Belga Cafe — Restaurant in Washington

I wish I could post higher reviews, but I guess I just can’t afford the places with exceptional food. Granted, I am foodie with a palate that’s developed past the norm, but it’s the bane of my existence that people give 4 and 5-star reviews to places that simply don’t deserve them. Unless the food is fantastic, I just can’t give an amazing review! I want to be honest, straightforward, and fair to those coming behind me, reading my reviews and looking for great food. If ambiance and/or variety is what floats your boat, there are many, many places in DC that will make you happy! But if you‘re a true foodie, there are few that will..and not break the bank. Belga Cafe, sadly, is not the type of place that warrants you going out of your way for the food. Might there, perhaps, be an item or two on the menu that stand out? Possibly, but my friend and I didn’t have them. So I can’t say I’d come back quickly to explore the menu further. I’m a pretty decent cook, so I can’t justify spending lots of money on “half baked” food. (No pun intended.) What’s the point? I’d rather stay home, spend less money, and eat better. We came for restaurant week, and I was surprised that the app/entree special were for items that didn’t even appear to be on their normal menu. Isn’t the point of restaurant week to show off what you offer on the menu, or did I get something wrong? That said, our food was decent, or I wouldn’t have given a 3-star review. (We had mussels, fries, asparagus/egg salad, seafood pasta, and a sautéed beef dish.) But what most disappointed me, especially for a Belgian place, was the cappuccino and 3-mousse dessert. The latter had three flavors on the plate, and although it’s possible Belgium has a thicker, more dense style of mousse than I’m used to, it just fell short of my expectations, tasted “fridgy” (like its been in the fridge too long or left in there uncovered), and on top of all, was still frozen. All three of them! So sad, when what I had hoped for was that lovely mousse texture and the delight of savoring the distinct three flavors of dark, milk, and white chocolates. The cappuccino was bitter, thin, and the frothy milk had entirely too large bubbles (I’ve been spoiled with micro-bubbles). Nothing a little sugar and a spoon won’t fix, but still, disappointing. Sorry guys, I’m sure there are plenty of people who love coming here for a variety of reasons, but when you’re a real foodie, with so many great options in DC, I just can’t give the food I ate today more than a 3-star review. One highlight was the glass of Grenache/Syrah blend from France I had....

My friends and I made brunch reservations at Belga Café for the Sunday of President’s Day weekend. I was five minutes late because of the Metro, but the friendly accommodating host found us a table within minutes and we were seated without much trouble. That was the highlight of the experience.

The restaurant was busy, of course, but we had barely sat down when the waiter appeared asking for our order. We had had very little time to peruse the menu, and he seemed visibly impatient with questions. In fact, as I was mid-sentence in asking one he turned his attention completely to the next table. Somewhat unsurprisingly, when our food did arrive I was served the wrong dish (I had tried to ask about two different waffles, this was the one I thought I had decided against), which I did not have time to communicate, because the person who delivered our food slung it down on the table and vanished again. I ate what I was served, partially because it was, after all, my runner up, but mostly because I was starving and thought I might not have the opportunity to order anything else. That instinct proved to be correct. Our waiter was nowhere to be found until the forks were down and then he magically appeared to clear the dishes and hand over the check in one move. Our group was still in the middle of a conversation, so we lingered a bit while finishing our drinks, and it was only after the waiter had been stalking by for five minutes (again, AFTER giving us the bill) that he asked if we wanted anything else. Well, his words were “Did you want anything else?” His tone said, “Go away now.” I understand that the restaurant is high traffic for Sunday brunch, but we had had a reservation, and yet I still felt like we were unwelcome annoyances to be suffered and pushed out again as quickly as possible. The experience was rushed, inhospitable, and discourteous.

Oh, and the waffle I did have? On the positive side it was light and golden brown, but on the negative it was oddly over-sweet. The frites were good. Nothing makes up for the tone of the service though. I had thought other menu items looked tempting, but I don’t think I’ll be back...

Here's the deal. We went to Belga Cafe for lunch and it ended up being a brunch place. "What does that mean?" you might ask. What it means is $14 waffles that are small and served on hipstery plates. This wasn't for us, but that doesn't mean it's not for you. Which is to say, if you're okay dropping $25 for lunch and leaving a little hungry, Belga will do it in style. It's nicer than a diner for sure. If you just want lunch, though, this is not your place.

We came here as a group of six and, despite having a reservation, had to wait outside for about 20 minutes. Lucky for us it was a nice day out! Inside, the tables were too large for the space, meaning every thirty seconds as a server walked behind my chair, s/he bumped my chair. It was annoying, honestly. No one apologized, no solutions were offered, and it interrupted my experience.

Food-wise, I ordered the salmon burger and was surprised to find out that it wasn't fresh salmon after seeing the word "grilled" in the menu. It also said "patty," so this was my mistake I guess. But I was also then bummed that it didn't then taste all that exciting. I've made this kind of salmon burger before at home and think I've done a better job than Belga. Contributing to the lackluster burger was an overly large and dry bun, as well as missing toppings that I had to ask repeatedly for and then got a tiny portion of. My fiancé and I also shared a side of fries, but were disappointed to see that the menu had been misleading. The meals, for $6 extra, came with a small fries and side salad. Instead of getting that, we ordered the side of fries to share. It was more expensive $7.50, but it turned out to be the identical portion as the small fries. So we spent $1.50 more and didn't get salad, basically.

So why 2 stars and not 1, even? I generally only give 1-star reviews to places that seem dirty, corrupt, etc. Belga wasn't that... it was just overpriced with lackluster food. I wouldn't go back, I wouldn't recommend it to friends... but it's not harming...