Had brunch on a Sunday. Food was good, and beer selection was excellent. Mussels with curry were the highlight of the meal.

Great low-key atmosphere with ALL the Belgium favorites on the menu! The restaurant is pretty much "no-frills" but the food quality and atmosphere is the reason to visit. The escargot is a must! The staff is very courteous and helpful with suggestions or questions about the menu. read more

Cafe Brussels - Double pork chop with gravy, croquettes and Brussel sprouts (duh). - Belgian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My favorite place for beer and fries in the city. I love Belgian beers... They also have wonderful crepes. The price range I have indicated is per plate. read more

My whole family of 4 ate here on 7/27/12. The flavor of the food was great, but a mere few hours after eating here, we all came down with food poisoning. I still cannot hold food down and its been almost 3 days. All four of us got different meals so most likey there is food handling issue. Everytime I hear the name Brussels or drive by this place on my way to work, I want to puke. I won't be giving another penny to this restaurant. read more

Cute lil cafe but burger and fries came out cold; bill was 10.56 okay then I check my bank transactions three days later the server went back in and gave herself a $20 tip... This is stealing you know and down right unethical! I will never ever go back but definitely getting my money that I work for back. Shame on server Catherine! If you go here, you should pay in cash only...Thieves read more

Unfortunately they were short-staffed when we visited and after some wait without our food we had to leave to catch a play. However, the staff that were working offered some of the warmest, most hospitable service I've had in along time, and they gave us our drinks for free. The atmosphere and decor were also great. Looking forward to coming back and finally giving the food a try. read more

Cafe Brussels is my favourite new restaurant in Houston. Great food and a lovely, relaxed ambiance. It has a similar menu to the Broken Spoke, and before it, Cafe Montrose, but the restaurant is WAY classier! My family ordered escargot and braised endive for starters, moules marinières (and frites with mayonnaise!) for the main course, and for dessert we split a crêpe with Grand Marnier. Delicious! I'm keen to try their lunch buffet one day too. I am sure I will be eating here as much as possible. read more

So... I am a Belgian, from Liege, Belgium, and have lived in America for 5 years now. I have tried many "Belgian restaurants" across America and trust me, I have never written a review on any of them prior to this one because I never thought they were that worth it. This Belgian restaurant is the real deal! Dining at this place is a great experience where all your senses are being used. Sight: it feels like you are on the Grand Place in Bruxelles; various poster and the lighting creates the ambiance. Hearing: beautiful French music playing the back ground and for once it's not the cliche "La Vie en Rose" of Edith Piaf but it's actual French music that I listen to when I go back home. Also, the employee spoke French to each other which just made me feel at home. Taste; man! The taste of the food is delicious! I had mussels and my husband had salmon with Bearnaise sauce and for once in my experiences in America the sauce tasted just like it should! Belgian fries were amazing! Smell: well of course the whole restaurant is perfumed with the delicious food! Finally, touch: in stead of getting paper napkins and plastic cups, you get what yo would get in Belgium, tissue and glass. Also, ask for a wonderful Belgian beer and it comes in it's authentic glass and bottle. Also, I should mention that pricing is absolutely reasonable for what you get. Seriously guys, I moved to Houston 3 months ago and finally tried this place, believe me, I will be going back and YOU should try it your self if yo want a real Belgian experience in Texas! read more

This has been here awhile and I didn't even realize it. Same wonderful authentic Belgian classics served at Cafe Montrose. You have to remind yourself to visit because unless you are regularly heading down Houston Ave., you will forget. Make a point to go. Fantastic mussels! read more

Solid, but the desserts are not special. The signature mussels were reliably good, and other seafood offerings got more mixed reviews. The chocolate mousse and creme brulee were good but not memorable. read more

