My boss lets me wear shorts to work, but I feel guilty. TAKE IT UP WITH BLOOM CAFE!!!!!!!!! Hey Babe!

Got a hangover the size of Kansas and need a detox to keep your liver from rioting? Feeling a little like the Michelin Man in those jeans? Is your carnivore core fighting with your vegetarian tendencies? Think all diningwear should originate from something planted in maneur? Don't worry, you've got Bloom. Talk about a metaphorical name. It's like a garden patch oasis springing up randomly amidst a barren desert. Little treasures have been popping up here and there along this forgotten about stretch of Pico, but considering the neighborhood, a fresh, organic, healthy and altogether adorable cafe was not anyone's first guess for the next one. Granted, any four-star worthy mecca of awesomeness automatically generates one extra star if it's within a mile radius of home, simply for convenience purposes. But if I had to eat at one nearby restaurant for the rest of my life, this would be it. The menu changes seasonally, so you always get the best and freshest options available. The only downside? "YES! I can get that awesome sandwi...heeeeeyyy where did it go?? Noooooooooo!!!!!" Thankfully, staples like the potato/comte cheese pizza are always available and always finger lickin' good. Salads are too, although if your stomach is like a ravenous dog, you might need a lil extra with it. Either way, whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there's always something solid and familiar on the menu. So on days when my stomach is feeling a little bit like that barren desert, Bloom is like a lil bit of water and Miracle Gro; suddenly I'm a lean, mean, green eatin' machine. read more

Please let me start off by saying that I really wanted to like this place. It's comfortable strolling distance away from home, and unlike Paper or Plastik and Chic, its kitchen is open on a Saturday, mid-afternoon. Thus, I ended up there yesterday. What a farce. My friend needed to use the restroom so she went to do so. A staffer seated me at an outside table, set out utensils and napkins, & provided a high chair [with peeling paint] for my toddler. There we waited. And waited. My friend is a notoriously slow potty breaker, & she returned to our table about ten minutes after I was seated. We waited some more. She finally went inside to request a server, and some dude finally made his way out to our table. 45 minutes later, there's still no food in front of us [water arrived after probably 30 minutes... some bonus points are due for the straw cup of water for my child]... & said child is beginning to get a bit antsy. The two adults at the table are as well, since my steak sandwich was ordered medium rare, and a vegan wrap shouldn't require much cook/prep time at all. Here's where it gets really fun. A different server comes out & tells us that our food will be out shortly. Another ten minutes pass. The second server comes out again WITH THE CHECK. Still no food in sight. We then notice an upcharge for one of the sides, which my friend hadn't noticed on the menu. It isn't as though she set out to cheat bloom out of $2.00 for a side of vegetables [which, mind you, we haven't even set eyes on yet.] Sometimes [often?] a server will mention the additional charge when customers are ordering. This had not occurred. Bear in mind that we had been waiting almost an hour at this point. We had finally requested the food be packaged to go. I no longer recall the exact details of the timing of what all occurred next, but these things all happened: * Instead of just comping the stupid vegetables, the staff went about removing them from the bill, and from our bag of food; * That bag of food still had not been presented to us, & server #2 seemed to get a little fkn snappish with me when I asked why it had been "sitting ready for us" and not brought out; * Servers #1 and 2 then got into some verbal altercation in front of the kitchen area - tacky!; * The person working the counter area asked what was wrong, I told her, & she made no attempt to intervene... I guess she just wanted in on the drama?!; * My friend walked out; * I, after finishing telling the story to the person behind the counter, walked out as well, somehow managing not to use any profanity. This place is like some sort of bad joke on the local residents. In its location on Pico, it can apparently get away with serving up mediocre, overpriced food and beverages, in a lackadaisical, courtesy-challenged manner. This shit would never fly somewhere like Larchmont, where the yummy food you get at the same price point is actually served with gratitude, in a cozy bungalow, or on a lovely back patio with some gelato afterward. Oh, and everyone who works there appears totally & completely high. All the outside decor is green; it's called Bloom. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. What a funny inside joke, guys. Yeah, whatever. From here on out, I'll drive to Larchmont & stroll around there after I eat. read more

So many mixed feelings about Bloom... Location: Kinda shite and finding a meter can be a bitch, but it's close to home and provides another tasty option on this gentrified stretch of Pico, so can't complain. Decor: Plain and simple, which is, well, plain and simple. Options: Lots of 'em for seating with two parallel interior spaces, sidewalk tables and a little enclosed patio area in the back. Service: Generally entirely wanky and shite except for one guy who's always doll, but yeah, just one guy. Food: Lots of good stuff for brek, lunch and din and just about everything's organic. They do an overpriced but perfectly passable latte and iced coffee and a big 'ol variety of smoothies if you're into that. The daily specials are usually pretty good, particularly the garlicky shrimp tacos and latin coleslaw I had the other day. Bottom Line: If this were anywhere else I'd probably have too much of my own attitude over their attitudinal servers to bother, but, what can I say? It's close and evidently I have a masochistic streak. read more

