Point Brugge Cafe-Waffles and Mussels and Frites (Oh my!)

For Memorial Day weekend Mark and I decide to visit our favorite brunch restaurant in Pittsburgh, Point Brugge. I am confident that I don't have to commence this post with how much Mark and I love brunch as it should be evident by now. Though we have dined at this restaurant and its sister resturant Park Bruges several times, we haven't had the opportunity to blog about it. This is not because the restaurant isn't  "blog worthy" or that we hope to keep one of our favorite restaurants a secret from our readers. It is that every time that we dine there, we are too enthralled with the food, drinks, and the atmosphere that we forgot to take photos of our food.

Point Brugge is located in Point Breeze; tucked away in a residential neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh. It is a small restaurant with tables, a bar, and outdoor seating. The restaurant doesn't accept reservations so it is best to dine at less popular times or anticipate at least a 45 minute to an hour wait. Point Brugge is known for its Belgian waffles, mussels, and frites. They also serve a small selection of craft and Belgian beers, wine, and cocktails.

Brunch is only served on Sundays from 11am-3pm and a line begins to form around 10:45am when the weather is warm. The menu features several entrees, a la carte items, and a prix frixe menu. The brunch menu changes seasonal but the integrity and quality of the food remains the same. The menu includes traditional items such as steak and eggs, omelettes, and eggs benedict though with a European bistro like flare.

Regardless of the meal Mark and I always order mussels. For dinner, patrons can order a pound and a half of mussels prepared with one of three of sauces served with their famous frites. During brunch, the mussels and the frites are sold separately but each for a reasonable price. We had the mussels prepared in a classic white wine with shallots, garlic and light cream.

I had the Chili Verde Baked Eggs as my entree. This was the first time we had seen this item on the menu which meant an opportunity to try something new. The meal was light and not overly greasy yet filling and was full of flavor. I enjoyed the textured and the queso fresco really tied the meal together.

Since Point Brugge is a Belgian restaurant, Mark insisted on having their Liege Waffles and sausage served as an open face sandwich with potato hash and a sunnyside up egg. As described in their menu, Belgium has multiple styles of waffles with the Liege Waffle being a dense, crunchy waffle with a caramel flavor.  The meal had a nice contrast of sweet and salty flavors and the fruit was a great compliment to the entree.

The best two words to describe Point Brugge are seasonal and fresh. The quality of the food is consistent and we have never had a disappointing meal there. We do hope one day that they will accept reservations but the experience of the food is well worth the wait. Mark and I would consider Point Brugge one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh and one that locals and visitors should enjoy.

And as a special treat, here is a photo of me eating a Belgian waffle in Brussels when I was in college. Enjoy.

-Michelle