I really wanted to like this place. I am a huge fan of mussels, and I like supporting local restaurants that bring authentic international cuisine to Houston. But this place was just ok- I was under wowed, to say the least. Unlike many of the other reviewers of Cafe Brussels, I have not been to Brussels, so perhaps the problem is that I am not a fan of Belgium food, but I really don't think that was it. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't memorable. I ordered the mussels steamed in garlic and white wine. I have ordered a similar dish on the East Coast, in France and in local Houston restaurants. The mussels were ok, not great, not horrible. The broth was not as flavorful as I would have liked, and I have had bigger mussels, but they were fine. My biggest complaint was that a dish of mussels with frites was around 25$, that seems a bit high for an average dish of mussels. Also, I do not get why people are raving about the French fries or the mayo sauce. The mayo sauce was ok, the fries tasted like MacDonald's. My dining companion got the steak, and that did remind us of Europe, I didn't know you could get that low of a quality of beef in Texas. So, yeah, that wasn't great either. We got a bottle of French wine with our meal, which was decent, we should have gone for the beer as we both like Belgium beers and they do have a good selection on tap, but I like white wine with my mussels. The décor was cute, the service was ok, a little slow considering we were one of only two tables on a Thursday night around 7pm. The final bill for two entrees and a decent bottle of wine was around 100$, which seemed a little steep for a very average meal. With so many great places to eat in Houston, we won't be back. . read more

Loved the food at the old location and it's still good. This is one of the few places I've repeatedly gone back to bc I like the food and ambiance. We've gotten such consistently horrible service both rude and slow that even though we live very close we no longer go. Hope they get it together and prove me wrong bc I hate giving a bad review to such a nice atmosphere and menu, but it's been earned. read more

I went to a birthday party celebration there last night. Good points are the staff, but seem short staffed, not attentive enough on drinks and water refills. The restaurant make you feel like you're not actually in Houston for the time being. Mussels and shrimp appetizers were tasty. I think prices are a bit on the high side but still reasonable for Houston. All of my fellow diners had good things to say. However a couple did not like the lobster bisque. It had absolutely no lobster and only had a couple tiny pieces of shrimp in it. Way too salty! Two of us had the ribeye. One of the ribeyes was perfect and he ate every bite. Mine was so disgusting and so "marbled" as it's called... I took it to go as not to make a scene but threw it out when I got home. Couple my fellow diners also said that it looked like the worst they could ever seen. And it was. I didn't want to complain because I wasn't paying and it was part of a birthday party. Salads were great. Green Beans and potato options were great. Parking can be challenging. I saw a flyer that there's music on Wednesdays and on the first of Tuesday of every Month. I'd like to get back and hear the music for sure. Oh, the wine prices were reasonable, at eight and nine dollars a glass. That was pretty reasonable. And wine selections were very nice. As for the steak I know it can happen. So I do look forward to updating my review. read more

Yes. So much yes. Went here for the first time tonight. This place feels like a slice of Europe in the middle of Houston. The food is amazing. The Flemish stew, potato croquettes, the escargot, the curry mussels and of course the frites! Everything we had was phenomenal. The service was friendly and wonderful. Wednesday nights they have an accordion player. He is so great. The owner was there. She's a lovely woman. I'm mad at myself for never coming before. I'll be back. Regularly. The only downside? They don't take Amex. Small potatoes. Love this spot. read more

Split the $20 brunch with my husband and it was wonderful! We planned to go to the cafe next door, but there was no seating so we decided to try this place for something new. Love the vintage decor, fresh food, strong coffee, and attentive staff. I recommend the chicken/mushroom croquettes and profiteroles, but I will definitely try the crepes my next visit! read more

Great mussels, frites, croquettes and Belgian and French favorites! Very cozy, friendly and a great value. Highly recommend.

This might be a good restaurant but there is no way to tell. There is no way to see past a small but important component found in most considerate establishments. No fountain drinks. Sodas are served by the can at $2.50 each. Abysmal... read more

Very good food. Friendly staff. Great beer selection. Feels very European, a nice break from all this American places...