Came here thinking everything is made from organic stuff and I'm expecting everthing to be practically vegan.....what? a 8oz hamburger? I'm in!!!! Plowed through it like a fat cow who found a fresh batch of greens and really enjoyed the fries here too!!! Place does get crowded at times and overall I thought the food was good. Various omelette dishes that were being served came out very fluffy, and can fill most peeps that are at "E" on their fuel level. Good portions in other words. Must try to order other items on next visit! Note, room decor was "Austin Powersee" Yeah babeeeee! read more

LIKES: Huevos Rancheros - it's rancheros but vertical instead of horizontal, layered like a mini-tower. The use of white beans instead of the typical refried makes for an aesthetically pleasing feast for your peepers. Thankfully, it's also bringing the flava for your taste-buds so all your senses are happy. The crushed mint lemonade was like spa-in-a-glass. Screw all the other drink options, order this. Apparently the smoothies are also delish, as our friend finished his in the 30 seconds i was admiring the photography hanging on the walls. (He recommends "The Forrest".) The fact that they have two separate areas for to-go and dine-in, that way i'm not battling people waiting for their orders while trying to get to my table. DISLIKES: service was kinda sloooow and one drink order was forgotten. It wasn't even packed, but it was a holiday (thank you for being open!). They use disposable cups made of corn for water and cold drinks(don't worry, it doesn't look granola). While it's great that they're using a biodegradable product instead of a petroleum one, I don't see why they can't use reusable glasses for dine-in and reserve the corn based cups for take out. It seemed frivolous when you could prevent a ton of garbage by using regular glasses. **They focus in on organic ingredients, and there are vegan/vegetarian options available. Breakfast is served till 4pm (IMPORTANT!!!) Prices were reasonable, though i thought the smoothies were a bit steep. Street parking, don't ferget to feed your meter. For organic and yummy huevos rancheros ima be generous with 4 stars. read more

Sometimes, when you're feeling down, it's a good idea to grab lunch with an old friend. Other times, you can slit your wrists. My button whale of a belly prefers the former. Taking his puppy for a stroll, my flipmode friend and I caught a delightful sidewalk cafe mid-Pico. Taking in the awesome weather, we decided to hash over some omelettes and mac n cheese. I thought the menu looked interesting, but worried it was too healthy to taste good (who eats tofu salad?). Luckily, I was wrong. The deliciously fresh omelette was made with chunks of mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. The mac n cheese was made of macaroni, cheese, and pure sweet love (aka butter). We killed it. They also provided a side of mysterious tomato paste, which I initially thought was their version of vegan ketchup, until my friend pointed out that ketchup was already naturally vegan. Yeah, I am so smart. Then I went home and slit my wrists. read more

Well Bloom Cafe you just lost a regular customer!! I called today to get two juices to go and I was told they were too busy to take a phone order..... Really??? Why did you answer the line then? I then asked how long it would be if I just came in right then and she told me 30 minutes. I asked "for 2 juices?!?" Her rude response was "YES, we're really busy and don't have time to make your juices." W-O-W This place is obviously more understaffed than I realized and the amount of rudeness is the customer service is appalling. read more

I have eaten at Bloom a handful of times now and have enjoyed it every time. My daughter is a vegan and I'm a Pescaterrian so we are always looking for places that can accommodate our eating styles and Bloom hasn't disappointed us. Their food is really good. Last time I had the veggie burger. It was one of the best burgers (meat included) that I've ever had. My daughter took some of the burger and added it to her salad; it was delicious. The cafe is simple with plenty of room. They're not trying too hard to make it "hip/trendy". The waiters are nice but would be great if they were a little friendlier. Friendlier waiters would make it more inviting. Bloom has become our "go to" in the neighborhood. read more

