Translation from English

Friday, September 27, 2013

Blooms Cafe

This place has been around , like, forever-- I wonder how many changes of management they have had over all these years, because it is just a diner kind of place.

I always hope to be pleasantly surprised with some of these places, I don't know why--yet hope springs eternal 

This is another place where people either like it a lot or not at all...it offers gluten free food which some people like and others complain about--at least one person says it is not "Jewish enough"

Bloom's New York Deli and Restaurant

3.0 star rating
47 reviews Rating Details
Categories: Diners, Delis
350 Lexington Ave
(between 39th St & 40th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 922-3663
Nearest Transit Station:
Grand Central - 42 St. (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Grand Central - 42 St. (S)
Good for Groups:
No
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$
Good for Kids:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Wi-Fi:
No
Good For:
Breakfast
Alcohol:
No
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Casual
Has TV:
No

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "Good food + they have gluten free options (like pancakes." In 8 reviews
  • "Terrific corned beef/swiss on rye - the reason I show up." In 5 reviews
  • "...big apple again to induge in my fave pastrami sandwich and blintzes." In 2 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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47 reviews in English

  • Review from

    • 21 friends
    • 125 reviews
    West Babylon, NY
    7/20/2013 2 check-ins here
    Like any NY deli or restaurant I found the food to be a bit pricey for what you get, but the quality and taste of the food was good.  I recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a decent lunch place.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    6/30/2013
    Gluten allergies?

    Sometimes a restaurant fails in a small way and other times it just doesn't really deliver on anything. This failed at everything. I probably wasn't going to write a review but the fact my sister told them what her allergies were and she is now sick bothers me.

    I think it's because this place just lacks any attention to  cleanliness detail.  My water had floaters in it, the bathroom was just gross and the fact that we were given pickles on our table and then at the end of our meal, the remaining pickles went right back onto the shelf they came from ready for the next people that sat down is not a fun thought. The menus themselves were dirty and made me want to wash my hands after touching them but then i would have to wash my hands from being in the bathroom. The waiter had his thumb in the coleslaw he served me. Do I really need to go on?

    Just because you have a gluten menu doesn't mean that you should eat here. The lack of any kind of detail in the restaurant makes me believe there is a lack of detail in the kitchen. This also gets one star because the food just wasn't good. I am not g free but my Reuben sandwich was pretty blah. The salad was pretty boring and there wasn't anything redeeming here. And at 50 bucks for two people, I won't be coming back.
    If you are looking for something gluten free I recommend going somewhere else and just asking for something gluten free.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 38 reviews
    Santa Ana, CA
    8/26/2013
    Ordered grilled chicken sandwich for lunch.    Had nice window view to sit and relax.
    While I waited they said they had a pickle bar.  Pickles, cole slaw and a pasta salad were there.  Pickles and cole slaw were nice appetizers before I had sandwich.  It did take about 30 minutes to get my sandwich.  The chicken was dry.  It had rosemary all over it which I did not care for.   Pricey compared to other places I had been.  REstroom was downstairs and dirty.  I ended up going back to my hotel to use restroom.   Will not be going back.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 7 reviews
    New York, NY
    7/10/2013
    i know they claim to offer gluten free food, I have had 2 sandwiches in the past year.. both times I got sick..not sure if they are careful enough for super-sentivities... at least not for me...

    I wrote the first time off... but after 2 times.. no dice... it is really too bad as I work 1 block away.... would love to hear if any supersentive GF'ers do better than I did
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 5 reviews
    Manhattan, NY
    7/7/2013
    My partner and I ordered potato pancakes with eggs sunny side up, bacon and coffee. The waiter was not rude but not friendly either. The order came super fast.
    The reason for that is that the pancakes seemed days old and had been reheated many times. Like rubber and inedible. The eggs were OK if a bit overcooked at the edges. The bacon suffered also from reheating. Seemed chewy like it had been cooked several times over. Coffee was tasteless. Very expensive at that. We left in a hurry and got takeout from Dunkin Donuts in desperation. Never again.
  • Review from

    Irvine, CA
    10/9/2012
    Was looking for breakfast and did a search on Yelp and this came up as "open" early in the morning. BLEH! It was so not worth it. The breakfast was generic and pricey for how boring it was. It was also filled will tourists which should've been a sign and a half for me to turn around and walk out of there.

    Pancakes -- soggy, mushy and gross.

    Poached eggs -- thankful they were runny but the whites were all bubbled up.

