Taste of Belgium - The Banks — Restaurant in Cincinnati

We were only in Cinci for two nights, after trying the Waffle & Chicken the first morning we had to have the exact same thing the next morning! Of all our travels we rarely eat the same meal at the same restaurant twice in one trip! But that’s just how good it was!

My husband and I love to try chicken and waffles around the country. It’s hard to get too crazy with chicken and waffles and do it well. But Taste of Belgium’s take on the dish was phenomenal and unique. If I had to be nit picky, our only complaint was it only came with half a waffle which wasn’t enough for the large chicken breast. So the next day we ordered an extra waffle. Definitely a must try!

Additionally the waffles are dough based, which we loved! Different than your typical waffle. Just the waffles alone are excellent and worth trying. Heavy and dense but a nice flavor.

The caramel latte I had from the barista was excellent. Greatly exceeded my expectation for sure! Rich and smooth taste. Beautifully presented and worth the $4.50 price to me.

Service was friendly, welcoming and attentive. We felt like we were treated like regulars, even though we’d never been before. They definitely make you feel taken care of without being annoying.

Location at the Banks is perfect. Although I am sure during football and baseball games it’s pretty crazy since it’s right...

We arrived approximately 35 minutes before closing and, out of courtesy, called ahead to confirm that our late arrival would not be an issue. We were assured it would be fine. Upon arrival, we were greeted and served by Heaven, who took both our drink and food orders at the same time, which we didn’t mind.

After placing our order, we noticed our appetizer was placed under the heat lamp just a few minutes later. Unfortunately, it remained there for nearly 10 minutes until the rest of our meal was ready, at which point all the food was brought out together. This diminished the freshness and presentation of the appetizer.

Additionally, we had requested that the salads be served on the side. However, one salad was missing entirely, while the other was served directly on the plate. When I inquired about the timing of the appetizer, the server responded with a laugh, which came across as dismissive.

Despite the service issues, the food itself was flavorful and consistent with what we’ve come to expect from this restaurant chain, which is the reason this is a 3-star review rather than a lower rating. We are longtime fans of the Over-the-Rhine location and occasionally make special trips from Louisville just to dine there. However, based on this particular experience, we would not return to...

My wife and I spent a few days in Cincinnati, and Taste of Belgium was the only disappointing part of our stay. We went in on a slow Wednesday around 11am, and encountered 3 problems:

1. My wife ordered an omelet and their "frites". The omelet was fine, but their fries were way overcooked...dark brown really.

2. I ordered the waffles and chicken. The chicken was fine, but the waffle was dense and stodgy and not particularly warm. It tasted as if it had been sitting around a while and they made a feeble attempt to reheat it when the chicken was ready. Belgian waffles are supposed to taste lighter. This was the heaviest waffle I've had in a long time.

3. We were seated where we could look through a window into the kitchen. I was bothered by what appeared to be a mop handle and a cleaning bucket, with the cleaning bucket sitting on a table right next to a stack of waffles. Food and cleaning products should not be sitting side by side.

The good parts of our visit: the coffee was just fine. And I had nice fresh greens with my waffle and chicken. Other than that, there is no reason for me to recommend Taste of Belgium, or to consider ever going back. There are too many other restaurants around downtown Cincinnati. Taste of Belgium needs to up their game if they...