Mystery Diner: McHenry’s UpRooted happily upends dining expectations

In these times, it’s not only important to have good food, but also to make it easy for the patron to pick out and customize what they are looking to order.

UpRooted off Route 120 in McHenry does both.

The front of the building is home to a bar area, where you can pick up takeout orders, while the back half of the structure is an expansive dining space.

When we recently ordered from UpRooted in McHenry, we were looking for a wide range of options. That’s definitely what we got, starting with the charcuterie plate ($17) and cauliflower wings ($9) as our appetizers.

The cauliflower wings were simple and straightforward, cauliflower florets doused with buffalo sauce with bleu cheese on the side.

The charcuterie board had a good mix of meat, cheeses and spice, from prosciutto and spicy herbes de Provence salami and dry gentile salami to double creme brie, Harvest Moon cheese and herb goat cheese along with sliced apples with preserves, orange slices and a mix of Mediterranean crackers.

The highlight of the meal for me, for sure, was the lobster seafood roll ($16), which I ordered with pasta salad and the upgrade of sweet potato fries ($2) on the side.

Here, the seafood sandwich isn’t just about lobster, but had plenty of it packed into the soft and sweet New England roll. The classic dish was enhanced by shrimp and crab, all enveloped in a creamy sauce. It was really, really good.

UpRooted truly has a wide variety of options, from an Italian beef ($10) to Caprese Chicken Tomato Focaccia ($12) to UpRooted’s High Rise Filet Mignon ($34) or a wide variety of vegetarian or pasta choices.

One of our fellow diners ordered the spinach and mushroom ravioli ($15) with pesto cream sauce and garlic bread, giving it a thumbs up.

Our final diner went with the cheeseburger ($11), which was traditional and exactly what that diner was hoping for. Instead of fries, we ordered risotto on the side, which I stole and found to be an interesting alternative to the norm.

UpRooted offers plenty of seafood, along with gluten-friendly wraps, buns and pasta, which makes it possible for people with a lot of different tastes to find something enjoyable.

We miss the in-person experience and presentation that go with dining in a place like UpRooted.

The carryout world makes it even more important for a restaurant to have top-notch food with the best ingredients that hold up even without that indoor experience. And on that challenging playing field, UpRooted certainly did well.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Northwest Herald. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: UpRooted

WHERE: 2816 W. Route 120, McHenry

PHONE: 815-679-6996

INFORMATION: uprooted-mchenry.com