The first thing that gets you is the sound. Not the polite clink of wine glasses or the low hum of a Summit dining room settling into dinner, but that hot, rich sizzle from a steak landing at the table like it knows it is the main event.
At Roots Steakhouse, the 16 oz Prime Ribeye does not need much help making an entrance. Add buttery richness, a little garlic-kissed drama, and the kind of crust that makes everyone at the table pause mid-conversation, and suddenly dinner feels less like a reservation and more like a reward.
This is the kind of New Jersey steakhouse people save for birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, and the occasional “we made it through the week” splurge. Set at 401 Springfield Ave. in downtown Summit, Roots has that rare mix of polished and familiar, where the steak is serious but the night never feels stiff.
The Sizzling Ribeye That Makes Roots Steakhouse Worth the Trip
Here is the moment people remember: the ribeye arrives hot, deeply browned, and glossy enough to make you forget whatever sensible ordering strategy you had going in.
Roots lists its 16 oz Prime Ribeye Steak at $59.95, which puts it firmly in special-occasion territory without wandering into cartoonishly over-the-top steakhouse pricing.
It is a generous cut, the kind that rewards people who know ribeye is where the flavor lives. The appeal is not just size.
Ribeye has more marbling than a leaner filet, which means every bite carries that beefy, buttery richness steak lovers are usually chasing. At Roots, the steak gets treated like the centerpiece it is.
You can keep it classic with the complimentary Roots Steak Sauce, but the smarter move for anyone leaning into the title-worthy experience is to add one of the richer sauces, especially the Roots cowboy butter, listed with the sauce options at $4.95.
It gives the steak that warm, melted, indulgent finish that makes a ribeye feel properly dressed.
This is not a dainty steak you politely nibble through. It is the one you order when you want the table to smell like butter, char, and good decisions.
The outside brings the steakhouse crust, the inside stays juicy, and the fat does what ribeye fat is supposed to do, which is make the whole plate more interesting.
There are more expensive cuts on the menu, including Snake River Farms American Wagyu options and a Prime Porterhouse for two at market price, but the ribeye hits the sweet spot.
It feels big without being ridiculous. It is rich without needing a stack of add-ons.
It is exactly the kind of dish that makes someone from Essex, Union, Morris, or Somerset County say, “Fine, Summit was worth the drive.”
Why This Summit Steakhouse Feels Polished Without Feeling Stuffy
Summit has a particular kind of dining energy. It is dressed-up, but not showy.
Busy, but not chaotic. Close enough to feel suburban and polished, but with enough downtown life to make dinner feel like a night out instead of just another errand with better lighting.
Roots fits neatly into that rhythm. The restaurant sits right on Springfield Avenue, which matters because this is not a hidden strip-mall steakhouse you need to explain to everyone in the car.
It is in the middle of Summit’s restaurant-and-shopping orbit, the kind of place where you can arrive a little early, walk past storefronts, and feel like the evening has already started before the first drink lands.
Inside, the mood leans traditional steakhouse: white tablecloths, warm wood, framed art, proper service, and that low dining-room buzz that tells you people are spending real money but still enjoying themselves.
What keeps it from feeling too buttoned-up is the confidence of the place. Roots does not seem desperate to prove it is fancy.
It simply behaves like a steakhouse that knows what it is doing. The menu is direct.
The servers know the cuts. The room has enough polish for a client dinner or anniversary, but not so much formality that you feel weird laughing too loudly over onion rings and a second glass of red.
There is a dress code, and it is worth noting before you head over in beach-day mode. Roots asks guests to skip hats, tank tops, flip-flops, and team athletic attire, which tells you the restaurant is aiming for a certain dining-room feel.
That said, the standard reads less like velvet-rope fussiness and more like a gentle reminder that this is a steakhouse, not a sports bar with filet mignon. That balance is the trick.
Roots gives you the white-tablecloth steakhouse experience without draining all the fun out of the room.
The Prime Beef Is the Real Star of the Menu
One useful thing about the Roots menu is that it does not bury the point. Yes, there are seafood plates, salads, sliders, and a few comfort-food detours, but the steak section is clearly the engine of the restaurant.
The dinner menu runs through the expected classics with admirable focus: a 12 oz Petite Prime NY Strip at $49.95, a 16 oz Prime NY Strip at $54.95, an 8 oz Petite Filet Mignon at $49.95, a 12 oz Filet Mignon at $59.95, the 20 oz Dry Aged Cowboy Steak at $59.95, and the 16 oz Prime Ribeye at $59.95.
That lineup gives every kind of steak person a lane.
Filet fans get the tender, tidy cut that behaves itself. Strip steak loyalists get firmer texture and a cleaner chew.
The cowboy steak brings the dry-aged swagger. The ribeye, though, is the one for people who want flavor first and apologies never.
It has the fat. It has the sizzle. It has the kind of richness that makes you slow down halfway through because rushing would be rude to the steak. There are ways to dress things up, too.
The menu offers additions like jumbo shrimp for $6.95, Oscar style with colossal crab, asparagus, and hollandaise for $23.95, and lobster with cherry peppers for $28.95. Those can turn a steak into a full steakhouse production, but they are not necessary if you are ordering the ribeye.
That cut already brings enough personality to carry the plate. Still, Roots is smart about letting diners build the meal they want.