    Sausages -- dry on the inside

    Definitely a "no" if I'm ever in that area again.
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    4/3/2013 1 check-in here
    A decent diner in this part of town--the fries are made with real potatos, the cole slaw (complimentary) is quite delish-and the egg white omelettes are quasi healthy.  I usually don't go in for diner food, but this place is A-OK when you're in a bit of a spot.
  • Review from

    • 96 friends
    • 106 reviews
    San Diego, CA
    7/24/2012
    This is my place for breakfast in NYC. I'm gluten-free and they have a nice (but not spectacular) menu. Wish they had real maple syrup for the pancakes.

    The value is good. The food is good and the service is good.
  • Review from

    • 5 friends
    • 18 reviews
    Rocklin, CA
    6/8/2012
    If you're wandering the streets of New York looking for gluten free food, try Bloom's Café in Midtown!  They have a gluten free menu and they're open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch or dinner!  Fortunately, Bloom's was planted just a few blocks from my hotel, so I enjoyed a gluten free breakfast at Bloom's two mornings in a row.

    The first time, I ordered a protein packed meal of eggs, bacon, potatoes and gluten free bread, because I needed energy for a day of sightseeing.  The next morning, I tried the gluten free pancakes, since I was just spending the day on the road.  Both breakfasts were hearty, delicious and didn't involve a crazy cab drive through New York! =)

    For more gluten free restaurant reviews, check out http://KarenInRealLife.c…!
  • Review from

    • 116 friends
    • 146 reviews
    Des Plaines, IL
    9/19/2012 1 check-in here
    Authentic Jewish Deli with comparable prices got my palette wet during my last visit to NYC. I loved it so much I visited twice.

    LOVE
    - Ther no-nonsese service
    - The buffet of pickles and other cold salads
    - prices

    HATE
    - Potato pancakes were too hard and crunchy...and did not have a very palatable flavor. Pass.

    I can't wait to visit the big apple again to induge in my fave pastrami sandwich and blintzes . MMM (They are homemade!!)
  • Review from

    • 34 friends
    • 392 reviews
    Santa Monica, CA
    9/19/2012 1 check-in here
    Stopped in for a g/f breakfast.

    Place was packed.  Prices were fine for what I got.

    Eggs and g/f toast.

    It was fine.
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 44 reviews
    Boston, MA
    2/15/2011 1 photo
    The service was horrifying. I can still hear our waitress cracking her gum as she "yeah-yeah-yeahed" us from across the restaurant.

    Rubbery eggs = pet peeve. My side of pancakes were accompanied by two tiny plastic containers of maple syrup. Like McDonald's. I had to ask for more...twice. We also had to ask for cream for our coffee (when we were lucky enough to get coffee). Refills? Out of the question. Ice waters were totally forgotten, and by then we just stopped asking.

    First time I haven't tipped 20% in 15 years. Epic fail.
  • Review from

    • 22 friends
    • 103 reviews
    Denver, CO
    6/30/2009 First to Review
    I'm a little bit surprised that Blooms Cafe didn't even show up on yelp.  It has the look of a place that has been there forever, and it did a rockin' little business during lunchtime, despite the fact that half of the offices in Midtown are either empty, or filled with terrified people who never leave their desks because they're worried that they'll get canned if they take more than 15 minutes for lunch.

    I thought this was just another diner, and walked in randomly with a friend who didn't feel particularly picky yesterday.  The menu is pretty standard... sandwiches, salads, breakfast, a handful of unimaginative diner staples.  We ordered unimaginative stuff--a chicken sandwich for me, a tuna melt for my friend.  Both sandwiches looked great, but my chicken was painfully dry.  Healthy, though... I guess.

    So why the 4-star review?  This place drops a big bucket of pickles on the table at the beginning of the meal, along with a couple of little dishes of coleslaw.  The slaw is fine, but the pickles were ridiculous.  My crazy Russian mother used to make pickles from small, homegrown cucumbers when I was a kid, and I've never had anything like that since.  Blooms nailed it:  two types of fresh, bouncy dill pickles in the bucket, made with actual dill, and marinated for just long enough to make them sing--but not long enough to make them pallid and mushy.   Rare and amazing, at least for my taste.

    But then again, if you don't give a rat's ass about pickles, then I guess Blooms Cafe/Restaurant/Delicatessen is just another Midtown Cafe/Restaurant/Delicatessen.
  • Review from

    New York, NY
    11/19/2010
    In tackling the ol' backlog, I find myself needing to review this place. Bloom's was a little disappointing. It was one of those places that I walk by often- it's on my way to my emergency mid-afternoon Dunkin' Donuts fix- so I figured I would give it a try. It looked like it had potential.

    Sadly, it's just kinda okay.

    I'm almost sure I got some sort of sausage sandwich, or philly cheesesteak deal. They give you a portion size for a horse, which I guess is nice if you're kind of hungry. I was, and I still ate what I feel like was too much. It's also not SUPER reasonable- I find myself comparing it to the 38th St. Diner in my head a lot. It's not as efficient or as cost-effective, but it's a nice option that's in another direction.