If you like craft beer, then come here for the Belgian draughts brewed by Trappist monks for over 150 years! This was our first visit and we had Chimay Blue, Kwak, St. Bernadus and, of course, Stella Artois, all expertly poured. Beer flights are available! For lunch, we had onion soup gratinée--the real deal--and grilled sandwiches (Croque Parisien and Le Végétarien on French baguette with frites). Look forward to trying the dinner selections, possibly on Wednesday with live music. Gated parking behind the restaurant a plus. read more

Our party liked the European appeal of the place and their flexibility in allowing us to bring gluten free Belgian beer. One of us had rabbit which he said was very tasty and 4+, but my cordon bleu had little cheese and was overcooked. There were 3 mussel dishes and these were the evenings disappointment. They were small, stringy and many were adherent to the shell. These were not the large, plump and succulent mussels that I have had at Janines and the Broken Spoke. I hope that this was just a glitsch in their supply, because it is not what you expect in a Belgian restaurant.One of the portions was gracefully removed without complaint,altough the owner insisted they were "fresh". I am on the fence about a second chance. read more

Great atmosphere, for starters. It's very cozy and open and reminds me of the restaurants I went to in Brussels and Amsterdam. As soon as we sat down, three people rushed to our table to bring menus, waters, and bread. They gave us a moment to read the menus before we ordered. My friend ordered the Belgian beer flight accompanied by a variety of mussels; I ordered the 8oz tenderloin with a Blanche de Bruxelles. The beers really hit the spot after riding our bikes here, and their selection was very Belgian but still had a lot of variety to choose from. My friend loved her mussels, and my tenderloin was perfectly cooked. We both had fries with their homemade mayonnaise. The mayo was delicious and, if you've never had fries with mayonnaise, I highly recommend it. Once we were done with our meals and were talking over drinks, the owner came over to ask how our meal was and recommended dessert: ice cream, whipped cream, with hot Belgian chocolate poured over it. We couldn't say no, and it definitely surpassed our expectations. I highly recommend Cafe Brussels for a date night, night out with the girls, or even just to grab a good beer (in the proper glassware, as well). If you're a chocolate lover, you'll also find something to suit your fancy. I will definitely be back! read more

Terrible food, terrible service. We decided to try this place for Sunday brunch on my birthday. I don't have exceptionally high expectations for service at European restaurants, but this place was bad even by that standard. It took forever for someone to take our order, and we finally had to flag down a random server who was walking by to place our order. I ordered the shrimp croquettes and salad liegeoise We also ordered a couple of Belgian beers, of course. A different server brought our drinks and still a different server brought the appetizer. The "shrimp croquettes" was a disgusting greasy block of deep fried thick, slimy gravy with maybe 2 small bits of shrimp in it. Not good. I set it aside and worked on the bread basket. Then we finished our waters, then we finished our beers, but the appetizer plates and empty glasses just sat there. And sat there. And sat there, until finally our main course came out, at which time I asked the server to remove the appetizer plates and empty bread basket. He did so, but did not bother to refill our water or ask if we wanted another beer. Much to my dismay, my salad liegeoise was more like a large bowl of overlooked, oily green beans with bacon you get at a cafeteria than the green bean and potato medley I had imagined. I was so turned off by the green beans that I asked one of our many random servers to bring me the menu again. Instead, she spent ten minutes checking on other tables before noticing that I was staring her down and handing a menu off to me without saying a word. At that point, with still empty water and beer glasses and a plate full of grossness that I had no hope of replacing anytime soon, I decided it was time to leave. To add insult to injury, my husband had to go find a server to bring our check, which it took ten minutes to get. After paying over $60 for our meal, I am now sitting at home trying to figure out what to eat for lunch, as I am starving. This was by far one of the worst restaurant experiences I have had in a long time and, needless to say, we will not be going back for a birthday or otherwise. Oh, and by the way, if you're going here for the Belgian beer, don't bother. Our drinks were $9.50 each, and I know for a fact that there are other establishments in Houston with the same selection at much more reasonable prices. read more

this place is like straight out of kitchen nightmares. croquettes were served half frozen, mussel sauce was watery. the fries were good but overall very MEH and would NOT return after spending $80 on a meal that wasn't even "good" read more

great selection of beer.wait staff is very friendly and attentive. awesome building! mussels burger cordon bleu are my favorites.