I had a very different experience at Bloom Cafe only a few weeks ago. My son and I ordered a a couple of Grass Fed 8oz Burgers, and then we settled in for a 25-minute wait. Our waiter, rather than checking on the status of our order was occupied with texting....neat. When our cheeseburgers finally arrived, mine was cooked to a blistering Well-Done. I sent it back with a request to deliver the re-fire in less than 25 minutes. Our waiter proclaimed. "I do not work in the kitchen." Our waiter was not very good at his job.The kitchen managed to get out the second burger in 15 minutes. That was a 40-minute wait for a burger. I took a few bites and realized that the burger was scorched. Upon noting my clear displeasure, the waiter: "What is wrong with it this time?" I provided the top three reasons why the burger was inedible, and again the reply, "I do not work in the kitchen." The Topping and Sides: This was even more appalling than the service or the poor quality of preparation. The "Live Lettuce" was, in reality, the past-its-prime, brown-veined center leaves of a head of Iceberg Lettuce. The tomato was rubbery and bland. That was as good as it got. The side salad that came with the burger contained rotten, blackened bits of greens. This was indicative of being in the bag for too long and being served by a staff that did not care. The brown rice that I opted for in lieu of fries was cold in the center. BLEAK The Value: The cheeseburger at Bloom Cafe would have been an awful value at $1. At $10, it was simply offensive. My burger was comped, but this was still an utter waste of time and gas. Bloom Cafe didn't set the bar low--Bloom Cafe threw the bar on the ground, and then the Sunday crew tunneled under the bar. Bad (rotten and low quality) ingredients, bad (dismissive and shoddy) service, and bad (careless and slow) preparation all led to an completely inedible burger with rotten toppings and cold sides. read more

I went here a few months ago and the food was mediocre and the service was horrendous. The waitress was rude and slow even when there was no one in there. Flash forward to last month, my roommate and I had just moved into the area so we thought we'd order in. The guy taking our order was a total prick but we let it slide since we were so hungry from moving. The food we got was cold and we waited over an hour. We thought we'd give it one more chance and tried to order at 8:45. The guy said there were no more take out orders even though it says on their menu "delivery until 9." As many others have stated, they have a pattern of dickishness. Don't support these types of businesses. read more

There are a variety of reviews on here, so I'm gonna break it down for you quick and easy. 1. SERVICE VARIES, it's true. But that's because Bloom is a place where you can come in, relax, and enjoy eating. Plus, the food usually comes out fast after you've ordered. So just relax, and go in knowing that it's a small restaurant that keeps the staffing costs low so that they can bring you good food at reasonable prices! 2. THE DISH IS BETTER IF IT HAS MORE INGREDIENTS. That is my rule at Bloom. The vegetarian curry - amazing. It has more than 5 ingredients. The Steak Sandwich - boring. It only has about 4 ingredients. But the thing is, if you really think about the flavors in the description on the menu, you can gauge how rich and complex the flavor will be. Which brings me to #3... 3. THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE. The salads are unique and fulfilling, the bowls are surprisingly fulfilling, and the other items can really surprise you. 4. SOMETIMES THEY MISS, BUT SO DO YOU. They don't always get it right, but at least they're trying! It's one of the few places in LA that serves healthy options without being snobby, expensive, hyped-up or overdone. The atmosphere is more like your family kitchen and dining room, if your parents decided to drop their photography and office jobs and open up a restaurant! 5. 100% ALWAYS AWESOME ITEMS ARE... Tuna Tartare, Veggie Curry Bowl, Salads, Free bread at dinner. 6. DON'T GET... the fries or the steak sandwich. Those are boring. Bloom seems like a place that uses basic ingredients in simple ways to get excellent results. It is a model of healthy, conscious eating, and as a customer, simply appreciate the fact that you are doing your body some good. Eat happy and live happy at Bloom. read more

Serves light, healthy food. Sleek, modern cafeteria style, split into 2 sections; to the left you have the "café" and to-go side and to the right we have the dine-in restaurant side. Skip the green chai latte. Get the 2x2x2 --you will be full and still able to move afterwards. Need to hire more staff though. read more

Could have been 4+ stars for food,. Instead, it's 0 for service I've read the other reviews and MANY complain about the SERVICE. Been coming here since it opened in our neighborhood. This time WE AGREE and it was one time too many. Yeah, food is good but not for the price of having to wait OVER AN HOUR to get even your coffee refilled. If you sit outside, be prepared to wait and wait and wait. This place is so disorganized. People who arrive after you will sit, order and eat before you even get acknowledged. Then if your server does show up, good luck seeing her again and good luck getting any kind of empathy for your wait time. What is consistent about this place is how many servers they go through. It's like a revolving door. HMMM, are they not happy servers, which would explain the LOUSY disorganized, inconsistent, careless and unempathetic service? When Santi was here, we were shielded from the PALTRY service. He's gone now and so are we. The owner, Arnaud, tried to fix things for us, after we politely complained, by offering to comp our meal. Too late. The manager had dumped our food after we said we were leaving. BTW, the manager never apologized and in fact, tried to make us feel bad for leaving him with our order, even though we stupidly waited nearly 1 hr. 15 mins. for our meal, let alone anyone checking in on us. Our food NEVER showed up. We are now among the other Yelper's and several neighbors who've experienced this subpar service. We will not be returning - EVER!! read more