Someone at the table can go lean with filet and béarnaise. Someone else can choose the dry-aged cowboy steak and act like they discovered fire.
The ribeye person, meanwhile, gets the deepest, most satisfying beef flavor on the standard steak list.
Start With Seafood Before the Steak Arrives
Before the ribeye shows up and steals the room, the seafood side of the menu makes a pretty strong case for arriving hungry and ordering with backup.
Roots has the kind of starters that make sense for a steakhouse: cold shellfish, buttery bites, crisp calamari, and a few dishes that are basically designed to keep the table happy while everyone debates medium-rare versus medium.
The raw bar is a good place to begin. Local East Coast Oysters are listed at $18.95 for a half dozen, and that is a clean, classic opener before a rich steak.
Chilled Jumbo Shrimp comes in at $19.95, Snow Crab Claws at $23.95, Lobster Cocktail at $31.95, and the chilled seafood platter is available in different sizes at market price.
That platter includes lobster, oysters, shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare, and snow crab claws, which is exactly the kind of icy, dramatic steakhouse starter that makes the table look instantly more celebratory.
If you prefer something warm, the Maine Lobster Bites are listed at $24.95 with lemon garlic, beurre blanc, gruyere, and bread crumbs. That is a lot of rich words in one dish, and frankly, none of them are bad news.
The Roots Crispy Shrimp Scampi at $19.95 leans into garlic, butter, and white wine, which makes it a natural warm-up act for anyone already dreaming about a buttery ribeye.
Rhode Island Crispy Calamari brings cherry peppers and roasted red pepper marinara, giving the table something crisp and a little tangy before the heavier plates arrive.
There is also Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with crushed avocado, crispy wontons, wasabi cream, ponzu, and sesame seeds for $20.95. That is the move if you want something bright and sharp before the steak course.
The best strategy is not to overdo it. Roots portions are steakhouse portions, and the ribeye is not coming over to politely share the spotlight.
The Sides Deserve Just as Much Attention as the Ribeye
Steakhouse sides are where a meal can either become memorable or collapse into a pile of beige afterthoughts. Roots gets the assignment.
The side list is long enough to start a small argument at the table, and that is usually a good sign. Nobody wants to spend ribeye money and then be handed a sad scoop of vegetables that tastes like obligation.
The classics are all here. Our Famous Mac & Cheese is $10.95, with Truffle Mac & Cheese at $18.95 and Lobster Mac & Cheese at $29.95 if the table is feeling extravagant.
Creamed Spinach is $10.95, Classic Whipped Potatoes are $10.95, Onion Rings are $10.95, and the Colossal Loaded Baked Potato is also $10.95. That is the old-school steakhouse comfort zone, and it is exactly where a ribeye likes to live.
The smarter order depends on the table. With the garlic-butter richness of a ribeye, something crisp or green helps cut through the fat.
Roasted Asparagus comes with lemon aioli, parmesan, and bread crumbs for $11.95, giving you brightness and crunch without pretending to be too virtuous. Brussels Sprouts with honey sambal, bacon, and scallions bring sweet heat and smoke.
Broccoli Garlic & Oil keeps things direct, and Roasted Mushrooms with white button mushrooms and herb oil are almost too obvious with steak, which is probably why they work. Then again, nobody goes to a steakhouse to win a restraint contest.
Potatoes Au Gratin, pomme frites, truffle pommes frites, and mac and cheese all have a place here. The trick is balance.
Pair the ribeye with one rich side and one sharper or greener side, and the whole meal feels composed instead of just heavy. For two people, creamed spinach and roasted asparagus make sense.
For four, add mac and cheese or onion rings and watch how fast everyone suddenly becomes “just one more bite” people.
Why Roots Is Made for Celebrations and Big Nights Out
A lot of restaurants can handle dinner. Fewer can handle the pressure of a birthday, anniversary, promotion, retirement toast, or family gathering where one person is quietly judging the service and another person has already looked up the dessert menu.
Roots is built for those nights because it understands pacing. The meal can start with oysters or lobster bisque, move into a serious steak, stretch into sides for the table, and end with something sweet without ever feeling rushed through the dining-room machinery.
The hours help, too. At the Summit location, lunch is served Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Dinner runs Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The bar and lounge stay open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., which gives the place a little extra flexibility for early drinks, late dinners, or the person who insists everyone meet for “one cocktail” and then orders sliders.
For private gatherings, Roots Summit has two event spaces. The Stone Room fits up to 28 guests and is separated from the main dining area by glass windows and sliding doors.
The Remington Room handles up to 50 guests, set with three long tables and a large glass window looking toward downtown Summit.
That setup makes sense for corporate dinners, milestone birthdays, rehearsal dinners, and holiday meals where nobody wants to host at home and discover they own eight forks for twelve people.
Dessert keeps the mood generous. The New York Style Cheesecake, Warm Butter Cake, Layered Carrot Cake, Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Espresso Creme Brulee are all listed at $13.95, while the Roots Super Sundae lands at $20.95 for the table that still has some fight left.
What Roots does especially well is make the evening feel intentional. The ribeye brings the sizzle, the room brings the occasion, and downtown Summit gives the whole thing a polished New Jersey backdrop that suits the meal without trying too hard.