Heather Baker and DJ Williams
Located in the heart of Little Rock’s thriving SoMa district, one restaurant is whipping up outstanding breakfast dishes. When AY About You Magazine was compiling its Breakfast Bucket List, this restaurant was an immediate no-brainer for the list. The spot: the Root Café.
AY Publisher Heather Baker and KARK host DJ Williams dropped by the restaurant to try out their breakfast offerings. Spoiler alert – it was a major success for everybody involved.
Baker had a slight advantage going into this Bucket List trip, as she had already visited it before. But Williams was experiencing it for the first time.
“I’m pumped up about it. The whole vibe of SoMa District is unbelievable. It’s growing and booming. I’ve heard a lot about it, but I haven’t been here yet,” he says.
They started off the way any lively breakfast should – with a few breakfast cocktails. The Root Café staff prepared some Bloody Marys; lemon lavender spritzers; and a Midnight Special, which is a cocktail made from Rock Town vodka, Rock Town coffee liqueur, cold brew coffee and cream.
The Root Café showed out for Baker and Williams, bringing them a full spread of delicious breakfast food. From a Shiitake Benny to biscuits and gravy with house-made sausage, the spread demonstrated the mastery that the Root Café is known for when it comes to breakfast.
In fact, Williams was almost speechless when all the food made it to the table. “You have got to be kidding me. What they brought to the table – I didn’t expect. This is my first time here.”
“You’ve been missing out,” Baker jokes.
Part of what makes the Root Café so unique is its insistence on locally sourcing its food. The restaurant aims to support local farmers and producers throughout Arkansas in order to support the state’s economy and be more environmentally sustainable.
“Everything is local. They are all about local here at the Root. They get their eggs local…they make their jellies here, they have homemade biscuits,” Baker says.
But with so much amazing food on the table, Williams just wanted to chow down. “I’m done talking…I’m literally starving,” Williams says with a laugh.
At the end of the meal, both Baker and Williams agree that the Root Café is a highlight. “Usually, a lot of times on T.V., people gas up things up a lot of things. The Root might be my new breakfast spot downtown. First time here: home run,” Williams says.
The Root Café offers breakfast lunch and dinner times from Wednesday through Saturday. On Tuesday, the restaurant offers only breakfast and lunch, and on Sundays, they serve breakfast from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The restaurant is closed Mondays.
“Breakfast happens at the Root on Tuesdays through Saturday until 11 a.m. On Sunday, they have the brunch hour until 2 p.m. You’ve got to come and get some of this,” Baker says.