Stopped by for a chai latte last night while I was in the area. I found this place quickly through yelp. It was about closing time so my friend and I decided to grab out drinks for takeout. He ordered a juice while I got an almond dirty chai mate latte. I thought my drink was okay. I'm not used to the mate with chai. I give this place 4stars because the guys working there Gerard & Edwin were super friendly and know how to hold a conversation. For takeout, we were there chatting away for a good 15-20 mins. Bloom seems to have two sides: one appears more a cafe while the other side appears to be where dining is. I am definitely coming back here soon to try out their menu. read more

I had the red curry chicken sandwich and I'd rather have saved money and gotten Arby's Market Fresh chicken sandwich or for the same money get Urth's Cafe chicken sandwich. The sandwich was bland, it needed some mustard, and it tasted like a regular chicken sandwich, not a curry chicken sandwich. Oh and it wasn't red either. Based on just the sandwich I would have given this place two stars but I tried some of my friend's Ranchos Huevos...? or something like that and it was pretty good! The blend of eggs, pinto beans, avocados, sour cream, and crunchy taco thing was really good. P.S. Our waiter sucked but the busboy who brought out our plates helped us with all our condiment needs. He was quick and super helpful. Too bad he wasn't a waiter, cuz he deserves a promotion and our waiter deserves a demotion. read more

The best thing about Bloom Cafe, by far, is its website. Flittering birds and flowers on pretty pastel pages lead one to think the cafe will be far cleaner and tastier than it was in reality. Price points are excellent for local/organic/seasonal food, and unlike many other yelpers, we found service to be excellent. Sadly, however, besides the overall slightly-grimy feel to the back patio, the food lacked flavor in a big way, and both my fiancee and I (who ate entirely separate dishes) ended up with terrible stomachaches for the entire rest of the day after lunch there. The menu online advertises a selection of raw desserts, but there were none to be had when we went. If you want to try Bloom, don't look at their website first, lest you visualize a haven that does not actually exist. read more

This place is a real treat! Judging from the packed tables at 1:00 on a Wednesday, the chic crowd has found Bloom Cafe. Thank goodness the food lives up to the popularity! I had a portabello sandwich, it was really tasty. All the sandwich selections looked really good. The fries were thin and crispy, and the ambiance was stellar! I'm looking forward to more people developing this stretch of road, and not just because I live here ;) read more

Feels like they are doing you a favor by serving you. Was told that to substitute quinoa for the couscous would cost between 75 cents to a dollar. Then the waiter came back to say it would now be $3. Disappointing as there aren't many gluten free options and I am allergic. Forty minutes to get our food then chicken was overcooked. Additionally, we had to ask for water three times. I used to like this place and sent business their way. No longer. There are better places with less attitude... read more

we were heading over to the mint this week and were starving. There weren't many options that looked appetizing and my friend suggested we try this place. She's been here a few times and said it was delicious! My bf is a very picky eater and managed to find a few dishes he was in love with! I ordered the veggie burger with fries and he got the chicken mac n cheese and the soup of the day which happened to be tomato basil. The veggie burger is definitely handmade and is so filling! I got it with brioche at the suggestion of the uber friendly waiter! So good. The fries are addicting as well.(You have the healthier options of mesclun and brown rice, but when you're eating a burger you need the starchy goodness of the fries!) Probably one of the best veggie burgers I have had so far, even if I had to eat it with a fork and knife! My bf's mac and cheese was like crack! Every bite was rich and decadent. The tomato basil soup was delicious as well. He asked for some cayenne to be put on the soup and they were happy to do so! They have a lot of yummy looking desserts but after that burger/fries I couldn't pull the trigger. Next time i'm coming back for a smoothie and a treat because they look absolutely sinful! for 3 people, our meal came out to a little under $40! The meals were insanely filling and the portions are enormous! The staff here are exceptional! They make you feel at home and the atmosphere is clean and modern! Parking on the street is a pain in the butt but it's worth it for the food! read more

