Back2Roots Bistro

More upscale vegetarian/​vegan restaurant located in Jazzy Veggie’s old space.
I was so sad when Jazzy Veggie closed down a few years ago, but excited that something new and vegetarian/​vegan was going in its place again.
The new space is clean and modern and the menu is contemporary vegetarian/​vegan fare.
Upon sitting down we received two complimentary «green shots» of juice as a sampling. It was sweet and delicious.
The menu is extensive and unique offering a selection of daily soup, and then salads, bowls and wraps.
I ordered the Zen Bowl which was recommended by the server and it was delicious. It’s a bowl of sprouted tofu, soba noodles, tons of veggies and topped with a raw, spicy peanut sauce. It was light, fresh, colorful and delicious.
The staff was friendly, helpful and the place wasn’t too loud which was nice.
Overall our experience here was fine, but when comparing this place to other vegetarian/​vegan place sin Ann Arbor, I’m on the fence to call it a favorite. It’s still delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s often forgotten to us because it’s on the northern end of downtown and I don’t venture that way too much.

Very disappointed with the help and the food. I have been going to Hut k for many years. I know that this might be a off night because a few days before valentine’s. My food was bland and cold, my wife’s burger bun was burnt. We were not waited on for 20 minutes to get our drinks

First time at this restaurant and I have to say it exceeded our expectations. Our non-​vegetarian guest loved the Buddha Bowl. I am extremely particular in the quality of food I eat (organic) and found that the ingredients used in all of the dishes were of outstanding quality and freshly prepared. I had the lentil wrap which was delicious!
I have found a restaurant that meets my high quality standards and I will add this to my list of favorites. Can’t wait to go back and try some of the other dishes. Great job Back2Roots Bistro!

I recently went to Back 2 Roots Bistro in Ann Arbor with some friends. They have been opened since August of 2015. This is vegan eating in a nice setting that borders on upscale ambience. The artwork by a local artist seemed to be influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphics and Van Goh’s «The Starry Night». I wanted hearty calorie dense vegan without added oils and quickly eyed both the sandwiches as well as the bowls on the menu. My waitress recommended the Beets Burger, the Southwest Black Bean Burger, or the Himalayan Bowl. I opted for the Southwest Black Bean Burger as the waitress said it was popular and her favorite. It had a side of sprouted black bean and vegetable chili. We were dining with a party of five and was kind of our server to bring up samples of «the power of 7 smoothies». It came with spinach, date syrup, and one simple improvement to the menu would be to list the ingredients of the juices/​smoothies/​teas on the menu similar to all the food items. My chili arrived first and was small yet packed with flavor. It was very flavorful made with natural quality ingredients and loved the cashew cheese it was topped with. The waitress also provided a very spicy side of made in house Sri Lanka sambal.
The Southwest Black Bean Burger arrived. It was flavorful with lots of additions such as a live avocado spread served on a sprouted bun. I asked for some mustard to pair it with and out came a spicy Dijon mustard that tasted made in house with a robust flavor. I felt it was very good yet not great. The bun was quite big and would have preferred the black bean patty to be more hearty. It also fell apart when eating which was fine with me yet would have been able to be kept bound better if a flax «egg» was used or arrow root power. My biggest complaint of the sandwich was that it came with tomato slices and I received four end cuts of tomatoes which I ate after cutting around the unappealing ends. I come from a chef background and think this restaurant deserves room for improvement yet has a lot of potential. The sandwich came to $ 13 before tax. Overall I love the vibe and energy of the restaurant coupled with vegan whole plants with exotic flavorful combinations. It should be on the short list of any vegan, vegetarian, or those interested in plant based eating coming to Ann Arbor.

I wish there were 6 stars for this place on Main downtown. The restaurant is a beautiful design — clean, simple, elegant. Even the plates and glasses add to making each meal a work of art. What an experience!
After clean, room temp water — (yep, this is not a snobby Pellegrino place) and a free shot of the Protein 7 smoothie, we started with the chili off the everyday menu, and the soup of the day: lemon rice. I primarily got the chili to try the cashew cheese on top, but the entire cup was smooth and savory with just the smallest bit of heat — and the cashew cheese added the right bit of richness. Great start! Two creamy, sweet mango smoothies topped off the start — ask what’s in it for a long list that blends into perfection — yum!
Entrees were quinoa cake and the That Beets Burger. If you think vegan is bland and uninteresting, this burger will bowl you over with layers and layers of texture and flavor! With a sprout bun, and the kale and date chutney, seriously, you will not even think this is seared beets. Hearty!
Dessert was a shared chocolate terrine — deep flavor, silky smooth, topped with just a bit of blackberries and peanuts. I ate a bundle last night at this place and came way feeling energized — not weighed down from a usual dinner out.
The entrée with soup or salad was only $ 12.95! Seriously what a perfect fit into downtown and like no other. Yes carryouts too. I feel like I’ve just been converted: Vegan, non GMO, no white sugars or breads, no aluminum cookware — healthy eating with fun and flavor is possible! Enjoy!

I’m a skeptic when it comes down to vegetarian food. I mean come on… how can a vegetarian dish taste complete without meat? PLUS I heard this bistro is pretty darn serious about what they stand for. In fact, they don’t incorporate any animal products including honey! No processed sugar either!
I ordered a zen bowl with a small beet juice and my mind was blown. Both were absolutely delicious.
The soba noodles were delicious with fresh veggies dressed with lime juice and peanut sauce. However, it was more garlicky than I had expected… But satisfying non the less. I will definitely be back to try other items on their menu! :)

We have been to B2R twice and both times we had great experience. Their soups are amazing, so are their burgers and wraps. The servers are very attentive and hospitable.

