Taste of Belgium - Rookwood — Restaurant in Norwood

Absolutely outstanding - a must! We dined here around 830pm on a Friday night. The physical layout of the interior resturant was well considered, creatively appointed and unique. We chose a table outside, which on a pleasant early OCT evening, worked well. No strangers to Belgium establishments during frequent international travels to Europe and time in DC, we were curious about multiple facets of the menu. Taste of Belgium seems to pride itself on its waffles, which our kids very much enjoyed (as did we after sampling a few bites), but our tastes were focused elsewhere: steak frites, mussels, beir cheese and a few other staples (no we were not exotic - safely playing the greatest hits album instead). The fare did not disappoint. All dishes full of flavor, perfectly prepared and really hit on all of their marks (pretzel bread which I usually associate with German fare - but not expert here- was fabulous). The only amendment that we would propose is bread with the mussles as opportunities dip into in the delightful mussles were missed. The beer menu was also a strong point, with fairly (not overly) extensive selections of libations from Belgium. When queried, the staff had interesting takes and insights on the beers, although here too, we stayed more conventional, imbibing a few of the more traditional selections more widely found in the United States. Despite the lack of adventure on our part, the beverages also did not disappoint. Outstanding! As alluded to above, the staff was excellent: attentive, but not overbearing, and knowledgeable. The only mystery for us was the atmosphere, as we arrived around 830pm and the establishment was lightly attended at that hour -- but based on the physical layout and the fare one could easily envision a lively time for all at a more popular hour Highly recommend Taste of Belgium! Give it a try -...

Interesting mix of options for food which made it quite difficult for everyone at the table to figure what they wanted to order. (Not a bad thing). Was quite disappointed personally with the waffle. It had the crisp caramel outside as expected but the inside was dense and bland. It seemed almost as if it were days old or shipped in and reheated. The side syrup was nice and tasty. The sausage was quite herbaceous and flavorful. This was definitely the best thing on the menu. The scrambled eggs were superbly made. Light and fluffy that melted in your mouth. A mix of over medium and well over hard inconsistencies made the other eggs difficult to characterize well enough. The water tasted dreadful. Heavier than necessary mineral and chemical treatments made it undrinkable and brought the quality down on the soft drinks. Everyone who liked Chai Tea loved it and would come back just for that alone The burgers were fine but the bacon and other ingredients over powered the taste of the beef. Service was lack luster and sporadic. ( During Covid it's the new norm to expect so didn't penalize too much there) one thing that was perplexing was (we had 9 people for our table and knew it was gonna not be easy for the server) he took all orders at once then proceeded to push through 5 of the orders then delayed the other 4 orders. The first 5 people's food arrived and we were almost done before the next 4 at our table got their food. Very dumb way to handle that. Had we known we would have waited but we assumed their food would be out soon. Then he told us what he did. Ugh

Not likely to return. Portions too small and pricey. Quality and flavor was not great....

I can't believe it's taken me more than two years since moving to Cincy to finally get here, but I'm so glad it finally happened. Wonderful treasure of a multi-location local concept!

I'm vegetarian and usually avoid brunch or breakfast places because they tend to cater to my meat friends and load up on things I can't eat or don't really care for. While it's true that there are a ton of those dishes at Taste of Belgium, the vegetarian items they had were thoughtful, and I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. I started with a wonderfully rich hot chocolate and ordered a side of breakfast potatoes. After putting in the order, the server, who was amazing, returned to say that the new batch of fresh potatoes weren't in yet, I could get another side, and they'll comp it. Completely unnecessary, but what a gesture! I ordered the broccoli, and my god, I wanted to absolutely pick the little dish the vegetable came in.

My main dish was buckwheat crepes with mushrooms, cheese, shallots and a bodied vinaigrette. My god, SO good. I was full for the rest of the day on this because everything was so fresh and hearty.

And seriously, I can't say enough about the service. So, so much genuine and thoughtful attention here. I overheard other guests receiving the same treatment.

The only absolutely minor thing I'd note is that the bank of small tables for solo diners was right in line with the door. In winter, that can become a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps a small vestibule with a thick curtain could keep some of the chil out? It was fun to have a section for solos, though- great...