-Well, finally found the worst pancakes in LA. So far. This weekend I visited Bloom Cafe on Pico Blvd and Sierra Bonita Ave in Los Angeles, CA on, what I must say, was a whim. Wanting to go for pancakes close by with parking and no wait is hard to come by in this city, so we figured Pico Boulevard was the route to go. Well, after visiting Bloom Cafe, I now know why there was ample parking, and no wait. Now, in all fairness, the Yelp reviews do warn you there is a vegan-theme to this restaurant. HOWEVER, the menu only lists "vegan" next to several items - these do NOT include the pancakes. So, I figured I was safe. Bloom Cafe has a nice little selection of pancakes, and I was informed the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are the most popular. I realize I am a pancake-blogger, but I am still not ready to try the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, a selection I have seen on several menus. Anyway, my guest was in the mood for pancakes also, but desired an egg-breakfast as well. Bloom Cafe has adapted the new trend of 2+2+2, a dish that offers such option: I however, opted for the Blueberry Pancakes without the puree on top. Looking at these pancakes again... it's just, unfortunate. Judging by the freshness of the orange juice, I thought the pancakes would be fresh, tasty, and crisp. Well, it was quite the opposite experience. The Blueberry Pancakes at Bloom Cafe were dry, dense, and had an (almost) sour aftertaste from the blueberries. Now, if you can recall from my previous reviews, particularly Charlie's Coffee Shop, I often discuss the importance of pancakes NOT being pre-soaked in butter. Well, you see that Organic Valley square up there? I had to wipe almost the entire piece on these pancakes, just to finish my meal. Not. Good. As you remember from my review at Jinky's Cafe, pancakes are supposed to say "Good morning, sunshine;" unfortunately, these pancakes say "You're being punished." If these pancakes are in fact vegan, soy filled, any of that crap, than A: it should clearly say that on the menu, and B: if this is what it means to be vegan, I will never be a converter. It's not fun to post such a harsh review. But in a town full of competitive pancake batter, design, and creativity, this just doesn't cut it. The rest of the menu looks pretty decent, but as my breakfast partner stated "The 2+2+2 was all great - but the worst part about my meal were the pancakes." Bloom Cafe: as far as your pancakes are concerned, you may want to replace the "Bloom" with "Withering." read more

Bloom - http://maamcakes.tumblr.com/post/18556058365/pancake-review-at-bloom-cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Met a friend here for lunch today. Nice service, good portions, not really cheap, but lots of healthy choices so I guess that makes it worth the money. My friend had the salmon and rice and it looked great. I had a turkey and avocado sandwich with a side salad. Everything tasty, clean place, nice server. Get side street parking if you can, otherwise, meters on Pico. read more

Ok so we ordered delivery from this place, took over 2 hours to deliver. By the time we got the food, it was soggy, cold and flat out disgusting. When I called, they said they couldn't do anything because "the manager just left for the day". I call bull***. But the worst part about it, they weren't willing to do anything for us, no refund, no "half off next meal", nothing. It feels like a bunch of children are running this place. Take it from me, STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! There's plenty of others to choose from. read more

This place is a go-to lunch spot for one of my clients. I had tried it a handful of times and thought it was just ok until my last experience. On May 23, 2012 my nearly five year long vomit streak was broken. What did I have? Tuna tostada salad. FISH POISONING. Actually the streak was not just broken but completely shattered. Let me put it this way: I barfed so hard and so violently that it came out my nose. I broke blood vessels in my sinuses. Bloody nose added to the mix of hours of dry heaving party is not a dance you want to accept. ever. I actually felt I might die. My friend was worried and threatened to take me to get an IV. The acid assault of regurgitating tuna raked my vocal chords to the extent that I completely lost my voice for about a week and a half. I must have aspirated because I ended up with an upper respiratory infection within days that spiraled into bronchitis that I am only just now recovered from, after about a month. Tuna tartar used to be one of my favorite things, now I can't even stand the sight of it, much less hear of it or smell it. Add tuna tartar to the list of things blacklisted from my life. Forever. read more

I was hoping this place would be really good being that we were having an early birthday dinner for a good friend. Upon entering the place seemed pretty nice. I liked the chill atmosphere but did see they were quite understaffed. We got started with drinks and sat for a few minutes looking over the menu. When greeted by our server we noticed that she was quick to take our order. No introduction or name. Ok, whatever no big deal. We ordered the a burger, chicken bowl, tofu salad, and a couple of sides of fries. The fries came out first along with the burger. Then a little later the salad came out but the tofu wasn't cut up. No biggie. They did completely forget about my chicken bowl. The busser had to come back and ask what I ordered. Upon further observation I could see that our server was the only server on and she was feeling it. She was frustrated and not being effective. There was obvious harsh conversation going on between her and employees. There was this employee behind the bar preparing drinks and I could obviously tell that he did NOT want to be there. When my bowl came out it tasted pretty good but I was kind of already getting a little full from the fries. There was a table next to us that was really upset because they weren't getting any service at all. At the end of the meal I asked the server if she was the only server on and she said yes. I said that's crazy. Shame on the management making you work by yourself. The barista could have taken tables to relieve her a little bit. There was an owner there not helping her at all. I guess it's a resounding theme that this place offers horrible service. Management needs to get it together. The restaurant was half full and we got horrible service. In don't think I'll come back. read more

