The Bellflower has a cafeteria like setup. As soon as you walk in the menu presents itself displayed across the ceiling and wall, while the grill, various preparing stations take up the large counter upon entry. My family and I went just after the lunch rush, if there was one. The staff was very pleasant. Everyone working seemed to have multiple tasks, as we approached the restaurant, and mind you, you need the address on historic Pearl street, you could walk right by and miss it! Which we did. Rustic, gritty, grungy exterior and back patio that is partitioned off from the parking lot. Parking is easy enough, you can even watch your car outside while you eat. Anyway, the food. . . Post pandemic, some people are still cautious and we know the Covid beast hasn’t gone away. My daughter thoroughly sprayed down table and chairs and yes, it was clean already as we went to sit in the outdoor patio. The cashier, server was sweet and polite, even after the rejection of the fried clam sandwich 🥪 I tasted it, it was very good, but Cheah wasn’t feeling it. She proceeded to order the fried shrimp sandwich, which was equally delicious. The sandwich bun was the fresh bread Bellflower prides itself on, the shrimp sandwich; shrimp buttered and cooked to perfection was very scrumptious. I like my food hot, both in temperature and spices. The Chef’s gumbo selection, which my other daughter and I ordered was equally flavorful. The gumbo used lamb meat, which was cooked with the correct consistency to pull apart just right. Fresh collard greens were in the gumbo with other veggies. Cienna said it was more a stew than gumbo served with a side of rice, maybe that added to the gumbo-y part? I was looking for all things gumbo in the dish: seafood, sausages, even okra. Okra is a staple. This Michigan Chef’s gumbo was tasty. The individual ingredients had been prepared correctly, the gumbo had a little kick, maybe cayenne pepper, but. . . I don’t claim to be a gourmet but as a child living in NYC, my dear mother would take my sister and I around trying out all of the flavors, textures and food from the wonderfully diverse world cultures. Thus, like a food connoisseur, I pick up flavors. I did like the Bellflower restaurant, it is efficient, casual with tasty food. Coffee was average. The young men were pleasant and hard working as evidenced by their buzzing around and conversations and as we were leaving, the manager (I assume) could pass for Harry Dean Stanton, was asking another young man about his transportation, etc. I mention this, aside from my nosiness, to say there was not one female employee in sight. Maybe they were in the back kitchen? We notice all things and as my two beauties and I left, the workers all said goodbye.