CHIReview
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
Dirty Root
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Unless you’re the type of person who spends their entire Sunday meal-prepping intricate salads and grain bowls, healthy work lunches can be forgettable. But Dirty Root, a fast-casual restaurant in the West Loop, is a great option for a lunch that you won’t forget about as soon as you’re finished eating.
Dirty Root is mostly a takeout operation, with a menu focused on bowls using local, unprocessed ingredients like schmaltz-roasted brussels sprouts or mushrooms cooked in ghee. You can make your own, or pick from pre-made options like the classic, which has cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and chicken thighs. All your choices are lined up in cast iron pots, so it feels a little like being at a potluck, but one where somebody brought gremolata-covered beets instead of coleslaw from Jewel. Our main complaint is that while everything tastes good, it all tends to get mushy. But textural issues aside, if you work in the area it should definitely replace the canned tuna currently in your weekday rotation.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kim Kovacik
The Classic
photo credit: Kim Kovacik