Taste of Belgium Clifton

Went for breakfast before a Steelers @ Bengals game. Very good. Food was tasty, service was friendly, atmosphere was very clean. A little bit of an iffy neighberhood, but I would definitely go back. Ironically, I wasn’t crazy about the waffle, but it’s probably a taste that can easily be acquired.

Mehhhhh. I get why people like this but I feel like it’s overhyped. Their waffles are unique and tasty, it’s true, I’m not here to diss their waffles. I guess when I saw the number of stars it has I set my expectations high, and overall I felt that the whole experience wasn’t quite up to the price point.
For instance, I got chicken and waffles and the side salad that came with them was slimy and overdressed. The idea of a salad is great, but the actual execution was mediocre & seemed like they were cutting corners. Not a terrible choice by any means, your mileage may vary.

Yesterday was my first «full blown» Taste of Belgium experience. I had grabbed things from the Findlay Market location in the past, but I had never dined at any of the other locations. My friend suggested the Clifton store in hopes that students would be sleeping in. That was not the case, but it was not a problem. We were told there would be a 30-​minute wait, but it turned out to be less than 10.
My friend had the grilled ham and cheese. I tried a bite and can understand her obsession with it. I wanted something sweet and savory, so I ordered the hash, thinking it would be an appetizer size portion (I was wrong), and a chocolate waffle with cream. The potato portion of the hash was frites, which made for an interesting spin on hash. It was very good, with the exception of major skimping on the goetta. The chocolate waffle is actually their standard Belgian waffle with a chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Of course their waffles are delicious, and whipped cream makes everything better. Where it fell short was on the Chocolate sauce. I expected something much more decadent, but what I got was a sauce that vaguely reminded me of Hershey’s syrup. They can do better than this.
Atmosphere and service were exceptional. Despite the fact that they pack the place full, it’s still comfortable. It’s also lively, but not so much that those who lean toward the introverted side of the spectrum (that’s me) would be turned off. Our server did a great job from beginning to end.
I am looking forward to visiting some of the other Taste of Belgium locations and trying other menu items.

Love this Taste of Belgium! It’s conveniently located near the undergraduate UC campus and they’re open for brunch!
Must haves:
— Chicken + Waffles: When I first tried this, I didn’t know what to think. Coming from LA, I always imagined the Roscoe’s style waffles where they’re softer and paired with crispy fried chicken. Taste of Belgium’s version adds a hot sauce, and their waffle is a sweet and more dense Belgium waffle. Over my two years in Ohio, this dish has definitely grown on me and I find myself craving it. It’s a must try!
— Dessert Waffle: literally any of them. They’re fantastic. I personally love the strawberry and cream one! :)
Service is usually great and quick. The ambiance is nice. I’ve tried a few of their other dishes, and they weren’t as impressive (though still not bad), but it’s the chicken and waffles that I crave!

Taste of Belgium is a Cincinnati staple at this point!
I have visited this location as well as OTR and Findlay Market. I went the other Saturday for an early birthday brunch with friends. We sat at a long table next to the window and were immediately greeted by our server.
I ordered the McWaffle which was a waffle sandwich with gruyère, bacon, and a fried egg (syrup too!). The sandwich looked small but since the waffles are so dense it was plenty filling! I also ordered a mimosa and coffee – because brunch of course!
The service was a tad slow considering they were not very busy. I think the server just tended to be a bit forgetful but was very nice and accommodating. He also brought me a waffle with whipped cream and red sprinkles for my birthday! Only thing missing was a candle.
Overall everyone had a great experience and loved it. My friends were all from out-​of-​town and it was their first time but probably not the last.
You must eat the waffles!

Waffle and chicken: best I have had so far.
Let this be an ode to their waffle and chicken. ToB slyly swapped the order of this staple (chicken and waffle) to weed out either the people who do not frequent this chain very often or who do not read the menu. I personally had never heard of this combination – coming from Maine – until I moved to Cincinnati. The idea was both intriguing and confusing. Savory meet sweet.
I have since tried it in 3 other places, and (at least so far) ToB has the best. I like their version above others because:
1. The chicken. It is plentiful (even in the generally smaller/​cheaper lunch portions), cooked to be crispy on the outside but moist on the inside, and flavored with the right amount of hot sauce.
2. The waffle. Don’t overestimate the importance of the waffle in this pairing. Generally, ToB waffles are very tasy and super sugary. My most recent one was a little too hard to have been fresh, but usually they are spot on.
3. It’s not just about the chicken and waffle/​waffle and chicken. ToB very sneakily also adds a bit of salad on the side smothered in dressing and hunks of blue cheese. As a lover of mixing textures and tastes in my food, the blue cheese especially adds a rich, creamy layer to this chicken and waffle.
Now, putting this staple aside (presumably after licking the plate clean), their other options are also good. I love the crisp cook on the fries and their burgers are flavorful. I did not especially care for the Machine Gun sandwich. The only time I tried it, the bread was hard as a rock! The salted caramel and roasted walnut crêpe is as decadent as you might imagine.
Next time: I might venture more into the crêpe menu… but probably not. :P

