Bloom Café Checks All the Boxes of a Stellar Coffee Shop

On Campbell Road in Garland (just a stone’s throw from the Bush Turnpike), you’ll find Bloom Café. And if you’re into the coffee shop scene — this one’s a gem.

The proprietor is Saria Almaktabi, whom you may know from her budding Dallas Food Wanderer Instagram account. At Bloom, you’ll find craft coffees, espressos, mochas, teas and a dizzying array of lattes (both hot and iced). More on that vast latte selection in a moment.

Also on the menu: plenty of pastries, lox and bagels, yogurts and a croissant chicken salad sandwich. But wait, there's more. Banana nut bread? Check. Butter cookies? Check. Cinnamon rolls? Check.

Did we mention the toast selection? How about toast layered with Nutella and topped with slices of strawberry and banana? Or toast spread with pesto and topped with tomato, mozzarella and drizzled in balsamic? They got those, too. And don’t forget the avocado toast with feta, arugula and crushed red peppers.

We assumed Bloom, being so fresh to the scene and all, would still be flying under the radar. We assumed wrong. At 2 p.m. mid-week, every table but one was occupied. Customers were coming and going at a steady pace. It was great to see Bloom thriving because our first impression is this one's a keeper.

The space is minimalist, modern and bright. The service was warm and inviting — everyone walking through the door is greeted.

We opened with an original Bloom latte ($5.30 for a 12-ounce cup), a house-brewed and caffeinated just-right elixir of rose, vanilla, espresso and whole milk. You can have it served hot or iced — we went with hot. Velvety smooth and subtle, this was one of the better lattes we’ve had.

And speaking of lattes, Bloom’s latte lineup is deep. To name a few (this is just scratching the surface), try the "Dreamy" latte with vanilla, espresso, milk, cream and caramel drizzle; the "Judy Moody" (toffee crunch, caramel, espresso and milk), the pistachio (pistachio syrup, espresso and milk); or the strawberry matcha (matcha and strawberry milk).
We wanted to sample some of the bites on hand, and in our search for something new and different, Bloom’s labneh and olive toast ($9.50) fit the bill. Greek yogurt is spread on toast with crushed mint, then topped generously with black olives. Before it arrived, we weren’t quite sure how (or if) this combo would work, but it did. We were fans. And after having something with some savoriness to it, we had to balance that out with something sweet.

We quick-scanned the menu and figured a simple almond croissant ($4.50) would hit the mark. Flaky and buttery on the outside and sweet (but not overly so) pillowy goodness in the middle. This perfectly executed pastry reached elite-tier croissant status for us. Yeah, it was that good.

If you’re within reasonable driving range and looking for something different from and better than your standard on every street corner national chain coffee shop, you should start right here.

Bloom Café, 1815 W. Campbell Road, Garland. Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.