Bloom In Chester Springs Is Worth A Visit
by Melissa Jacobs
Lead photo via Bloom Southern Kitchen
Bloom Southern Kitchen in Chester Springs has been serving its delicious food for years … and it’s a gosh darn shame that it took me this long to visit. Bloom opened in 2020 when COVID restrictions were still enforced and, because it is in northern Chester County, the restaurant is about 30 minutes from the Main Line if you ignore your GPS and take the backroads. It’s worth the trip.
Biscuits and cornbread are two of my favorite things, and Bloom’s are sensational. Both are served with delicious spicy honey and butters infused with various herbs. The cheese board is also sensational and features selections from small farms accented with a pickled deviled egg, maple spiced pecans and a wonderful jam made in house.
In fact, Bloom is a scratch kitchen, meaning that almost everything is made in its kitchen. Our lovely servers informed us of that on both of our visits. The service was truly great, which is a rarity these days. Our main servers were knowledgeable and patient, accommodating and attentive, as were the food runners. They even let us linger at the table after lunch without imposing a time limit.
Lunch and brunch are great ways to experience Bloom. Sun streams into the main dining room, highlighting its rustic chic setting. The building was originally Eagle Tavern, built in 1702 and rebuilt in 1799. It’s easy to see why this crossroads of two busy thoroughfares would be a great place for a tavern, and a lovely gentleman at the bar told us that it was a favorite drinking hole of local outlaws in the Colonial era.
Dinner has a different ambiance, especially at the lively bar, which has great happy hour specials. There is a seemingly endless variety of bourbon and whiskey, a lot of which are locally-made. Ask the bartender or server for help navigating the choices and don’t hesitate to try something new. Cocktails are equally expansive, but our favorite was the eponymous Bloom, made with vodka, Revivalist gin and a bouquet of floral, herbal accents and a touch of honey.
Favorite entrées: mac and cheese, fried chicken with rosemary waffles, pulled tangy-sweet BBQ chicken sandwich, shrimp and grits, and spicy seafood jambalaya. The only misses were the bland collard greens, dull jalapeño slaw, and flavorless patty melt. Desserts are wonderful, especially the red velvet cake and banana pudding, and the affogato – espresso poured over vanilla ice cream – is a real treat.
One thing to note: I’m not an expert on Southern cuisine, so I can’t speak to the authenticity of Bloom’s various dishes. I can say this: we enjoyed everything and will be back for more.
Bloom Southern Kitchen, 123 Pottstown Pike, Chester Springs, bloomsouthernkitchen.com
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