    The sandwich itself was good, but the bread was kinda eh... I wouldn't say no if you pass by this place and you're hungry, but I went in at lunch time and I remember it pretty much took forever. Might also not be the best place to go alone, as I did, but could be much better if you have a lunch companion or a small group. It's not terribly large inside and none of the staff was overtly friendly when I entered.

    Put it in the category of 'meh'
  • Review from

    • 18 friends
    • 73 reviews
    New York, NY
    1/10/2011
    Not a bad breakfast spot in a Grand Central area totally lacking of good brunch places. Care to differ? Please message me.

    Your typical diner-type menu (and prices) without being totally empty, dirty and sleazy looking on the inside (although I didn't go to the bathroom so don't quote me on that yet). My waitress was what you might imagine out of a television show and you paid at the cashier in the front. Quick, simple and satisfying. What more could you ask for based on the looks and the name?
  • Review from

    Brooklyn, NY
    11/15/2011
    Not bad. Went there today for a business meeting and had a triple decker sandwich. Turkey was a bit dry and VERY messy as I had to dismantle the  sandwich in order to add mayo!
    The slices of lettuce were huge too.
    My colleagues had great big salads which took up the entire plate. Great presentation. The other had a burger which she inhaled and stated was very well cooked.
    The waitress was nice and even though it was lunch time it was not crowded. We were served fairly quickly.
    Prices also reasonable, but what you might expect for the east side.
    Might return.
    Great place for a quick bite. I certainly was full.
  • Review from

    • 60 friends
    • 85 reviews
    New York, NY
    3/20/2011
    The service here is fabulous! Very quick, very attentive, and friendly!

    The food here is delicious too. They get your order just right... (well, except for my friend's cold soup, but I feel like that is excusable). MY food was yummy! As stated in some of my previous reviews, I have a bias towards diners, but I will admit when I come to a bad diner, and this is definitely not one of them. It's great.

    Also, people that come here are friendly... our neighbor was chatting with us. Maybe that was just a nosey neighbor, or maybe just friendly...either way, this place has a great atmosphere! Recommend with highest regards. :-)
  • Review from

    • 3 friends
    • 3 reviews
    Miami, FL
    10/9/2012
    This is NOT an authentic Jewish deli, there is nothing authentically Jewish about it, including the staff. Katz's and the 2nd Avenue Deli and Sarge's are authentic Jewish Delis. This is a fast food joint. Terrible food, terrible service. Each time I go I regret it, so I won't go back. They treat you like cattle, squeeze you in so you can't breath, in and out is their motto. No quality. Their hot chocolate is from a pack (Swiss Miss?) you get the chocolate chunks and all because they don't even mix it right and don't care that they don't. You can't special order eggs, you need to order it their way. Not worth the visit, there are other diners around the area.
  • Review from

    • 1 friend
    • 81 reviews
    New York, NY
    12/25/2012
    Got a quick sandwich here not too long ago. Service was really rude and the sandwich was really overpriced for what you got. Tried the grilled chicken with pesto and mozzarella. Was pretty big but for the price could have gotten something much better someplace else. Won't be coming back (especially since it's quite far east and I'm rarely in that area).
  • Review from

    • 12 friends
    • 17 reviews
    Hoboken, NJ
    11/15/2011
    Popped in while I waiting to go to an appointment. I'd give this place four stars for the delicious matzo ball soup and homecut fries but the high prices kept me at three.

    What's good about the matzo? The chicken and chicken broth! It's a delicious, full bodied broth and the chicken was actually tender! and not dried out! I don't know how many times I've had a chicken soup where the chicken was tougher and drier than leather. But not at Bloom's.

    Also, the french fries are homecut, steak fries and delicious!
  • Review from

    • 46 friends
    • 204 reviews
    Brooklyn, NY
    3/24/2011
    I work in the area and I have been twice.  I don't think I will ever go back.  The food could not be more bland.  This place is very expensive and you don't get any sides with your sandwiches.  It's always crowded and I feel like a sardine packed into the table.

    I really can't think of one good thing about this place.... hmmm........... the service is quick?
  • Review from

    • 2 friends
    • 91 reviews
    Belmont, CA
    4/10/2011
    Nice, warm, friendly, "we'll take care of you" attitude and service - clearly a family-owned place.
    Quiet and calm - tables arranged so you can have a real conversation, even on a Sunday morning.
    HUGE servings on sandwiches and salads. They want you to enjoy your meal.
    Very convenient location to mid town, hotels, Grand Central.
    Can recommend: Lox & Bagel sandwich, Caesar salad, Blueberry Muffin (huge, intoxicating aroma.)

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