This is a cozy European café, off the main strips but still central and easy to get to, relaxed, slower pace, easy parking. We came for brunch and went with the HRW menu, which had a similar feel to their regular brunch menu. All of the food was excellent. Server was knowledgeable and attentive (checking on us, filling water, etc.), but the food comes out at a "European pace", so don't plan to be in and out quickly. Chill, chat, enjoy and don't be in a rush. We'd been out in the heat, and just wanted ice water, but I want to come back and spend more time with the beer/wine lists. read more

Having spent time in Belgium this summer (Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, and Bastogne), we came back to Houston with a newfound love for all things Belgique! I drive past Cafe Brussels frequently to and from work, so we decided to try it one evening. The food was classically simple Belgian cuisine; carbonnades, frites, mussels, puff pastry dishes, and steak. Oh, and those fabulous Belgian brews- Blanche du Bruxelles, Kwak, Chimay, and many others. With another visit last night, our initial impressions were confirmed. I finally was able to sample a Delirium Tremens Bier, the "Best Beer in the World" winner in 2008. I second that vote; fortunately, the beer is poured into its very own small 25 cl. goblet, as the alcohol content is about 9% ABV. If you want a bigger drink, try one of the Belgian wit biers, lower alcohol, but in 1/2 liter glasses. The evening was topped off with a lovely conversation with Catherine, the owner. Do yourself a favor - stop by soon for an evening of authentic Belgian cuisine and hospitality. read more

A great Belgian restaurant. My wife had the chicken pot pie and I had meat loaf. Both were flavorful. The prices are reasonable. I will be excited to come back. read more

Went for Saturday brunch, won't return. Now it's obvious why we were the only four customers in the restaurant the entire time we were there. Started out with a carafe of mimosas, which was very overpriced and by far the most orange juice I've ever seen served; it seemed like a gallon of straight orange juice. No a la carte options left us all ordering the $20 "tasting" menu, since it had the best sounding omelette and we all wanted Belgian waffles as well. Why can't I just order the omelette I want with a waffle on the side??? We all got the salmon toast for the first course, expecting smoked salmon on the toast, but instead got a very conservative smear of a salmon salad-esque spread; literally less than one bite of topping. The omelette was actually pretty good, but nothing difficult there. The "Belgian" waffle tasted like an Eggo; sooo disappointing. On top of all this, it was some of the slowest and worst service we've ever had; don't forget we were the only people there the entire time... Simply pathetic. read more

OK we are picky eaters. We only like fresh high quality well prepared food. I'm always hesitant to try new places. But holy cow. Delicious. First off, very attentive and friendly staff. Also very knowledgeable. We took their advice on beer and so glad we did. They picked the best beer imaginable once we told them what we were thinking for food. It went very well together. Although I would've preferred the escargot in the shells, still the best I've had in the USA. We ordered the white fish, which came with a salad, green beans, and the fries. Absolutely perfect and authentic. It was all seasoned and prepared so well and I loved how it all complimented each other and went so well together. Will definitely be returning very soon. read more

We had a 12:30pm reservation, arrived at 12:30pm, waited for 45 mins and still didn't get a table. We had to try to get waitress' attention several times. After 45 mins wait, we left and went somewhere else. read more

