taste of belgium - over the rhine

good but not great. i have no complaints but i can't rave about this place either - it's just okay. the waffles don't actually taste as good as they look but they're alright. went for sunday brunch and the service was fine. the 'chicken and waffle' is literally a piece of chicken and awaffleon the side with a tiny bit of salad - sort of weird for breakfast but maybe some folks like that. i've had better but i wouldn't say "no" if someone offered to take me here again.

so i chose this place on my first visit to cinci due to the food network visit. well i must say my wife and i enjoyed the breakfast immensely. she had the ham and brie which she absolutely enjoyed, the perfect mix of sweet and savory. i had the shrimp and grits. thewafflewas a cheesy grit waffle, tasty with sweet shrimp very nice touch. we shared the poutin, cheese curds with a gravy that had small cube of beef that was so tasty and tender. a fantastic breakfast/brunch to close out our visit to cincinnati.

great brunch!! chicken andwaffleis a perfect hot and sweet combination. great on draft craft beer selection as well.

great service as well!

i dream about their food...it is delicious. my absolute favorite thing to get is their 'nati crêpe, followed by theirwaffle& chicken...so good. i also recommend their banana nutella waffles and belgian roast!

we had dinner here and while our dinner was great, the dessertwafflewas definitely the highlight. i would go back for that any day. friendly staff and a good belgian beer selection. and i love that they take reservations

very distinctive and deliberately creative rendetion of chicken and waffles. although i thought thewafflecould have been cooked better thewaffleitself had a very pleasantly sweet taste. the blue cheese really helps tie the salad to the hot sauce covered, spicy - sweet chicken.

taste of belgium boasts waffles done right so it seemed to be the ideal breakfast spot. the decor had the brick walls and tiled floor characteristic of over-the-rhine eateries. we were seated and greeted but a waiter with a definite chip (unfortunately not chocolate) on his shoulder. he was efficient but far from welcoming. i ordered a decent americano and the mcwaffle, a breakfast sandwich containing egg, bacon, cheese and served with a side of maple syrup. thewaffleitself was far from the fluffy batter you might bake up at the free hampton breakfast. it was much denser and more filling. it flirted with dryness but was helped by the syrup. the combination of everything made for a good but not remarkable bite that was a lot sweeter than the service.

food- 3.5/5 guyz

service- 3/5 guyz

vibe- 3/5 guyz

total- 9.5/15 guyz

this place is so unique, nothing else like it in cincinnati. i am a beer geek and this is my favorite place to try beers. any true beer lover knows the importance and reputation of belgian beer. i just freak out when i see all these varieties on tap. i am so used to only having them in bottles.  the quality of this type of beer is second to none and the flavors and experience of drinking belgian style beer is delightful. so, i really respect this place for providing the massive amount of choices for international and local beers.  so they have the alcohol and atmosphere nailed. the food follows suit as well. they have a really good waffle. it is good alone or with the other dishes they offer it with. fried chicken, sandwiches, burgers, all made with waffles. it sounds crazy, but its so good. they also have the best pastry case i have seen locally. this place always makes me happy. i have not tried everything they have, but nearly everything i have tried has been unique and delicious. also the brunch here is better than most breakfast places i have tried. thewafflesandwiches and french toast are superb to most of the typical places offerings. i am ready for the norwood store to open since i live in hyde park. hurry up taste of belgium! last time i went i had awafflewith bananas and nutella. i now think of it on a daily basis. damn, i forgot to mention their fries, so good.

brunch. we got there early on sunday morning because we know the do not have call ahead reservations. waited only about 20 minutes and we were placed at a communal table in the kitchen area which was cool. i had the chicken andwaffleand my wife had a crepe with chocolate ganache sauce and candied oranges. both dishes were delicious. we we definitely be returning for future meals.

very cute place. enjoyed breakfast here with my boyfriend on this cold morning.wafflen chicken was great as well as the mcwaffle sandwich. belgian roast coffee was perfect. the waffles are dense and sweet. louisa, our server was on point with her suggestions and very attentive to us :)

peach cobblerwaffle- heaven. i have nothing more to say.

the menu at taste of belgium features creative riffs on traditional belgian cuisine like the banana & nutellawaffleor thewafflen’chicken. in addition to waffles, the menu also features sweet and savory crepes, omelets, sandwiches, frites (fries) and a full espresso and beer/wine/cocktails bar.

bad attitude. i will not be returning to this overrated restaurant based on the attitude we got from the bartender. this young man did not know the beers on hand and copped an attitude when i had questions about the belgian beer selection. secondly, my partner ordered a vodka and soda and received a gin and tonic instead. this is not the problem because mistakes happen. my problem is that the bartender, if you can really call him that, questioned us, saying, "no, that's not possible; are you sure?" really? if i were not so tired i would have asked for a manager to put that bartender in his place. he did remake the drink, and it was fine. now onto the food. average at best mussels and frites, but we won't be giving them another shot based on the attitude. i will just grab awaffleat findlay market.

nope. i will be upfront and say downtown isn't my scene, but this place only proves my point.
the building is interesting, our waiter was pleasant. the food took forever to show up and honestly, i wish it hadn't made it at all. i had a crepe with frites. my dining companion had the chicken and waffles. i don't know what the holdup was, but i am guessing it wasn't the crepe or frites....stone cold. thewafflehad the consistency of a bagel and the chicken had a weird spice combination coupled with shakenbake type coating. thewafflewas accompanied with about 1 tablespoon of syrup, so no chance of drowning out any of the flavor. we left over 3/4 of the food on the plate. not worth toting home.
the experience was capped off when someone from the kitchen stopped by the table (tightly) wedged next to ours and chatted with an old acquaintance for over 20 minutes while her rear end was at my shoulder.
all that and the opportunity to pay for parking as well. yay!

will not return.... i understand that the bistro is "under new management". with that said:
-- coffee while waiting, is now charged to your bill; it was complimentary before. 'very cheesy of them!
-- there is no wait for bar seating; this is a change. this will cause issues w/ customers who had been waiting for a seat (and are on the list); and observe people jumping ahead (of them) to grab a seat at the bar. this practice needs to stop; bar seating should be just like table seating...i.e., return to this mode before the management change.
-- my husband ordered the chicken, and waffle. well it all arrived (on 1 plate) w/ the maple syrup dripping into the salad, and onto the chicken!! what a mess and not very appetizing. before management change, syrup was served separately in a small pitcher; and i think that thewafflewas served on a separate plate.
-- re my blt: the turkey seemed a bit "slimy". i wondered how often the staff rotates/discards the turkey used in this menu item?! 'very little bacon was in the sandwich.
-- our waiter did the least possible service for us. please note that we are not very demanding people. eg., he did not offer to swap out my paper cup (of coffee now being charged to me) with a coffee mug. very disappointing...
bottom line: we will not return. we will discourage friends from patronizing the bistro. ....too bad, the taste of belgium was on our go-to list, even though we often had to wait for a table.