Taste of Belgium, Rookwood

The Place

For so long I have put off reviewing Taste of Belgium. Not because I dislike it by any means, just because I assume everyone in Cincinnati has already dined here. So I thought to myself, "How can I make this interesting?" Well, I came to the conclusion that the best way to accomplish this was to give it it's own category, Battle of the Belgiums, and rate each selected Taste of Belgium location in comparison to one another! This will also mark the beginning of what I call my first "intermittent" category. This means I won't be rating these spots consecutively I am going to sprinkle them in between other other categorical reviews. First up Taste of Belgium, Rookwood.

Location & Parking

This particular location is located in the far corner of Rookwood Exchange on Edwards Rd in Norwood which is located across from Rookwood Commons. Parking on this side of Rookwood Commons can get kind of dicey if you drop in later in the day to evening because some of the restaurants/businesses have reserved valet parking which takes up a number of spots. I would definitely recommend making reservations. This place fills up quickly.

Atmosphere

Dining at this location is a nice option if you want to avoid going downtown. If I remember correctly, this location was third to open after Findlay Market and OTR. They did a good job carrying the downtown authenticity over into this more local neighborhood friendly location. There is plenty of natural daylight if you are sitting towards the front of the restaurant. Upon walking in you get a side view of the pastry case and coffee bar. Table options include table/chair, high-top, bar, booth/table, and outdoor. I would say the decor is urban-industrial with a European since of flair. You just get the sense that people are happy to be there. The hostess was pleasant as well as out server. This place just covers every aspect of brunch to the fullest. I ordered the Vacay off the "Mimosa" section of the menu. The Vacay is made out of bubbles, passion fruit syrup, and pineapple juice. This amped up mimosa had a great tropical flavor and definitely lived up to it's name. My friend ordered the standard mimosa and was equally pleased. The pic is of the Vacay btw.

Order-Up

Waffle & Chicken (Classic) & Frites

I mean I can't have a Taste of Belgium category without ordering the Waffle & Chicken. I feel like they were the first restaurant in the area to offer this dish. I remember first sampling this over ten years ago at their OTR location. Until then, chicken and waffles was only something I only heard Snoop Dogg talk about from his days in the LBC. Never realized til then that it would ever be obtainable to a regular girl from Cincy. This spot now offers three different versions: Classic, Nashville, & Korean. Both my friend and I went with the Classic which was just as amazing as I remember it being. You have the option to have the hot sauce served directly on the chicken or on the side. I recommend having it served directly on the chicken. To me it just enhances the flavor and the experience of the dish. My chicken was crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside. This dish also comes with Ohio maple syrup which of course gives you the sweet and savory fix you are looking for with chicken and waffles. It comes with a side of blue cheese salad which offers a nice cooling contrast to the heat of the chicken. I also ordered a side of Frites to go along with my main. Frites are Belgian fries that are double-fried and heavenly I might add. They are served with a side of chipotle mayo, which compliments perfectly.

Overall Experience

The overall experience at Taste of Belgium Rookwood was great. This location truly offers a solid brunch experience. Everything went well from start to finish, I recommend an early brunch here to avoid congestion during primetime but either way you'll have an amazing time. With the wide range of menu items here, I would expect to spend 20 to 40 dollars here depending on how big of a brunch you want to have here.

Rating: 4⭐

Taste of Belgium Rookwood gets 4 stars, one for each category: Atmosphere, Service, AM Cocktail and Plate. What can I say off to another great start. One thing I can always say about a visit to one of these locations is to show up on an empty stomach because it is pleasantly easy to get full here.