We went to Cafe Brussels last week for Houston Restaurant weeks. It was a huge disappointment, especially that I was looking forward to it. I had gone repeatedly to another restaurant previously owned by the same owner, which was excllent. The room was nice and the atmosphere good, but the service was very poor and inattentive. We were ignored most of the night. We had to wave and ask for everything. The food was sub par. The soup a l'ognion was tepid and the terrine tasteless. The Entercote was chewy and grisly, although the fries were good. The desserts were ridiculous: my wife's crepe was unappetizing, and my Profiterols were literally frozen solid, they were hard to cut (no pun intended). I asked for the manager and was told that she's away in Belgium... I guess that could explain some things ! I also checked reviews on another website and discovered that most of the bad reviews over the years were in August. Maybe that should be food for thought for management. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g56003-d3420075-r413181499-Cafe_Brussels-Houston_Texas.html# read more

Love this place! Mussels were fantastic and Belgian Fries are fantastic!! Highly recommend eating here-you won't be disappointed.

It's definitely different from other places in Houston and has that quaint quality other reviewers are so enthusiastic about. Their food is very overpriced though and not that great. We had the cheese croquettes and mussels in white wine. The croquettes were okay, although only barely warm. The mussels were very dry and overloaded with onions. Having lived in Europe,I know what well prepared mussels taste like and it's not like this. read more

Great lunch. I went with a group from work during our lunch hour. The quiche is very good, light and airy, but very filling. We had attentive service, our lunch was served timely. We all plan to return. read more

Love it. Have been searching for something since Cafe Montrose closed. Cafe Jeanine didn't make it, though the mussels were good. I was so f**king excited when I found out about Cafe Brussels and they did not disappoint. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Finally, my steak frites with Roquefort sauce has returned. And the mussels and available variety of Belgian beers are unbeaten. I dream about this food. read more

Like being in Europe. Superior mussels and frites. Friendly staff. Exquisite selection of Belgian beer and unpretentious French wine. We loved it and will be back. read more

Great decorations: posters, clocks, glass collection. It is so great to find that Catherine has found a spot where she can again work her magic: delicious steamed mussels and French fries. Also, enjoyed the mixed green salad! Fantastic to see her again. Romantic place with subdued lighting and low music! Go there! read more

I enjoy this place very much. Some speak about the lack of staff but I think it adds to the charm. The lady of the house seems skeptical of unfamiliar faces but also seems to recognize after just one visit. The table staff are friendly and quick to help out. Parking is a bit of a challenge but the food is quite good and pretty reasonably priced. read more

I honestly feel that this place is over rated. I have been to this restaurant three times over the course of about a year. Each time I haven't been very impressed. While the food has always been good, to me it is not worth the wait and the price. When I am paying such a high price for a meal, I expect to at least enjoy my stay at the restaurant. The service is extremely slow. You'll be standing by the door for at least five minutes before being seated while the waiters rush around you. The woman who seems to be running to place has always come off as rude to me. The last time that I came here, she waved my boyfriend and I to a table. When he began to walk towards it though, she yelled at him that the table wasn't ready and told us to wait. I really had to bite my lip at that. Like I said, the service is extremely SLOW. And when you need service, it's hard to flag a waiter because they're running all over the place trying to manage all of the tables. It'll be at least half an hour after ordering before you receive your food. The last time that I ate here I asked for fries with my order. When I didn't receive them I told the same lady who was rude to my boyfriend about this. (She happened to be the person who brought our food to the table). Instead of being nice about it, she snapped at me "fries cost extra". I replied "I'm aware of that, but I still ordered fries." She repeated that I would have to pay for them, ran off, and didn't come back. It was another ten minutes before I received my fries and that rude lady never apologized or treated me like less than a burden for it. We ended up not having to pay for the fries despite that lady, but I'm pretty sure that's because we complained to another waiter who took them off our bill. I would give this place one star if the food itself wasn't so good. I really don't appreciate PAYING (and paying a lot, too) to have people treat me and my boyfriend with such hostility just because we want to sit down and get what we ordered. With the service as awful as it is, I never enjoyed myself at this restaurant because I would be sitting at my table, starving. I gave this place three tries and was painfully unimpressed each time. Life's too short for Cafe Brussels. Never again. read more

The service is horrible, and the food middle of the road, not t value for your monery