Mannequin Pis Belgian Bistro — Restaurant in Maryland

My sister asked if I was interested in trying this place with her for the 1st time. I looked at website online & immediately said Absolutely! We had goals of eating good stuff well. That would include appetizers, soup, main course & desserts definitely not a given. It all sounded so delicious we got WAY too ambitious. We both started with soup, and shared appetizers. She got the mussel soup & I picked the lobster bisque . We also got the pick 3 sausages for way cheaper than menu said, with a side of bacon brussel sprouts Which was perfect because we wanted to try the boar, venison & pheasant. I also got baked mussels , and I really felt like adding a side of the wine braised bacon sauerkraut, because I was sold by the menu's words. Lobster bisque-so damn delicious. It was perfect consistency and delicately flavored. And was actually perfect to dip my baked mussels into. And perfect to dip the fresh crusty bread into also. Her mussel soup was also very delicious. I initially liked flavor of that better 1st. It came with a impressive amount of shelled mussels. Near end of soups we were both choosing lobster bisque. And to add on, these are very heavy cream soups with a lot of soup. Baked mussels were good, it was massive & I picked that one so I could taste mussels. I didnt expect it to be so large for price. I would get one of the mussel pots next time. The cheese they added to mussels was a stand out. And mussels were delicious and not dried out. The sausages.... yes. Get those. We were both least impressed by the pheasant but it was delicious still. All of them were perfectly moist. The boar & venison were favored, the boar had blueberries added to it? It says on the menu, but that made it my favorite. It wasn't heavy. Only made a lil bit sweeter. Sausages delicious. Now I can't lie, at this point in looking at the table & it was entirely overwhelming. However, the bacon brussel sprouts was almost my favorite thing, until almost edged out by the sauerkraut. It wasn't too sweet or tangy, it had a beautiful mellow smokey taste. I will be coming to try a sandwich at lunch, especially if that is on the sandwich! But those brussel sprouts...the veggies were perfectly cooked & had big chunks of bacon, and other miscellaneous food. Excuse my not paying attention, but every bite so very tasty. . We were also drinking, and Belgium known for their beers. Most very heavy & dark , with alcohol equal to a bottle of wine. That didnt help us get to entrees, but no problem we will definitely be back to try some. Pork loin my top pic. We got our substantial leftovers bagged up for home. But we had to look at desserts because they are known for their chocolate. And we decided independently that the chocolate mousse was what we both wanted to get to take home. And within 2 hours of getting home I started my mousse. It was what and more of what I expected. It was not too sweet, darker chocolate but it had a delicious almost fruity hint at end of each bite. Reminded me of raspberry. Which since not too sweet, a perfect combination with dark chocolate. We ubered home feeling quite literally stuffed. We were only customers in restaurant when eating but 3 tables sat just when we left. Carry outside were moving Our server was very attentive & always moving stuff on or off table or just letting us sisters catch up. The ambiance of restaurant, well it's in a small Olney strip mall, so you get what you get and I care much more about quality of food & service . It was nicely decorated though . Team Belgian all the way., except ... there was a 3-4 statues of peeing boys ( only one actually in action!) We had a great time & will...

Mannequin Pi's is a Belgian restaurant known for their wide variety of mussel pots. I'd consider this restaurant to be a hole-in-the-wall spot because the location is rather hidden. It was a cute, romantic date night kind of spot. When we arrived, we checked in with the host and brought to our table. Since we didn't really eat lunch, we thought we could finish a three-course meal but we underestimated the portion size. It would have been great if the server told us to it would be too much food but he didn't do that.

Since it was half-priced wine night, we decided to share a bottle of Benviolo Italia 2017 Pinot Grigio. While we were waiting for our food, our server brought us a basket of warm, sliced baguette with garlic infused butter curls. The bread was so good we left no trace of it.

For dinner, my boyfriend started with Garlic Pomme Frittes, then Amish Chicken Breasts, and then Profiteroles. The Garlic Pomme Frittes consisted of crisp6 herb french fries served with garlic aioli. There was more fries than garlic aioli. It was interesting that our side came out before the entree, especially fries before chicken entree.

The Amish Chicken Breast consisted of a tender cut of oven roasted amish chicken breasts served over brussels sprouts, mushroom, and bacon with cylinder shaped pommes croquettes in a brandied cherry sauce. It was delicious and I wished I had ordered it instead.

The Profiteroles came in a pair of housemade puff pastries stuffed with Haagan-daz like vanilla ice cream and finished with a Belgian chocolate drizzle. It was hard to pick up and consume but worth the mess.

I started with Baked Mussels, then Mussel Poulette, and then Chocolate Terrine. I wished that someone warned us that they were similar and contained about a kilo of mussels each. The Baked Mussels consisted of a mussel pot of mussels baked with lemon and garlic-herb butter and topped with melted Chimay Bier cheese and leeks.

By the time, I finished the Baked Mussels, I didn't want anymore mussels. I tried to switch the Mussel Poulette to something else but they said it was too late and it was already cooking :( The Mussel Poulette consisted of a mussel pot of mussels, celery, onion, and herbs in a creamy white wine sauce. It was served with bread and crispy pomme frittes with garlic aioli.

The Chocolate Terrine consisted of two chocolate triangles made with almonds and amaretto on a raspberry coulis. It melted in your mouth. The texture was smooth, rich, creamy, and quite...

Mannequin Pis, deriving its name from the renowned "Little Pissing Man" sculpture in Brussels, Belgium, is a restaurant specialized in Belgian Cuisine.  Est in 1999, it nestled itself within the center of Olney, MD, hidden in a discreet alley just off the bustling plaza. But, as it says that if the food in a restaurant is good, its location does not matter as diners will find it.

We had frequented this establishment in the past. However, we haven’t been there since its changes in ownership. Thanks to a dinner gift certificate from our daughter, we returned to its place again.

Synonymous with the reputation of Belgian cuisine, Mannequin Pis centers its menu around the mussels, frites, and beers.  It has an extensive selection of Mussel Pots (De Mosselen) – a kilo of mussels enrobed in an array of ambrosial broths, accompanied by the Pomme Frites, a fancier name for French Fries. We chose the “Snob” broth that consists of celery, onions, herb, lobster bisque and garlic and brandy, which proved to be a delightful choice that I heartily recommend.

Besides the De Mosselen, you can also find other Belgian specials like Belgian Bier Beef Stew (Carbonnade) and the traditional Flemish seafood stew, Seafood Waterzooi, which is essentially the Belgian equivalent of French bouillabaisse or Italian Cioppino but enriched by an abundance of mussels, stands as my personal favorite.

As for the beer, we embarked on a tasting of contrasts – the robust Chimay, reminiscent of an IPA with its 9% alcohol content, and the delicate La Chouffe, a golden, unfiltered blond beer. La Chouffe, adorned in a lustrous hue of golden-yellow, tasted pleasantly fruity and had a mild taste of hops. In stark contrast, the Chimay, an esteemed Trappist-style Belgian beer, was quite potent, swiftly casting a spell of dizziness.

In summation, Mannequin Pis is a small establishment, yet within its cozy European-style ambiance, it exudes a warmth that are perfect for couples on double-dates or dine with cherished friends.

Note: as shown in photos 1-7, we have also received home delivery...