvest Restaurants establishment has taken the idea of an old-fashioned steakhouse and turned it on its head, replacing a traditional beef joint’s surly attitude with a layer of polish and panache.

As diners walk through the dimly-lit restaurant to their tables, they are welcomed by a veritable receiving line of servers and hosts. Once seated, the fun really begins. Roots starts off service with a delicate, buttery brioche-style popover, which diners snack on while perusing the oversized menu. Then an army of servers take drink orders, fill water glasses, and tell you all about the main attraction: the beef.

Roots’ offers a variety of cuts (NY strip, filet, T-bone, Porterhouse, and more) in a variety of sizes (8 to 48 ounces). All are corn-fed, from the Midwest, and seasoned and seared under a 1,400-degree broiler. The extremely high cooking temperature ensures a crusty, cooked exterior and a juicy, rare interior. Diners naturally have their choice of how well-done they’d like their meat, but Roots isn’t kidding around. When you say you’d like a rare steak, they give it to you rare: “black-and-blue” and practically mooing. I was salivating just hearing about the meats, and the appetizers hadn’t even hit the table yet.

For starters, I was tempted to order the Kobe Sliders Three Ways ($19.95), but my waiter advised me against it due to potential meat overkill. I have never OD'ed on meat before, but I took his sage advice and opted for the lobster bisque ($8.95) and the Parmesan crusted scallops ($15.95). The soup was creamy and stocked with diced potatoes, lobster pieces, chives, and a nice al dente mix of cut vegetables, but it fell a bit short on sherry or pepper that would have better balanced out the dish. The scallops, however, were outrageous. The scallops were pan-fried, resulting in a heavenly, crispy coating, and served with a light vinaigrette on a bed of spinach, green onions, diced red peppers, and chives. The textures and flavors married perfectly together, and now I can’t imagine eating scallops any other way.

The main course, of course, had to be the 16-ounce prime New York strip steak ($38.95), which I ordered rare. I come from a long line of carnivores, and it was refreshing to not only get what I ordered, but also not have to enter into a discussion about what “rare” really means. I meant rare, and rare is exactly what I got. I also got a steak bursting with flavor and jus. I felt like a caveman. It was wonderful; I almost licked the plate.

I also tried the 16-ounce domestic double-cut lamb chops ($29.95), which my dining companion had ordered. The lamb was equally as well-seasoned, tender, and divine as the steak. These people really know how to cook meat. If I am ever going to be stranded in the wilderness and have to pick one person to come with me, it will be Roots’ chef.

Roots' side dishes are all a la carte for $5.95 each. There are healthy things, such as broccoli, garlic, and oil, roasted green beans with fennel, and grilled asparagus. But when you’re already in for 16 ounces of bloody, red meat, ordering anything remotely healthy is akin to ordering a Diet Coke with your Big Mac. I went for broke: creamed spinach (which was decadent and laced with just a hint of nutmeg) and their infamous twice baked potato stuffed with bacon, cheese, butter, cream, and what must be 30,000 calories. I think my server's excitement summed it up perfectly. He placed the potato on the table, looked me in the eye, and said, “Oh my god, this is SO good.” He was so happy to be serving me the twice baked potato, that I think he almost skipped away. It was by far, the best potato I've ever eaten, and as cheesy and heart-attack-inducing as it was, there wasn't a drop of grease at the bottom of the dish. Needless to say, I ate the entire thing.

Roots’ menu also features a nice selection of items for non-meat lovers. There are a host of appetizers including French onion soup ($6.95), chilled jumbo shrimp ($14.95), seared sesame crusted tuna ($12.95), as well as salads (6.95-$10.95) and seafood items (10-ounce cider glazed Atlantic salmon, $26.95, 10-ounce swordfish steak, $27.95, and live Maine lobsters, market price). There is also a Surf & Turf option for those who can’t make up their minds (market price) and a single chicken breast entree ($20.95).

If you have any room at all for dessert, Roots has several impressive-looking choices, including what appears to be a mile-high chocolate tower cake ($9.95) and the Roots Sundae ($7.95, includes two kinds of ice cream, three layers of sauces, two kinds of nuts, and of course whipped cream).

Whatever your culinary pleasure may be, Roots Steakhouse certainly has it covered. The atmosphere is a bit too dark but cheerful (thus the poorly lit photos), the booths are large and comfortable, and the service is top-notch. There is a glass-walled, private dining room available and a beautiful, long bar in the front room offering beers brewed by its sister restaurant, Trap Rock Restaurant & Brewery, an extremely lengthy wine list by the bottle ($30-$999!), and a shorter one by the glass ($7.95-24.95).

Above all, Roots fires up dishes that are truly sensational and in my opinion, certainly rival that of the best steakhouses in New York City—without the tolls or grizzly attitude. I may have gained 10 pounds eating there, but Roots Steakhouse definitely sizzles.

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Roots Steakhouse

401 Springfield Ave., Summit

(908) 273-0027

Hours of Operation:

Lunch, Monday through Saturday, 11:30 am-4 pm

Lunch, Sunday, 12-4 pm

Dinner, Monday through Thursday, 4-10 pm

Dinner, Friday and Saturday, 4-11 pm

Dinner, Sunday, 4-9 pm

Bar, Monday through Saturday, 11:30 am-12:30 am

Bar, Sunday, 4 pm-12 am

All major credit cards accepted.