My son requested chicken and waffles for his 9^th birthday, so Taste of Belgium was the obvious choice. We chose this location, because they accepted reservations on a Saturday evening (the other locations do not). We arrived about 5 minutes early for our 6:30 reservation when we were quoted a wait of an hour. What?!? Not a good start! There was a large crowd for the (away) Bearcats football game and I get that they can’t kick people out, but don’t say you take reservations if you can’t honor them. Anyway after the initial shock of the wait estimate, we decided to grab a drink @ the bar while the host and manager tried to work on getting us a table. The lone bartender was slammed, but was friendly and helpful. I couldn’t decide what I wanted, so he even asked me what I like and came up with a suggestion. His suggestion (Dark and Stormy) was spot on and delicious! Very shortly after we got our drinks, our table was ready, so we only actually waited about 10 minutes minutes past our reservation time which is perfectly acceptable to me. Our server seemed sort of new, but was very helpful and attentive. Here’s what we had:
Chicken and Waffles (several orders) — Excellent as always!
Burger– Good, but not as good as the chicken.
Frites — Love! And double love the sauce that is served with them!
Lavender and Lemon Curd Crepes — Must have!
The food and service were wonderful and the complimentary waffle for the birthday boy was a nice touch. They have a nice bar selection and I also really enjoy their «coffee» options (Cortado is my favorite). It’s very interesting how each location of this restaurant has a very different vibe. I like that!

Waffles and chicken. Incredible! Nothing more to say…
Have a Neapolitan as well. Very good.
Top notch service as well.
Love this restaurant. Well worth a visit!

Much bigger than the OTR location which is really nice for larger parties. They also take reservations which is super convenient. Like the OTR location, this one is busy but you don’t really notice it because of the large space. Food is solid. Service is good. If you like the OTR location, you’ll like this one too.

Just visited here for brunch with my girlfriend. The food was great and the atmosphere was neat. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area who is looking to try some Belgian food. I’m not sure if it’s completely authentic, but from what I saw myself, it sure seems like it!
I had the Traditional Crêpe, which is made with a gluten-​free buckwheat and had a honey Dijon mustard glaze. It was amazing.
My girlfriend got the Smoked Salmon Sandwich which was also good, although the salmon may be a little different some people’s tastes as it is smoked and not grilled. She loved the bread.
Along with these things we got to try some of the Fritas which had some amazing dip and we had a bowl of mixed berries that seemed to be fresh picked!

I have been to Cincinnati many, many times and had always noticed Taste of Belgium in OTR. I didn’t realize it was a local chain, so when my sister-​in-​law asked what I wanted for lunch while visiting Cincy recently, I decided on Taste of Belgium! We ended up at the Clifton location because our first stop at the Rookwood (?) location had an hour wait. We ended up waiting 45 minutes at the Clifton location, anyway. Argh. Along with the long wait, I made the unfortunate decision to eat outside (it’s so NICE out!) and we had a bee trying to join us for lunch.
We all ordered the «Waffle and Chicken,» as it is listed on the menu. It is, by far, the most popular choice. Now, keep in mind that the waffles here are truly Belgian-​style… if you are picturing the plate-​sized light and crispy waffle that you get at most brunch spots, this is not it. A true Belgian waffle is irregularly shaped (but closer to a rectangle), extremely dense with a hint of sweetness in the batter. As we were waiting to be seated, we watched the waffles being made. Instead of a liquidy batter, they are balls of extremely thick dough, very much like Play-​Doh or clay. The balls of dough get smushed in the waffle iron and turned into Belgian waffles. Just a friendly little PSA for those not in the know!
For me, I did not enjoy the authentic, dense waffle as I do the kind that is served in most other brunch spots. I think that was the problem. The waffle was also served with hot sauce (think Texas Pete, not very spicy in my opinion, more sour than anything) and maple syrup. I used the syrup more than the hot sauce, for sure. The chicken tenders were very light and crispy, and not very greasy. Unfortunately, I found them a tiny bit bland, so I did end up using some of the hot sauce.
Additionally, service was extremely slow. I don’t know if it had to do with the fact that we were seated outside. My SIL told me service is always this slow.
Would I go again? Probably on a weekday at an off-​hour, yes. I’d try something different next time.

had the chicken and waffle and the goetta bowl. The chicken and waffle was absolutely terrible. Very dry and too many sweet notes.
Bowl was pretty good but not outstanding.