I have got to get my budget under control! You good people who know me well know that I eat out every single meal, every single day. So that's a lot of eating out and I am working hard to find CHEAP VEGAN food. Bloom Cafe is close to me and I visited several times during my meat eating days. I always found the service to be bad, but I normally enjoyed the food (except for the time when it was served cold....) So I was looking at their menu and noticed that they have a tofu scramble served with toast and rosemary potatoes - for $7 bucks. I'm there. The tofu scramble had more spinach than tofu. Hey I'm not complaining about the spinach because I need it. Potatoes tasted like they weren't fresh - merely warmed. Folks should know that are doing an okay job over there - good, but nothing spectacular. A VEGAN breakfast for $7 bucks - I will be back. read more

I don't know if I accidentally gave someone the stink eye the first time I came or if I've been immortalized in wait staff lore as "that GIRL who got upset because she had to ask for soy milk for her coffee six times" but the service each time I've been has bordered on awful, with one waitress leaving my menu in front of me for 45 minutes, and a hulking waiter giving me the stink eye for ruining his day by existing. Maybe if I was a regular, ate more, didn't expect someone to ask to refill my coffee, didn't have to hunt down a waiter to take our order, or thought my dairyless choco-cake was delicious rather than good (and the food is mostly good...although I like my tasty self-righteousness with less wait), my experience would be different. Next time, take-out. read more

Our office ordered from Bloom for lunch delivery two times and both times the food arrived cold, underseasoned or oily, and overall just yucky. Maybe this is a result of slow delivery people but the tofu and egg scramble I ordered which sounded yummy, light and healthy tasted like as if the chef had completely forgotten to add any salt or seasoning at all. I ended up needing to try to add some kind of taste to it with the liberal use of salt and pepper which we luckily had in the office. Another coworker ordered the portobello sandwich which arrived with the bread soaked through with oil. We all ended up eating cup noodle later in the day. Seems as if everyone that's eaten at the restaurant has given it good reviews, but for sure, avoid this place for delivery! ICKY! read more

I've been driving by this place for so long and it looks so inviting that I thought I'd finally give it a try. First off, the management of this place has got to be clueless. Otherwise, they couldn't possibly have hired so much incompetent help and, still worse, allowed them to remain incompetent. I'm talking about waiters walking around aimlessly and chatting to each other while people are waiting to be served. We saw one of the waiters puzzling for five minutes or more over THREE tabs while we waited to have our order taken. I've enjoyed much better and more attentive service at a decent, honest dive than at this $$ place. Want more? OK, then. How about we order a bottle of sparkling water, a surly, stuck-on-himself guy comes to the table with two glasses of plain water, which we gratefully accept, the waiter asks him to bring a bottle of sparkling water and he grunts, "What? They don't want the water I brought them?" But wait, there's more. How about the waiter finally brings a bottle of sparkling water to the table, plunks it down and walks away without opening it, let alone pouring it? What about a waiter who does this TWICE? How about the same waiter who comes over, asks, "How is everything?" gets and answer, gets asked nicely for an extra plate, says 'right away,' wanders down the hall, does nothing, and comes back to the table asking "How do you like your food?" without bringing the extra plate. Any good restaurant manager would have spotted this stuff immediately and taught the guys the right way to do things. Unless, of course, the management doesn't care or doesn't know any better themselves. The food? Very good bread with olive spread. A very acceptable thin crust pizza. A terrible wrap with a dipping sauce that tasted like a bowl of salt. Good desserts. The food was fine ... the service, just terrible. Too many good places in this city to bother with Bloom Cafe. Next time I drive past this place, I'll step on the gas pedal. read more

To all the crybabies (Maile, Joann, Mahshid, etc etc) - STOP IT. Here's a few suggestions I've listed to help you navigate through the extreme difficulties of eating at restaurants: 1. If nobody has come to your table in the usual expected time, make eye contact with the servers, warmly smile, and *slightly* raise your hand - they'll be over in a flash! 2. If you requested a food ingredient change, its YOUR responsibility to confirm with cashier that it was made correctly. I know its crazy to think, but they're running a restaurant, preparing the menu items perfectly that THEY designed. Though many places are very accommodating to your special requests, CHECK IT - its helps the world work and prevents your tears. 3. If the restaurant is super slammed, use your intuition that god gave you that they might be understaffed. Best workaround? Try and get as many things handled at one time when the server comes (Ex. 1: try ordering your drink and food at the same time. Ex. 2 when refilling your glass, ask for the check at the same time.) Before leaving, try and share some joyful empathy with them in how busy they are and thank them for what the DID do well. Bonus tip: this is also one of the top rules for being a good human. 4. Pro Tip: Get a job working in the service industry at some point in your life and all of the above challenges will significantly decline. Been coming to Bloom Cafe for 5 years - big fan of the food, wish the portion sizes were as big as they used to be. read more

