Café Hollander Tosa Village — Restaurant in Wauwatosa

Never will I ever ! I was reluctant to go out for breakfast/brunch on Labor day. But I wanted to take my 2 retired siblings and a friend of the family from out of town (Mississippi) for an enjoyable meal. I chose this restaurant because my son brought me there a few years ago way before Covid. The restaurant was packed but mostly patio guest. My sister and family friend arrived first and later I came with my brother. We were brought to the table immediately upon arrival. I figured it was because we were black and they were black. I was born and raised in Milwaukee and 59 years old, so this post is not about racism it is about classism and ignorance. Ignorance but definition is lack of knowledge. The food wasn't bad, but the service was. Our waitress was young and it showed. She wasn't attentive and showed a lack of patience when asked about the menu. It was obvious that she figured we should not be there and why waste her time when she more than likely wasn't going to get a tip anyway. When dealing with the public you have to extend yourself beyond what you might think. I asked for sugar for my coffee and I received my meal and almost finished before getting the sugar. My sister had to go to the bar for some straws we had asked for in the beginning. Thanks to the manager who came to our table and finished our dining experience. My order was made incorrect so I wasn't charged for it, which I appreciated that. I wasn't expecting that. I was given the bill by our original waitress, I gave her my card. She brought my card back with the merchant receipt and my copy and SHE NEVER RETURNED. My bill was $95.?? and I left the waitress a $20.00 tip. Please know that you will never know a book by the cover but I will share the first chapter. When I go back to work at MPD I will share my experience with all my coworkers. fellow supervisors, and officers. To the manager who helped you are an excellent example. I left that tip because of you 20% is my...

This was our first visit as we are new to the area. Party of 4 adults on a Wednesday at around 6:15. I had falafel bowl and enjoyed it. Our server was very good and kind and did a great job. We did not have a reservation and I don't know if they even take reservations...there were plenty of open tables on main floor, but for whatever reason we were taken upstairs which was fine with me at that time. It was pretty dead upstairs for the duration of our meal. But again our server was excellent. We were there for a special occasion and I thought maybe we would want dessert, but while we were finishing up the staff started to stack chairs like they were going to mop the floor. I did not think this was a good call on whoever was the manager. The staff was just doing what they were told. I blame the manager for this. I look at my watch and it's 7 something pm. I am still eating my meal. I assume they must be closing very soon and so I did not ask about dessert. There were two other tables upstairs one of which was also still eating while they are stacking up chairs. Very very off putting for me. I imagine they do things like this at Taco Bell, but at a sit down restaurant, no. So we quickly paid our bill and left. We did not want to over stay our welcome. As we walk downstairs we were all surprised to see the entire restaurant is bustling and all the tables are filled and everyone is having a good time. The ambiance was very lack luster being shut away in the attic and thinking that the place was closing when indeed the other patrons were not made to feel the way we were made to feel. Manager...think about how you would feel if you were the one eating at a restaurant and the staff started to close up shop while you were still eating. I know you would not like that for yourself so please extend some common curtesy to...

While this review is for the Cafe Hollander in Wauwatosa the same general things can be said for all the Lowlands Group restaurants; the food is always well prepared and delicious and the beer selection is unique and varied. That being said, the Hollander in Tosa has a better atmosphere than most of their locations simply because of its location in downtown and on the river. The restaurant proper is cozy and warm, and in the warmer months there is a large outdoor seating area that is perfect for drinking a Belgian beer and eating a cone of frites and a sandwich. The beer selection, while always unique, does vary by location and because they feature imported beers from smaller breweries in the Benelux region availability of beers can change—be prepared to try something new if your favorite isn’t available on a given day. As mentioned, these are imported Belgian beers that you literally can’t get anywhere else in Wisconsin and always served in the proper vessel for maximum enjoyment. These are both strong in actual flavor (and far different than your average over hopped American IPA) and frequently higher in alcohol content.

The food is uniformly good, with a nice variety of traditional American and European-inspired food. We typically go for late brunch on the weekend and have found several unique variations on waffles and eggs Benedict as well as several items I haven’t seen anywhere else in the Milwaukee area (the salmon smorrebrod is fantastic). And if you’re simply craving a unique beer and bar snacks they have...