THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW PERMANENTLY CLOSED.
The area where the new Square Roots Kitchen is located used to be my stomping ground. I was born and raised in Chicago. I attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School just west of downtown Chicago. I attended UIC (the University of Illinois at Chicago) right across the 290 expressway for college. Although I have moved on from both, I still frequent the area since my girls are now following in my footsteps.
It has been very, very interesting to watch the change in the neighborhood. The big hole near the corner of Madison and Laflin is gone. The entire stretch of Madison that used to have sidewalks from something out of a horror movie is now all new. There are a ton of beautiful new buildings and businesses. One of those new West Loop businesses is Square Roots Kitchen. Located at 120 S. Halsted, it is in a prime location. That area is a food hub. However, Square Roots Kitchen is different. While there are plenty of sit down restaurants, there are not many fast, healthy options.
I recently attended a preview event and got to try out some of the recipes.
Square Roots Kitchen was created by co-founders Derin Alemli and Jason White, experienced entrepreneurs who wanted to combine their tech know-how and their passion for food. Derin is the founder of DownBeats, a company that specializes in creating earplugs to be worn at concerts. Jason is the CEO of KitelyTech. KitelyTech specializes in web design, eCommerce, and other tech-related services for businesses. Of course, I love that the owners are tech nerds! These are guys after my own heart. I’m a techy who loves food.
What Make Square Roots Kitchen Different?
When you walk into Square Roots Kitchen, you will notice 4 huge tablet-like screens. This is where you place your order. This makes ordering more efficient. There is no standing in line and giving your order to a human, which might just get it wrong. Trust me… it happens too often! You are able to browse the menu, enter your order, and wait.
When ordering the system can keep track of your dietary restrictions and tell you the nutritional value of each item, plus give you a calorie total for your whole order.
And if you want to order ahead you can use the Square Roots Kitchen app to place your order then just run in and pick it up (not yet active).
What’s on the Menu at Square Roots Kitchen?
Another thing that makes Square Roots Kitchen different than the surrounding restaurants is the menu. There are not a lot of fast food restaurants in the Chicago area that have fast, healthy options. But, at Square Roots Kitchen you can get just that. The menu includes items like Southwestern salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, a Mediterranean Tofu Wrap, a Veggie Bowl, and Gluten-free cookies. There are options for meat eaters, vegans, or those that love both.
I personally got to try the Southwestern Salad, Steak Cobb wrap, Chicken BLT wrap, Comfort Food Bowl, and Gluten Free Cookie.
Everything was so good! There are still many things on the menu that I need to try, but I think my favorite so far was the Chicken BLT wrap.
Since I pick my girls up nearby, I will definitely be stopping in for some takeout. Once the app is active, I can use my app to complete my order, pull up in front with flashing lights, and run in and grab my food. Also, once you join, the app can keep track or your favorites and any dietary restrictions, so it’s even faster to place your order.
If you are in Chicago and find yourself in the West Loop definitely check out Square Roots Kitchen!
Disclosure: I was invited to the Square Roots Kitchen preview to try out some dishes. No compensation was received for this post.
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