Intrigued by the name, hungered by the concept, I made dates with Balls & Glory in multiple cities and I can attest – this isn’t just marketing. Balls & Glory satisfies the strongest of cravings, leaves you pining over an unforgettable experience, and calculating your return.  

All play-on-words aside, meatballs are a tradition of Belgium and Balls & Glory takes this yummy goodness to a whole new level. Whereas most meatballs are small and smothered – Balls & Glory handmade meatballs are the size of a baseball and sauce fills the inside – resulting in a taste explosion!

My family and I first stumbled upon the restaurant in Gent – which is coincidentally, where the first Balls & Glory began as a pop-up lunch restaurant in 2012. (For American readers – I’m learning as well. . . but “pop up” restaurants and shops tend to be giving-it-a-go during a season, or exploring a concept, usually in an otherwise empty storefront. Think Halloween stores that ‘pop-up’ in old Best Buy locations. . .) The concept took hold. Soon locations sprouted in Antwerp, Leuven, and Brussels, and the restaurant continues to expand.

The concept is simple – if you plan on dining in, there are three or four seasonal flavors available – three cheese, spinach, corn curry, mushrooms and truffle oil, bleu cheese & pinenuts, peas & mint – the list goes on an on. Each meatball is served with a side of salad or stoemp – which is basically mashed potatoes filled with other veggies such as leeks and carrots (trust me, it’s tasty). And the whole meal floats in a complimenting sauce.

If you opt for take-away, then there are even more than the three or four options. These can be stored in your fridge for up to four days then heated in your own oven (ready in 27 minutes) or thrown on the barbeque.

The Gent location was cute and cozy in an architectural noteworthy building just off the center of town. The building was long and narrow and the kids sat on upturned crates while the stroller was parked outside in the foyer.

I’ve visited the Brussels location with girlfriends. Larger than its Gent counterpart, but just as cozy.

The Antwerp location, however, is spaciously located in the harbor. My family, on a trip to the MAS (I sense this is not uncommon) parked in the underground parking garage, hopped up the stairs (read: lugged the stroller up the oh-so-European-handicapped-accessible-stairs) and were at the doorway to the restaurant. The restaurant expanded before us – wall to wall, with plenty of seating options available. We ordered at the front and were free to choose a table – all seemingly created to accommodate groups of six, eight, or communal-style. Housed in the Saint-Felix warehouse – the atmosphere was chic, cool, and we enjoyed viewing the boats from the large glass window overlooking the harbor.

You can get what you want, when you want it – dine-in, take-away, or Balls & Glory delivers to your door as well. In all, this restaurant ticks all the boxes for everyone – satisfaction guaranteed.

Pearl of Wisdom – if dining in with kids, there’s an ‘extra ball’ option for 6 euros. If your kids are like my kids. . . they’re not going to devour a salad or a side of mashed potatoes, but give them meat and a sauce, and they’re all in.   

Locations we’ve visited (there are two locations in Brussels, and they are also located in Leuven, Belgium and Eindhoven, Netherlands):

FelixPakhuis de Markt
Godefriduskaai 30
2000 Antwerpen

Jakobijnenstraat 6
9000 Gent

Rue Henri Maus 35
1000 Brussels

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