One of my favorite brunch spots in Clifton, if not in Cincinnati. If the OTR location is too cramped for your liking, head on over to Short Vine. Ample seating, great customer service and wonderful food makes any dining occasion pleasant.
Favorite dishes include Chicken & Waffles, Machine Gun, Goetta Hash, Smoked Salmon Baguette, etc etc etc. The coffee drinks are always great, the beer selection is fantastic, and last time I was there (Friday) I saw they had sangria pitchers for $ 15. Could this place be any better?
If you haven’t been yet, do yourself a favor, and go!

This place is absolutely fantastic!!! There is seating outside and inside, and all the staff is friendly and knowledgable.
I had a waffle and eggs. I mixed smoked Gouda with my eggs and almost died because both were so ridiculously delicious. The waffles are small and dense; they have a good texture and flavor — they don’t even need butter!
My dining companion had the Goetta Hash and it was a perfect mix of ingredients. I tried it and it was amazing — better than any breakfast scramble I’ve ever had.
They also have a huge beer selection, both on tap and in cans or bottles. They have the basics, but they also have a great selection of craft beers.
You MUST ask for Gabe. He’s incredible and I pretty much wished he was dining with us the entire time we were eating. He knows everything about Cincy and is super friendly and personable. I wanted him to come on the other side of the counter (we were sitting at the bar) and join us in eating and taking shots, but alas, he was working.
If you’re looking for brunch, breakfast, or any other food in Cincy, you have to try Taste of Belgium.

If you are looking for the best brunch in the city, I might have to recommend ToB.
We usually head to the Clifton location, especially when UC is out since it is larger and typically less crowded than the OTR spot. The food is excellent at both places and you can’t tell a difference.
As someone that has sampled bloodies around the city, this might be the best one. I still want the fancy add-​ins like The Eagle, but the sauce is delicious and spicy. So, so good.
The first time you try ToB definitely go for the chicken and waffle and get a side of frites. The chicken is deliciously spicy, so at this point I usually switch to a beer to balance the heat. The frites are perfectly fried, not too greasy, and come with a sauce I want to bathe in.
Everything I’ve tried is delicious, from the sweet waffles and crepes to my other favorite, the goetta hash. Add some bechamel sauce for a decadent hangover cure.
Can’t wait for the Rookwood location to open, though I’ll probably be frequenting far more often!

tl;dr pastries aren’t that great. good drink selection, dinner menu is the best part
Okay, I’ve explored the whole menu of ToB and still have to say my 3 stars still stand:
1) Macarons– not good
2) Other Pastries (cheesecakes and tarts) — good but not impressive
3) waffles– I prefer american ones. The dense buttery shortbread texture just doesn’t hit the spot for me.
4) Dinner fare– the best part of the menu. Great burgers, mussels, the chicken part of the chicken&waffles dish is the best part, the salad is quite good.
5) great beer and wine selection (huge!)
6) Good and strong espresso, Average milk foaming skills
8) quality vanilla bean gelato
9) crepes are too thick and doughy
10) service is always fabulous
This ToB is a little more corporate feeling! The atmosphere is a bit huge with high ceilings and stone floors. The other ToB locations feel more like cute cafes.
My other review of OTR ToB will tell you that I am not a fan of european style waffles (and consequently their chicken waffle dish) or their macarons.
However I’m determined to try ToB until I find something I like!
Today I tried the ‘natti crêpe with goetta, cheese, egg, and sauteed peppers. ($ 7) I think the crêpe was WAY too thick, and the egg cooked in between just weighed it down even more. The goetta did not contribute much flavor since it was ground into tiny pieces, the cheese and the peppers were the best parts.
I also had an Affogato, DELICIOUS ($ 5). A shot of espresso poured over vanilla bean gelato. The gelato was top notch, and you could see and taste the vanilla bean (my fav)! It’s usually $ 8 and comes with a waffle, their «waffogato» but I ask for it sans waffle and was charged for each thing separately, very kind of the waiter.
On a more positive note, my friend really enjoyed the burger and fries ($ 12), aioli included ! She did say the goat cheese was a little overpowering, but a little does go a long way. Burger also included apple and bacon, came on a brioche bun. The waiter even asked how she wanted her burger cooked, I like that! Nothing is worse than a well done burger.
Update: I went back today just to try some confections from their desert case. While they weren’t bad, I wasn’t wow-​ed either. The cheesecakes have a crust made of their waffles, but it was overall just too sweet. Maybe throwing some salt in that crust would help? It tasted a little one-​note symphony.
The chocolate hazelnut torte was not impressive. It just tasted like nutella thrown in a premade chocolate cookie shell.
The espresso here is always good an strong! Today I had a cortado and I have to say they get a B– on milk foaming. There are visible milk bubbles, and the foaming might have been rushed. While the foam was good, it was not great.