rising from the ashes of the sierra bonita cafe -- or at least rising in the former location of said cafe -- bloom cafe (i tried to do the accents but yelp doesn't want to accept them...why not, admin?) just made my morning. and rocked my world. on lots of levels. i hit this spot on a brisk sunday morning with three friends, a light hangover and CJ's as a backup plan. i really didn't know what to expect, but i'd heard that something was serving up organic food right where my beloved but awfully slow sierra bonita had been. we arrived and were seated outside immediately. our waitress bria was cute, friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the menu...and she managed to endure the 'interesting' senses of humor and 'witty' repartee of four dudes...wowz. we tried a nice cross section of their breakfast dishes -- the 2+2+2 was stellar, the huevos rancheros among the best i've tasted, the custom omelette, well, custom, and the egg thing on bread (what WAS that called) really tasty too. they also had some interesting jellys and preserves that my companions got into but i was too full to try. the coffee is rich and the refills automatic. they definitely woke up the interior too -- it's sparse and clean and white and packed with a bustle of urbanites and their families. good vibes all around. added bonus #1 = the check was $60 INCLUDING tip for four people who walked away completey sated...unheard of! added bonus #2 = mike's bike shop is right down the street. added bonus #3 = the bathroom has this really calming zen thing happening. i can't exactly explain it, but the window emits this soft light that you'd need a world-class gaffer to recreate. it was the perfect place to, uh, eliminate. read more

You know what? Yay, I AM a fan, ok? Yes, it's not mind blowing food, but you know what? A place that will replace the eggs and remove the cheese from their Huevos Rancheros for me DESERVES THAT FOURTH DAMN STAR. And, I really thoroughly enjoy the crunchy, saucy, smooshy texture of the Tofu Rancheros here. I find myself staring into my cupboard on weekend mornings thinking, "cereal isn't gonna cut it, I need Bloomcheros." The service can be spotty and the servers have been "unique" on occasion, but the food is solid. I have enjoyed every meal I've ever had here. Despite Bloom's minor flaws, I really enjoy this place. The back patio is really pretty. Just a side note. read more

My usual routine when writing a yelp review is to never read the reviews already listed. I never want to unconsciously pick up a positive or a negative and have it find it's way into my review. This time, however, was different. I read most of the reviews and when I was finished, I was kind of amazed that this place received such a large amount of poor reviews. Granted, most of them were from a few years ago. My experience was the complete opposite on both restaurant fronts...the service and the food. I went on a Tuesday night with a friend who lived down the street. Her recommendation and enthusiasm regarding the menu was reason enough to get me to go. And I'll definitely return as my experience, as mentioned, was completely positive! From the moment we walked in, service was attentive and friendly. Like clockwork, we were given menus as soon as we were seated. About five minutes passed before the waiter was back at our table to take our drink order. He then told us the specials for the day and answered all of our questions regarding the menu. Again, very friendly. ***On a side note, Bloom Cafe does allow you to bring in outside beverages. And both beer and wine are allowed, though I don't know if there is a corkage fee for the wine. After about ten minutes of mental wrastlin' over what we wanted to order, my friend and I decided on the Moroccan chicken on coscous and the vegan lentil soup of the day. Both dishes sounded incredibly tasty and flavorful and neither one disappointed. The portions were perfect and the dishes themselves were absolutely delicious! Incredibly tasteful ingredients. The ambiance of the cafe is clean and modern with incredible black and white photographs dotting the walls. Background music, when I was there, was jazz of the good variety. None of this Kenny G garbage. Bloom Cafe is of good size with a wall splitting the restaurant in half. Both sides are identical for the most part, but it seemed that the left side is more intimate. In the end, Bloom Cafe was a perfect dining experience that I've recommended a few times since I've been there. I hope to make it back soon! read more

Stopped at BLOOM this morning for breakfast with my hubby. As always, food was delicious, had the Huevos Rancheros and the 2x2x2 and two really good lattes. Service was great, attentive and food came out within 10 min of ordering. But the best part...from 9:00-11:00am you get 25% off your food. It's the "you snooze, you lose" special and it's offered on weekdays! Our bill was only $23 total for breakfast. We are talking about fresh made, organic, delicious food. See you tomorrow, BLOOM. read more

Bloom is one of the few reasons I find myself gallivanting in the desolate but developing area of Pico/Fairfax. A rose in a concrete world, Bloom surpasses the ordinary neighborhood cafe with its healthy perspective and cute and mod funky decor. Vegetarian and vegan friendly, Bloom offers a wide array of organic, unprocessed, and wholesome food in simple yet elegantly chic presentations. Bloom is a huge promoter of grass-eatin'! Not only is it a destination for grass eating humans to dine, but they also offer grass-fed beef on the menu! Not to mention environmentally sustainable seafood, free range chicken, and a variety of raw vegan desserts! The first thing I do when I step into Bloom is walk straight to the dessert case to see what raw desserts they are offering... raw desserts are my FAVORITE and the fact that Bloom provides me with a different selection of them on every visit motivates me to give them 4 stars just for that alone! Bloom allows me to get my healthy grub on with some delicious cuisine but more importantly, Bloom allows me to get my "healthy" dessert fix! read more

