Food we ordered was good. Waiter (Steve) copped an attitude when 2 in our party informed him of their severe dairy (anaphylactic) and gluten allergies. He was unwilling to explore options regarding the menu. “We’re busy in the kitchen. I can’t ask them”. If you go to this location, request to not be served by Steve.
My partner and I went to celebrate Valentines early. We made a reservation in advance and had zero issues the entire experience.
BUT YOURE HERE FOR THE DETAILS so lets lay them out.
1) We immediately were seated with no wait thanks to the reservation
2) Their setup is different than normal resturaunts in that the waitress brings you the menus not the person that seats you so getting the menus did take a second but that wasnt an issue for us.
3) As a person with a gluten allergy/celiacs the online menu was more helpful than the in-person menu but the waitress was super helpful/kind.
4) We got the fries/frittes - THE DILL KETCHUP IS THE BOMB, if you dont like truffles then you wont like the aoli. The fries are the small shoestring kind so they are super crunchy and not oily. You get a whole bucket of them which we demolished.
5) I will preface saying Roost is not about BOLD flavors their style is more enhancing and pairing the natural flavor of things. This is not going to be like Sueno (high end bold latin). Their food is complex but natural italian inspired.
6) My partner got the Veal and potatos and I got the chicken with GF raveoli.
7) I tried his dish and it was AMAZING. Cooked perfectly, amazing natural flavors with complexity. The tiny onions were adorable and delish. 100% will come back for this dish alone.
8) Initially the waitress forgot about my allergy so they had to redo my dish but she was so sweet about it. They redid my dish in less than 10 minutes which was shockingly quick. Chicken was moist but skin was crispy. The raveoli were slightly better than Aldi GF raviolis (my GF people will know this is a big deal) and the sauce was light but still flavorful. Plenty of sauce for everything.
9) We thought the meal portions were good sized for the prices. Keep in mind portions are made for courses! If you dont get an app/salad or dessert you might not feel there is enough food. This is not the place you leave with leftovers.
10) We did the Sorbetto and the Spumoni for dessert. Presentation for these were great. I LOVED the hallowed out lemon. The gelato was really good, again light flavors but a sweet/salty combo (strawberry, chocolate, pistachio with a salty dark/semi-sweet shell and a sweeter chocolate sauce) BUT we should have asked for a knife and fork because the ball kept rolling all over while trying to eat it.
11) We didnt do drinks because we went to Century Bar after
12) Only minor stuff that is not Roosts fault is the parking -Oregon district parking sucks
Overall meal was $115 ish including tip (1 app, 2 entres, 2 desserts). We left full and satisfied and felt we got really good food/service. I had no symptoms after eating everything. We read the negative reviews before going and felt they were likely due to impatience (good food takes time and this isant fast food), and people not realizing the type of food/flavors Roost is offering.
We had a wonderful dining experience! I have Celiac disease and our server was very good knowledgeable about gluten free options and avoiding cross contact. She was very friendly, answered all our questions, and provided quick service. The potato appetizer, chips and salsa flight, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, and cake were delicious! We'll definitely be back in again next time we're in Dayton! Thank you so much!
Nice place to dine if you're visiting Dayton, Ohio and want something a bit more upscale. My wife has celiacs and had no issues getting a gluten free meal. The waiter kindly told us most menu items could be prepared GF, even though there are no markings on the menu.
Celiac friendly