I LOVE IT.
Okay, so I will admit that I hate the name and especially the number 2 in it. Graphically, it’s unappealing to me, although not as bad as the former establishment at that address’ unfortunate use of papyrus font. (I hate that font so much that, yep, you guessed it, I boycotted it solely on the basis of the font. Call me crazy, but you know… we all got needs.)
This place is wonderful, quiet, and relaxing. The service was spot on, un-​intrusive, and the white linen table cloths did a lot to elevate the experience. The food was fresh and beautiful and healthy. I devoured by Bangkok Bowl, and took two others to go for friends, which I later tasted. One was the soba noodles in peanut sauce (Zen Bowl, I think) and the third a curried rice bowl (Himalayan, perhaps?). Both were also amazing.
The only downfall is that there is no wine list, which would make it so much better for dinner. Water is served room temperature, unless otherwise desired. I absolutely love that.
Skip the nunnery… get thee to Back2roots!

We tried this restaurant for a friend’s birthday. Six people, half were vegan. It was delicious! I’m not vegan, but really enjoyed my well thought out digestively positive dish. Our waiter was very knowledgable and sweet. I hope to go back very soon.

Dined here yesterday and I was impressed. In the space that used to be Jazzy Veggie, Back2Roots offers a much more modern feel after being redesigned with cool contemporary tones. The menu has been reimagined as well with amazing sounding offerings that include soups and salads, imaginative sandwiches and a number of smoothies. My wife and I ate here at lunch time and I had a difficult time deciding what to order as many items jumped out at me. I ended up choosing the jackfruit Caribbean jerk wrap, which also had marinated pineapple, a jicama avocado slaw, and a spicy-​sweet coconut poppy seed dressing in a wrap. Wow, it was a tasty number! A bit tough to eat as a wrap, as the contents were coated in the dressing and the jerk sauce, so I ended up eating it mostly with a fork. But it was delicious. My wife ordered the zesty sprouty herb burger which I sampled and really liked. The homemade patty had brown rice, tofu, zucchini, celery, spinach and scallions. The bun was really tasty and it was served with a little bit of a pesto sauce. It was really good! We got complementary shots of their Power of 7 blended juice which was a yummy concoction of kale, spinach, chard, pineapple, rice milk, dates, limes, and possibly a little bit of magic cause I could have easily drank a big gulp cup size of it and been a happy girl.
We ate here on game day, so Ann Arbor was bustling. We were seated where I could see passers by looking at the menu and one by one they kept walking. I’m hoping for the sake of Back2Roots that those football fans weren’t feeling like a vegetarian adventure on that particular day but return to give it a chance at some point.

Absolutely fantastic food! All menu items GMO-​free. The owner is a blessing to this city! Highly recommend!

This is a great spot that will leave vegetarians and non-​vegetarians (me!) happy and full. The flavors and ingredients are outstanding — I had the Zen Bowl and the Power7 juice.
Go enjoy this place now before it becomes too crowded.

Excellent and flavorful healthy food. Good service as well. Will definitely return to try so, e of the other items on the menu (I had the Zen Bowl). I am not a vegetarian, but didn’t feel like I was compromising with the food choices here.

I’ve been yearning for another vegetarian or vegan place to eat at downtown, and am so glad we now have this option.
I had the jackfruit wrap, which was filling and really flavorful, but I really want to try some of the other creations on the menu as they sound so creative and they’re not what I would find at other restaurants. The servers were fun and informative on the whole non-​GMO and organic ingredients thing, and the place had a comfortable casual vibe. Also, yesterday I got a green smoothie as my mid-​afternoon pick-​me-​up, instead of coffee, and I felt refreshed and satisfied. Then I went back to work and wasn’t tired! Glad this is close enough to me that I can stop by and grab a lunch or smoothie when I need some nutrients in my body!
Will update as I try other items…

I have a new favorite! Back2Roots Bistro~
This is what food is meant to be!
Tasty, satisfying and health building!
I can’t wait to return.
EVERYTHING I tried was delicious!
I so thoroughly enjoyed my Himalayan Basmati Bowl
My Power of 7 shot and Chrysanthemum Elixir and shared Panna Cotta dessert!
I even took home an extra Power of 7 smoothie for later.

We were excited to try this restaurant for a late lunch after hearing about its commitment to health — completely GMO free, no aluminum cookware, and many locally sourced and organic ingredients. They go above and beyond to match this commitment, taking steps like making all sauces and dressings in house.
The ambiance was simple and fresh, with soothing, tranquil music and engaging abstract art. The staff was friendly and attentive. Our meal was filling, beautifully presented, fast, fresh and flavorful. I would describe it as upscale American vegan fusion, with the offerings falling mainly into categories of burgers, wraps, noodle bowls, and salads. Of the two dessert offerings, we tried the cashew panna cotta, which was rich and delicious, as well as splitting a refreshing, sweet-​but-​not-​too-​sweet green smoothie (the Power 7).
We look forward to going back to for different selections soon, and are happy to have such an dedicated and outstanding new eatery in the area.

This place is amazing, super delicious and super healthy. The owners are super helpful in terms of food knowledge and super friendly. I recommend this place or their other restaurant: Hut K Chaats to anyone who loves food… Enjoy!