The food is great!!!! However, I don't care if you do delivery or eat-in, the "guys" kinda don't have the service thing down. I've been going to Bloom for about two to three years and I always wondered if it would get better but it hasn't really. So why do I keep going back? Because once you know what to expect, then you just go with the flow because it is one of the few places that have healthy food that taste good in the area and those burgers are AWESOME. So my tip is to TIP when placing your delivery order online. Put the tip on the card in advance. I know, most of us like to tip the delivery guy when they show up but for some reason, that doesn't work well with them. So tip in advance and all will be good! read more

I had high hopes for this place! The menu looks great with a lot of healthy options but the lack of customer service is where things really fall flat here. We waited a good 10-15 minutes after being seated to be acknowledged with menus and water. My boyfriend ordered the lamb burger and I ordered the salad special. We waited at least 30 minutes for our food and told the wait was because of the extra time it took to cook the lamb. My boyfriends's burger arrived completely raw and my salad wilted with cold chicken since it was sitting and waiting for the burger. Now when is the last time you had to wait an extended period of time for your meal to cook and it arrives raw? The manager also informed me my salad was wilted because it sat waiting for the burger yet there was no offer to correct this. So while my meal is finished my boyfriend finally gets his burger which still wasn't right and essentially he was eating alone. The manager did apologize profusely and offered a free dessert but at this point it was too little too late. At the end she offered to take 20% off of our meal since we didn't get dessert and guess what...our bill was still incorrect! Ugh At the end of the day I may give Bloom a second chance because based on what I saw from other tables the food looks good but hopefully they will learn the value of good customer service, being honest, and nipping a situation in the bud by reading this review. *and side note we were seated in close proximity to other customers (one of which was a celeb) that were complaining of waiting for quite awhile without menus or acknowledgement from the staff...bad customer service spreads guys read more

Okay, I tried so hard to find something positive about this place. And, there was at least one. The pizza. The prosciutto and basil pizza was the "Star of the Evening." The rest of the dishes, eh. I'm glad I split the flat iron steak and salad with a friend. I was hoping for something more, especially after having a world of spices explode in my mouth every time I eat out at our many Asian restaurants in Los Angeles. The food here was, not bland, but not OH MY GOD GOOD! I'm sure breakfast and lunch here are OK. But why settle for just okay. I'm willing to take suggestions from lovers of the Bloom Cafe and give it a second shot. read more

I'm not sure why I'm even writing this review considering I'm about to say the exact same thing that everyone else has said - the service here is awful. Perhaps it's my own narcissism but there is one difference between all the other bad reviews and my bad review. Not only was our service bad but it was aggressively bad. First of all - the food. It was good but nothing special. The fries are thin and extra crispy, which is how I like it. The turkey sandwich, well, it was a turkey sandwich. Perhaps it's what I ordered but it was good and appeared healthy (other than the fries, that is) but nothing special. The service was beyond awful. My friend's drink never came so she asked for it again midway through the meal. At the end of ordering our waiter looked at my friend and said, "I'm sorry, what did you want to eat?" The table next to us who got there long after us got their food first and was gone just after we got our orders, which were both sandwiches - not exactly time consuming to make. We asked for our bill and the waiter agreed to bring it. A half hour later my friend said, "Excuse me, Sir?" in an attempt to ask him again and he bit her head off. "I'm getting it, I'm getting it!!" he snapped. The sad thing is that the busboys and runners who were bringing us our food and asking if we needed anything were so nice and so great that we felt like we couldn't not tip well because they would suffer when he was the one who was awful so we still tipped well and thus, he was not penalized for not only being a horrible server but a rude and snappy one, too. If I was in the area I would go back but I certainly wouldn't seek this place out. There are other tasty places that have people who don't yell at you. read more

Horrible customer service. Our food arrived 45 minutes late (2 hours from the time we ordered it) and by the time we received it, everything was cold and soggy. All our food boxes had "6:30" written on them, which I'm assuming was the time the driver was supposed to leave? We called at 7:45pm and they told us the driver was just leaving. So our food sat out for over an hour and they didn't think to remake it at least? It was completely disgusting. We contacted the restaurant to see if they could refund us or even give us some kind of voucher to make up for it, but they refused to compensate us for their terrible service. Not only was the food bad (NOT worth the $40 for two entrees and a salad. All of which was wet and soppy) and they were almost an hour late with the delivery, but they show complete disregard to their customers and are not willing to address their mistakes. Never ordering from this place again. read more