Alright well I am by no means a Taste of Belgium fan based on the OTR location, but the Clifton location has redeemed it. First of all there’s space! You aren’t sitting and/​or standing on one another. The food is the same but let’s talk about the bar.
They have around 20 beers on draft. And over 12 local beers in cans also, among others. Now I know our bartender doesn’t work everyday but he was good. Andy wasn’t just a bartender, he had great places to suggest around the city to try. He was very knowledgable about all the craft beers they had and when I wasn’t a huge fan of one he suggested another.
The environment was very trendy and they have a garage door they can open on nice days with outdoor seating. They had great prices for craft beer. If you are in Clifton definitely stop for a beer at the bar!

I arrived 15 minutes before the place opened, but they were really nice in letting me come inside and avoid waiting outside in the cold. Few minutes later, they told me I could sit at the bar until they open, but the bartender was nice in letting me get a coffee once it finished brewing. I was new to the city, so he offered some suggestions for exploring more food options. THis place gets an A for customer service!
Now for their waffles — I ordered their banana nutella waffle for a decent price of $ 5! I have to say, I’ve never had waffles like this. Usually you get waffles that have a fluffy pancake like texture (of course usually most places use the same pancake mix to make waffles as well). But the waffles from this place are more buttery and crumbly, like a scone. Turns out that their waffles are made from dough which gives them more density.
And if that wasn’t enough, I also ordered their Beer Cheese Pretzels — 2 pretzels served with a cheese dip infused with raspberry lambic and topped with some chives. Pretzels were so soft and warm, and melded very well with the cheese dip. I would highly recommend.
Overall I would highly recommend this place to anyone who comes to visit or for anyone at all. Fairly close to the UC campus.

Oh YUM!
When a friend suggested brunch here, I was excited based on the name alone! We arrived and were told we would have a wait. We stopped at the bar and put in an order for mimosas. As soon as they arrived our table was ready!
The service was quick and the food was delicious! The spiciness of the chicken on the chicken and waffles was perfect — probably the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had. I also had some of the ham and brie omelette and the fries. All were good. The dinner menu looked quite interesting too! Great spot for waffles!

Well, Hello Taste of Belgium Clifton! It was very nice to meet you! Okay, so I know we have been living under a rock, since we have not been here before, but we finally made it — and we were not disappointed!
We had sampled Taste a couple of times at the Zoo, so we already had an idea of what was offered, but we definitely wanted the full experience.
We were lucky that we came in on Saturday mid afternoon between lunch and dinner — yay us! So we bellied on up to the bar and grabbed a couple of seats… and beers! We started out with the Beer Cheese Dip & Pretzels while we decided on our entrees. Oh my… that was DELICIOUS!
Our Bartender was was very friendly and knowledgeable of the beers and the menu. He was happy to make suggestions for both. He asked me what kind of beer I typically drink, then made a few suggestions and gave me a sample before I settled on a Made Tree Lift. My boyfriend went with the Bells. He is simple… me, I can’t make a decision for the life of me on beer.
For food… he went with the Chicken and waffles –complete with the largest crispy breaded chicken breast I have ever seen doused in Ohio maple syrup and hot sauce — what what! and I went with the Carbonnades beer-​braised beef– that literally melted in my mouth with frites and salad. My only comment here is that my frites were a little stale — I could tell they were not made fresh, but they were hot.
For dessert we had the Fruit & Cream Waffle — strawberries and whipped cream… ooohhhh yay! The only thing missing for me was a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
For me the star of the show was the Chicken and Waffles — that was AMAZING! I will definitely get this when we go back, it was soooooo good!
We will definitely come back… because everyone needs waffles in their belly!
For all of you who saw Guy F. on Diners, Drive-​Ins and Dives — They have a special for the Beer Cheese Dip, Carbonnades and Fruit & Cream Waffle for dessert for $ 27 — not a bad deal.